YES.

A calorie is a calorie.  How much simpler can it be?

100 calories of fat is still 100 calories, the same way 100 calories of protein is still 100 calories.  A dog is a dog, a cat is a cat, and a calorie is a calorie.  End of debate.

That being said, does it matter where I get my calories from?

Now this is a much better question, and the answer is still yes.  In the simplest terms possible, here's why:

A calorie is a measure of energy.  Our bodies need energy to function.  Too little and you lose weight, too much and you gain weight.  

We get our calories from three macronutrients:

• Protein
• Fat
• Carbohydrates

Aside from the calories these macronutrients provide, they also support our body's functions.  Protein is required for muscle growth, fat supports healthy cell function, and carbohydrates.. well, let's just say they make for an excellent source of immediate energy.

The bottom line is this: 

Our bodies need calories, but we need to balance out where we get those calories from because our bodies need all three macronutrients as well.

So if you need 2000 kcal to function properly, it's got to look a little something like this:

2000kcal = calories from Protein + calories from Fat + calories from Carbohydrates

Calculate your macronutrient needs depending on your goals and go from there.  If you don't know how to do that, no problem - I'll be posting about it in the next day or two.  

This is the first thing I want people on my site to read.  It's pretty much the most important article here.  Everything else is just details.  

1. Losing Weight = Losing Body Fat

There is a huge difference between losing body fat and losing weight.  You could have two people with the same height and the same weight, but their bodies might look very different from each others'.  For example, these two women (couldn't find pictures of guys, sorry) are both 5'3 and 120lbs. 

The reason these two look so different is that while they may weigh the same, the woman on the left has a significantly higher body fat percentage (BF%).  Basically, body fat percentage is the amount of fat you have on your body.  

The woman on the left has around 25% BF, while the one on the right is probably at 18% or so.  More often that not, your BF% will play a huge part in determining what your body looks like, just as much as your weight does.  A woman who weighs 120lbs with 18% BF will probably look a lot better than a woman who is 110lbs at 25% BF.  

If you're looking to improve your body, it only makes sense to lower your BF%.  I'm not saying you should stop checking your weight - I'm just saying that it's not the end-all, be-all determinant of progress.  Here, whenever we talk of losing weight, we mean losing weight WHILE REDUCING BODY FAT (also known as body recomposition).   

I'm sure there are two questions on everyone's minds right.  One, when can I expect seeing abs, and two, how do I get there?  For women, 18% BF sounds just about right, and for the men, if you can get your BF below 10%, then you're ready to go.

As for how to get to those coveted BF%s.. that brings us to Fitness Myth #2!

2. If you want to lose weight WHILE LOSING BODY FAT, then you must do cardio.

I have nothing against cardio, but it is definitely not the most efficient way to lose weight.  Sure, if you ran on a treadmill 4 hours a day everyday for a month, you'd probably lose a few pounds.  Of course, simple math will show that you also lost around 120 hours of your life in that same month, not to mention some precious muscle.  It it worth it?  

Personally, I find cardio to be much too time-consuming to be used as a weight loss tool.  I encourage you to do cardio for fun, like if you enjoy swimming, running, basketball, football, etc, but I would strongly advise against using it for weight loss simply because it takes too much time. 

The best way to lose weight and reduce your BF% is to simply eat the right way and lift a little weight.  It's a lot easier to not eat a 300 kcal Sausage McMuffin than it is to spend 30 minutes on an the elliptical burning it off.  You have a life outside of the gym.  Don't ever forget it.

This guy didn't get in that kind of shape doing cardio.  He got into that kind of shape by lifting regularly and eating right.  Table push-aways beat cardio, any day of the week.

3. Lift like Arnold, look like Arnold.

First, for the men:

Arnold (last name unnecessary) is the golden standard for all bodybuilders and physique freaks.  This guy was long, huge, and ripped.  He also won the genetic lottery and was on a ton of steroids while working out maybe 4 hours a day.  

It's all well and good to want to emulate our idols, but unless you're on steroids, following Arnold's legendarily high-rep, high-frequency bodybuilding routines won't make you look anything like him.  Arnold was a genetic freak on steroids, and he took full advantage of that by pushing his body to the limits.  If you don't plan on taking the same juice he did, there's no point to putting your body through all that punishment.  In fact, it could be detrimental to your body's development, even.

For the ladies:

It kills me whenever I hear women talking about how they don't want to get bulked up, or look too manly.  Ladies, there is a reason why men take steroids and creatine and whey powder and nitrous oxide - It's because building muscle is HARD.

You can't possibly lift enough weight and diet enough to get "too bulky."  Unless you are taking some serious steroids, the chances that you will look like this are non-existent:

That's right, I said NONEXISTENT.  I didn't say low, or slim, or unlikely, I said nonexistent, meaning NO CHANCE AT ALL.  If you eat well and lift properly, you're more than likely going to end up with a body like this:

 

Does that look too bulky for you?  I didn't think so. 


4. Eating "right" means cutting out everything except for grilled chicken breasts, oatmeal, and dried up newspapers.

I am a firm believer that nutrition is 75% of improving your body, but that you should be able to still enjoy life and all it has to offer despite that large number.  Sure you probably can't pig out as much as you want to, but there's no reason to swear off cheeseburgers for life.  If it's somebody's birthday, or if it's Christmas, go ahead and stuff yourself silly.  If we were in some alternate universe where the only way to get in great shape was to forsake all foods except chicken breasts, broccoli and turkey bacon, I would tell you to just go ahead and get fat. 

Fortunately in THIS universe, that isn't the case. 

Be aware of your body's caloric and macronutrient needs and work to satisfy those.  That's all you need to remember.  If you need 2000kcals a day with X grams of proteins and Y grams of carbs, it doesn't matter whether you eat a chicken breast or a pizza.  As long as you satisfy your requirements, then you are good to go.  More often than not, people tend to focus too much on what they think they should be eating instead of looking at what their bodies actually need. 

As cliche as it sounds, you need to think of this as a marathon with mini sprints in between.  There will be times when are energized and decide to go on an all-out sprint, and there will be times when you hit a figurative wall.  The important thing is to keep going, and stick to the road you know will get you to the finish line. 

Let the macros guide you, and everything will be alright. 

***

Don't let the (billion dollar) fitness industry fool you.  Getting into great shape doesn't involve buying magazines, or eating designer food, or running on a ridiculously expensive treadmill.  It's all about making informed decisions and a commitment to improving your body.