As part of my boot camp program, I recommend all my clients track their nutrition intake using an online tracker or mobile app. Aside from the obvious benefits of knowing how many calories you’re consuming etc., the knowledge and understanding of nutrition you gain from doing so is invaluable. It’s a tedious thing to do, no doubt. But it is well worth the effort.

So what about tracking caloric expenditure of exercise?

Most online diet logs that I’ve seen also give you the ability to track your exercise and provide you some estimate of caloric expenditure of the exercise performed. In a lot of cases, they will figure these calories into your daily recommendations and allow you to eat more on the days you exercise. While I think the intentions behind this are good, I think the end result will be counter productive.

The more variables you enter into an equation to more likely you are to make a mistake. Given the fact that diet weighs more than exercise when it comes to producing body composition changes, I like to treat exercise as a constant. Also, people tend to overestimate the intensity of exercise which results in an inflated caloric expenditure numbers. Combine this with the fact that people tend to underestimate their food consumption and you can easily see the issues that arise.

I recommend ignoring the expenditure side of the equation of focusing solely on diet. It’s usually the more difficult aspect of a program to get right and the one people struggle with the most. If you are able to fine-tune your diet you will more than likely will experience the results you are seeking.

For the longest time I have seen trainers, RDs etc. recommend absolute changes in caloric intake. The most popular recommendation by far being to increase/decrease calories by 250 per day. However, 250 calories means different things for different people and I think it’s the wrong approach to take.

Suppose you have someone who weighs 250lbs and is consuming 2500 calories/day in order to lose weight. Reducing intake by 250 calories per day represents a 10% decrease in daily calories. What if the person weighs only 150lbs and is consuming 1500 calories per day in order to lose weight? Reducing calories by 250 per day would equal a 17% decrease in daily calories. This is a pretty sharp drop in intake at once and could have counterproductive results.

A better way to go about it would be to adjust caloric intake by percentage instead of absolute numbers. This way adjustments are relative to the individual and you avoid making adjustments that are too high for some or too low for others. Personally, I always start with a 10% change in calories, regardless of whether someone is looking to lose weight or gain muscle. It’s typically enough to get the person rolling again without any adverse effects that could result from too big a change.

When it comes to dieting for weight loss you need to get your priorities in order. With so much attention given to carbs these days it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important. So, here you go…dietary requirements prioritized.

1) Calories – If you’re consuming too many calories, it doesn’t matter how much protein, fat, or carbs you’re eating…you’re going to gain weight or at least not lose weight.

2) Protein – If you’re not consuming enough protein while on a calorie restricted diet, you’re going to lose muscle. If you lose muscle, your metabolism will drop. Not as much as some would like to think (just like adding a pound of muscle doesn’t increase your metabolism as much as some would like to think), but every little bit is important.

3) Fat – You need to consume enough good fats for metabolic processes to work properly and to maintain cellular functions.

4) Carbs – If you can survive on 0 grams of carbs per day, putting them last is the only place that makes sense. Besides, if the above are set properly carbs will fall where they need to be.

The above parameters should be set in order. See Nutrition for Weight Loss for the details on setting each of the four variables. To simplify the process, focus on one step at a time. First, set your calories. When you are able to hit your calorie goals on a daily basis, move to step two and focus on protein intake. Once you’re able to hit your goals for both calories and protein, move to step three. Once you get things clicking with steps 1-3 everything should be in working order. Keep in mind, however, when weight loss occurs each parameter will have to be reset in order to maintain progress.

Taking the above approach will simplify the process and have you focusing on one thing at a time. Trying to tackle everything at once can easily become too much. I’ve used these guidelines and approach with many clients and it works. Give it a try and see how it works for you.

No surprise I get a lot of questions about proper nutrition for weight loss. Since many people are obsessed with numbers, here are the numbers I start with when recommending a diet conducive to weight loss:

1) Calories: Body weight x 10 calories
Why? You need to start somewhere and this is as good a place as any.

2) Protein: Body weight x 0.7g
Why? When calorie intake decreases, protein needs increase. Having enough protein in the diet will help maintain your strength and muscle mass. Although most people recommend 1g+ of protein per pound, I’ve found that 0.7g has worked well with my clients.

3) Fat: 25% of total calories
Why? Fats, primarily essential fats (omegas), are important for maintaining healthy cells and metabolic processes.

4) Carbs: Leftover calories
Why? Unless you’re an endurance athlete or have an underlying health condition that requires more attention, I really don’t concern myself with carbs. I’ve found that if you get the first 3 correct, carbs really don’t matter much.

5) Water: Body weight x 0.6
Why? If you’re dehydrated your body will suffer and so will your results. If you aren’t running to the bathroom constantly throughout the day you need to drink more water.

While you will always need to adjust things according to your results, this is a good starting point for most people. The key is to be consistent and patient, giving it enough time before pulling the plug and giving up. I would say give it 2-4 weeks to see some results. If you’re not getting anything by then, you can probably be sure it isn’t water retention and should make some changes.

You never burn off as many calories as you think you should while exercising. You’re always consuming more calories than you think you are. Keep these two things in mind and you’ll do just fine!

I just wanted to post a quick tip on protein intake while on a calorie restricted diet. When calories are reduced (caloric deficit created), your body’s need for protein increases. Therefore, be extra aware of your protein intake during a calorie restriction.  Protein intake should be in the neighborhood of 1.0g/lb of body weight.  This will vary a little according to body fat, etc.  But generally speaking, this is a good place to start.

The benefits of interval training are pretty common knowledge these days…increased fat loss, improved VO2, etc.  However, the proper way to perform them is not.  When most people I talk to tell me they’re doing intervals, they usually describe something along the lines of: 5 minute jog on the treadmill followed by 5 minutes at a higher speed/elevation, followed by 5 minutes at an even higher speed/elevation etc.  While technically this is “interval training,” there is a more effective way to go about it.

I like to keep the work intervals short, usually in the neighborhood of 30 seconds.  This will allow you to train at super high intensities.  Due to the inverse relationship between intensity and duration (the longer the interval is, the less intense it can be due to the body’s inability to sustain high intensity exercise), extending intervals to 2-3 minutes or more is just too long.

There are different ways to perform intervals, from Tabatas (20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds rest), to 1:1 or 1:3 work/rest ratios (high intensity exercise for 30 seconds followed by 30 second low intensity exercise, etc).  They can be performed using resistance training exercises or through performing sprints on a track or cardiovascular equipment (ie. treadmill, bike, elliptical).

However you choose to incorporate intervals into your workouts, keep the high intensity portion short (to ensure the intensity really is high) and total duration to 30 minutes or less. This will allow you to experience the true benefits interval training has to offer.

Here is a simple tri-set for the lower body that can be done at home.  It’s sure to get your thighs burning and help melt away the unwanted fat!

1. Reverse Lunge: Perform for 60 seconds and without resting move to exercise #2.

2. Lateral Lunge: Perform for 60 seconds and without resting move to exercise #3.

3. Squat: Perform for 60 seconds.

After completing the Squat, rest for 60 seconds and repeat the sequence two more times.  Your legs will be begging for mercy!

One thing that comes up quite frequently when discussing obesity and weight loss is the role our genetics plays.  Most people are quick to point the finger and say, “It’s my genetics” or “it’s in the genes” when figuring out the determining factor in our weight issues.  While some people may disagree with me, I’m telling you it’s not our genetics!

While genetic makeup may predispose you to being overweight, it is not the determining factor of whether or not you will become overweight.  Genetics are heavily influenced by environmental factors (ie. diet & exercise).  I think we can all agree that genetics have changed very little since the early 1900′s, yet incidence of obesity/overweight, and the chronic diseases which accompany it (ie. heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.), has skyrocketed!  Why?  Our nutrition (mainly) and exercise habits.

Since we have migrated from whole foods to processed foods, coupled with the food industry’s love of inexpensive high fructose corn syrup (check the labels, it’s in EVERYTHING!), our waistlines have expanded out of control.  And any study that says we’re just as active today as we were 50 years ago should give back the money they used to fund it.

If our own epidemic isn’t evidence enough, just look to other countries who are now allowing McDonald’s to set up shop on their street corners and see how their body weight, and health, has changed.  Should we point the finger at their genetics, also?  Nope.

While I’m not claiming that genetics has nothing to do with our obesity epidemic, I am saying it is not the determining factor of whether you will become obese/overweight or not.  This should give you hope that no matter what hand you’ve been dealt by your genetics, there is something you can do about it.  Just keep pushing forward and don’t give up!

Reducing the number of calories consumed helps many people lose weight.  No doubt about it.  However, reducing the amount of food you eat also decreases the nutrients your body is receiving.  In an environment where many of the foods consumed are of low nutritional value, reducing the amount taken in increases the chances of nutrient deficiency.  So how do you tackle this issue? Build your diet around whole foods.

Processed foods have a lousy calorie/nutrient ratio.  They contain a lot of calories, but provide very few nutrients.  Therefore, they have to be over-consumed in order to get the nutrients your body needs (and they usually are of poor quality).

Whole foods, on the other hand, contain far fewer calories and are abundant in the nutrients. This will allow you to eat less (fewer calories) while maintaining (more likely increasing) adequate nutrient intake.  The result?  Caloric restriction without the depletion of vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly.

If you are unsure of what a whole food is, that’s ok.  Simply ask yourself this question. Would a caveman have had access to this food?  If the answer is no, it’s likely not a whole food.

To help with your search for whole foods while shopping, stick to the perimeter of the supermarket instead of the ailes.  That’s where you will find the majority of the whole foods available.  Start including them in your diet and I’m sure you will appreciate the results.