The Basics: Weight-loss 101

The way I lost weight and gained all my knowledge was through counting calories. Now before you tune me out completely hear me out. Is it tedious? Yes. Does it take math skills? Yes.

But...
1. Nothing will teach you more about the food you are eating than reading labels. (And you have to read labels with calorie counting.)
2. It automatically makes you keep a food journal.
3. It works! Really it's fool proof.
4. It's FREE! Yes! I found this website that allows you to register for FREE. It has a recipe calculator, food tracker and it tracks more than just calories. I track calories, fat, carbs, and protein. Check it out if you are serious about weight-loss.

It's a simple concept...there are 3500 calories in 1lb of fat. So to lose 1lb, you have to either burn 3500 with exercise or eat 3500 fewer calories. Now a lot of people get a gym membership and think they will automatically be healthy and lose a bunch of weight. While exercise is important and definitely helps in weight-loss, I find that your diet it even more important. Consider this...

If I were to run or walk on the treadmill, I burn a little over 100 calories per mile. So to lose 1 lb in a week, you'd have to run 35 miles! It's doable, but it takes time. Or you could eat 500 fewer calories a day and in a week's time you'll have lost 1 lb. It's doable, but it takes discipline.

So to recap, my secret to healthy weight-loss: TIME AND DISCIPLINE. If you are ready to give a little of both, you could lose weight and be whatever size you want to be. You have control over your body. Check out http://www.sparkpeople.com to start today.