Let’s talk Calories
So happy to see you again. Wishing you more happy health!
If you’re working your BOOTY OFF with your workouts and you’re still not getting the results you want, then you need to take a HARD look at calories in vs. calories out and your workout intensity level.
We all know that fat loss occurs when there is a caloric deficit. For example, if at your current weight and your current activity level, your body requires 1800 calories to maintain, then to lose 1lb of fat per week, you either have to increase what your body requires (by increasing your metabolism through HEAVY strength training or by increasing your workout frequency/duration/intensity) OR you have to decrease the amount of calories you’re eating by about 500 calories a day. If your plan is to decrease calories in, be SURE you are getting enough calories to maintain your muscles and fuel your high energy workouts. I encourage you to eat every 2 to 3 hrs to give your body the fuel it needs to work efficiently. The goal is to get our body working with us and not against us!
The first step is to identify which category you need improvement. Do you KNOW how many calories you are eating per day? If you do not, you need to find out. Start checking labels of the foods you eat and visit websites like SparkPeople.com or CalorieKing.com.
The second step is to take a hard look at your workout schedule. Are you lifting HEAVY weights two to three times a week? If you need help in the strength training area, shop my Team Beachbody Store for ChaLean Extreme or P90X. Both of those programs have the “muscle burns fat” theory applied and nailed! I did ChaLEAN Extreme and had terrific results and I am currently doing P90X and seeing additional improvements from it as well. Let me know if you have questions about which program is right for you.
Are your cardio workouts often a mere 30 minutes? If so, I suggest extending them a few days a week. Could the workouts be more intense? Your intensity level will make a BIG difference in the number of calories you burn. When you add it up, day out, and month after month, your body will become more efficient and able to burn more calories at rest. I get my additional cardio from Turbo Jam. I enjoy the fusion between kickboxing and dancing that gets my body moving without a monotonous routine like a treadmill.
If you’re not sure how many calories you SHOULD be consuming to maintain or to lose, visit FreeDieting.com and check the “daily calorie needs” calculator at the side to calculate an estimate of what you should be consuming for safe fat loss. I wouldn’t recommend the “extreme fat loss” calorie intake as that restriction could cause you to binge or even slow your metabolism – you do NOT want that. (Or you may want to check out TheDailyPlate.com or LIVESTRONG.com as well!) I recently had to increase the number of calories I was consuming to kick my body into a higher gear. It is true; you can have too many and too little calories. Tune in to your body and your results to know what is right for you.
Remember that when sticking within your ideal calories, you should be eating WHOLE foods and as many fruits and vegetables as possible. Let’s face it, that isn’t easy to do. I rely on Shakeology to get hose nutrients easily and quickly!
I hope you have a great week, and as always, I am here if you need any advice, encouragement…or a swift kick in the rear to get into high gear!
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Great post! It’s very important that we know how many calories we are eating. I am having to increase my calorie intake due to the amount of activity I am doing… who would have thought