What is the key to successful weight loss?
The key is controlling calories! This is a very important concept. Many people make the mistake of thinking that certain types of foods (like carbohydrates) cause weight gain when in fact whether you're eating carbs, protein, or fat as your food source, the number of calories from these food sources is what determines weight loss or weight gain! However, balancing carbohydrates, protein, and fat is helpful in weight control and very important for maintaining good health.

Here is a simple rule to remember based on the "Energy Balance Equation"We are in Energy Balance (weight stable) when Energy In (Food) = Energy Out (Activity)

What this means is that we will maintain our current weight if the energy we re taking in, which is food and drink, is equal to the energy we "burn" through our activity levels such as walking, sitting, running, typing, etc. ex: If you consume 2,000 calories per day, you will need to also expend "burn" 2,000 calories per day to maintain your weight and in order to lose weight, you must expend "burn" more than you take in.

SO, THE #1 RULE FOR WEIGHT LOSS IS:

No matter what kindof food you eat, as long as your calories taken in are less than your calories used (burned), you will lose weight (and in the same respect, no matter what kind of food you eat, if the calories you take in are more than your calories used, you will gain weight.

How do we know how much to eat and how much we should exercise? Here are some guidelines for success: