Weight Management and Calorie Counting

Weight Management and Calorie Counting

Tracking your weight management via calorie counting seems pretty easy. After all, if you burn more than you eat, you lose weight, right? If you’re not losing weight, then you’re eating and burning at the same rate. And if you’re gaining weight, then you’re eating more than you burn. Straightforward stuff, but keeping track can be difficult. Even if you keep a food diary, and you’re very honest about it, you can still get tripped up. Here’s why.

Tracking your intake

It’s great to keep a food diary during your weight management journey. It helps you become aware of what and how much you eat. Some people just don’t realize their eating habits until they pay attention enough to record them, whether they’re eating too much or too little. If you find that you aren’t reaching your goal, and you are recording everything, including condiments, sauces, gravy, and beverages, then compare the nutrition data on the food you eat with another sources, or sources, to see if it’s accurate. It might not be.

Tracking your activity

Going to the gym is great. If you do cardio on a machine, then you have your calorie output right there, right? Yes, and no. The algorithms used to calculate calories burned vary from one company to the other. The machine also doesn’t take into account your height or build. Because of this, the reading can be over- or underestimated. Also, unless you are using an activity tracking website or a personal device like a fitbit, then you might be overestimating calories burned during other activity, such as aerobics or weight lifting. By the way, comparing your calorie burn output on a machine to the calories burn output on your fitbit can help you get a more accurate reading there, too.

Tracking your rewards

Sometimes we convince ourselves to exercise by promising ourselves a reward. Two rewards can be quite compromising in your weight management efforts. The first is rewarding yourself by taking it easy the rest of the day. The second is rewarding yourself with food or drink.

If you reward yourself by taking it easy the rest of the day, then you deprive yourself of your normal activities, which burn calories. If you are typically active, and by that I mean running errands, attending events, being busy, then you are burning more calories than you would sitting still. If you burn fewer calories the rest of the day than you would normally, then you may as well have not worked out because you’ll end up burning the same amount of calories as you would have in your normal day anyway.

Now, if you reward yourself with food or drink, then you are on a slippery slope. Remember when I said that most people don’t correctly estimate the number of calories that they burn? Thinking that they’ve burned a large number of calories, they might treat themselves, and add more calories than they burned in the first place. Nice treat, but nothing to show for it in the end except for extra calories. If you want to treat yourself after a workout, or after a series of workouts, do it with a non-food item. You could get yourself a new music album or CD, or if you’ve really reached a milestone, a new garment for your wardrobe. Make it something that you’ll treasure and that will be a real reward.

Visit www.3days3ways.com to request a free wellness profile, where you’ll find out how many calories you burn daily and how many calories you need to meet your weight management goal, plus a whole lot more.

In the end, remember to use additional resources to track your calorie input and output, and reward yourself with non-food items. Tracking your weight management progress via counting calories might seem pretty easy, but remember that there are pitfalls, and things are not as cut and dried as they might seem; but also remember that tracking something is better than tracking nothing, just be sure that you are tracking the correct numbers, and good luck!

Sources:
Bowerman, Susan, MS, RD, CSSD, FAND. Calories In and Calories Out: Finding the Right Balance

The Power of Protein

The Power of Protein

Protein is a key nutrient for our physical and mental health. The 22 amino acids are typically known as the building blocks of life. All major organs, including the skin, are composed of and maintained by these building blocks. But protein also is used to make enzymes and hormones, and to help blood carry oxygen throughout the body. Protein isn’t just a nutrient, but a macronutrient, and as such, we need much more of it.

The typical American diet is carb-based. We eat lots of refined flours and grains, lots of sugars, and some fruits and vegetables. Protein is supposed to make up between 10-35% of our daily calories. The exact number, or protein factor, differs for each person based on height and body weight. Men typically need more protein than women.

Protein is taken up very quickly by the digestive system. It satisfies hunger. It maintains muscle mass, resulting in a higher resting metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more calories at rest, even while you sleep. Protein helps normalize blood sugar and insulin levels, so you don’t get that sugar crash or those afternoon slumps.

Getting more protein in your diet is easy. In fact, here are seven ways to add protein to the meals and snacks you eat every day.

First, protein powder can be added to shakes, yogurt, or baked into muffins or bread.

Second, eggs are a great source of protein. Each egg usually has 7 grams of protein. In some countries, eggs are the primary source of protein. Eggs can be cooked in a variety of ways, and added to other foods.


Third, cottage cheese is a great source of protein. You choose whether you’d prefer low-fat or regular depending on your goals. I love cottage cheese sprinkled with cinnamon if I’m in a mood for something slightly sweet, or pepper if I prefer something savory.

Milk and soy milk are both good sources of protein. It’s easy to cook with milk, even if you don’t drink it. Milk is easily added to sauces and gravies, soups, or added to hot cereals.

Beans are an excellent protein source, and can be cooked in so many ways, it’s actually dizzying. Beans can be mashed and made into a dip like hummus, or used to thicken soups or sauces. They can be added to most savory dishes and even sweet ones. One of my favorite treats when I visit my local sushi restaurant is red bean ice cream.

Tofu comes in a variety of textures, from silky to firm. The silky tofu can be mashed and blended into smoothies or sauces. The firm tofu can be stir-fried of pan-fried and used to augment or replace chicken or beef in a recipe.

Plain, non-fat yogurt is so versatile. You can use it to add tanginess to a sauce or smoothie. You can use it to add richness to a soup or a gravy. You can add your own fruits and honey to make a healthier flavored yogurt with fewer additives.

Protein is a critical macronutrient. Use your creativity to come up with other ways of adding it to your diet. But be selective, and choose the right sources for you. Do you know how much protein your body needs each day? Visit www.3days3ways.com to request your free wellness profile and get your daily protein factor today.

Sources:
Bowerman, Susan MS, RD, CSSD, FAND. "7 Ways To Add Protein to Foods"
Heber, David M.D., Ph.D. "PROTEIN 101"