A balanced weight helps to keep you not only healthy but also prevents you from many chronic diseases. However, it’s tough to keep ourselves motivated to maintain proper weight. Usually, it’s a common perception that weight loss is an intricate process, but its fundamentality revolves around a few fundamental principles that should be followed. The main science behind weight loss is understanding calories and metabolism. Let’s understand these two concepts in detail.
Calories
Calories are units of energy that we get from food and drink. They charge our bodies by giving us energy and enabling us to perform all our daily routine activities, from walking and talking to exercising and sleeping.
Caloric Surplus
When you use more calories as per your body’s requirements, then they deposit in your body as excessive fat.
Caloric Deficit
On the other hand, when you consume fewer calories than your body requires and it burns, it results in weight loss due to the usage of body fat.
Mechanism of Metabolism
Metabolism is a series of biochemical processes that occur in the body to maintain a healthy life, including changing food into energy. It can be divided into two main elements:
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
This is the number of calories your body requires at rest to maintain basic functions such as breathing, circulation, and cell production. BMR accounts for about 60-75% of total daily energy outflow.
- Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
This comprises your BMR plus the calories burned through physical activity like exercise, walking, etc., and the energy used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food.
Generating a Caloric Deficit
If you want to lose weight, then it’s very essential to create a caloric deficit. Here are some tips to achieve this:
- First of all, track your daily food Intake. To do this, you have to check your calorie consumption very carefully.
- Try to Increase your Physical Activity Levels by incorporating more physical activity or workouts into your daily routine.
- Try to consume food that is high in nutrients and low in calories, like fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains. Nutrient-dense food is always beneficial for your health as well as for weight loss. It can give you a feeling of fullness. This approach helps you feel full while consuming fewer calories.
How do Hormones play a vital role in weight loss?
Hormones play a crucial role in regulating hunger and metabolism, including;
Insulin
With high insulin levels in the blood, there may be more fat storage and lower levels of fat burning. Due to this, you can face difficulty in weight loss.
Leptin
This hormone signals fullness. Higher levels indicate you’ve had enough to eat, while lower levels can arouse hunger.
Ghrelin
It is also known as the “hunger hormone,” ghrelin levels increase before meals and fall after eating.
Major Factors Affecting Metabolism
Several factors can affect your metabolism, including:
- Age
Metabolism generally slows with age, making it easier to gain weight.
- Muscle Mass
Muscle burns more calories than fat, so growing and collecting muscle mass through workout training can lift your BMR.
- Genetics
Some people naturally tend to gain weight and have a slow metabolism, while some have a fast metabolism. It all depends on your genetics.
Maintainable Weight Loss
If you want to achieve sustainable weight loss, then it’s not about extreme calorie cutting; it’s about creating healthy habits that you can maintain over the long term to get better outputs. For this, you have to focus on;
- Balanced and healthy diet
Pick out a variety of foods to make sure that you’re getting the nutrients you require.
- Regular Exercise
Go for both cardio and strength training in your daily routine.
- Consistency is the key.
Don’t starve. It’s important to take a balanced diet in small potions to get more effective results. Be consistent and enjoy a perfect weight loss journey.
Conclusion
Proper understanding and overall functioning of calories and metabolism provide a compact foundation for actual weight loss. By concentrating on creating a caloric deficit through mindful eating with more physical activity, you can perfectly achieve your weight loss goals. You can also get expert help from any healthcare professional for a systematic way to lose weight. Especially it’s better to take professional advice if you are suffering from any disease. Your health practitioner will give you the diet plan accordingly.
