A few weeks ago, a participant in one of my fitness classes asked me how much she would have to exercise to lose weight if she kept eating the way she always has. "I love food," she said, "and I just can't bring myself to diet." I explained to her the equation that we as Lifestyle and Weight Management Coaches use to encourage weight loss, which is the whole "3,500 calories equals one pound" thing. We tell people to burn 250 calories per day and cut 250 calories out of their diets every day in order to safely lose one pound per week. For some people, that's insurmountable. That's why the latest research studies are so fascinating to me.
This week, there was a New York Times blog post about dieting vs. exercise for weight loss. A recent study says that our previous calculations are wrong, as they don't take metabolism into account.
So what does it all mean? What I take from this is the simple truth that the human body is not a calculator. We should stop trying to do the math and start listening to the wisdom of our bodies. We should eat nutritious foods that will fuel us for an active lifestyle. Get up and move, and make choices that nurture the magnificent machine that propels us through life.
That wasn't me, but it certainly could have been. I tend to eat less protein and more fat than I should.
ReplyDeleteBut while I like programs like SparkPeople and MyFitnessPal to keep me honest with calorie intake, I also appreciate the basic truth that our bodies are NOT calculators (and I'm never going to look like an Olympian).
On that note -- I think I need to go for a bike ride. :-)