3/25/10

You Are How Much You Eat

I read this article in AMNY yesterday that made me very happy. It states that “potion control yields more weight loss than changing the foods you eat or exercising more.” I’ve already started exercising more than I ever have in my entire life (considering I’ve never worked out before). But one thing I did not want to do in order to get back into my pre-baconista jeans is to change what I eat. I love meat, ice cream, all fatty foods in general and I’ve never had a problem with my weight eating what I do. Granted I am now in my 30s and I spent an entire year eating out excessively, hence the new work out DVDs. But this article makes me feel much better about the pork taco (notice that’s singular) I had for dinner and the corn dog I had for lunch. I mean, what good is it to eat salads everyday if you eat 3 times as much as you should? And for those of you who think AMNY is not the best source for health advice, here a few others that claim the same thing:

The NY Times says people who exercise don’t necessarily lose weight without changing their eating habits. You burn 200-300 calories in a typical 30-minute work out—you replace that with one Gatorade. Good thing I don’t drink Gatorade... wonder how many calories are in coconut water?

Lisa Young, a nutritionist and professor at NYU says, “How much you eat is more important than what you eat.” 78% of people on diets think all they have to do is watch what they eat, she wants them to realize that quantity is a bigger concern.

Everyday Health says what we eat contributes to the obesity epidemic but “how much we eat and our lack of portion control may be even more important factors.” Ordering an appetizer as your entree or from a children’s menu is recommended when eating out.

ABC News shows that a low-fat, average protein diet resulted in the same amount of weight loss as a high-fat, high protein diet. What matters more is sticking to your chosen diet... I choose bacon!

2 comments:

  1. i figure exercise is a fair trade for eating what i like. and those arguments against the benefits of exercise are kind of misleading, no? i think if everyone in america got more exercise, we'd be a lot better off.

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  2. Agreed, I feel healthier since I started. I'm not against exercise in any way—I just want to justify all the bad (but oh so good) food I eat : )

    The NY Times article talks about the benefits of exercise beyond weight loss... overall health, increased aerobic capacity, decreased blood pressure and even a more positive mood.

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