Portion Control Provides a Calorie Deficit

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Calorie counting can be a helpful approach, but it shouldn't be the sole focus. Adopt a holistic approach to your diet and prioritize the overall quality of your food choices. Simply focusing on calories ignores the importance of maintaining your overall health and wellbeing. Don’t let calorie counting cause you to avoid nutritious foods simply because they are higher in calories.

Focus on cutting out low-nutrition foods. Swapping high-calorie foods for lower calorie options, eating more fruits and vegetables can help you achieve successful weight control. Many fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and can be enjoyed in larger portions to leave you feeling more satisfied. Adopting healthy eating patterns leads to a longer lifespan by lowering the risk of serious disease.

Why track food and exercise results?

Tracking diet and exercise isn't about implementing restrictions. It's about using knowledge to make choices that align with your preferences and goals. 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 – Tracking your food intake and physical activity provides insight into many aspects of your current habits to identify and help you avoid overindulgences in the future.

3) Learn more about nutrition – The most important macronutrient to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time is protein but learning more about nutrition helps you determine the best balance with carbs and fats.

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.

Exercise Boosts Your Metabolic Burn

If you're looking to lose weight or maintain your current weight, exercise is your secret weapon. Not only does exercise increase your metabolism, leading to more calories burned throughout the day, but it also helps maintain lean muscle mass. 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.

While nutrition is vital for weight loss, exercise shouldn't be overlooked. It provides numerous benefits such as improved mood, better sleep, and increased energy. Staying active combined with a healthy diet can be an effective way to shed pounds. Fitness experts at Concordia University in Saint Paul recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate cardio each week to maintain and even more if you're trying to lose weight. They also recommended strength training.