Rule #1 of Weight Loss (part 2)

So, the one inescapable truth is "calories in < calories out = weight loss"?  Well, that's certainly not a controversial statement in the nutrition world, now is it?!

As I am surfing the web doing "research" on my idea, I have come across a number of entertaining ideas.  I decided to search "golden rule of nutrition" to see if calories in less than calories out came up.  The top results were divided - some said to track calories, and others said that you should focus on a balanced meal plan so that you don't have to count calories.  The problem with the latter idea is that, I feel, it is rather naive in modern America.  Sure, ideally, you would want to eat healthy enough such that you don't have to count calories.  The problem is that the people reading this advice got into the shape they are in specifically because they either don't know how to do this or simply can't.  Bottom line, if people were able to eat perfectly balanced and healthy meals, they wouldn't be looking for nutrition advice!

(In particular, I found this Men's Health (UK) article to be entertaining.  I could easily link you to dedicated, full-page articles on almost every one of their points arguing the opposite...by expert sources.  I've already shared some of those links in Part 1.)

If you want to see something really interesting, do an internet search for "calories in calories out."  If you do, you will see that the search results practically argue with themselves!

Look, I'm not writing this to debate the merits of maintaining a calorie deficit.  All I can tell you is that from my personal experience, it works.  What's more, this principle apparently works to varying degrees of success for the multitudes of people who subscribe to calorie tracking websites.  While so much in the nutritional world is either purely conjecture or conjecture backed up with questionable amounts of research, the one principle backed by hard science is energy balance is the key to controlling one's weight.

Now, there are various approaches to manipulating your energy balance, and I feel that I've come up with a unique way that is sustainable over the long-haul.  Stay tuned to find out more!