Simple Step #4: Getting real with what you're eating

In an effort to make positive wellness changes, people often talk to me about their eating habits. The conversation goes something like this:

"So I have been working out and have stopped eating fast food. I feel a lot better but I am not losing any weight. Any ideas?"

"Well, how many calories a day are you eating? How does it break down into carbs, protein and fat intake?"

"Um, I don't know."

It's not terribly compelling dialogue unless you dig a little deeper. There is simple math at work here, meaning if you want to lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn (roughly a deficit of 500 calories a day equates to 2 pounds lost a week). Conversely, if you want to gain weight then you need to eat an excess of calories (and many of us do that with very little effort!). So, here's the "a-ha" moment: you can't target the ideal caloric balance without knowing exactly what you are eating.

I don't advocate counting calories as a long-term lifestyle change as honestly, it does take some work. That being said, few of us have any idea what we eat in a given day and tracking your food intake for a few weeks is extremely insightful. There's an excellent free website that tracks your food for you, breaking down exactly where your calories fall in terms of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. It's http://www.fitday.com/ and is completely free.

When I first started getting my eating in check, I was shocked to realize that I was under eating on a massive scale. I was 225 lbs and I couldn't lose weight because my calories were so low that I'd thrown my body into starvation mode! Also, all calories are not created equal. A 5 ounce filet mignon and a snickers bar are both around 275 calories, with the filet being primarily great protein and some fat , the snickers bar is simple carbs from sugar with no vitamins (empty calories in the very literal sense). Keeping track of your food can also alert you to seemingly insignificant habits that may be sabotaging your progress.

As an incentive for you to take the time to track your food intake, you can earn 100 bonus wellness points for up to two weeks if you create an account, log your food, then print the results (in the reports menu on the site, simply select "calories eaten" and then choose the "two weeks" option). That's 200 extra points for the month! Also, if you set an appointment with me to review these results you can get an additional 50 points and I can help you with a plan to eat better. For those trying to make gains, I can give you calorie dense food ideas and sound eating strategies to add lean muscle mass and not fat. Those who want to lose weight, I can help you find your baseline calorie goals and then help you taper them off to maximize results. Even those who are where they want to be in terms of weight, I can help you to diversify your eating and increase your nutritive calorie values.

So have fun with this, and log EVERYTHING. This is to help you see what you are eating, not to change it (that comes next!). You'll be amazed at how much you can learn about yourself and your health!