When it comes to losing weight and being healthy, we’ve all heard the traditional “burn more calories than you eat” routine. Though this is true, there is more to it than just that. Many people are not eating enough calories in the first place!
Everyone knows that if you overeat, simply cutting back on the amount of food (calories) you are taking in will result in weight loss. But what about those that are under eating, and not taking in enough calories? In my 11 years of training individuals, I’ve witnessed more people that are under eating than those that over eat!
As infants and children, we are raised being fed every 2-3 hours. As adults, we change this. We find that our bodies can go without food for longer periods of time, therefore we ‘train’ it to become the norm. This doesn’t mean it’s the right way! Eating small amounts of food every 2-3 hours keeps our bodies fueled and our energy up!
Fuel is a great way to picture your calorie intake. Imagine your body is equal to a car, and your calorie intake is the fuel. The fuel makes your car run just like calories provide you with your energy. If someone were to ask you how much gas is in your car, most of us would know the exact amount – but when it comes to calories, we may be completely clueless! If we have no idea how many calories we are eating, we are either going to run out of gas or overfill our tank (aka consuming too many calories which will be stored as fat!)
The best strategy to manage this is counting your calories! Though that may not sound fun, it is truly the only way to know how many calories you are consuming, plan appropriately with your food and manage your weight. Plus, there are a lot of great tools and apps that can make the process much easier! And over time, your body will be “re-trained” to eat correctly, and now when to eat and when enough is enough.
Ofcourse, calorie intake for everyone is different – we each have a different metabolism or Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), which depends on your age, weight, sex and activity level. As a guideline women should eat 1200 calories, and men 1500 – but to truly lose weight, you’ll want to find out what your RMR level is!
As a trainer, I offer support and guidance throughout this whole process – taking what may seem to be a daunting concept and making it easy for you to train your body to know what calories it needs! Contact me to set up a consultation at (954) 701-4256 or through email at edwinsfitness@gmail.com and learn how I can help you WIN the struggle with calories!