So…It’s About More Than Exercise? I Have to Diet Too?

Six days into my health and fitness journey, I found myself at a party at a friend’s house. I happily filled my plate with all the delicious goodies and excitedly shared stories about my first few workouts with my trainer.

I was feeling proud.

For the first time in my life, I was actually showing up at the gym.

Then one of my friends glanced at my plate and said something that stopped me cold.

“Exercise alone won’t get you to your goal,” she said. “You’re going to have to change the way you eat, too.”

Uugghhh.

I had been working so hard in the gym — again, for the first time in my life — that it honestly hadn’t occurred to me that I might also need to change my diet.

“Calories in, calories out,” she explained.

Another girlfriend chimed in and told me about a free app called Lose It. She said she and her daughters had used it and really liked it.

The next day, I did what most of us do — I Googled.

How many calories do I need to eat to lose 1–2 pounds a week?

I downloaded the free Lose It app and started logging everything I ate and drank.

And wow…

I was shocked at how many calories I had been consuming.

I began eating in a calorie deficit, but I still had no idea what I should actually be eating. I didn’t know I needed so much protein. I had no clue what a “macro” even was.

But I was learning — one small step at a time.

Stay tuned for my next blog post…..Macros for Dummies!