The Great Balancing Act

by Kris Pitcher

Why all this tracking and counting of exercise and calories anyway? It's all about the great balancing act! I'm getting giddy just thinking about sharing this with you...I'll try to hold my inner geek back but I'm not making any promises.

The great balancing act is all about energy balance. Weight management at it's most simple scientific root, is about energy in and energy out. When energy in is greater than energy out, we gain weight. I think we're all familiar with this. When energy out is greater than energy in, we lose weight. When energy in equals energy out, we maintain weight. Do you hear those trumpets, or is that just me? Fireworks...anyone?

I heard something at work that made my hackles go up - you can't manage what you don't measure (I guess it's performance appraisal time). We know this is true. We can't manage what we don't measure. Period. If we're managing our weight, guess what? We should measure our energy in and our energy out. Otherwise, we're just bumbling along wondering why this isn't just magically happening to us.

Energy balance can be a frustrating thing however. It's not just as simple as the numbers. Hormone levels, stress, sleep, hydration, medications...a lot of things can come into play with the simplicity of energy in - energy out. But it's a darn good place to start. Creating a deficit you (and the people around you) can live with is a smart way to look at weight loss in terms of energy balance. You want to expend more calories through activity, and decrease your intake by no more than 200-300 calories daily. No one likes a crab.

Keep in mind, you're looking for changes you can live with for the long haul, not just a few days or a week. People who are successful at weight management manage their weight throughout their lives. They don't just one day stop. Knowing about energy balance helps us understand the importance of tracking and counting. Life is all about the great balancing act!