Track to Know What to Do and When

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Healthy food choices can have a big impact on your calorie count when managing your weight control. However, it's important to remember that weight management isn't just about counting calories. So, exercise a little and get good sleep. However, focusing solely on calories doesn't account for the overall quality of your diet, the nutrients you're getting, and how satisfied different foods make you feel. The overall balance of your diet is just as crucial as total calorie intake.

Eating twice the amount of the same food means consuming twice the number of calories. However, many fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and can be enjoyed in larger portions to leave you feeling fuller and more satisfied. Regardless of their source, excess calories are stored as fat unless they are used up through physical activity or burned as energy due to a reduced calorie intake. As your body adjusts to weight loss, you may still need to decrease calorie intake.

Benefits of Tracking Daily Habits

By understanding your current eating and exercise habits, you can create a realistic plan to help you reach your goals for healthy living. Benefits of tracking food and exercise habits include:

1) What you should eat when – Having knowledge of what you should eat and when to consume those calories is important to making adjustments for energy expenditure at different times of the day.

2) Identify any overindulgences – The more specific and accurate you are with tracking, the more accurate your information will be in identifying any overindulgences and making timely corrections.

3) Learn more about nutrition – Research suggests this is one of the best ways to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously is combining strength training and cardio with a menu plan filled with nutritious foods.

4) Alert you of needed actions – Many people throw in the towel on weight loss prematurely because they feel deprived and hungry when they eat less. Daily tracking can alert you of needed actions to manage satiety.

Don’t Forget to Increase Energy Expenditure

Even moderate exercise, like walking and using stairs, has a positive impact on health and weight loss. It reduces the risk of chronic diseases and associated disabilities, while preventing weight gain or promoting weight loss. Remember, calorie estimates are not one-size-fits-all, so set your own goals based on the changes you want to make and make sure to include foods from all groups. Safely increase the amount of physical activity you engage in to burn calories.

To make exercise a habit, aim to be active every day and complete at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week. This can include activities like cycling, walking, or even vigorous housework that increases your breathing. Walking is particularly beneficial for weight loss, as it's a convenient and low-impact exercise that doesn't strain your joints. But any form of physical activity can increase your total energy expenditure.