We have all asked ourselves, “Why am I learning this?” or said, “I am never going to use or apply this once I graduate.” Well, I have news for you. There is one important equation that everyone must know! I promise it is super easy to remember and you should be using it every day! It’s: Caloric Intake +Calories Output= Weight Gain/Weight Loss. This is the key to weight maintenance and loss!
Here’s everything broken down:
Caloric Intake: You simply track how many calories you eat with every meal to determine your caloric intake. It is simple to just look up Nutrition Facts on food labels to calculate this overall number. For those of you eating at the Dining Halls, there is nutrition information on their websites and even inside of them. For example, the Sadler Center has this information posted on the walls. If you are eating out at any fast food place or restaurant, you can ask for their nutrition information or look up rough estimates by searching online. The secret to keeping this number low is by eating nutrient-dense foods. These are foods that give you the nutrients you need with relatively fewer calories than other choices in the same food group. Remembering 5 simple food guidelines is all you need to keep control over this number. Also, by doing so, you will be getting the adequate amount of nutrients in your diet.
- Make at least half your grains whole
- Vary your veggies
- Focus on your fruits
- Get your calcium-rich foods
- Go lean with protein
Just for the record, it is always healthy to let yourself splurge every now and then. It’s normal! And physical activity can help to balance this out.
Caloric Output: You can calculate this number by adding up the calories you burn while exercising. If you are working out at the gym, you can find out these numbers on the machines. If you are exercising outside, you can enter information into search engines online to get an idea of how many calories you are burning. For example you can use this Caloric Burn Calculator: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc. When determining this number, it is important to take into account the calories you burn from activities of daily living such as taking a shower and washing dishes. You can search for this information online as well. Here’s a useful site: http://www.bewell-dowell.org/bewell/content.php?page=adl.
Things to Remember:
- There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat
- Need an energy deficit (from equation) of 500 calories per day to lose one pound of fat per week
Weight Management: What causes weight gain is when the Caloric Intake exceeds the Caloric Output. To maintain your weight, Caloric Intake and Caloric Output must balance each other out. If you are trying to lose weight, the Caloric Output must exceed the Caloric Intake. Often times, people obsess over alcohol and/or sugary, fat and salty foods, thinking that that causes them to gain weight. They only contribute to the matter. Over consumption of calories is the real answer. So stop obsessing! Just be smart about what you eat and always remember the equation and you will have all you need to be satisfied with your weight!