Losing weight is the number one goal for most people when it comes to fitness. But why is it so complicated?
The answer boils down to the sheer number of misleading info that is readily available to us.
Each week there is a new fad diet that promises instant success. Yes sure, if you want to consume 750 calories a day from 3 shakes and a piece of fruit, by all means fire ahead, but in 3 months, 6 months or in a years time are you going to be still drinking your 3 shakes a day and maintaining your fat loss? I think not.
Most new diets are difficult to sustain. There is such a negative connotation around the word diet. The actual definition for the word diet is the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.? (Oxford dictionary)
Therefore, you already have a diet and you don’t need a new one.
You may just need to make some changes to it. Your diet should be something that you are content with and something that you can sustain on a day-to-day basis and not something that you despise. If you want to lose a little body fat then you need to consume fewer calories than your body needs. It is as simple as that.
Like anything, your nutrition is something that you need to play with and learn from. Making healthy choices will make you feel and function better. Remember all foods contain different amounts of calories however not all calories are going to make you feel the same way. That is why healthy food is better as it gives you more energy and improves your mood.
Patience is another key element to this process. Results are not going to happen overnight, but compounded over time you will be able to achieve your weight loss goals and sustain them.
Let’s make things simple:
You will and I repeat will lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. It is as simple as that. In fact, you could adopt that piece of advice, lay on the couch all day every day and lose weight! However, I wouldn’t condone that.
Most people probably know this already. So why can’t people still lose weight? It simply comes down to accountability and a lack of understanding about energy balance.
Do you know how many calories were in your breakfast? lunch? Dinner? What about that brunch you had at the weekend? Or the burger and chips you had last Friday? Or your fancy coffee? Or even your fruit juice?
I am not trying to create a negative attitude towards food and I believe in the 80/20 principle where 80% of your foods should come from healthy choices and 20% from more indulgent choices, however I am saying that people who complain about not losing weight need to be more accountable with their day to day consumption.
Keep a food log and track your calories for a week to 10 days to get an idea of what you are eating. Similarly, become educated on portion sizes. I am not saying you have to get technical and start weighing out your food but in our day and age, there are so many apps such as myfitnesspal that will do this for you.
How about just taking a fist measure?
This is an easy and effective way to control portion sizes for carbs and protein. Eat as much veg as your heart desires.
If you really want to make changes to your physique, you have to be honest with yourself.
If weight loss is your goal, you have to become accountable for your actions.
If you don’t know how many calories you should be consuming then do some research online or send me an email and I will be happy to help.
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