5. CONSIDER
YOUR CALORIES
Whether good calories or bad
calories, another piece of the
puzzle is how many calories you’re
consuming. Admittedly, I’m not a big
fan of counting calories. I prefer to
just make smart dietary choices. But
maintaining a healthy body weight
and appropriate amounts of body
fat ultimately boils down to a simple
ratio of calories consumed vs. calories
burned. You can adjust the ratio in
two basic ways: watching how many
calories you consume (eating the
right foods in appropriate portions)
and watching how many calories
you burn (with your active lifestyle
and exercise choices). Just don’t fall
into the trap of thinking that, since
you’ve worked out, you can now grab
a double venti latte topped with a hot
fudge sundae. That’d be a quick way
to negate the work you just put in.
In fact, if you have celiac disease, you
may need to decrease your calorie
consumption on a gluten-free diet,
since — as Yoder Begley found — once
your intestines heal, your body will
start absorbing nutrients and calories
it wasn’t before.
6. START EARLY
If possible, plan to do your exercise
routine first thing in the morning,
before you’ve even eaten breakfast.
Why? For one, you’ll make sure
it’s a part of your day and doesn’t
get squeezed out of your schedule
later. Second, it’ll kick start your
metabolism, so that you’ll burn fuel
more efficiently throughout the rest
of the day. And lastly, if weight loss
is your goal, it’ll help your body shift
into fat-burning mode more quickly.
In general, your body starts burning
fat once you’ve used up the energy
already stored in your muscles. Your
muscle energy storage is typically
lowest first thing in the morning, so
doing a workout then, before you’ve
replenished your energy stores with
breakfast, can help shed excess
pounds and body fat.
