Focus On The 80% Not The 20% For Dieting

Lyle McDonald, author and nutrition/training expert, lays out what he believes are the two main reasons dieters fail: 1. Being too absolute and expecting perfection. 2. Focusing only on the short-term. The first point is crucial here! So many people will stress and obsess about the tiny details that will only give you the smallest results. Lets focus firstly on how many calories you are eating a day. Can you answer the question how many calories you are eating on a daily basis? This is our 80% - Calories in vs Calories out (energy balance) – Focus on this and results will come in time. If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight you CANNOT argue with the science. So why don't we start focusing on the really important points that will you give you the biggest possible results. BASICALLY GETTING THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK! So how much should I be eating? Once you know how much you should be, and are eating, you can then start taking control of your nutrition and start to lose body fat. By focusing on the basics, you will get more results with far less stress! 4 FACTORS THAT MAKE UP OUR TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE) Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – essentially this is how many calories your body needs to sustain life, without movement or digestive activity. Thermic effect of feeding (TEF) - every time we eat and digest food this is an active process and requires energy. Exercise Activity – This is the obvious one, whenever we are active our body uses calories for energy The more active you are the more fuel you need. Non – Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) – From fidgeting (we all that know person who cant sit still), to walking down to the shops, to sprinting to catch the bus. NEAT is happening all the time. These factors make up the ‘calories out’ side of our energy balance question. Obviously every single person will have a unique TDEE. Depending on a number of factors including age, gender, occupation, how much you exercise and your current lifestyle. SO WHY ON EARTH WOULD WE GO ON A GENERIC FAD DIET!? What we should be focusing on is the finding the diet that is right for  YOU. A diet that fits YOUR lifestyle. A diet that fits YOUR goals. A diet that YOU can stick to in the long term.’ Exert from ‘No FADs, No Gimmcks, Guide to Losing Wight’ by Scott Edmed and SJ Fitness. For more of my work follow my Blog, Facebook, Twitter.