Count Your Calories One by One

8/15/2025 #33

        Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence. - Ovid


Welcome back. I hope you all have been enjoying your more mobile hips; if you have been consistent maybe you even noticed some back tightness start to disappear. This week I carefully recommend counting calories and give a little update on what I have been up to training-wise.  


Fit Tip: Calorie Counting

When it comes to achieving or keeping a healthy bodyweight, calories always matter. In fact, controlling calories matters more than anything else when it comes to fat loss goals. It simply won't happen if your calories consumed consistently outnumber the calories burned. Now, that by itself is not helpful information. The doctor telling people 'eat less and exercise more' is highly ineffective even if it's true. How you control for this calorie intake matters. It is the difference of suffering day after day through what feels like starving yourself or coasting through a steady weight loss with some discipline while still feeling strong. 

I think everyone should count calories at least for a short period of time. Maybe just a week or two. Long enough to realize what you are actually putting in your mouth on a regular basis. You might have your eyes opened to some pretty easy items to skip and save yourself 400 calories. You might read more labels and discover you really don't eat much protein. I want you to discover for yourself how eating mostly whole foods (more meat and veggies) can really make it easy to eat fewer calories while still eating a lot of food. The point is not to become obsessed or hyper-controlling, but simply to learn. It is an audit for your own habits. 

Be honest about how much bread and cheese you are eating, you could be shooting yourself in the foot. 


My Training Lately

I thought I would give a little update on what my training looks like. I mostly practice what I preach: if nothing else, I am consistent. I switch things up and try to do the things I am bad at. I strength train and try to stay mobile. I probably average 3 workouts a week. Sometimes I don't get out of bed because I really don't want to. The reality is it's easy to come up with a lot of excuses at 5am, and that's why I average 3 days rather than 5 a week. 

This summer I have dabbled in some cardio after basically only hitting the weights (excluding recreational sports) for years. I got a bike and laced up the ugly running shoes I bought years ago. While I would consider myself generally quite fit, those first few runs were terrible; one block in and my legs were screaming at me. Luckily, I had some fellow runners, beginner and experienced, to cheat off their homework a bit. I gave myself some grace, slowed down my pace a bit, and managed to get a few runs under my belt. After only a month of running (once a week) I ran a pretty decent 5K for a guy shaped like a Dorito. My training has included about one bike ride, one run, one moderate weightlifting workout, and one easy weightlifting workout per week. I am glad I stuck with the cardio as I can already tell I needed it, and will be much healthier for including at least some challenging aerobic work. It also becomes so much easier and enjoyable as you quickly improve. I would still recommend to most to prioritize weightlifting, especially if you haven't before. 


August Challenge: Hip Mobility

We all sit too much and it's hard to avoid. Let's wake those hips back up with 2 minutes a day dedicated to some mobility drills. We have practiced the 90/90 and the couch stretch so far. This week let's try out the Cossack squat or a similar variation. 

Feel free to pick your favorite hip move and stick with that one. Another great way to keep those hips awake is some daily squatting. Picking something up off the floor? Try squatting low next time. Need a quick desk break? Do a few squats. For a quick stretch at the desk try a seated 90/90 by crossing your ankle over one knee and leaning forward.



Win the weekend!


Brad


Durable Dad Training


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