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Weight Loss Exercise

Why Tracking Is Key To Weight Loss Success


You may have tried various fad diets to try to lose weight, and all of them yielded the same results; you failed miserably. This is probably due to the fact that you went on a diet that you couldn’t maintain for the long-term. To lose weight, you need to undertake a lifestyle change, not a temporary diet. It’s more effective if you can just adjust your current lifestyle by making it healthier in several key areas.

One of the main ways you can start practicing this is by tracking the amount of calories you take in and burn on a daily basis to get a better understanding of why your old lifestyle caused you to put on weight.

Here are some reasons why tracking is one of the main keys to weight loss success:

Tracking can help you stay motivated on your weight loss journey as it is a systematic way for you to keep track of what you are eating. By tracking your calories, you will be less tempted to stray from your healthy eating plan, since if you want, you can always allocate calories for a special treat that you love, or if you overeat at a particular meal, you can compensate during another meal by eating fewer calories. This way, you will see results and stay motivated.

Tracking your calorie intake helps you change your eating habits, as you can learn portion control and learn to swap high-calorie options with lower calorie ones. Since you have a set amount of calories per day, you will be very careful with how much of the high-calorie foods you let enter your mouth.

Tracking the amount of calories you burn with your fitness endeavors will help you budget how much extra you can eat to stay on your goal, and at the same time give you a boost of encouragement every day when you see how many calories you have burned from your efforts. You will be more motivated to push yourself during workouts this way. More intense workouts mean more calories burned!

Tracking your weight loss or body measurements are a great motivation tool; when you can see the progress you’ve made in black and white, you will be very motivated to keep on going and achieve your goals. Sometimes subtle changes can be hard to see in the mirror. But when you see them on paper, you’ll know that you’re getting somewhere.

So as you can see, there are many benefits that you can get if you start tracking your calories and your progress in your weight loss. And don’t forget to make the most of the various websites and apps out there to help you keep track.


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What Calories Really Are and How Understanding Them Will Help You Lose Weight


If you’ve been on a diet before, then you’ve probably heard people talk about calories. So what are calories? Why are they so important in weight loss? Without knowing these crucial terms, it’s hard to understand the science behind weight loss.

So What Are Calories?

When defined in nutrition, calories are a measure of the energy in food. The more calories a particular food has, the more energy it contains. Energy is good, right? In the right amounts, it is. Unfortunately, many of us eat too many calories on a daily basis, and that’s what makes us overweight in the first place. Excess calories in the body turn into fat, and that’s why you should only eat as much as your body needs.

How Calories Fit Into Weight Loss

So, what role do calories play in weight loss? It’s simple. When you take in or consume fewer calories than your body needs, you lose weight. When you eat too many calories compared to what your body needs, then you gain weight. Your body needs calories to expend as it carries out its basic functions (circulation, excretion, digestion, and so on) as well as to allow you to carry out other activities throughout your day. This is also where exercise fits in; since exercising helps your body burn more calories, it helps you lose weight as well.

In simple words, to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit so that your body burns fat to make up for the missing calories. This means you either need to eat less, exercise more, or do a combination of the two (the third option works best).

As a general rule, a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day usually helps you lose one pound of weight in a week. If the calorie deficit is 1000 calories, you lose two pounds. Medical professionals recommend maintaining weight loss in the healthy zone, which is around one to two pounds a week, and not more. However, if you are very obese, you may find yourself losing much more weight in the initial few weeks after you lower your calorie count.

Hopefully this post has helped you understand the link between calories and weight loss better. In a nutshell, maintain a caloric deficit, and you will lose weight. How do you maintain this deficit? It’s easy; make healthier low-calorie food choices, cut out unnecessary empty calories from sugary items and alcohol, start being more active throughout the day, and maintain a positive attitude and strong willpower. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it!


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How to Keep A Food Journal


Though exercise and weight training are very important factors for increasing your fitness and losing weight, you absolutely cannot outwork a bad diet. Your body needs certain nutrients to thrive, and it needs them in the right quantities to create the physique you want. A food journal can help you to understand exactly what’s going into your body, leaving you better equipped to plan your workouts and calorie goals.

When you write down everything you’re eating each day, you automatically become a lot more mindful about food. It’s easy to snack away on junk all day without really thinking about it, but when it comes time to write down every single thing you’ve eaten you might be shocked! This alone is motivation enough for many people to lose weight.

What To Track In Your Food Journal

Food Journal

How to Track your eating in a Food Journal

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important that your food journal shows that you created a calorie deficit for the day – that is, that you ate fewer calories than those you burned off through exercise. If you’re trying to build muscle, on the other hand, you’ll need to eat extra calories. Although you might think you can track this mentally, a journal is far more effective.

If you’re into bodybuilding then you’ll also want to keep track of your macronutrients throughout the day. When working out your bodybuilding aims, you’ll know how many proteins, fats and carbohydrates you should eat each day. A journal will ensure you’re keeping on track. If you’ve made progress, or are suffering from a lack of progress, then you can even look back through your food journal to try and find out why.

So, on a most basic level you should include the name of the food, the size of the portion and the number of calories it contained. You can also include details of protein, carbs and fats, and you can make use of a digital kitchen scale or a smartphone app if you want to note down more detailed stats.

If you’re an emotional eater then you can also use the food journal as a place to note down how you feel when you eat certain foods. This will leave you more connected to your emotions and in a much better position to understand the triggers that cause you to eat more than you should.

Yes, a food journal does take effort. However, if you start a new weight loss or diet goal without keeping track of your progress, the chances are strong that you’ll just give up without really trying.


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