With all the crazy info out there about "eating right" it makes me think that basic body function should be a mandatory class in High School.
Moderation is the key and it has always been the key, but scientifically there is a lot going into that. Some people have a natural knack for eating what, and almost only what, their body needs whether it be genetics or training, but the vast majority of us don't and a good number more of us freak out about it.
I don't know everything, but I trust the sources that I have since gotten my info from. Chris will always remind me that everyone is a snowflake, which is true, so other things need to be taken into account, but at the core solid of everyone is a body that needs energy and a system that is going get that energy any way it can.
There's also a lot of nonsense out there on the internet. So I figure I should try to even the playing field. You don't have to read this, but if you are interested in what I've read/heard/been told about healthy eating, here it is:
1. Metabolism is a number. It is the number of calories your body burns everyday in order to stay alive. This means, maintaining your current weight, moving, breathing, digesting, etc.
2. 65-70% of calories burned a day comes from supporting lean mass. LEAN mass, not fat. A Muscle, sitting there doing nothing burns a hec of a lot more calories, than the part responsible for keeping the fat from going anywhere. 15-20% of your calories burned everyday comes from moving. This is why exercise and activity can boast weight loss, but may not be enough if you aren't eating correctly. Plus- bonus!- certain activities increase the amount of MUSCLE on your body, meaning you'll burn more calories sitting on your bum tomorrow than you did yesterday (not literally tomorrow, but so to speak over time as you actually build muscle.)
About 10% of calories burned is from digestion. Yes eating things. Chewing them and breaking them down. Certain foods (usually the HEALTHY ones) take a lot more digestive energy than others. In fact, there are certain foods (the list isn't very long) that burn more calories breaking down in your tummy, than they actually contain! Awesome.
FUN FACT: This also means that we are in control of at least 20% of our metabolism. Want a higher metabolism? move more, eat complex foods, and try to build muscle.
3. I think the last bit of 2 is why people think eating smaller meals throughout the day is better. While there may be a gazillion reasons why this works for people (less likely to eat a too big meal later if you've had a snack, etc.) there isn't any solid research to support it. It does work for me, by the by, but so does not eating most of the day and then have a good helping of something super healthy later on.
Snowflakes.
4. More than half of Americans can't tell the difference between thirsty and hungry. Milk is the only beverage (and possibly a smoothie if all you did was throw chunks of fruit in the blender) that the stomach registers as food. This means milk is the only beverage that will make you feel less hungry. It also means that drinking water DOES NOT make you full (unless you over drink). Water however IS good for weight loss. Research is still trying to figure out why (but I figure it is because people snack when they are actually thirsty), but drinking more throughout the day does aid in weight loss. Perhaps it keeps your body processing things without adding cals?
Fun fact: If I am thirsty, and I don't get a drink within 30-40 minutes, I get a craving for something sweet. EVERY TIME.
Another fun Fact: It took me almost 3 years to pinpoint this and realize the difference between I'm thirsty and I'm hungry. I figured it out by, if I felt "snacky" I'd first drink a glass of water or two, and wait 10 minutes, paying attention to how I felt.
5. Eating at night doesn't make you fat. Research HAS confirmed this. The type of food most people eat late at night, however, if eaten in excess, DO. Ice cream, Jack in the box, chips, 4th meal... you get my drift.
6. You weigh less in the morning than you do at night. This is because your body fluctuates 1-3 pounds, up to 5-7 if you are significantly over weight, throughout the day. Drinking water, doing activity, your body's natural process cause this to happen. When you sleep, your body works the hardest, slumping off the extras. So you weigh less in the morning.
7. If you haven't been working out in awhile and start, you are likely to see an increase in your weight not a decrease. Your body is making glycogen to repair the growing muscles. Glycogen holds water. About 3-4 for every 1 glycogen gram. Water is heavy. Once your body gets used to the routine, things will even out. So don't freak and quit. ;)
8. If you are not getting enough nutrients or experience a sudden and very large decrease in calories and this is prolonged, your body will freak out. Nutrient deficient, it will start eating your lean masses (things like muscle) in search of nutrients. This means that while your weight will go down quickly, your health will also go down and eventually you will stop losing inches, maintaining the fat that is on your body. It takes awhile to snap the body out of this. So it may continue to eat muscle THEN fat for a little while in adjustment, but it can be fixed. This isn't likely to happen to a lot of people, and men are more susceptible.
9. The "average" count of 2000 calories a day is based on a specific weight. A 2000 cal women is 165-pound, 5 ft. 4 in. who is 30 years old who does additional activity 2-3 times a week. I don't know about you, but that isn't me. I'm supposed to eat LESS.
As mentioned above, your metabolism, or calories you need to eat in a day, is based on a lot of things. Height, age, gender, and level of activity most specifically, but if you have any type of medical condition or heredity issues this will also effect this calorie number. Don't assume that 2000 is you.
(Remember, you're a snowflake!)
Find a calorie calculator online. One like this: http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/calorie_calculator.asp# But be careful. I tried 3 different sites and got 3 different answers. This one is here as a quick example and it was middle answer, but do some research, make sure the calculator was created by a reputable source and then go from there.
FUN CALORIE FACTS: The younger you are, the more you need. The heavier you are, the more you need to maintain that weight. A man and women of the same size do not eat the same calories (men are BORN with more muscle mass, and maintain this throughout life), Your age & weight also effect how many calories you burn at the gym, Tredmill and other machine calorie counters are not always accurate because of this.
10. There are 3500 calories in a pound. To gain 1 pound you need to eat 3500 extra calories, which with today's foods is very easy, easier than you might think. To lose, you need to eat 3500 less.
This comes to about 500 cals a day, to lose a pound a week, which is a HEALTHY weight loss. 1-2 pounds is healthy. The first 1-3 weeks you might see bigger loses and that is fine, it likely water weight and your body making the adjustments.
If they continue to stay big, reevaluate or see a doctor.
11. Losing weight FAST is bad. Repeat. Losing weight FAST is BAD. This makes your body eat muscle as previously discussed, not to mention, it doesn't give your skin time to adjust. Hello skin flaps! And you thought stretch marks were bad (those are caused by gaining weight fast.)
12. Don't eat less than 1200 cals without Dr. supervision or being told so. See 11.
13. The only foods that should be forbidden are the ones that you personally can't control yourself with. So much of weight gain is based on emotion. Studies show that when you are stressed, you actually CRAVE sweet and salty things. But that doesn't mean you don't have control over your own hands and mouth. Emotional eating is a SERIOUS issue. Yes, a lot of people are over weight simply because they don't know what healthy is. But a lot are over weight because of emotional issues and food becoming comfort. There are actually people addicted to over eating. Just like alcohol or any activity that we can get addicted to, eating things (particularly sugar) releases chemicals in our brain. We like that feeling and we go back for more.
Often, support is what is actually needed. This is why losing weight with a friend or family member is almost always more successful. Unless of course, you use each other as dependents for the opposite results.
But going back to the first part of this- cake might food I can't stop eating, but steak might be it for someone else. Personal tastes, personal weakness. (snowflakes!) Everything is moderation is fine, but if you can't say no once you start, then don't start.
FUN FACT: Some research has shown that the types of food a mother is used to eating while pregnant effect the baby's ability to process both foods like those foods and foods unlike those foods in its life outside the womb, but they are still researching. A study has also shown that mothers who are at a healthy pregnant weight are more likely to have children who maintain a healthy weight throughout life, but research has not shown why. Could be nurture and not nature here...
14. All calories are not created equal. This is the newest research out there, but a fat or a carbohydrate calorie, for instance, takes almost no energy to process. It's immediate. It is used up with little effort. You don't burn nearly enough calories digesting it to compensate. A protein or fiber calorie takes work. They need to be broken down in order for your body to use them, meaning you are burning calories to eat them. Fat, Carbs, Protien, and Fiber are all NEEDED by the body.
Fat free and carb free diets are stupid. There I said it.
There are good and bad fats, but keep in mind that the healthy foods often have less and more of the right kind; and unhealthy foods have a shitload more than necessary and usually mostly of the wrong kind. So use this information as you gaze at nutrition labels.
FUN FACT: You'll be surprised to find that your "low fat" items aren't necessarily better for you, or even have less calories. Also, look at serving size. Do you only eat 1/2 a cup of cereal? Or half a honey bun out of the vending machine? Labels have gotten better with representing an entire package, but look at a single serving size and figure out how many are in there or how many you actually eat.
15. MOST IMPORTANT: Do your own research. You can use my info here as a jumping off guide, but please go do the digging yourself. You'll probably find out even MORE. Just make sure your sources are reputable. Remember English class? Look for Scholarly not Popular.
Fad diets or diets that focus on one food (eating it or avoiding it) aren't usually good. They'll help you lose weight fast (oh, wait that's a bad thing remember) but in no way teach you how to keep it off. You are looking for a life change.
There are little "magic tricks" that may work for you, but they are only magic in that they make you do what needs to be done, not that they take the work away.
And losing weight is totally possible. I'm 40 pounds lighter than I use to be. The first 20 I did on my own counting calories. When that stalemated I joined Weight Watchers.
*a note on WW and "diet" companies*
I highly support WW, unlike other fad diets, they've been around over 50 years now. Also, they change their plan as they learn more about our bodies. I.E. They have a whole research department at your finger tips, not just Google. Also, they focus on moderation and self-control, while offering support and education on healthy eating.
Yes they charge. Yes they sell products. They are a company that needs to stay in business, but everyone who works there has gone through the program and has been heavier than they currently are. There's no "I'm just skinny" ppl working there. The 20 I lost with them was healthier and more consistent and faster (not the bad fast) than my own way.
They're literally the only weight loss company out there that I know of that doesn't make you eat only their food or that isn't based on some kind of fad or starvation. I'm not telling you to join weight watchers. I'm just telling you that if you are looking for further professional help, they get my vote. (They are also working on a program to better help diabetics in the weight loss process. So look out for that.)
So there you have it. I know other stuff, but don't remember or trust the sources enough to post it here. So you have what I believe to be is true based on a few years of paying close attention to people much smarter than me in these areas and a few suggestions on where to go for further help. But the choice is yours! And eating healthy is up to you. Not me or any other blog, show, or program.
Best of luck.
Moderation is the key and it has always been the key, but scientifically there is a lot going into that. Some people have a natural knack for eating what, and almost only what, their body needs whether it be genetics or training, but the vast majority of us don't and a good number more of us freak out about it.
I don't know everything, but I trust the sources that I have since gotten my info from. Chris will always remind me that everyone is a snowflake, which is true, so other things need to be taken into account, but at the core solid of everyone is a body that needs energy and a system that is going get that energy any way it can.
There's also a lot of nonsense out there on the internet. So I figure I should try to even the playing field. You don't have to read this, but if you are interested in what I've read/heard/been told about healthy eating, here it is:
1. Metabolism is a number. It is the number of calories your body burns everyday in order to stay alive. This means, maintaining your current weight, moving, breathing, digesting, etc.
2. 65-70% of calories burned a day comes from supporting lean mass. LEAN mass, not fat. A Muscle, sitting there doing nothing burns a hec of a lot more calories, than the part responsible for keeping the fat from going anywhere. 15-20% of your calories burned everyday comes from moving. This is why exercise and activity can boast weight loss, but may not be enough if you aren't eating correctly. Plus- bonus!- certain activities increase the amount of MUSCLE on your body, meaning you'll burn more calories sitting on your bum tomorrow than you did yesterday (not literally tomorrow, but so to speak over time as you actually build muscle.)
About 10% of calories burned is from digestion. Yes eating things. Chewing them and breaking them down. Certain foods (usually the HEALTHY ones) take a lot more digestive energy than others. In fact, there are certain foods (the list isn't very long) that burn more calories breaking down in your tummy, than they actually contain! Awesome.
FUN FACT: This also means that we are in control of at least 20% of our metabolism. Want a higher metabolism? move more, eat complex foods, and try to build muscle.
3. I think the last bit of 2 is why people think eating smaller meals throughout the day is better. While there may be a gazillion reasons why this works for people (less likely to eat a too big meal later if you've had a snack, etc.) there isn't any solid research to support it. It does work for me, by the by, but so does not eating most of the day and then have a good helping of something super healthy later on.
Snowflakes.
4. More than half of Americans can't tell the difference between thirsty and hungry. Milk is the only beverage (and possibly a smoothie if all you did was throw chunks of fruit in the blender) that the stomach registers as food. This means milk is the only beverage that will make you feel less hungry. It also means that drinking water DOES NOT make you full (unless you over drink). Water however IS good for weight loss. Research is still trying to figure out why (but I figure it is because people snack when they are actually thirsty), but drinking more throughout the day does aid in weight loss. Perhaps it keeps your body processing things without adding cals?
Fun fact: If I am thirsty, and I don't get a drink within 30-40 minutes, I get a craving for something sweet. EVERY TIME.
Another fun Fact: It took me almost 3 years to pinpoint this and realize the difference between I'm thirsty and I'm hungry. I figured it out by, if I felt "snacky" I'd first drink a glass of water or two, and wait 10 minutes, paying attention to how I felt.
5. Eating at night doesn't make you fat. Research HAS confirmed this. The type of food most people eat late at night, however, if eaten in excess, DO. Ice cream, Jack in the box, chips, 4th meal... you get my drift.
6. You weigh less in the morning than you do at night. This is because your body fluctuates 1-3 pounds, up to 5-7 if you are significantly over weight, throughout the day. Drinking water, doing activity, your body's natural process cause this to happen. When you sleep, your body works the hardest, slumping off the extras. So you weigh less in the morning.
7. If you haven't been working out in awhile and start, you are likely to see an increase in your weight not a decrease. Your body is making glycogen to repair the growing muscles. Glycogen holds water. About 3-4 for every 1 glycogen gram. Water is heavy. Once your body gets used to the routine, things will even out. So don't freak and quit. ;)
8. If you are not getting enough nutrients or experience a sudden and very large decrease in calories and this is prolonged, your body will freak out. Nutrient deficient, it will start eating your lean masses (things like muscle) in search of nutrients. This means that while your weight will go down quickly, your health will also go down and eventually you will stop losing inches, maintaining the fat that is on your body. It takes awhile to snap the body out of this. So it may continue to eat muscle THEN fat for a little while in adjustment, but it can be fixed. This isn't likely to happen to a lot of people, and men are more susceptible.
9. The "average" count of 2000 calories a day is based on a specific weight. A 2000 cal women is 165-pound, 5 ft. 4 in. who is 30 years old who does additional activity 2-3 times a week. I don't know about you, but that isn't me. I'm supposed to eat LESS.
As mentioned above, your metabolism, or calories you need to eat in a day, is based on a lot of things. Height, age, gender, and level of activity most specifically, but if you have any type of medical condition or heredity issues this will also effect this calorie number. Don't assume that 2000 is you.
(Remember, you're a snowflake!)
Find a calorie calculator online. One like this: http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/calorie_calculator.asp# But be careful. I tried 3 different sites and got 3 different answers. This one is here as a quick example and it was middle answer, but do some research, make sure the calculator was created by a reputable source and then go from there.
FUN CALORIE FACTS: The younger you are, the more you need. The heavier you are, the more you need to maintain that weight. A man and women of the same size do not eat the same calories (men are BORN with more muscle mass, and maintain this throughout life), Your age & weight also effect how many calories you burn at the gym, Tredmill and other machine calorie counters are not always accurate because of this.
10. There are 3500 calories in a pound. To gain 1 pound you need to eat 3500 extra calories, which with today's foods is very easy, easier than you might think. To lose, you need to eat 3500 less.
This comes to about 500 cals a day, to lose a pound a week, which is a HEALTHY weight loss. 1-2 pounds is healthy. The first 1-3 weeks you might see bigger loses and that is fine, it likely water weight and your body making the adjustments.
If they continue to stay big, reevaluate or see a doctor.
11. Losing weight FAST is bad. Repeat. Losing weight FAST is BAD. This makes your body eat muscle as previously discussed, not to mention, it doesn't give your skin time to adjust. Hello skin flaps! And you thought stretch marks were bad (those are caused by gaining weight fast.)
12. Don't eat less than 1200 cals without Dr. supervision or being told so. See 11.
13. The only foods that should be forbidden are the ones that you personally can't control yourself with. So much of weight gain is based on emotion. Studies show that when you are stressed, you actually CRAVE sweet and salty things. But that doesn't mean you don't have control over your own hands and mouth. Emotional eating is a SERIOUS issue. Yes, a lot of people are over weight simply because they don't know what healthy is. But a lot are over weight because of emotional issues and food becoming comfort. There are actually people addicted to over eating. Just like alcohol or any activity that we can get addicted to, eating things (particularly sugar) releases chemicals in our brain. We like that feeling and we go back for more.
Often, support is what is actually needed. This is why losing weight with a friend or family member is almost always more successful. Unless of course, you use each other as dependents for the opposite results.
But going back to the first part of this- cake might food I can't stop eating, but steak might be it for someone else. Personal tastes, personal weakness. (snowflakes!) Everything is moderation is fine, but if you can't say no once you start, then don't start.
FUN FACT: Some research has shown that the types of food a mother is used to eating while pregnant effect the baby's ability to process both foods like those foods and foods unlike those foods in its life outside the womb, but they are still researching. A study has also shown that mothers who are at a healthy pregnant weight are more likely to have children who maintain a healthy weight throughout life, but research has not shown why. Could be nurture and not nature here...
14. All calories are not created equal. This is the newest research out there, but a fat or a carbohydrate calorie, for instance, takes almost no energy to process. It's immediate. It is used up with little effort. You don't burn nearly enough calories digesting it to compensate. A protein or fiber calorie takes work. They need to be broken down in order for your body to use them, meaning you are burning calories to eat them. Fat, Carbs, Protien, and Fiber are all NEEDED by the body.
Fat free and carb free diets are stupid. There I said it.
There are good and bad fats, but keep in mind that the healthy foods often have less and more of the right kind; and unhealthy foods have a shitload more than necessary and usually mostly of the wrong kind. So use this information as you gaze at nutrition labels.
FUN FACT: You'll be surprised to find that your "low fat" items aren't necessarily better for you, or even have less calories. Also, look at serving size. Do you only eat 1/2 a cup of cereal? Or half a honey bun out of the vending machine? Labels have gotten better with representing an entire package, but look at a single serving size and figure out how many are in there or how many you actually eat.
15. MOST IMPORTANT: Do your own research. You can use my info here as a jumping off guide, but please go do the digging yourself. You'll probably find out even MORE. Just make sure your sources are reputable. Remember English class? Look for Scholarly not Popular.
Fad diets or diets that focus on one food (eating it or avoiding it) aren't usually good. They'll help you lose weight fast (oh, wait that's a bad thing remember) but in no way teach you how to keep it off. You are looking for a life change.
There are little "magic tricks" that may work for you, but they are only magic in that they make you do what needs to be done, not that they take the work away.
And losing weight is totally possible. I'm 40 pounds lighter than I use to be. The first 20 I did on my own counting calories. When that stalemated I joined Weight Watchers.
*a note on WW and "diet" companies*
I highly support WW, unlike other fad diets, they've been around over 50 years now. Also, they change their plan as they learn more about our bodies. I.E. They have a whole research department at your finger tips, not just Google. Also, they focus on moderation and self-control, while offering support and education on healthy eating.
Yes they charge. Yes they sell products. They are a company that needs to stay in business, but everyone who works there has gone through the program and has been heavier than they currently are. There's no "I'm just skinny" ppl working there. The 20 I lost with them was healthier and more consistent and faster (not the bad fast) than my own way.
They're literally the only weight loss company out there that I know of that doesn't make you eat only their food or that isn't based on some kind of fad or starvation. I'm not telling you to join weight watchers. I'm just telling you that if you are looking for further professional help, they get my vote. (They are also working on a program to better help diabetics in the weight loss process. So look out for that.)
So there you have it. I know other stuff, but don't remember or trust the sources enough to post it here. So you have what I believe to be is true based on a few years of paying close attention to people much smarter than me in these areas and a few suggestions on where to go for further help. But the choice is yours! And eating healthy is up to you. Not me or any other blog, show, or program.
Best of luck.
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