Eat less. Move more. There it is – the magic bullet! The fountain of youth! The secret to weight loss! But don’t tell anyone yet. I’m trying to patent it.
But seriously, eating less and moving more IS how to lose weight, plain and simple. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say “Groupie, I just CAN’T lose weight. I’m trying!” And do you know what I say? “Yes you can!”
There are two reasons why those who say they are trying to lose weight may have trouble.
1. Underestimating calorie intake.
2. Overestimating total daily energy expenditure, a.k.a. physical activity.
Do you have “calorie amnesia” or “calorie blackouts”? Do you sometimes forget that you had an extra helping of mashed potatoes at lunch and subsequently decide that it’s ok to have dessert after dinner that night? This is a recipe for definite weight gain. The good news, though, is that this happens to many people!
As we age, it’s increasingly important to be more mindful of what we are eating. Larger portion sizes, forgotten BLTs (Bites, Licks and Tastes), social occasions and our own estimates of restaurant meals are just a few of the reasons why we underestimate how many calories we are consuming. Write things down. That’s the only way you are guaranteed to remember what you’ve eaten.
As far as moving more, most of us feel like we are just too busy to move more. Think about this, 75 years ago we were way more active in general. Between raising our food and families, burning off calories was hardly an issue.
It’s not the “slow metabolism” that is keeping you from losing weight. It’s the way our daily lifestyles have made us sedentary, (coupled with the fact that we are eating more) that packs the pounds on. The busier we get, the slower we become.
Think about when you were about 10 years old. You were running around, chasing siblings or being fidgety. Now, you, like most people, probably sit in the car on the way to work. Sit all day at work. Sit in the car on the way home from work. And then sit on the couch for a good chunk of the night relaxing because you need to unwind from the day OR sit in the car more carting kids from baseball, hockey, dance, piano lessons and usually sit and wait for them to be done. As you can see, there’s quite a bit of difference in our activity levels as we get older.
If you truly believe that you have slow metabolism due to thyroid, hormonal imbalance or another claim, stand up. Standing will double your metabolic rate instantly. Do as much as you can while standing rather than sitting. But chances are that your metabolism hasn’t slowed down – you’ve slowed down.
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