A Calorie is a calorie?

Every person who has wanted to lose a few pounds has probably heard this advice from well meaning friends: "Calories in, calories out. It's that simple."  As if to say the only thing that ulimately matters is that you burn more calories than you eat.  And we've taken that advice to heart.  To that end, we've tried everything: Weight Watchers and Atkins and South Beach and maybe even things like the "Grapefruit Diet" or the "Eat only cabbage for a week diet." Maybe we've had success with some, dismal failures with others.  But still the question remains:  How much does the food I eat really matter as long as I watch my calories?  Hey, sign me up for the Oreo Diet!

But let's think about this for a second.  As good adults, we know about budgets. We know that we have a certain amount of money to last a certain period of time.  We could spend it all on clothes or entertainment or whatever, but then what happens when the mortage is due and the kids are sick and why did the washing maching decide to give out now, for crying out loud? We have to make decisions that help us live the life we want.  Most of us opt for making sure the family is fed and keeping a roof over our heads, even if it means we can't indulge every desire we have.

I think the same is true for our bodies.  We know that we can't eat more calories than we need, or we keep fighting the Battle of the Bulge.  But what we don't see as clearly is that like our budgets, our bodies have certain requirements. We might know that we need protein to build muscles, and carbohydrates to give us the energy to live our lives. But beyond that, we're not really sure what matters. We hear "experts" talk to us about watching our sodium or cholesterol.  We're vaguely aware that we should have some calcium, and vitamins sound important, and "antioxidant" seems to be slapped on every label.

So how do we make decisions about what we should be eating? I have had to learn to ask myself a question as I make food choices: what gives me the most bang for my caloric buck?  Right now, I eat 1600 calories a day.  I could theoretically eat 1200 calories worth of oreos and 400 calories worth of milk.  But what does that get me?  A whole lot of carbs, a load of not so healthy fat, a little bit of protein, and some calcium and maybe some vitamin D.  (And probably a tummy ache!)  But if I did that, I would be missing out on a whole host of vitamins and minerals and things like amino acids (which are the building blocks of muscle as we learned in biology class.) But what if I took those same 1600 calories and spent them on lean proteins and healthy fats and a variety of fruits and vegetables? I would come a whole lot closer to giving my body the tools to do the work it is supposed to do.  When we choose foods that are basically "empty calories", we're doing the equivalent of spending a whole paycheck on a wardrobe.  Try that for a month and see how excited you are about those purchases at the end of the month when you can't afford to pay your mortgage.  That's how it works in the body too.  When we spend our calories on foods that don't have any nutritional value, we come up short. We ask our bodies to do the hard work of losing fat and building muscle and keeping us going throughout the day, but we don't give it the tools it needs to do that work.  And then we wonder why nothing seems to work for us!

Bottom Line:  Calories in, calories out matters... a lot.  But it isn't the whole story.  Spend your calories wisely by choosing mostly nutrient dense foods.

10 cans of fat free whipped cream will totally give you what you need to function.  Or not... 

Measuring Up

When I started working with a trainer a few years ago, he made the bold statement that I probably didn't know what I was actually eating.  I quickly informed him that he was wrong.

He said, "Do you measure it out? Everything that goes in your mouth-- do you weigh it or put it in a measuring cup or spoon?"  Then gave me that look that said 1) I was busted and 2) that there was no point in me actually answering that question. 

Uh.  Seriously?  Who does that? Who has time for that nonsense?

From ISSA's Specialist in Fitness Nutrition

It took me a long time to realize that he was right, and that taking the time to measure was really important to achieving my weight loss goals.  I was thinking about that conversation (ok, ok, conversations) when I came across this study that shows what people perceive they consume versus what they actually eat.  People underestimate the amount of  grains and fats they actually eat, and overestimate the amount of vegetables and protein they consume.  Basically, our human tendenacy is to take what we believe to be healthy, and give ourselves the benefit of the doubt. 

If you are struggling to lose weight, figure out how many calories you need.  (Ask me! Happy to help) and then take the time to look at what a serving size actually is.  Hint: unless it's measured, nobody eats the recommended serving size of 1/2 cup of ice cream. Or 3/4 cup of cereal. Or 2 T of Peanut Butter.   Invest in a food scale and some measuring spoons/cups.  Use them consistently and see what a difference in makes!

I'll be talking about meal plans later, but I've found that it is also really helpful to track your food.  As I learned at weight watchers a long, long time ago:  You bite it, you write it.  A paper journal is really helpful, but if you are "techy" apps can be a great tool.  I personally love myfitnesspal, and ask my clients to use it.  It's great to be able to keep a food diary that figures the calories as well as things like protein, fats, carbohydrates and even potassium and sodium.  Diaries can be made shareable, which adds for a level of accountability.  Recruit a friend to support you in this and invite them to see what you eat.  Of course, as my trainer reminded me, it's only as accurate as the information you add to it.

Take the time.  Don't lie to yourself.  (I had to learn that my hips always knew the truth, no matter what I recorded!) Measure, measure, measure! 

Limiting Factors

Since my love for helping clients achieve their fitness goals has grown, I've started working to become a certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition.  I can't wait to see all the pieces of a healthy lifestyle really begin to come together!

The very first things the book mentions is limiting factors-- which is a fancy-schmancy way of saying "anything that stops you from being the rockstar you want to be."  I love what the book says about a trainer's role:  "To really achieve great results with a client you need to master one crucial skill: the ability to find your client's limiting factors and remove them." (ISSA, Specialist in Fitness Nutrition).

The text goes on to say that all our limiting factors are basically of three types: genetics, physical activity, and nutrition.  I think the nice book writers left out one that is really, really important: mental attitude.

As I think back on my own weight loss journey, I wonder how many times I sabotaged myself by telling myself that I couldn't.  Or that it wasn't possible for me to be strong, healthy and amazing.  I wonder how many times I let myself believe that the hard work wasn't worth it, or that getting up for a five a.m. run was stupid, or that that cookie really was necessary to my survival. When I look back, I am sad to realize that as often as not, I've been my own limiting factor.

What are yours?  Make a list.  What if you made that list and then figured out ways to systematically crush yours.  What if? My guess is that you'd be well on your way to taking all the steps all at the same time to become the person you want to be.

How can I help? (Really.  That's a serious question!  Drop me a line!)