Want to Lose Weight? Understand The Science Behind it

Understanding Weight Loss

Weight loss can be a difficult especially if you do not understand the science behind it. In general, most associate weight loss directly with the food they are consuming. The assumption is that if I eat tons of fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. I will lose weight despite the number of calories I consume. Yes, the nutritional value of food is important.However, the quantity of calories you consume versus what you burn is the key to weight loss.

Mathematically speaking, if you consume more calories than you are burning through physical activity, you will achieve weight gain. In contrast, if your caloric intake is less than the calories burned you will be in, a caloric deficit, creating weight loss.

What is a calorie?

A calorie is the energy value of food. Therefore, the calories in food creates energy in the form of heat so that our bodies can burn fuel and even function at rest.

How do I determine how many calories I need to burn?

To determine how many calories your body needs to burn for weight loss. You can reach out to your local certified health professional or use a calorie calculator such as the Body Weight Planner from the National Institute of Health.

On average for weight loss, a person would need to achieve a calorie deficit of at least 500 calories per day. That will vary person to person.  Although the calculator is a great tool. Its best to track your caloric intake and weight for at least 10 days to obtain the exact number of calories you consume daily. This number will be your maintenance calories. The number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. Therefore, for weight loss, you would need to consume calories less than your maintenance calories.

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For example, if you consume 2000 calories daily. You would need to decrease your daily consumption by 500 calories. Making your new daily caloric intake 1500 calories. This decrease will create a calorie deficit causing weight loss. For safe weight loss, the National Institute of Health, recommend that women do not consume less than 1200 calories daily and men 1500 calories. Very low caloric diets should be monitored or approved by a physician before beginning.

Remember This!

To achieve your weight loss goal, you will need to find ways to effectively burn more calories than you consume. Whether that is through nutrition, physical activity or a combination of both. A caloric deficit is required for weight loss.  Look out for my next article where I will provide you with cool tips on how to effectively decrease your calorie consumption to achieve your weight loss goals.

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