Many people would like to lose weight, but don't know how to actually go about doing this. A person might realize that calories have something to do with weight loss, but might not understand the exact relationship. In order to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you use.
What Are Calories?
Calories are a unit that nutritionists and food manufacturers use to measure the amount of energy that a particular food contains. When a person eats a food he has access to the energy the food contained, and can use this energy to go about his daily activities. The higher the number of calories, the more energy the food contains.
How to Lose Weight
If a person eats more calories than they use, the body will store the remaining calories as fat. This is one way that people gain weight. In order for a person to lose weight, she will have to use more calories than she takes in through her diet, which forces her body to use stored calories to meet energy requirements. The amount of calories a person uses each day depends on age, sex, activity level, weight and height. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommends a decrease in calories to achieve a deficit of 500 to 1,000 per day, as well as exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes at least three days a week.
Consuming Fewer Calories
Consuming fewer calories is one of the keys to losing weight. Some people might think that if they eat less fat they will lose weight, but this is only true if they also eat fewer calories.
According to the Weight-control Information Network of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, people aiming to lose weight should choose a healthy diet plan that doesn't prohibit any groups of foods and that results in weight loss of up to two pounds per week.
Getting More Activity
Although some people would prefer to avoid exercise and just lose weight through dietary changes, it is healthier to include exercise in any weight-loss plan, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Exercise will help speed up weight loss, make it more likely that a person will lose abdominal fat, and increase an individual's cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as making it more likely that the weight loss will be maintained.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get at least two and a half hours of moderate physical activity each week. People can meet this minimum through exercises like walking or dancing, or daily activities such as gardening. Those who exercise more or at higher intensity levels will see greater health and weight-loss benefits.
Keeping the Weight Off
The majority of people who lose weight tend to gain it back. The National Weight Control Registry keeps track of members who lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for more than a year. The majority of these individuals manage to maintain this loss through continuing to exercise and to eat a diet low in calories. Most of these people also limit the time they spend watching television and make sure to eat breakfast every day. Going back to previous eating habits and stopping exercising is a recipe for weight gain.
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