Hello friends~
Summer is around the corner, and all over the internet, social media, magazine articles, and ads are demanding that we look critically at our bodies to determine whether we’re beach-worthy. And there’s usually a monetary cost involving diets, cleanses, and memberships to exercise programs. It’s demoralizing.
Just to clear it up, you already have a beach body. So go to the beach or the pool wearing anything you like.
But what if you do want to lose weight, or even gain weight for health, or for aesthetic, or any meaningful reason? If you’re looking for direction in managing your weight, there’s a minefield of misinformation out there.
Is it as simple as calories in, calories out?
CICO seems simple on the surface, and it is…and it’s not. You might consume very few calories in a day, and you might lose weight, but if the percentage of the calories are processed food products, or high in carbohydrates, trans fats, or sugar, your body will metabolize differently. The quality/content of the food we eat, not just the quantity matters, as well as other factors, like stress, sleep, and the type and duration of the exercise you do.
The Energy Balance Equation
The brain is mission control, so it’s essential to eat mindfully (quality and quality), move our bodies (use consumed/ stored energy/calories), and manage factors like stress and sleep.
Many years ago on a trip to Germany, I learned the phrase “Ich bin sat”, when offered another helping of food. Translation: “I am satisfied”, which struck me as a wonderful relationship to eating. The common American phrase, “I’m full” conveys that fullness is somehow a goal. (Consider the portions of meals in American restaurants!) Years ago I had personal experiences with certain family members who would unbuckle a belt to allow more “room” to keep eating, consuming a restaurant meal because it was expensive and they didn’t want to “waste” it. But If we eat past the point of satiety we have become the trash can. That meal was paid for, whether it was eaten or not.
Mindful eating – quality and quantity
Burning calories/using energy
Calories consumed and calorie expenditure is a bit of an oversimplification, but important. A deficit of 3500 calories is required to lose one pound.
Want to dive deeper? Calories In – Calories Out, Or Hormones?
Let’s talk. Can’t wait to hear from you!
~Polli