I am really confused about what I should and shouldn’t eat? Carbs are bad? Fat is bad? What is this stuff called trans fats? I need some simple diet advice. Please help…

First of all, please understand that the fitness and diet industry is a multi-billion dollar a year business. Every week there seems to be a new diet craze or weight loss technique. Books, magazine articles, infomercials, reality shows – the list goes on and on of gimmicks out there that will “guarantee” your weight loss. Fact is, the more you know about fitness the less valuable you are to the industry, as you will spend less on books, fitness magazines and diet supplements. They keep you confused so that you always buy the latest diet propaganda. I will probably have my fitness card revoked for sharing this with you, but enough is enough. Let’s make this real simple.

Calories In vs. Calories Out

This is it. Plain and simple. If you eat more calories than you burn everyday you will gain weight. If you eat less calories than you burn everyday then you will lose weight. This is it. I promise. I don’t care if all you eat is donuts, you will lose weight if calorie intake is less than calories burned. If you are only concerned about losing weight then don’t pay attention to the amount of fats, sugars, carbs or even protein in everything you eat – just pay attention to the total number of calories.

Do the Math…

You will be surprised at how many calories you are consuming if you write everything you put in your mouth down on paper. Figuring out how many calories you burn every day can be a little bit more confusing. Basically, you will burn calories by doing absolutely nothing (basal metabolic rate also called resting metabolic rate) and obviously when you move – walking, running, sitting and squatting. There are many free apps and spreadsheets you can download to make this a little easier. Add them both up each day and you will get an idea of which part of the calorie equation you need to work on.

One of my favourite quotes is from Albert Einstein – “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex – it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” This couldn’t be any truer for your diet. Try this: don’t change one thing you eat, don’t get that gym membership and don’t trade in your scooter for a bicycle – not just yet. Instead, eat a little less at each meal, take the stairs instead of the elevator every now and then and walk a little more. You will lose weight. Once you see how easy it is then take the next step and start eating a healthier diet, get that gym membership and go get that bike.

James Scott is the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Shanghai Sharks. If you have a fitness question you’d like him to answer in a future column, please email him at [email protected].