Nutrition and CaloriesAccording to the food and drug administration the average person needs approximately 2000 calories a day to maintain their energy levels and maintain a steady weight. The real number varies according to your height, body type and level of activity. Given that we have a limited calorie budget, it makes sense to balance nutrition and calories such that the majority of what you eat provides a broad spectrum of essential nutrients to the body. So when you cut calories you need to cut the high calorie foods wisely and retain the more healthful low calorie foods. In order to lose one pound of body fat your body needs to burn 3500 calories more than you consume. Let’s break that number down. An hour on a treadmill burns somewhere between 200 and 400 depending on how hard you work and your body type. Let’s make it a round 300. You will need to walk or run on a treadmill for 11 hours to burn one pound. In theory you can spread that out over 11 hours, 11 days or 11 weeks, but in reality, regular, consistent exercise will do more to keep your metabolism revved up than one hour of exercise a week. Alternatively you can cut back 500 calories a day to lose one pound a week, or 250 calories a day to lose one pound every other week. 250 calories is a small bag of chips or a candy bar. It is also 5 or 6 pieces of fruit. Notice that you can effectively improve your nutrition and cut calories at the same time by swapping one candy bar for one piece of fruit. Here is one approach to developing a life long eating pattern that lets you maximize nutrition, minimize calories and take control of your weight over the long term. If your weight is steadily increasing over time, even by one pound a year, you need to get to a place where you can hold it steady. Look for ways to trim a small amount of food each day from what you eat until you can maintain a steady weight over several weeks. Then look for ways to trim a little more until you are steadily losing weight over time. Even one pound a month is worth the effort. Look at what your weight is today and what it was this time last year. Then ask yourself would you rather be 12 pounds lighter this next time next year, or heavier than you are today? To lose one pound a month you only have to give up 116 calories a day. That is less than half a candy bar. It’s the difference between a whole milk latte and a skim latte. It’s only one handful of potato chips. The corollary to this is, of course, that it only takes 116 calories a day more than your body is burning to gain one pound a week, or 12 pounds a year. If you consistently eat too much you will consistently gain weight over time. That’s only one light beer, or half a 12 oz bottle of a sugary drink. Study what you are eating and where the calories in your diet are coming from. By developing your understanding of nutrition and calories, you can master weight control for the rest of your life. Philip Kustner
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