Fitness enthusiasts have always discussed the best way to achieve weight loss. While some say that only regular cardio is the path to weight loss, others swear by their zero-calorie 15-day weight loss diets. We're here to tell you neither option may be ideal and could be more effective in weight loss healthily. One must consider many factors when trying to lose weight, the first being calories and knowing what they are.
In this blog, let us understand what calories are and how calories and weight loss are deeply related.
We always talk about calories, but do we understand what they are? Simply put, a calorie is a unit of energy.
But mind you, calories are not just present in food items. Any object that contains energy has calories. For example, a bag of coal also has calories because coal exhibits energy when burned.
In purely technical terms, one calorie equals the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
But how is all this related to our body and weight? Because our body is a marvelous organism that generates energy and heat with the food it consumes. Our food is converted to calories, used up as we perform physical activities.
Everything requires calories, from the most minor tasks to the most intensive physical acts. They are the fuel for our bodies. The three main macronutrients, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, are our body's three primary sources of calories.
Now comes the gist of the problem. Your body only needs a certain amount of calories to function. So when we consume food, some generated calories are used for bodily functions and activities. The rest are stored as fat reserves for use later.
These fat reserves contribute to your overall body weight. These fat reserves stay as they are until the body needs energy that food cannot provide. Some can achieve that by reducing their calorie intake or increasing their physical activities to burn calories.
Now that we know that calories are just units of energy let us understand how they affect your weight.
Remember these two rules of calories and weight:
- You will gain weight when you consume more calories than you burn.
- You lose weight when you consume fewer calories than your body needs.
If you observe, the amount of calories your body needs daily inexplicably links to your weight loss. For example, if your body needs 2,000 calories per day, you must consume less than that to lose weight and more than that to gain weight.
Research data suggests that roughly 3,500 calories equals 1 pound or 0.45 kg of weight. If you cut down on 500 calories daily, you can lose 1 pound weekly. Although this is mathematically sound, this is never an exact science and can vary for different individuals due to water retention, hormonal changes, metabolism, etc. Still, keeping 500 calories as a starting point for your weight loss goals is a good idea.
Based on the information provided, somebody can conclude that losing weight requires creating a "calorie deficit." That means you need to consume fewer calories than your body requires, which will compel your body to utilize the fat reserves for energy, resulting in weight loss.
We understand that we must create a calorie deficit to lose weight. As many believe that will involve reducing calories but still not staying hungry. Let us look at a few ways by which we can cut down on calories.
The first step to creating a calorie deficit is skipping foods incredibly high in calories. When we consume these, they convert a significant chunk of it into fats and use up very few calories. Start by cutting out one or two items like ice cream, sweets, carbonated beverages, etc.
That may be the easiest step because these are extra calories your body does not need, so you'll likely be hungry if you stop these foods. The only challenging aspect may be your craving, which you can control by consuming healthy snacks instead.
You can trick the body by swapping out high-calorie foods with low-calorie ones. For example, opt for fat-free dairy instead of whole milk and lose 60 calories a glass. Swap out the second helping of your favorite food with a bowl of fresh fruit. Eat more high-fiber foods like veggies that fill you up but are low on calories.
The third way to create a calorie deficit and lose weight is by exercising portion control. More often than not, we unwittingly consume more than we need just because portion size is significant on our plate. We may load up on twice the serving size than we need and consume double the amount of calories. Mindful eating is the best way to know how much you're eating, but here are a few more tips on portion control.
- Take a small first helping: Always take less than what you feel is enough. If you're still hungry after you finish your portion, go for the salad instead because that will fill you up quickly while keeping your calories under control.
- Use smaller plates: Having your meals in smaller plates tricks your body into thinking you've had enough.
- Eat from bowls instead of packages: One of the worst unhealthy eating habits is eating directly from the food packaging. Since you cannot see the amount remaining, your body doesn't know how much you ate. Always eat from a tiny bow instead. Put a suitable portion from the package into a bowl, and don't exceed the required amount.
- Check nutritional info on foods: The packaged foods may contain calories that someone needs to be aware of. For example, chips have unnatural sugar but don't taste sweet. Someone adds sugar to increase binge eating. Check the calories in a single serving before you consume.
- Drink water before meals: Drink a glass before every meal to fill your stomach. This way, you end up eating less during the meal.
- Eat slowly: Instead of eating your meals hungrily, practice mindful eating and savoring every bite. That will ensure that your body has enough time to signal that it's full so you can stop eating.
- Increase protein: Increase the amount of protein on your plate. You will feel fuller and will have consumed fewer calories.
- Plan your meals: Instead of reaching for whatever is available during meal times, plan your meals. When there's no confusion about what to eat, it helps in healthy eating habits.
In this blog, we discussed how creating a calorie deficit is linked to weight loss and how you can aim to lose weight by reducing your calorie intake. We have also seen some practical ways to cut calories and lose weight. If you need a highly customized weight-loss diet plan, download the FITPASS app.
With a FITFEAST membership, our expert nutritionists will design an effective weight loss plan tailored to your food preferences and weight goals. With a calorie counter and real-time assistance, you can ensure diet guidance is just a few phone taps away.
