Hardly a day passes without the constant media blitz on low carbs, no carbs, net carbs, good carbs, bad carbs, and protein diets. In the middle of all this hype we are forgetting a simple fact: It’s the calories that really matter.
It’s the calories that add up and add those inches around your body, regardless of the diet you choose. If you eat fewer calories and burn off more over a period of time, you will lose weight. It’s that simple.
All the foods we eat will turn into body fat when out total calorie intake is far more than what our bodies need. Fatty foods and alcohol are calories the body especially likes to store, and these contribute most to weight gain.
This is why we need to watch our fat and alcohol intake for weight loss. Cutting out fatty foods and alcohol without adding lots of other foods can result in decreased calorie consumption.
More individual responsibility and sensible options–just eating less food and smaller portions–means fewer calories, and that means weight loss.
Cut back on a few calories every day–a few shaved off here and there will go a long way to shaving off the pounds.
IT’S YOUR HEALTH is written by Conrad Meier, senior fellow in health policy at The Heartland Institute. This program is produced as a public service by Radio America. Meier passed away unexpectedly on March 18, 2005.
