Okay, there’s a whole lot of confusion about dieting and exercise out there – and I doubt that this little article will change much, but I’m hoping it will clear up at least a little of the confusion. It’s not all that complicated, really!
If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight over time.
If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight over time.
That’s it.
And even purists who argue that you can’t “burn calories” or “burn fat” within a human body – hey. Get a life. “Burn” is a lot easier to spell than “metabolize”.
ALL of the other stuff, all that 6 meals a day vs. 3 or whether super-foods like cinnamon can ramp up your metabolism – it’s all window dressing compared to the bottom line. Yes, red pepper will increase your metabolism – slightly – but not enough to offset that Snickers bar!
It’s so funny that people are now arguing about weight lifting vs. aerobics! It doesn’t matter how you burn them, just burn them! It’s much more important that you find a way to do it that puts a smile on your face than how efficient a particular workout is. Yes, if you’re worried about time, by all means go for efficiency – but without fun you won’t be coming back for more!
But what about genetics? What about the NEW and IMPROVED _________ diet? Are eggs good for you or bad?
Well… genetics is contained in that little bit about gaining or losing weight over time. To a certain degree, how we handle the burning and/or storing of calories is genetically controlled. But, unless you have a full blown medical condition, the genetic aspect will be a minor part of the formula. It’s still calories in and calories out.
As far as the latest diet goes? Forget about anything that starves you. Don’t jump on any band wagon that promises more than a maximum loss of about a pound a week. Most of the time, any more than that and you’re losing water – or muscle – along with the fat. You want MORE muscle. LESS fat.
And… I’m not even going to try and figure out eggs!
