Weight Control 101: Connecting the Dots - By: Neal Spruce

Calories are the single factor that determine your weight

Controlling your weight comes down to one thing - managing calories. Your body is a complex machine that requires fuel to run your metabolism and perform all movement. Calories from the food and beverages you consume provide this fuel. If you burn all the fuel you take in, your weight will remain stable. If you end up with excess fuel that isn't burned, it will be stored as body fat and your weight will increase. Similarly, if you burn more fuel than you take in, you'll lose weight - it's that simple. By managing the calories you take in and the calories you burn, you can successfully control your weight.

So why have the majority of adults become overweight or obese in recent decades? Each has taken in more fuel than the body burns mostly as a result of lifestyle changes. Manual labor is now performed by machines and computers. Very few calories are burned during our daily routine because work, transportation, recreation and entertainment are mostly sedentary. People eat out more frequently and enticing food is offered everywhere in large quantities, day or night. Because people have a natural tendency to preserve energy and eat even when we're not hungry, modern lifestyle easily leads to unburned fuel and unwanted weight gain.

Beware of the creeping waistline

Experts predict nine out of ten people will be overweight or obese at some point in their lifetime. However, most people don't realize they're becoming overweight because it happens fairly slowly. The average yearly weight gain among adults is one to three pounds. This means most people are off by only 20 to 30 calories a day. Small changes such as skipping those last few bites or taking 200-300 extra steps per day will keep you trim and away from weight loss diets. But keep in mind as you get older, you're likely to burn fewer calories because your daily routine changes. This means you need to start thinking about your caloric intake and your level of physical activity. And to keep your weight in check, you'll need to get on the scale or measure your waistline more than once a year.

Boost your calorie IQ

One of the most effective weight control tools is tracking what you eat. An old fashioned pen and paper work just fine but online trackers also offer support and feedback. After a week or so, you'll be amazed at how much you learn and your calorie IQ will get a huge boost. Those who consistently track what they eat lose more weight and are more successful at keeping the weight off. Doing so will help you decide where to cut back - skip a regular 20 ounce soda and save 250 calories, switch from whole milk to skim milk and save 50 calories a cup, go for regular coffee instead of a regular blended drink and save 300 calories. If you can't face cutting all of your favorites out of your diet, eating smaller portions is an acceptable compromise. The small steps are often the ones which have the biggest effect, since they're easier to stick with. Check your surroundings

Scientific studies reveal that your surroundings influence the amount we eat. The bigger the portions, the more you'll eat. It's hard to stay away from favorite foods when they're right in front of you. If you're in a social setting, at a buffet or drinking alcohol, you'll probably eat more. If you watch TV while you eat, you'll overeat. So control your environment by limiting portion sizes, keeping tempting foods out of sight (and out of mind) and game planning before social events. For instance, you may decide to eat or exercise before the party. In any case, be conscious of your environment otherwise you'll take in more calories without even noticing it.

Step up your activity level

Every calorie you consume or have stored on your body can be burned through activity. If weight control is the goal, step up your activity level. Start by determining how active you are by using a pedometer to measure the steps you take. Gradually increase your daily steps any way you can - short walks, more chores, pacing while watching TV or talking on the phone and of course, climbing stairs at every opportunity. If you prefer the gym, that's fine too as long as you're burning more calories by working harder or adding to your regular workouts. Keep in mind that the more active you are, the more fuel your body burns. This means you can speed up your weight loss efforts or choose to eat more.

Monitor your progress and adjust

Monitor your progress at least once a week by weighing in or taking your circumference measurements. For accuracy purposes, it's best to check your weight at the same time of day with the same clothing. Also, consider weighing in mid week because weight fluctuations tend to occur after a weekend of dining out or indulging. Because weight can fluctuate on any given day, judge your progress over time. If your results aren't moving in the right direction after any two to three week period, you'll need to adjust. Reduce the calories you take in or increase movement until you make progress.

Set goals and get support

Set a short term and long term goal and write them down. In doing so, you make a commitment to yourself which helps propel you into immediate action. On average, ½ to 2 lbs per week is a healthy weight loss rate. However, the more overweight you are to begin with, the faster you can safely lose weight. One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. Use the information below to determine how many extra calories you'll have to burn or cut out of your diet each day for different weight loss goals.

Weekly weight loss goal ½ lb 1 lb 1.5 lb 2 lb

Average daily calorie deficit 250 500 750 1000
(# to reduce or burn above maintenance)

Finally, get support from a friend, family member or from our online community. The key to weight control is managing calories, and by staying persistent and consistent you'll eventually reach your goal.

References --
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Zhang Q, Wang Y. Trends in the Association between Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in U.S. Adults:1971-2000. Obes Res. 2004;12:1622-32.

Hollis JF, Gullion CM, Stevens VJ, Brantley PJ, Appel LJ, Ard JD, Champagne CM, Dalcin A, Erlinger TP, Funk K, Laferriere D, Lin PH, Loria CM, Samuel-Hodge C, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Weight Loss Maintenance Trial Research Group. Weight loss during the intensive intervention phase of the weight-loss maintenance trial. Am J Prev Med. 2008 Aug;35(2):118-26.

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Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce

About the Author

Neal Spruce is chairman of the board for the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and founder dotFIT, LLC. Neal is a fitness specialist, author, licensed teacher, researcher, bodybuilding champion, personal fitness consultant and speaker. dotFIT is the leading online fitness and weight loss program.

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