You must burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight.
You hear it all the time….well it is true! An article I read today on CNN proves just that. (You can read the article here) A nutrition professor from Kansas State University ate Twinkes and other unhealthy snacks to equal about 1800 calories as a way to prove this concept. While I DO NOT recommend this diet, his experiment proved that essentially it IS about calorie consumption and less about what you eat. Now, don’t take this as a free pass to go eat a bunch of junk and think it is okay! Eventually, I am sure that this type of diet would have long term effects. In the short time that he followed the diet, his weight, cholesterol, and body fat reacted favorably. This is more likely due to a reduction in weight from a calorie deficit than it is to the type of foods he was eating. The bottom line, it is a great reminder that calories burned must be more than calories consumed to lose weight!
Some other tips to help in weight loss:
- Spread your calories throughout the day rather than eating a few large meals
- Track your food if you need accountability
- Try and include more fruits and vegetables in your diet, they will help in making you feel full without a lot of calories
- Exercise!
- Speak with a Registered Dietitian if you have more specific questions or if you need assistance getting over a plateau
Julie DuBois, RD 
