Defining "diet"

Many people immediately associate the word "diet" with calorie restriction.  As fitness trainers, when we use the word we are speaking more in terms of how the medical dictionary defines diet: "the customary amount and kind of food and drink taken by a person from day to day".  More specifically, we like to refer to a balanced diet.  We cannot stress enough the important role that diet plays in meeting your fat loss or weight loss goals.  While it is possible to lose weight through diet or exercise alone, people who are the most successful at reaching their goal weight, AND achieving a healthy body fat percentage, do it through a combination of exercise and a balanced diet. 

In future postings in our nutrition series, we will cover topics such as what constitutes a healthy diet based on the US Dietary Guidelines and more specific dietary recommendations by such organizations as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).  These will be general guidelines for the average adult and persons requiring more individualized recommendation should consider consulting a registered dietitian.

So we will start with what a diet is NOT by our definition.  First, a diet is not extreme calorie restriction.  The ACSM recommends that the minimum calorie intake never drop below 1200 for women or 1800 for men, and they state that even these levels may be quite low.  Severe calorie restriction will actually have a detrimental effect on weight loss and will make it impossible to get all the nutrients that your body needs.  More importantly, extreme calorie restriction is not necessary to see significant results.  Consider that there are approximately 3500 calories in one pound of stored body fat.  So, if you create a 3500 calorie deficit you will lose one pound.  This may sound like a lot of calories, but small changes can produce big results.  For example, one tablespoon of butter has 102 calories.  So if you reduce your calorie intake by just one tablespoon of butter per day, you will reduce your intake by 3060 calories per month or 37,230 calories per year.  That is a ten pound weight loss in a year just by eliminating one tablespoon of butter per day from your diet!

Think about your current diet and see if you can find just one manageable change that will result in a 100 calorie reduction (i.e. cut out one tablespoon of butter, substitute mustard for mayonnaise on a sandwich or wrap, eliminate one regular soda, substitute vinaigrette for a creamy salad dressing). 

Start small and think big!  Remember that reaching any goal is a series of small steps.