By Stephanie Trevino, MBA, PHR, Certified Nutritionist
Learn about your body. The body is made up of lean muscle mass, fat mass, water, and bone. The goal when trying to lose weight should always be to lose fat and not muscle or lean mass. Body fat is a great indicator of the general makeup of your body. Essential fat is necessary for the body to function. Athlete and fitness body fat percentages are the desired body fat for most individuals that work out regularly or compete in any sport. Acceptable body fat that ranges in the higher 20’s is a general population percentage. The last category is obese.
What affects your body and energy it needs? Growth, metabolism, activity level and schedule all affect how many calories you will need. Undereating or going long periods of times without food can lead to a strong internal desire to eat and will likely lead to an overeating situation or making poor choices. On the flip side of that overeating can lead to losing the fullness feeling and lead to permanent overeating and serious weight gain.
General Wellness Tips
- Eat a well-balanced diet.
Vegetables, fruits, whole grain, lean protein and healthy fats will keep your body running at an optimal level.
- Eat to perform. Low-calorie intake will make your body and mind weak. You will not be able to push hard during workouts and performance will start to suffer.
- Avoid sugar. Sugar is a rising epidemic in our diets. Read labels. A soda has about 28g sugar. If the juice you like has more, that is a bad sign.
When you are trying to lose weight on your own the best thing to do is to try to understand calories in and calories out. Calculate what you eat in a day and do not leave anything out. Include beverages, sauces you may use and even chewing gums to get an adequate picture of what you eat on a daily basis, then calculate what your body burns daily. We all have energy expenditure even while at rest, then you add all the physical activity you do in a day.
Remember there is no quick fix to weight loss. This has to be a lifestyle choice. Do things that will benefit you in the long run. Quick deprivation diets are not the way. If you have questions about this topic or anything related to health and fitness, drop me a line at fitness@stkitts.islandspice.net
Stephanie Trevino, MBA, PHR is a certified nutritionist and life coach. She is the founder and owner of Strength of Body and Mind, a full-service consultancy dedicated to strengthening the body and mind through coaching in all aspects of life including professional development, physical and mental health and wellness. Her areas of expertise include physical fitness, nutrition, and mental and physical wellness. More information is available at www.strengthbodymind.com and on Facebook.com/StrengthBodyMind.