Let's face it - it seems like there are a thousand different theories on the best diet, the best exercise program, the best way to lose weight, etc. I have been working out daily for the last 15 years, so I have seen (and attempted!) my fair share of these ideas over the years. However, the more I have read about dieting and researched weight loss the more I believe it all comes down to the theory of "Calories In vs. Calories Out."
Calories In vs. Calories Out means comparing the number of calories you consume against the number of calories you burn. One of the best explanations I have found in terms of the math behind this concept can be found at the Healthline.com website.
My wife convinced me to try out MyFitnessPal about 5 months ago to start tracking calories. If you haven't tried out this phone app you need to give it a shot! Keeping a close eye on calories has helped me go from 220 lbs. to a lean 187 lbs.! I realize people throw this phrase out all of the time...but I really do feel that I am in the best shape of my life (at the age of 37 nonetheless!).
Finally, one of my all-time favorite quotes comes from the book Thinner This Year which says, "The iron rule of weight gain and loss reads like this, in its entirety: Eat more calories than you burn and you will gain weight. Burn more calories than you eat and you will lose weight. That’s it. Anything else is smoke and mirrors."
