While obesity has become a prevalent issue in America, the many Americans that are obese may not realize how they have become the weight they are today. Energy balance has been demonstrated repeatedly by many different organizations as a way to maintain or lose weight. This energy balance is demonstrated by examining the amount of calories in vs. calories out. The difficult notion is keeping track of all the calories in and the calories out. How many calories were in that cheesecake? I may have walked for 45 minutes today on the treadmill, but did I really burn the same number of calories as that slice of cheesecake? These answers may vary for each person, but the issue is, what can you do to start keeping your energy balance in check? A simple lifestyle change in examining a daily energy balance can make the difference for anyone.
1. Do you eat at a restaurant at least once a day? (fast food drive through, work related lunch, family dinner at a restaurant)
Yes No
2. Do you take the elevator or escalator when stairs are available in the building?
Yes No
3. Do you buy larger portions of foods or snacks because you think you’re getting more “bang for your buck”? (movie theatre popcorn, economy sized food items, jumbo drink for only .20 cents more)
Yes No
4. Do you drive your car around the parking lot until your find the closest available spot to the entrance?
Yes No
5. Do you email or call co-workers or friends instead of walking over to their desk or house?
Yes No
6. Are most of your meals eaten with little to no preparation? (microwave meals, foods that are ready from a box, snacks)
Yes No
6. While running errands do you buy snacks or drinks at gas stations, vending machines, coffee shops, etc?
Yes No
If you answered yes to 3 or more of these then perhaps you may need to consider how you can improve your lifestyle habits. Even answering yes to a few of the questions can contribute to how your lifestyle affects your calories-in vs calories-out.
