By Dr. Judy Siegel

A reduced calorie diet for weight loss-Doesn’t that sound ridiculous?  Of course a DIET to lose weight has fewer calories!  Fewer that what?  Fewer than whatever you’ve been eating and few calories than you burn in a day.  Now we have a problem-how many calories do you burn in a day?  I don’t know and probably neither do you.  So, how can you decide how many calories to eat on your reduced calorie diet? 

Calorie is a measure of energy, the amount need to raise the temperature of 1 liter of water 1 degree Celcius, from 14.5 to 15.5 C.  It really is a kilo-calorie (kcal)-1000 calories.  So whenever you read “calorie”, think kcal.  All foods contain energy (kcals) and we use this energy from food to run our bodies, run to the store, run after kids, or just run-or walk.  All movement requires that we spend calories to get it done.  Most of the calories we burn are used for keeping the system going:  the heart pumping, brain thinking, kidneys and liver working, etc.  Below is a diagram of how your body spends calories. Read the rest of this entry

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By Dr. Judy Seigel

 

 

Do Weight Loss Diets Work?

 

If you are overweight, will a “diet” help you to lose weight?  What’s a diet?  If we define DIET as an eating plan with fewer calories than you burn in a day, then, yes.  Diets do work.  But how do you know how many calories you will burn today?  Most of us, nearly all of us, don’t know that answer.  That’s Problem #1.

 

Problem #2–

 Does it make a difference if I get those fewer calories from Milky Way bars or     vegetables? 

 

Problem #3   How come so many people (95%) put their lost weight back on.

 

Therefore–Is it even worth the effort it takes to lose in the first place?

 

OK—last question first.  Yes.  Extra fat weight isn’t good for you.  Work on it.

 

Problem #3—Weight that was slowly, carefully taken off doesn’t just “Come back”. 

It is invited back by giving up the diet that worked to take the weight off.  You can’t

go back to eating as you did before.  Remember, that diet put the weight on in the first place.  It will do so again!

 

Problem #2  This one is difficult.  Probably, reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the form of starches (not fruits, vegetables or dairy) will help you to lose faster.  Milky Way bars are high in fats, calories, and sugar, low in vitamins and minerals.  Go for the fruits and vegetables. 

 

 Problem #4  This is an even tougher problem.  As a rough guideline:  if you are female and under 5’6”, not exercising or active regularly, use 1200 calories/day as a goal.  If  you are over 5’6” or shorter but very active, exercising almost daily, use 1500 calories as a day’s total.  Men under 5’10’’ who are on the inactive side, use 1500 and men over 5’10” or shorter, active men use 1800 calories.  Then COUNT them. 

 

 

 

By Dr. Judy Seigel

Exercise and Nutrition Counseling Center

Avon, Connecticut

 

 

 

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