January 2023 – KyleCoaching

Should I track my body weight?

Are you trying to lose weight? If so, you may have considered tracking your body weight to measure your progress. But is this the best way to track your weight loss? Let’s examine the pros and cons of tracking your body weight.

Weighing yourself can be discouraging if you don’t see the results you want

Weighing yourself can be one of the most frustrating aspects of health and fitness. It can be extremely discouraging if you try to lose weight or gain muscle but do not see the desired results. While having a general idea of your body weight over time is essential, relying too heavily on stepping onto the scales each day could prevent you from seeing the other benefits, such as increased energy or even how your clothes fit differently. Take the time to track your weight and other improvement factors, such as strength tests and performance metrics, for an accurate assessment. Focusing on what you’re doing right rather than obsessing over small details is often the key to success and satisfaction with achieving your goals.

You might not be losing fat, even if the number on the scale goes down

It can be incredibly disheartening to spend weeks or months diligently following a weight-loss plan only to find that the scale number has not changed. However, it is important to remember that fat loss and weight loss are not necessarily synonymous. You might well be seeing a reduction on the scale, yet still not be losing fat – because muscle weighs more than fat, you could be reducing your muscle mass and simply replacing it with fat. There are plenty of techniques you can use to check how your body responds to any exercise regimen or diet you may have chosen; testing for lean body mass and hydration levels with bio-impedance machines, for example, are just two practical ways. Identifying these key metrics will help you track progress in a fat loss rather than just an elusive number on a piece of equipment.

Muscle weighs more than fat, so you could actually be gaining muscle mass and losing fat

You may be disappointed when stepping on the scale if you lose weight, but keep in mind that muscle is far denser than fat, so that it can weigh more. This means that even if the number on the scales isn’t decreasing, you might slim down your waistline and build muscle. One of the best ways to track this is by measuring yourself periodically and taking photos over time – both of which indicate whether you are replacing fat with muscle. However, remember that building muscle requires dedication to fitness routines and a healthy diet with vital nutrients – without them, any potential gains can quickly be reversed.

If you’re tracking your body weight, make sure also to measure your body composition (fat vs. muscle)

If you’re serious about tracking your health and fitness progress, paying attention to more than just your body weight is important. Although body weight is a valuable indicator of overall health, monitoring changes in your body composition – i.e., the percentage of fat versus muscle – is even more telling. By understanding how changes in diet, exercise, and lifestyle affect the relative proportion of fat vs. muscle tissue that composes the human body, you can get a clearer picture of how healthy (or unhealthy) your habits are and take steps accordingly to ensure long-term success.

There are other ways to track your progress besides just weighing yourself – how do you feel? How do you look? Your energy level? Etc.

While stepping on the scale daily is a great way to get an accurate indication of progress, it is far from the only one. It’s also essential to consider other aspects such as how you feel and looks in clothes, your energy level throughout the day, and any changes that come with exercise. Paying attention to these metrics will allow for further insight into your progress. Plus, success looks different for everyone, whether that means seeing visible abs or having more energy for weekend activities with friends. Having non-scale goals can provide real motivation and lead to a healthier lifestyle.

Weight is an essential signifier of progress, but it’s not the only one. You may be doing everything right and seeing no changes in your weight, but still experience progress in other ways such as feeling better, having more energy, seeing improved clothes fit, or having a healthier lifestyle. So don’t obsess over the numbers on the scale if you don’t see them moving as you want. Instead, focus on how you feel in your body and set goals aligned with that. Take time to recognize even small improvements and celebrate yourself for reaching those milestones! Weight loss can seem like a long journey – we must climb over the many hurdles and plateaus along the way – but it doesn’t have to be so hard or discouraging. With all the different tools available, like measuring body composition and tracking other health indices, remember that it’s about much more than just matching a number – it’s about understanding our bodies better and creating sustainable steps to keep ourselves healthy.

When Counting Calories, do you weigh them before you cook or after?

With the New Year barely in the rearview mirror, many want to make healthier choices and shed some unwanted pounds. If you’re trying to lose weight, one of the critical things you need to do is understand your caloric intake and count calories. But when it comes to counting calories, there’s a debate over whether you should weigh your food before or after cooking it. So which is the better method? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both approaches.

The difference between pre-cooked and post-cooked weight

Knowing the difference between pre-cooked and post-cooked weight can be essential when preparing meals. Pre-cooked weight refers to food that is weighed before being cooked, which can be beneficial in determining portion size. Post-cooked weight includes the food item’s original weight and any added liquid or fat while cooking, making it a good indicator of nutritional value. When recipes call for pre or post-cooking weight measurements, they should always be considered, as ingredients may behave differently when subjected to different cooking techniques. Keeping track of pre/post-cooking weights throughout preparation can help one understand their dish’s true contents and impact on their overall diet. However, this can be tedious, so let’s figure out which to do, pre- or post-.

Why Weighing Food Before and After Cooking Creates Inconsistent Results in Meal Preparation

Accurate and consistent measurements are achievable with simple practices. For instance, logging foods before cooking yields the most definite figures because nutrition facts panels reflect a food’s packaged state. This is especially true for uncooked items like whole grains, lean proteins, and vegetables since their nutrient count remains unchanged by heat or other preparation methods. Remember that altering temperature, altitude levels, or seasoning can influence an item’s weight, as salt has mainly been known to alter moisture content in seafood and meats, changing both volume & mass.

When it comes to cooking, the consequences can be more than just a loss in flavor: Meat and seafood may experience up to 25% shrinkage, while vegetables’ volume could decrease by as much as 50%. This means that what starts as 150g of sweet potatoes before roasting might become merely 75g after maintaining the caloric count of 150g! Making sure your entries are accurate is an essential step toward achieving diet goals; always opt for entering food in its raw state where possible.

How Weighing Food Before Cooking Can Help Ensure Accuracy in Meal Prep and Calorie Counting

When tracking your diet and calorie count, it’s important to remember the extra ingredients that are often overlooked. For example, don’t forget about cooking oils when weighing foods after they have been prepared – those added fats can drastically change macro-nutrient ratios! Entering raw food before preparation helps ensure all the elements of a meal recipe are factored into your calculations.

The Skinny

With consistency being the key to accurate tracking results, it is essential not to enter some foods before cooking and others after. However, all tracking apps are designed conveniently – they’ll remember your most frequently used foods, so you don’t have to log them every time from scratch! As a bonus tip: The more that’s logged into the app regularly, the faster food entries will become for any mealtime situation.

Bonus: What about when I am eating out?

When eating out, it can be difficult to keep track of your calorie intake. However, there are ways to ensure you’re still counting calories accurately. First, try and opt for meals that have nutrition information listed on the menu or website. If that’s not an option, use a smartphone app like MyFitnessPal, which allows you to quickly and easily look up the estimated calorie count of multiple restaurant dishes. Additionally, it can be helpful to stick with familiar menu items of which you already know the approximate calorie content. Knowing how much food is on your plate can also help estimate a dish’s caloric value; remember that the bigger the portion, the more calories it is likely to have. Lastly, try splitting portions or taking meals home to reduce caloric intake. With a little effort, counting calories while eating out can still be done accurately!

One more bonus: Log before you eat!!

It pays to research and plan beforehand to help ensure you stay within your caloric budget when dining out. Choose what you’d like to eat ahead of time so that when the occasion arises, you can order confidently without making any hasty decisions due to hunger or holding up your dinner guests!

nutrition

5 Healthy Eating Habits to Incorporate Into Your Lifestyle

Are you looking to make some healthy changes in your eating habits? Below are five easy tips you can start incorporating into your lifestyle today! By making these simple changes, you will be on your way to a healthier, happier you. Let’s get started!

Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up to jump-start your metabolism.

Eating breakfast is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Starting your day with a nutritious meal jump-starts your metabolism and gives you the energy you need to tackle the day ahead. Eating food within an hour of waking up helps kick-start all three of your body’s metabolic systems, allowing it to function correctly throughout the day. This will also help you stay fueled and alert longer so that you don’t get any mid-morning or afternoon energy slumps. Making sure you are eating breakfast is one of the best things you can do for yourself – it not only kick-starts your metabolism but supports healthy dietary choices throughout the rest of the day! Check out these Five healthy breakfasts to boost your metabolism!

Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day is key to a healthy diet. The antioxidants and vitamins in them help regulate cell growth, help to protect against cancer and other diseases, and provide energy for the body. Add two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables into your diet daily. When choosing fruits, look for bright-colored options like oranges, peppers, and berries. Darker vegetables such as fresh broccoli, spinach, and cabbage provide many healthy options. Eating various fruits and vegetables can help you maintain a balanced diet filled with essential nutrients that keep you energized and healthy!

Drink plenty of water throughout the day

Your body needs water to function correctly, so it’s essential to ensure you get plenty of it! Hydration is essential for maintaining your overall health in the long term. Drinking enough fluids daily can help keep you energized and reduce fatigue. Ideally, you should drink at least eight glasses of water per day — but if you’re very active or live in sweltering climates, you may need to increase that amount. Also, don’t forget that food helps hydrate your body, so incorporate plenty of fruits and vegetables into your diet. These simple steps will help ensure your body stays well-hydrated and healthy.

Avoid sugary drinks and empty calories.

Choosing healthier beverages is a great way to ensure that you provide your body with essential nutrients. Sugary drinks and empty calories provide no nutritional value and can lead to adverse health effects. Research shows that consuming sugary beverages increases the risk of many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Furthermore, these beverages can increase blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and the risk for certain cancers. Switching from sugary drinks to ones containing little or no sugar, such as water, natural juice, or herbal tea, can help you manage your weight and improve your overall health.

Make sure you’re getting enough protein.

Eating enough protein is essential to maintaining a healthy and fit lifestyle. Protein supplies your body with the amino acids to repair cells, create enzymes, and build muscle tissue. Not getting enough protein can cause fatigue, muscle loss, low immunity, and increased food cravings. Aim for about 20-30 grams per meal to ensure you get enough in your diet. If you choose plant-based proteins, such as legumes and whole grains, you’ll also add fiber and other essential vitamins to your meals. Adding high-quality proteins to your diet is an excellent step towards a healthier lifestyle!

Taking time to establish and maintain healthy eating habits is essential. Incorporating whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, into your diet will help provide critical vitamins and minerals while avoiding unnecessary sugar. Eating breakfast can be beneficial to jump-starting your metabolism -try making some oatmeal with a variety of toppings, such as fruit and nuts. Ensure you get enough protein and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Avoid sugary drinks or anything that melts down too quickly – these empty calories won’t help you reach your goals! Staying mindful in your nutrition routine is paramount for energizing and looking great. You can lead a happier, healthier life with consistent effort and discipline!