The Mathematical Rule for Weight Loss

 

GETTING STARTED

When it comes to changing body weight, nutrition is the single biggest factor. The food you eat is essential to fueling your daily activity, maintaining your health, and and keeping your body functional. With a proper nutrition program you can boost your progress in the gym and maximize your results. However, there is no shortcut. Strong adherence to a sensible eating plan is the best way to reach your fitness and health goals.

Nutrition can be as complicated or as easy as you want. There are many diets, tons of false information, and fads on the market to keep us guessing. To make things worse, researchers are constantly learning new information about our nutritional needs and how we utilize food. Basically, everything we think we know about proper eating is constantly changing. 

FOOD FUNDAMENTALS

The only real rule: To lose weight, eat less. To gain weight, eat more.

It’s really that easy. Don’t waste time or mental energy on the fads posted throughout the internet and in the magazines. There is no single food you can eat (or not eat) to make progress. All successful diets and weight loss strategies work because of a basic mathematical property called the Energy Balance Equation. It looks like this:

Daily Caloric Balance = Energy Consumed – Energy Expended

If the daily caloric balance is in the positive for extended periods of time, you will gain weight. If the balance is in the negative for extended periods of time, you will lose weight. It really is that simple.

One of my favorite analogies of the energy balance equation is a kitchen sink.

 

 

Picture this sink holding water. Water can come in from the faucet, and leave through the drain. The more water coming from the faucet, the faster the sink will fill up and overflow. The bigger the drain, the more water will leave. For this analogy, the food you eat is the faucet and your exercise is the drain.

Using this analogy, it becomes clear there are several methods in which to empty the sink. You could reduce the amount of water coming in and let it drain on its own. Or you could widen the drain at the bottom and allow more water to empty. However, the best method is to do both!

The best way to lose weight is to decrease your caloric consumption and increase your energy expenditure. You CANNOT out-exercise a bad diet!

Check back soon for more specific information on how to calculate your food needs, or contact me to design a customized fitness and nutrition guide specifically for you.