Do you need to lower calories to lose weight? Some say yes. Some say no. I tend to agree with those who say no. Nobody has to lower their calories to get leaner. What we have to do is create a caloric deficit. Sure, a lot of people choose to restrict calories, but this often backfires. Through restriction of food you actually begin to crave food. Plus, if you're not taking in enough to feed the body, your body will actually start to break down. On the other hand, what we can do is increase how much we move. Movement is essential to good health. This means that those of us who are sedentary need to find ways to move more.
Here's today's walk at the track.
Yes, I said walk. I don't run every day. I run every other day. On my non-running days I'm either walking or biking. Today I walked for 2.5 miles. Just an easy walk, but I was moving. As for eating/dietary habits, here's what I do:
- Eat smaller meals, frequently throughout the day.
- Eat as clean as possible (I cook about 95 percent of my own meals). Only rarely will I have cookies, sodas, juices, chips, etc. In fact, the only time I drink a soda is about mile 20 of a marathon, when I can really use the sugar boost. Otherwise, I drink only tap water (without ice) at mealtime.
- Chew my food to saliva constituency before swallowing.
This was tonight's dinner -- a Korean Kalbi Bowl. I prepared it myself. It was both healthy and delicious.
In addition, in order to regulate your weight you have to be getting enough sleep at night and you have to be handling stress. I handle the latter through Bible reading, prayer, and exercise. And I get a full 8 hours of sleep every night. I go to bed tired, but it's a good tired if you know what I mean.
So that's it. I don't count calories. I simply watch what I eat, get exercise daily, and get a good night's sleep. Folks, food isn't the enemy. Food is good for us. It is both fuel and medicine. So let's respect it. There is nothing I eat on a daily basis that I eat without first consciously evaluating how it is or how it is not contributing to my overall health and wellbeing.
Remember, it's not about becoming fit and healthy over night. It's about taking that first step. Good health is a lifestyle. Most of you could at least walk for 30 minutes 3 times a week. There is nothing secretive about it. You just eat quality foods and move your body.