Is this you?  You’ve been Manduuing for a while and you’re not losing weight like you hoped.  What’s going on?
The only way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn. One pound of fat contains 3,500 calories. If you create a 500 calorie per day deficit, you’ll lose a pound a week.  You can do this by eating less, exercising more, or a combination of the two.
Consider that one or more of these three things might be going on:
1)   You aren’t getting enough cardio. We recommend at least 150 minutes of cardio a week, which can be as little as a 22 minute walk every day.
2)   You’re consuming too many calories. Don’t think so? Most of us underestimate our calorie consumption by one-third. You know the saying that abs are made in the kitchen?  That’s because there isn’t enough time in the day to out-exercise bad eating. The large size fries from McDonald’s that you can snarf down in five minutes contains 500 calories.  That will take a 140 lb. person 45 minutes to run off, or more than two hours to walk off. To create a 500 per-day calorie deficit, consider trimming around the edges of calorie consumption:
  • Quit drinking calories.  That means ditching the lattes, fruit juice, soft drinks, smoothies, and yes, the wine.  Studies show that even diet drinks are correlated with weight gain. See if you can drink water most of the time and save the other beverages for an occasional treat.
  • Speaking of wine, separate your alcohol intake and your food by at least two hours.  That’s because your liver will move alcohol to the front of the line for processing, leaving everything else to be stored as fat.  By spreading out alcohol and food you give your liver time to give each the attention they need.
  • Practice portion control, especially when eating out.  Most restaurant portions are YUUGE!  Ask for a to-go box as soon as your entrée arrives and put half of it aside for another meal. Or better yet, go with a friend, order a salad each, and split the entrée.
  • And when it comes to eating out, do it less and cook at home more.  Studies show that people who eat at home consume about 200 fewer calories per day than people who eat out. And when you consider the cost savings, you’ll probably pay for your Manduu sessions!
3)   You aren’t eating enough protein.  A 45-yr. old weighing 150 lbs. should be eating at least 98 grams of protein per day, and perhaps as many as 150.  And as you age, your protein needs increase. Try upping your protein consumption to maximize muscle growth.  As you build muscle your base metabolic rate will go up and you’ll burn more calories all the time, even while sleeping. You’ll probably need to add a protein supplement to get in enough, and ours is the best on the market. Some other ways to add protein to your diet:
  • Swap that bagel or cereal at breakfast for eggs, Greek yogurt, or oatmeal with chopped nuts and berries.
  • Skip the potato chips or pretzels at snack time and opt for apple slices with peanut butter, hummus with veggie sticks, or a handful of nuts.
  • Swirl some cottage cheese into chili, spaghetti sauce, or soup.
Remember that eating well is a lifestyle choice.  It isn’t going on a diet with a ton of restricted foods and an end date. It’s choosing lean protein, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables 90% of the time and saving French fries, cheesecake and venti Frappuccinos for the occasional treat. Regardless of what you eat, the only way to lose weight is to consume less than what you burn.