I’ve seen many, many diets over the years. When it comes to those people wanting to lose weight, there are several mistakes their diets usually have in common. Here are the top 5 things I see most frequently.
1) Too many calories – This one goes without saying. If you’re consuming too many calories you’re not going to lose weight. The problem here is that the individual sometimes isn’t aware unless they’re tracking their diets. (more…)
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? (more…)
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.
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!
