| Simple ways to clean up your diet! By Kevin Parker |
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Back to The Edge |
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One of the issues often in the news is the increasing fat level of Americans. I like to look at fitness as a tripod or three legged stool; weightlifting for toning/building your muscles (muscles burn 30 more calories per lb. at rest than fat does), cardiovascular training (heart, lungs & circulatory system) and diet. If you let down at one of these, it’s like taking a leg away from the stool; it tips over & falls. Of these three, diet is probably the most challenging. Why, because it takes consistent effort. It also requires breaking habits you may have had for years. So let’s look at some ways to start you toward a healthier diet. 1). First, track what you are eating. Most have no idea how many calories they’re eating until they see it on paper. Write down all you eat one day. Be honest, you’re only hurting yourself by doing less. Someone once told me, “That which isn’t measured isn’t managed”. It also gives you a baseline to work from. Once you have a typical day written down, spend some time researching the macronutrient (protein, carbs & fat) content of each food. If calories are not given, 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories and 1 gram of fat = 9 calories. 2). Modify your current diet before scrapping your current diet. Maybe you eat good most of the day but snacks with sugar are holding you back. Maybe you only binge right before bed. After you have journaled your diet, what are the obvious weak places? Look for your trouble spots or times of the day you are vulnerable to bad eating habits and build on the good habits you currently have. 3). Bottom line-To avoid storing fat, calories used have to be equal to or less than calories consumed. Find out what your calorie consumption needs are. For starters, you can calculate your resting metabolic rate (RMR) which is how many calories you burn just existing. The generic formula for that is 655+(4.3 x weight in pounds)+(4.3 x height in inches)-(4.7 x age in years)*. You need that many calories just to live everyday. There are also ways to figure (approximately) how many calories you burn for athletic activities as well with a little online research. If your calories exceed your activity levels; you can’t help but store fat. Take a balanced approach. Without procrastinating, look honestly at what you eat. Chances are you’ll be surprised if not shocked! I encourage you to take care of your body. Look at it as not only medical prevention insurance but also a quality of life enhancer! God bless you and your goals! Kevin Parker http://home.hot.rr.com/kevinparkers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drugfreebodybuilding *=Self Magazine, December 2001, pg. 73 |
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