The sheer number of new articles, books, advertisements, diet programs, and other hoopla, blitzing us in the new year attest to the problem of overweight and its consequences being literally and figuratively a huge problem. As I mentioned previously, after gaining 5 pounds in the past 8 weeks or so I weigh more now than I have in awhile. Although gaining 5 pounds sounds like I really overate, in truth, my total daily average excess calorie imbalance (a combination of more food and less physical activity since Thanksgiving) was only around 300 calories a day! Doesn’t sound like a lot does it? It isn’t. An extra drink here, a snack there, a little less walking easily accounts for the 300 calories. That’s why its so easy to gain and so hard to lose those pounds. So, now, I’ve ramped up my daily physical activity and I’ve decreased my calorie intake by around 500 calories a day and I’m losing about a pound a week. Why does it work for me and why do others have such a problem? It has to do with understanding how many calories one needs to maintain weight and the sum total of all the calories one eats daily plus physical activity calorie expenditure. I’ll discuss how to calculate these parameters in my next post. I’ll give you a hint its not simply “eating healthy” – whatever that means.
Tags: Controversies in Lifestyle Management, Dieting, Dr George S Motto MD, Lifestyle, Principles
