[Vickie]

Tongzilla has posted a complete answer for you Bagger. I agree that most people start focusing on minutia before just setting up a three point plan. Don't skip meals, don't overeat, and eat your food in it's purest form possible. I think it was Martee that said he wasn't eating out of cans. This leans toward the glycemic efffects of foods but I will add this. When you eat clean, fresh foods, your body receives all of the nutrients that it is looking for in the calories you consume. If your food is deficient in nutritional value, as Matt suggested fast foods are low in nutrients and high in calories, your body will keep craving more and more calories as a way to satisfy it's chemical needs (vitamins and minerals, and even
water).

Here's an over simplified review of clinical nutritional information that directly addresses your question Bagger.:

The fact is that your body needs all three macronutrients (fat, carbs, and protein) to appropriately and efficiently provide energy to your body. Additionally, your body is always burning a mix of fat and blood sugar (glucose in the blood stream that has been converted from stored glycogen in the muscles that it makes from carbohydrates with the help of fats and proteins.) The proportion of fat and sugar (and carbs are sugar plain and simple whether it's broccoli, bread or candy; the molecular structure determines it's ultimate effect in your diet and on your waistline) is determined by your level of health and fitness, your level of physical exertion in life and in exercise and in recreation, and your eating patterns. Carbohydrates are always touted as the energy food which has caused much confusion in a climate of the low carbohydrate diet craze. You may have heard of BMR (basal metabaolic rate) which addresses the most vital of your caloric needs to beat your heart, provide cell regeneration and all of the life providing body functions. Additional calories are necessary for movement which is why everyone's life requires a different caloric intake.

Now a quicky about fat burn. The body, in it's infinate wisdom, recognizes continuous movement that raises your heart rate to a specified point above your usual oxygen requirements to require more energy / calories. This type of activity is called aerobic (with oxygen) Since we have a seemingly unlimited capacity to store fat (and I will add that one gram of fat supplies twice the fuel effeciency of one gram of carbohydrate or protein) your body will begin to mix in more fat and less sugar when you are in an aerobic capacity. The problem with walking 18 holes is that you stop and your heart rate recovers so you don't maintain your aerobic output and you don't go as effeciently into fat burn. However, if you continuously walked the distance of 18 holes without stopping to hit the ball or wait on your partners, your heart rate would stay elevated and your body will mix in more fat and continue to burn more fat to keep you moving while preserving the limited sugar required by the muscles to function.

Golf does add life activity which is always preferable to a sedentary lifestyle so it has great value. More movement means more calories burned period. More movement also means a healthier body and a stronger system and, I believe a healthier person all around. Golf should not be considered your opportunity for cardiovascular/aerobic exercise that is for the purpose of fat burn because it's not continuous. Range work is going to be anaerobic (unless you have a thousand balls lined up and just hit one after the other without proper set up for address and what's the good of that in your practice?hum?) and while it burns more calories than watching TV it will not require 'significant' additional calories to'significantly' impact your fat output.

One of the simplest ways to start controlling your nutritional needs was coined by weight watchers. Your meat portion should not be larger than the back of your fist (yes this means a larger person needs more calories but don't go overboard) your starchy foods (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread) should look smaller on your plate than your meat, and your vegetables (broccoli etc.) should take up twice as much space as your meat.

Your body has a mechinism to trigger the brain that it's nutritional needs have been satisfied. But over the years of imbalanced eating it has gotten lazy and confused. It may take a few days before you feel like you are getting enough food when you cut out larger portions. But after about 3-5 days you will begin to find that you feel better after you eat and that in fact you are satisfied and your energy will be balanced throughout the day.. The body can adjust it just needs a little time and consistency.

The simplist way to keep from over eating is to make sure you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Skipping meals indicates to your body that there is a need to increase the energy reserve system and that means your fat cells. Again, your body has a limited capacity to store non fat energy resources (carbs) in your muscles and liver (the resource for brain energy) so if it thinks you're not feeding it frequently enough it will accomodate you and build up a spare tire in case it needs emergency reserves.

Even though I create a body composition analysis for every client where we set the quantity and food choices I wait two to four weeks into the workout program. Prior to this I use the same suggestions I just listed) Why? Because it is as Tongzilla said. Unless the individual has begun to take care of the simpler aspects of making logical food choices, the other stuff just complicates the process. Once I have a five day diet journal that shows portion control, high quality food choices, and no trash foods (fast food, chips, soda's) we take a baby step forward.

Trust me, When I studied nutrition 30 years ago I thought I had to put everybody on a specific diet on Day 1. The results would be very effective but short lived because the patient didn't have a personal understanding of the process. Now my people feel much more in control from the start and have a clear understanding of what is working and when they make good and bad choices so that they don' have to keep starting over with a new plan.

Eat variety, eat slowly, eat clean foods, eat frequently, eat smaller portions, . . . eat like a grown up. Get regular exercise, cardiovascular, strength and flexibility. ENERGY IN (calories in food) - ENERGY OUT(calories burned in activity) It's all about balance. As in golf, as in life.

Vickie