Workout and eat better, smarter to drop pounds

Editor's note: Cody Hudson of GRIT Gym played football at Iowa Central and University of Iowa before devoting his life to helping others reach their dreams. He is rigorously furthering his expertise in the field of human performance and the demands of life that real fitness necessitates.

By Cody Hudson, community contributor

Losing weight is simple. However it is rarely easy.

To put it in the most basic terms possible, you need to be at a caloric deficit. This means you must expend more calories than you consume, or consume less than you expend, on a daily basis.

Most of us know this. However, this does not mean you should eat your daily-allotted calories worth of pizza and call it good. Don't get me wrong, I love pizza, but it isn't always conducive to maintaining a healthy body composition.

In this calorie deficit you may get hungry. Hunger is OK. Hunger won't kill you, obesity will.

How many calories do you need? There are many calculators available. Books, websites and Smartphone apps have calculators to determine the caloric needs of each unique individual. These calculators may use variables such as age, gender, height, weight, activity level and weight loss or gain goals. A quick and easy way to calculate is to take your body weight multiplied by 11, 13 or 15. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, use 11. Moderately active people should multiply by 13. Very active lifestyles aim toward 15.

Calories, however, are not as important as what you eat. For example, 900 calories worth of vegetables is much healthier than a 100-calorie burrito. The quality of the food you eat is just as. and usually much more, important than the quantity. Not only are quality foods better for you, but also most will leave you more satiated for longer periods of time. One-hundred calories of asparagus will fill you up much faster and longer than 100 calories of ice cream.

Anyone can lose weight, maintaining a caloric deficit can be fairly easy. Maintaining a caloric deficit and holding onto your muscle mass tends to be a little more difficult for some people. A key part of losing fat, and not taking too much muscle with it, is consuming quality protein. Sources will tell you anywhere from .5 grams per pound of body weight to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. I have found a safe number to strive for is 1 gram per pound of body weight. Optimal sources of protein can be found in wild caught salmon. tuna or tilapia, grass-fed beef, and pasture-raised chicken, turkey or whole eggs.

Eating natural foods always is best, but if you can't see yourself eating two-dozen eggs or 20 ounces of ground beef, then you could look into protein powder when in a bind. It is convenient and can be a healthy alternative to whole foods. Emphasis on 'can be” - make sure you do your research and choose a reputable brand of protein powder, preferably low in carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are a non-essential macronutrient and often the macronutrient of choice by many people. It may be pizza, nachos or chocolate chip cookies. Almost everyone loves carbohydrate dense foods. Your body uses carbohydrates as energy or can store it as fat if you consume them in excess.

It is easy to overdo it on carbohydrates and have that energy converted into body fat. But at the same time, cutting out carbohydrates entirely is not necessary for losing fat. It may leave your body feeling sluggish, mind in a fog and your breath smelling awful. Some good choices for carbohydrates are vegetables, fruit, quinoa, sweet potatoes and beans.

Another favorite, and essential macronutrient, is fat. Healthy fats are crucial to maintaining and preserving proper hormone levels while your body is in a caloric deficit. Ingesting a sufficient level of healthy fat also helps with brain function. Quality sources of healthy fats can be found in coconut oil, chia seeds, avocado, fish oil and natural nut butters, as well as naturally grown meat sources such as grass-fed beef and dairy (although dairy is not conducive to fat loss.)

Remember, those 15 pounds won't disappear after one week of eating right. A good goal for weight loss is one or two pounds per week, depending on the person. The more weight you have to lose, the faster it will come off.

Record your weight weekly, track your progress and adjust accordingly. Once you drop 10 pounds, your body will need less calories and a few less grams of protein.

Diet is a huge part of the battle to lose weight. But a proper training program with strength, mobility and functional exercises will help you achieve your goals faster.