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The Calorie Conundrum: Quality vs. Quantity

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To illustrate my point I have outlined a stereotypical client situation:

Scenario: “Selena” takes in only 1,200 calories a day. She’s 300 lb. and isn’t losing any weight.

What gives?

The answer: The calories Selena takes in are mostly processed and contain chemicals that constantly raise her insulin levels and encourage her body to store fat. Her consumption of artificial sweeteners only compounds the problem. Just because something has “0” calories doesn’t mean it has “0” affect on your waistline!

According to many experts, artificial sweeteners can create insulin spikes via signals between the taste buds and organs such as the pancreas and the brain. Furthermore, the body is wired in ways that allow some people to get insulin spikes just by looking at pictures of food.

In a similar twist, Selena might not need a strict low calorie regimen because carrying 300 lb. around all day is a hell of a workout and may require more fuel than you think. To prevent an average female from sending her body into “starvation” mode aka “fat storing machine”, the absolute least amount of calories she can have is 1,200 calories per day for many people trying to lose weight tracking calories is an all important tool. Weight loss is a simple equation: calories in and calories out. You must burn more calories than you take in to lose weight. The only way to know if you are successful is to keep a record of how many calories you eat and how many calories you burn in a given day.

The goal is to be able to eventually eat intuitively and not have to track anymore. You should get so used to what proper portions and proper levels of fullness feel like that you can eventually retire your food journal for good. This is easier said than done, and all too often people get trapped by counting each and every calorie that enters their mouths, and lose sight of all else.

The problem with counting calories is the focus is in the quantity, not the quality of the food you are eating. Often, when reviewing client’s nutrition journals, all they can focus on is the total at the end of the day. I review page after page of nutritionally bankrupt processed food items and have to re-educate my clients as to why they are not losing weight despite restricting calories and regular exercise. People look at me confused when I tell them that eating a large piece of cake for dinner, which has fewer calories than a well-balanced meal, is not a good choice. “But I ate less calories,” they say. Or my favorite is the rare occasion that I see they’ve eaten an entire pizza for dinner, justified by the fact that they ate nothing else all day. It’s no wonder so many Americans are overfed, yet malnourished!

Personally, I hate counting calories and find it to be tedious and time consuming. I have a little secret formula that, if followed, makes calorie counting obsolete in your quest for a slimmer, trimmer, healthier you. It all comes down to what I feel is one of the most important principles of nutrition: H = N/C

HEALTH = NUTRIENTS/CALORIES

Your waistline, not to mention your health, is predicted by your nutrient intake divided by your intake of calories.

Although I would love to claim the above formula as my own, it is actually from the book Eat to Live, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I ask all my clients to read the book, as I have found that the compliance level usually directly correlates with the education and level of understanding each client has regarding the concepts. Then I ask that each client commit to a 4-6 week Eat to Live program. The weight loss and health benefits during this time are unprecedented.

To summarize, it is always a better choice to eat something dense in nutrients. It turns out that many of those foods are also low in calories. For example, an entire pound of broccoli is only 100 calories, but only 1 tablespoon of butter adds an additional 100 calories. Food is our way to provide our body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs to run our bodily functions properly. Without a proper diet, we cannot digest, heal, grow, think, function, move and yes, burn fat, properly. When you start approaching your food as fuel and a means to ultimate health, you will not only feel better, but losing weight can be an effortless byproduct.

Janelle G. Miller
Fitness Guru | Personal Trainer | Nutrition Coach
janelle@definefitnessstudio.com
206.369.7216

“Fighting America’s Health & Obesity Epidemic One Person at a Time”



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