You Cannot Out Train A Bad Diet
I constantly hear people talk about their exercise program and not address their eating.
Bottom line - Weight loss is about 75% diet and 25% exercise.
Now, to be clear, without my interval based strength training program, your metabolism is doomed if you simply diet.
But, you have to realize that to lose weight, you must take a detailed look at your eating in addition to embracing the right style of exercise.
And you should all have been on the scale this morning.
Jim
The same thing was addressed at Weight Watchers on Friday - that while getting more active is important, you MUST watch your intake! Last year our leader suffered an injury which prevented him from exercising at the level he was accustomed to, but kept eating at his “normal” level - ended up gaining 8 pounds that month! He’s injured again, but this time tracking his points to ensure no weight gain occurs.
Comment by Pearl — January 25, 2010 at 12:50 pm
So true. I have dealt with client’s who had surgery or an injury and I immediately tell them that their calories must go WAY down to keep their weight down. Good point.
Comment by Jim Karas — January 25, 2010 at 3:34 pm
A guy I work with often justifies his less healthy eating and indulgences by the fact that he’s worked out a couple times that week. It’s rather amusing. At least one of his workouts is with weights.
Comment by Sara — January 26, 2010 at 2:01 am
hi jim… i am recently pregnant (7 weeks) and am curious as to how many calories i should consume each day. i’m always in “diet-mode” so i don’t know what a “normal” calorie level is…. 1800/day? 2000/day? i am 5′6″, 164 pounds - any advice is appreciated since i’m having trouble finding a starting number online - everything says “300 more than your usual amount” - i still think that is too low from my usual 1200/1300 calorie plan. thanks so much.
Comment by liz — January 26, 2010 at 8:43 pm
This is hard as you need to talk with your doctor. That said, I would think you are generally eating more than 1200/1300 calories a day if you are 5′6″ and 164 pounds. If you were truly eating the 1200/1300 calories, you would be lighter.
I have very strong opinions on how much women should gain when pregnant. I feel that generally, they gain WAY too much weight. For you, I would think that 20-25 pounds, MAX, should be all that you should gain, and maybe less.
I recently read that women who weigh 175 pounds should only gain 10 pounds when pregnant, and woman over 200 should gain NOTHING.
Again, this is for you and your doctor to discuss. Just know, you really don’t need to gain that much weight.
Stay in touch,
Jim
Comment by admin — January 27, 2010 at 10:49 am
When I was pregnant a couple years ago, I actually lost weight in the first two trimesters because I was so conscious of what I was eating and made sure to eat the correct things. People even commented on the way my body had changed during my pregnancy… my hips got narrower and butt smaller. I was very conscious of not having any caffeine (no chocolate, coffee, or cola) and when I was hungry for a snack I ate an apple or banana. I never counted calories but listened to my body. I cooked meals and didn’t eat out much. I’m not an expert on pregnancy but I woud say if you stay away from packaged foods and caffeine and sugar, your body will support your pregnancy in the correct way and your weight will take care of itself. Of course, losing weight during a pregnancy doesn’t sound like an ideal thing but it happened for me just because I wanted so much to make sure I was giving my baby the proper nutrition. Prior to that, I was eating way too much junk food and basically lying to myself about my food intake. After going thru a pregnancy and then breastfeeding for a year, I learned to take care of my body better (because it wasn’t just about me anymore!). Then when I read Jim’s book last spring, it only made things better for me. Good luck Liz! May you and your baby be very happy and healthy!
Comment by Elizabeth — January 27, 2010 at 11:07 am
Great advice. Thanks.
Comment by admin — January 27, 2010 at 11:13 am
thank you both for your help and advice!
Comment by liz — January 27, 2010 at 1:17 pm