# Calories in vs. Calories out



## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

This makes good sense  

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For the love of well sauced buffalo wings.... 

Even as a personal trainer, things are tough folks. Fat loss is not easy for the majority of people out there trying to lose body fat and maintain a lean healthy body. Let me be frank when I tell those out there willing to listen that there is no other way to drop the fat. You must make better nutritional choices than a Pogo and Poutine for lunch, and you have to get off your butt more often than to run up to the corner store to check your Super 7 numbers. (most of us are even lazier, and we use the web for that). This includes me, as I work hard every day to stay in shape, fuel my body with only the best nutritional choices as I also help others achieve their goals. 

Sorry folks, there are no magic pills, no magic diets, and no ab blasters will help you and your body lose fat. It's hard to accept sometimes isn't it? 

Fat loss is about the ratio of calories in vs. calories out. Plain and simple. But what most magazines and infomercials do not tell us is that in order to achieve our fitness goals the ratio is actually 70% nutritional and 30 % exercise. But that does not mean starve yourself and do as little exercise as possible. It means eat sensibly, have 5-6 smaller meals per day to balance the blood sugars, that will also keep the metabolism stoked, and exercise on a regular basis, which should include strength training to maintain and develop lean muscle mass. This too helps boost your metabolism. 

So why am I here? Simple, because I need assistance in losing fat. "But you're a personal fitness trainer for God's Sake!" 

Yes, but I was naughty, and I did not keep track of my daily calories like I tell my clients, and lo and behold, I discovered that I was not eating ENOUGH calories!!! YIKES... that is not a good thing folks. Here I was thinking I had it all under control, yet, I could not understand why my body fat percentage did not drop over the course of the past 4 weeks. WHat had happened was I was starting to plateau, so I changed up my exercises and even dropped some calories, but I did not keep a watchful eye on those calories and now I have discovered that I am actually sabatoging my efforts by not eating enough calories. 

Folks. Remember to only drop your caloric intake by 500 calories per day via a proper nutritional plan and exercise. If you increase your caloric deficit by over 800 calories per day nature has a way of protecting the body against excessive weight loss. At first you will lose alot of water, a little fat. Then suddenly you stop losing. You've plateaued, because your body now refuses to give up the fat, regardless if you want it off for summer or not. 

It is a scientific fact that when your calorie count suddenly drops, your body will compensate for the fact by reducing your metabolic rate. As a result, you'll need fewer calories to maintain your weight. This explains why some people lose weight up to a point and then cannot lose any additional weight, no matter how hard they try. Friends, this is one of the most dangerous myths in the weight loss world. You literally have to eat yourself thin, not starve yourself thin. 

Know your BMR, know your activity level and know your caloric needs, and monitor them closely. You will achieve! 

The key is really that the number of calories you eat directly affects your metabolism. If you don't eat enough calories, your body goes into "famine" mode. Fooled into believing you cannot find enough to eat, your endocrine glands PURPOSELY slow your metabolism to conserve energy. Slowing the metabolism means burning less fat. Is this really what you wanted to do??? It sure isn't what I wanted to have happen. Counting Calories is an important aspect of fat loss. Thank goodness for such resources as www.Calorie-Count.Com. 

So here I am, on board to eat myself thin baby!!! Where's the Tofurkey.....(yuck!)


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

I read that post too. The suggestion from the calorie count board for me was 1550 cals per day. I had NO idea how easy that was! I don't have to go out and buy new food. I have always tried to eat healthy tho. 

Today I have had quiche lorraine, pasta with meat sauce, and my fav. "soft drink" (called IZZY) - that is not all I've had, but I am mentioning it to show that I am NOT deprived. I haven't busted 1550 calories yet! I get to have a snack. 

I think that is cool. I have tried all of the "low this and low that" diets... Struggled with weight as long as I can remember. This is easy. Why was I trying to make it hard? A Tablespoon of butter only has 40 calories! 

I will admit it has been hard on my husband who literally used to eat a bag of chips (meant for more than one person) and a bag of microwave popcorn EVERY day. The change has been hard for him, but for me this has been really easy.

I do take sundays off. I read that if you exceed your calories on one day a week you won't "reset" your metabolism and your weight loss will continue. It is not a "free for all" kind of a day, but I don't count calories. 

So far, so good.

Cindyc.


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## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

The really good part for me is the smaller meals several times a day. I am hypoglycemic, it has helped me to keep my blood sugar right. I have only been at it for about 2 months and strength training and walking. I feel so much better. Even if I never lost an ounce the feeling better has me won over


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## thechickenladyx (Jul 5, 2006)

my daughter lost 20 pounds, by just counting calories. she is 5 ft tall (yeah, tiny), but inherited her fathers obesity gene. she has kept the weight off, by maintaining a 1200 calorie diet.

so i went for it. i am menopausal, which means i have fat, where it never was before. but now that i have decreased my calories, i find i cannot eat several small meals a day. i am rarely hungry. 3 meals is actually a struggle for me. i too am hypoglycemic, and don't eat much processed sugar at all. but now i have trouble eating. of course i am not loosing any weight. (depression, over my present situation doesn't help). 

i have increased my walking and spring has caused me to get out and work more in the fields. 

my question is, how do i actually get some of this fat off. it's not vanity. i am uncomfortable with this belly fat. i can't bend over my garden, or easily clean out the chicken coop. so how do i stop this plateau effect?

jesse


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## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

Hi, If you are at an age when you could be pre menopausal it could be hard!! It is for me. I am walking about 5 to 6 miles a day and I eat about 1200 cals, and it is a slow go. I am going to see my obgyn on the 23rd and she is going to test my hormones. But my old obgyn put me on Effexor and that also has caused me some weight problems. I am in a size 14 and I am 5'4". This is the largest I've ever been in my whole life. I have been fighting this for the last 10 months and all I can say is I am holding steady right now even with all I am doing to hold it down.

I might add that I walk like that 7 days a week. Every morning when I get up. I can't wait to see my new doctor!!!  I hope to get some help here!


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## thechickenladyx (Jul 5, 2006)

i am writing thru a migraine, so if i don't make sense, forgive me.

what is it with these hormones? when i was 35, i doubled my weight, and had two kids. but god was cruel. i gained 150 pounds, and had 6 pound babies. but when the youngest was about 6 months, i realized i had to loose weight to keep up with her. i made up my own diet. i ate 1/2 hour before i was hungry. rode my bike everywhere ( i lived at the shore, flat). once the pounds started coming off, they just kept coming off. i went from a size 20 to a size 10, in less then a year. i am 5'9.

now, i have this new tire wrapped around my middle, that was never there before. my breasts went from a b cup to a d. i have never heard of that in middle age. who needs it then? i am back to the 20. have cut calories. walk alot. and nada. it is just so exhausting to walk around with the equivalent of a feed bag all the time. my feet hurt!!!!!!!!

i don't get how this works in a natural sense. how is getting fat, beneficial in any way. or is it set up to kill us, because we are no longer reproducing? if i could find the reason why this is happening, i could change it. i waited a long time to be free of the monthly cramps and etc. and now i would go back anytime, just to be able to walk around without pain again. 

does anyone know, why we do this pack on thing, with menopause. if so please enlighten me.

thanx
jesse


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## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

umhhhh, the migraine is part of this menopause thingy too............. :help: 

But let me tell you what has been the biggest help for that.......... B12
I started taking it about 3 months ago and I have had the migraine but not as bad. They are fewer than before and not as severe. 

1000 ml a day. I take the liquid. I hope you feel better soon, my bad ones would last 2 full days!!


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## thechickenladyx (Jul 5, 2006)

dashley said:


> umhhhh, the migraine is part of this menopause thingy too............. :help:
> 
> But let me tell you what has been the biggest help for that.......... B12
> I started taking it about 3 months ago and I have had the migraine but not as bad. They are fewer than before and not as severe.
> ...


i take 6mcg a day. is that good?

i don't know if the migraines are menopause, i've been getting them for years. ironically, not one when i was single. but a bunch when i was pregnant. 

i'm usually a 24 hour person. so tommorow things should be better. but it takes me a few days to get to normal. in so veges me out. it's like i'm drunk for a few days. 

thanx 
jesse


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## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

I'm sorry I looked at the bottle I take 1 ml (dropper full) that is 1000 mcg

I would say that if you had them when you were pregnant it was hormonal. It does the same thing to me too for a few days. Even if they are not as bad I still don't feel right for a few days. It just throws me off!!!

The b12 has worked for me though.


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