Step One: Portion Control

Today's the Day!!! I started Slim in 6 this morning and made it through Start It Up. I guess I didn't realize just how out of shape I got towards the end of this pregnancy and after the c-section. It's gonna take some time to whip me back into shape! So I huffed and puffed my way through it and according to my heart rate monitor, I burned 232 calories during the 25 minute workout. Oh, and I think I'm gonna be sore tomorrow.

Ok, I mentioned last week that I would be posting the 6 Steps to Transform Your Body from the Beachbody Nutrition Guide, going over one step per week. So here is this week's step for us to work on:

Step One: Control Your Portions

"In general, eat half of what the chef serves you in a restaurant. An adequate portion for a meal is 3 ounces of protein (like chicken, tuna, or lean ground beef), which is about the size of your palm. Don't eat until you are full; eat until you're not hungry. Same goes for salad dressing. On a large salad, limit it to just enough to taste. One or two tablespoons should do the trick.

Control Your Calorie Intake and Portion Size

This is what we call the "Classic Calorie Equation." Your daily exercise routine will increase the amount of calories you burn each day. If you also make sure that you eat fewer calories than you burn, poof! - you burn excess stored fat. It's a simple, scientifically proven fact that never fails. And here's how to do it:

Calories in:

First, regulate how many calories you consume. We recommend that if "trimming fat" is your goal, 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day is as low as you want to go. Any lower and your body will think it's starving and reset your metabolism. Targeting a number that is 500 calories per day less than you burn will result in losing a pound per week. We recommend starting with 1,200 to 2,000 calories per day, depending on your goal, which will steer you away from large portions. Add calories only when you feel you need additional energy. After all, food is fuel. (This is a general guideline. For more specific details as to your personal caloric needs, we suggest you contact a registered dietician or diet center.)

Calories out:

Second, approximate how many calories your body uses each day using the following grid, which is calculated based on your body weight, your lifestyle, and the assumption that you will burn 300 calories in every rigorous 30-minute workout.

Calorie Equation:
calories burned - calories eaten = 800-calorie deficit

Estimate How Many Calories Your Body Needs

Now that you have an estimate of how many calories your body needs, you just need to make sure that you consume less than that, and your body will be forced to access its stored fat to make up the difference. that's how you lose fat: Force your body to use stored energy by controlling the "energy" (aka calories) you put in.
Once you accumulate a 3,500-calorie deficit, you've burned off 1 pound of fat! This has been proven repeatedly in clinical trials, in Hollywood, and by the general public. The Daily Deficit works. If you want to hit a very specific weight loss goal, this is how you can do it, to the pound, to the day. And we're not talking water weight - we're talking about burning off significant stored fat. The trick is to be disciplined about calorie intake.