Not sure I could find two more scary words to put together.. calories and algebra. Yikes. Like it or not, there is a mathematical component to changing the shape and size of your body. It’s a hard set of facts to be conscious of, but better to know than have no idea what your habits are doing to yourself.

Fact #1: To lose one pound of weight the average person needs to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. (The general recommendation is to try and create a 250 calorie to 500 calorie deficit per day in order to lose a half pound to one pound a week.)

Fact #2: Running one mile, for most people equates to a 100 calorie burn. Calorie burn varies by the height, weight and efficiency of an individual. (Walking for 30 minutes= approx 200 calories, One hour yoga class= approx 300 calories, Circuit training for 30 minutes= approx 300 calories.)

Fact #3: Eating one slice of bread typically equates to 100 plus calories.

Fact#4: Running one mile is usually anywhere from a 5-15 minute process. Eating one slice of bread takes.. well less than a minute.

Ok, so this is a bleak picture. If you’ve spent an hour with me, you know I’m a realist. Cutting it straight for you. The overall reminder here is that consuming calories is ultimately going to affect your weight and body fat mass quite a bit more than the amount of exercise you can squeeze into a normal day. (Oh I wish I were an ultra-marathoner.)

Trainers will tell you time and again that clients who do not pay attention to their caloric intake generally see minimal results in terms of actual weight, and sometimes even in terms of body fat change depending on the breakdown of the calories they are eating. It’s a tough reality, but know that if you are committing to improve yourself, committing to eat right should be as much or more of your focus in order to achieve success.

My friend in NYC sent me an email noting that though he’s not exercising as much as usual, a shift in his diet has kept him losing weight. Does this mean he should skip out on the gym and just count his calories? Research shows that a combination of exercise and eating healthy is the best long term strategy for sustained weight loss. Healthy fuel makes for better exercise. Exercise makes for a stronger sustained metabolism, if you should happen to slip up here and there over the long haul.

Beyond that I’m going to stick with the ongoing recommendation here to do both cardiovascular training and resistance training. It’s important to train both your heart muscle and the muscle throughout your body. Skinny mush is not sexy. Don’t you agree?

If you are having a hard time estimating how much you’re eating and how much you’re burning, the greatest tools you can invest in are heart rate monitors ($65-250) and online food journals ($0!). I know, I’m no fun. If you want to grasp the reality of your fitness and food habits this is your best bet. Research also shows that those who record what they eat while trying to lose weight, lose two times the weight of those who do not. Might be worth your time.

There will be more to come on Calorie Algebra.. but for now, take this blog as a reminder that what you eat does matter. A lot.