If You Dont Track Your Diet? You Are Wasting Your Time
Frankly, I'm puzzled whenever I hear this from somebody who's frustrated with their lack of gains: Me: So what are you eating? How many calories per day and how many do you need? Them: I don't know. I just eat. Huh? Yes, it's true. People don't track their diets, don't calculate their calories and just guess at what they need. They have no idea where they are going, very little facts on how to get there and yet are frustrated and mad when 6 weeks later they don't see the results. Imagine, for a moment, that's it's 6-months from today. And you've made no progress. Wouldn't you be frustrated?! I sure would. But here's the deal, there's a real simple method to make sure you don't end up like so many people you'll hear about. Please don't be the person who just "eats" or does whatever without a plan. If you aren't tracking your diet you are wasting your time! Let me explain? In order for your body to change, you must do something different. Let's suppose that you want to burn as much fat as possible. What's the first thing you should do now that you have a long-term goal in mind? Here's a h-i-n-t! Make a plan! A quick plan for losing fat: 1. Determine how many calories a day you need based on your situation 2. Track your daily food intake (yes you should count calories Bodybuilding manuals go into great detail about how to calculate your caloric intake, giving formulas and such. Anyway, a typical conversation might go like this: "Excuse me? My wife made spaghetti bolognaise yesterday, I can't be asked to weigh my meals in order to count the calories, can I? (What would she think about me (not to mention what I would think about myself ;-) ?) I tried to go to fitday.com and calculate the calories, but it totally eluded me how many grams they were and looking for pasta and meat in different categories is a hassle anyway, so the site was no use for me with that. Good heavens, there must be a way to go without the calorie counting, mustn't it?" Despite what you may have heard? Tracking your diet (counting calories) is important and I'll tell you why and how you can get around the whole calorie counting ordeal. You see, in order to lose fat or gain muscle you need to know what you are eating in order to do such. Let's say you need 3000 calories a day to maintain your current weight at your current activity levels. Now you decide you want to lose fat. Training more and more, more cardio, longer sessions will just tire you out. You can bump up the cardio and do certain fat loss tips and techniques but overall keep in mind: Where do I burn the fat: 80% of fat loss comes from diet and 20% from cardio. As you can see, the area you want to manipulate is the diet. Back to the example. You decide to lose the fat. You know you need 3000 a day to maintain. You do some calorie calculations and find that you want to be aggressive and cut your calories by 20%. It's aggressive but it's just enough to get fast results without making your body go into a 'starvation mode' and hold onto everything it's got. Except you don't want to count calories. That's sort of like saying... I want to start in New York and get to California but I don't want a map or directions. I just want to drive West. It just won't work. You might zig zag here and there. Maybe one week you'll eat less and lose a pound. The next on vacation you'll overdo it and gain 5 pounds. Who knows. You won't. But do you have to count each calorie? And especially when you look at homemade items that have some many ingredients? What do you do? While this isn't the most accurate method, I just basically get a good estimate by looking up the general food item, quantity I consumed and input that. Over time, because I eat a lot of the same things for breakfast, I already know the calories and I don't need to track it anymore. I know via portions that a bowl of oats is such and such calories and how it adds into my total daily allowance. I personally do not weight each piece of food. I will go to lunch, look at what I'm eating and know generally what portions of what I ate. At the end of the day, I know roughly that I'm 20% below my maintenance for fat loss and 20% above for weight gain. The problem that most people have is exactly what you describe. They DO NOT want to track what they eat. The bottom line is, if you don't know where you are, and where you are going, you really don't know how you'll get there and it's no wonder so many people are frustrated. Look, you don't have to track every single piece of food you put into your mouth. And I know that when there's a home cooked meal, you aren't likely to know what's in it. But you can and should generally get an idea. Eventually you can track your portions if you tend to eat a lot of the same things every day. If you don't track your diet, you are wasting your time. Marc David is an innovative fitness enthusiast and the creator of the "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding" method on http://www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com. He can show you how to reduce your body fat thru diet, how to gain weight or create more muscle thru an abundance of workout tips by training LESS! Not more. He dispels many "bodybuilding myths", tells you what most people never realize about nutrition, and what the drug companies DON'T WANT YOU to know. Go to: http://www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com to find out more about The Beginner's Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding.
   
MORE RESOURCES:
Laughter YogaWPTV, FL - 14 hours agoBACKGROUND: Yoga is a well-known exercise that incorporates breathing, stretching and a variety of poses. Now, a growing number of instructors around the ... |
If you're not into yoga ...Sioux Falls Argus Leader, SD - 16 hours agoEast Bank Yoga is the latest addition. The center opened last week at 8th & Railroad Center. The center offers a host of yoga and meditation classes ... |
The medicinal powers of yogaCBC.ca, Canada - Sep 5, 2008But medical research that's been accumulating over the past 10 to 15 years is showing that yoga can provide health benefits that many people may not realize ... |
Higher education, with yogaGlobe and Mail, Canada - Sep 6, 2008... a gymnasium and a 1700-seat varsity centre that can host convocation ceremonies, as well as dozens of dance, fitness and yoga studios. ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
 |
 |
RELATED ARTICLES
Acupuncture Weight Loss -- Does it Work?
Acupuncture for weight loss is a modern application of this ancient medical practice. This article reports on the conclusion of it's safety and effectiveness following an extensive examination of the published evidence.
Green Tea And Weight Loss
There's recently been a LOT in the weight loss news concerning green tea.Green tea's weight loss effects have been causing more and more people to start sipping the ancient Japanese brew.
Could False Memories Be An Efficient Diet Helper?
Speculating on the scientifically proven memory unreliability, the memory specialist Elizabeth Loftus, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Irvine thought of using the technique of false memory induction as a new approach to dieting. And this is how: by inducing false memories about specific foods.
Spritz On Some Flavor!
Now that everything from a tan to pantyhose comes in a spray form, it's little wonder someone has found a way to put liquid pork in a can.Well, almost.
The Art of Snacking to Lose Weight
Control that sweet tooth. Remember that sweet things generally mean more calories.
The Cost of Gastric Bypass Surgery
The cost of gastric bypass surgery and other bariatric surgical procedures are high averaging between $20,000 and $35,000. Many insurance companies are beginning to see obesity as a serious health disorder, however, and have begun to cover some of the cost of gastric bypass surgery.
Supersizing America
For some of us, food is warmth and love. We associate it with home and childhood: tempting smells that greeted us after school on a cold December afternoon.
Fast Weight Loss Secret Revealed - Move it or Lose it!
Some of you will not like what I have to say, even though it is the truth. And that may be where the problem of American's health problems lies.
An Interesting Look at Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery has many forms and can involve stapling and banding of the stomach as well as bypassing a portion of the small intestine. The most popular method today is a combination-approach that staples the stomach into a small pouch while reattaching the small intestine to the pouch forming a Y-shape so patients lose weight both because they eat less and their bodies absorb less of what they eat.
The Importance and Confusion of Fat in Your Diet
Fats are always looked at as a negative in a diet..
Rating the Fad Diets
THE 200 POINT SYSTEMWith so many different diets available, how are we to know what works and what is safe? The only way to be sure is to discover the author's background and the research behind the diet's methodology. Every good diet should give a background about the author and his/her credentials and experience in the fields of nutrition and biochemistry.
Before & After: A New Look at New Years Resolutions
Have you seen the ditty below that's roaming the Internet these days? Before you read it and fall for its 'humor,' consider this. Each year, thousands, even millions, of people engage in an after-the-holidays ritual of self-denigration and punishment - to make up for the pleasurable indulgence of a very special time of year.
Atkins Bankruptcy: Your New Decisions To A Healthy Life!
Atkins Nutritionals filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of August 2005 in light of a decline in the diet's popularity and profits. Atkins low carbohydrate craze focused on eliminating grains, fruits and vegetables to shed weight, and embraced high-protein diets rich in meat and cheese.
How I Lost 51 Pounds In 4 Months Using The Simplest Diet Plan In The World
Like many people I've been on dozens of diet plans over the years ranging from Atkins to South Beach to Weightwatchers to Jenny Craig and lots more besides. In fact, I've eaten enough cabbage soup to satisfy a small country! I'm 5 feet 10 and I used to weigh 230 pounds and needed to lose a good 50 pounds to get myself in some short of shape.
Weight Loss Through Low Carb Diet
Are you or your family members amongst the 65%?To help with weight issues and for overall improved health, many people turn to diets. In fact, government statistics show that while about 65 percent of Americans are overweight, 38 percent are actually doing something about it.
Top 5 Reasons Why Women Over 30 Dont Lose Weight And Keep It Off
Have you heard about it lately? Everywhere you look, women over 30 can find one hundred excuses for not being able to lose weight and keep it off.Blame it on your thyroid, cortisol, menopause, your hectic lifestyle or even your genes.
Weight Loss Tips: Get Effective Weight Loss Tips!
Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for water in an Ocean. But trust me, looking for good Diet Program is like finding a pearl in the ocean.
For All Walks of Life
Why Walking Could Be the Solution to Your Fitness Dilemma.Walk, don't run, to your local fitness store and try on a pair of walking shoes.
Body Composition And Weight Loss: They Are Related!
The world today has more obese and overweight people than any other time in history. The reasons are simple too much bad foods and not enough exercise and weight training.
Buyer Beware: Purchasing Fat Burners and Other Supplements Online
Each month I receive hundreds of e-mails from consumers who have been bilked outof their hard earned dollars by unscrupulous supplement / fat burner manufacturers. Manufacturers who have added them to monthly recurring billingcycles without their permission.
|