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Originally Posted by April RD  It's difficult to answer these questions without being able to do some calculations or see a food diary. As far as your husband is concerned, men tend to have a higher BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) due to differences in body composition and we all have unique calorie needs based on our age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. Rather than comparing to others, it's important to determine your own calorie needs and then try to consume an amount close to those. |
Amen to that.
Have you seen the work on NEAT? As in non-exercise activity thermogenesis? It really sheds some light (among other reasons) on why some people seem resistant to weight gain.
If not, check out this thread:
http://www.weight-loss.fitness.com/t...mogenesis.html
I've got some research floating around on it as well.
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I'm not one who feels that you need to count calories (or anything else for that matter) for the rest of your life in order to lose weight.
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I think that's really depending on your goals. Sure, if you keep in the context of simply 'losing weight' I would tend to agree with you for *most* people. Take someone like me, though, who is interested in maximizing performance and muscle mass while minimizing body fat and I think you need to pay closer attention to things.
That's not to say I couldn't be a muscular athlete without paying close attention. It simply optimizes the process in my opinion.
Also, I have found that for a good number of people, counting calories and macros is what keeps them on track.
I think it's a very individual thing to be honest.
But the fact remains (opinion actually) that for the average person with average goals I usually suggest NOT muddying the waters with counting and tracking until a time arises where you have to in order to realize success. In the meantime, and potentially forever, simply cleaning up the diet and making better, balanced food choices will suffice.
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I think it's more about choosing a variety of foods from all the food groups and eating them in moderation (stopping when you're full and not eating when you're not hungry...following your body's signals) but it can be helpful to some people to have a place to start. Counting calories for a short season can help you to learn which foods to limit and which ones to choose more often.
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I definitely agree with this.
If you're going to go the non-messy route, I think counting for some time is extremely beneficial in helping people better understand what a proper serving size looks like.
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