Could eating really help you flatten your stomach? Well...yes. Research shows that obsessing over calories and tracking everything too closely actually creates the perfect habitat for belly fat! WHA!? Yeup...I said it! When I read this I felt a little bit bad because I track my calories and I'm quite aware of how many calories I'm eating. I've even encouraged other people to do the same. I'm horrible!
"A new study tracked the tension levels of 121 female dieters for 3 weeks and showed some concerning results. Those who followed a strict low-cal eating plan -- consisting of prepackaged meals totaling 1,200 calories a day -- experienced a significant rise in their levels of the stress hormone cortisol. And that can spell big trouble when it comes to belly management. Cortisol tells your body to store more calories in your midsection, exactly where you don't want it. On top of that, feeling stressed-out can make sticking with any weight loss plan feel darn near impossible."
The suggestion? Instead of keeping a food diary and watching it super intensely, just wing it but make healthy choices along the way. Eat veggies and fruits for snacks. Be aware how often you do snack, and watch your portion sizes.
This was hard news for me to take in. I love my LiveStrong App that I've talked about before, tracking my calories, weight, exercise and everything. Do I dare stop tracking calories for a week or two and see what happens? I don't know if Christmas time is the best time to test this. I think I will give it a whirl though.
What are your guys' thoughts? Better to track it? Better not to track it? I did the week without looking at the scale, and the results were about the same as weighing myself everyday. I feel this a comparable study.
Could eating really help you flatten your stomach? Well...yes. Research shows that obsessing over calories and tracking everything too closely actually creates the perfect habitat for belly fat! WHA!? Yeup...I said it! When I read this I felt a little bit bad because I track my calories and I'm quite aware of how many calories I'm eating. I've even encouraged other people to do the same. I'm horrible!
"A new study tracked the tension levels of 121 female dieters for 3 weeks and showed some concerning results. Those who followed a strict low-cal eating plan -- consisting of prepackaged meals totaling 1,200 calories a day -- experienced a significant rise in their levels of the stress hormone cortisol. And that can spell big trouble when it comes to belly management. Cortisol tells your body to store more calories in your midsection, exactly where you don't want it. On top of that, feeling stressed-out can make sticking with any weight loss plan feel darn near impossible."
The suggestion? Instead of keeping a food diary and watching it super intensely, just wing it but make healthy choices along the way. Eat veggies and fruits for snacks. Be aware how often you do snack, and watch your portion sizes.
This was hard news for me to take in. I love my LiveStrong App that I've talked about before, tracking my calories, weight, exercise and everything. Do I dare stop tracking calories for a week or two and see what happens? I don't know if Christmas time is the best time to test this. I think I will give it a whirl though.
What are your guys' thoughts? Better to track it? Better not to track it? I did the week without looking at the scale, and the results were about the same as weighing myself everyday. I feel this a comparable study.
What do YOU say?!
( source )