Does Calorie Reduction Result In Weight Loss?

Searching for the right diet can be confusing and stressful. There is so much conflicting evidence about the right way to eat that it can be difficult to decide which route to take. What most diets have in common is a caloric restriction. Limiting your calorie intake is an effective way to drop the pounds.

Low-Calorie Diets

A low-calorie diet is a way of reducing your caloric intake by monitoring the amount of calories you eat each day. There are different categories of low-calorie diets. A moderate deficit diet restricts calories to 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day for men. A low-calorie diet restricts caloric intake to 800 to 1,000 calories per day for a female and 800 to 1,000 calories per day for an adult male.

The Science of Weight Loss

Weight loss involves eating less energy than you use. Your body uses the nutrients that you eat to power its cells. When you have a daily caloric deficit, your body must use its reserves for energy. These reserves are your fat storage. Since your body must rely on fat for energy, while you reduce your calories, you will lose weight.

Determining Your Calorie Consumption

You can determine specifically how many calories your body needs by determining your metabolic rate. Your metabolism is the culmination of all the processes inside your body. Every time one of your cells does its job, it uses energy. If you eat according to your physiological functioning needs, then any activity you do outside of just staying alive is extra energy expended. Your resting metabolic rate can be estimated using a specific equation. For men, metabolic rate = 66.473 + (13.7516 * kg of body weight) + (5.0033 * height in inches) - (6.755 * age). For women, metabolic rate = 655.0955 + (9.5634 * kg of body weight) + (1.8496 * height in inches) - (4.6756 * age).

Successful Weight Loss

Weight loss is achievable through calorie reduction, but a deficit is best when met with reducing intake and exercise. A study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 1997 by W.M. Klem and colleagues, examines what makes an individual successful with long-term weight loss. Trends for losing and maintaining weight loss include caloric restriction, caloric monitoring and regular physical activity.