Although exercise and resistance training can encourage weight loss by burning calories, ultimately, your caloric intake will determine whether you are successful or not successful in achieving your dieting goals. It is critical for you to understand the fundamentals of weight loss and caloric intake if you want to loss weight. Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have questions or are still unsuccessful with your dieting pursuits.
Principle of Weight Loss
The University of Massachusetts at Amherst explains the "most important" idea behind weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. This is called a "caloric deficit." This can be done with exercise or by lowering your caloric intake through dieting. Although an structured exercise program that includes cardiovascular training and resistance training will help burn calories and encourage the growth of lean mass, simply increasing your level of physical activity can significantly help if you are sedentary.
Healthful Weight Loss
Healthful weight loss involves losing 1 or 2 lbs. on a weekly basis. The Rush University Medical Center suggests that most people might actually be more comfortable and find more success with losing 1/2 lb. on a weekly basis. According to the University of Illinois, most people can lose 1 or 2 lbs a week by reducing their caloric intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day. One pound of fat is 3,500 calories. In theory, by reducing your caloric intake by 500 calories over seven days, you will lose 1 lb. of fat.
Unhealthful Weight Loss
Many people who understand that creating a caloric deficit is the key to weight loss may be tempted to drastically reduce their caloric intake. While this may appear to work in the short-term, the majority of weight that is lost is water and muscle. If you reduce your caloric intake too much, your metabolism slows down, which makes it even harder for you to lose weight. Once you resume your prior eating patterns, most often, you will gain all of the weight back. This is called "yo-yo dieting" and is an unhealthful and unproductive way to shed pounds.
Reducing Your Calorie Intake
The key to reducing your caloric intake is to substitute low-calorie foods for high-calorie foods. The Harvard School of Public Health suggests general healthful dietary tips to help you lose and manage your weight. You should include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Eat lean protein foods such as chicken, fish, egg whites and beans instead of high-calorie protein sources such as red meat. Eating whole grains and complex carbohydrates are preferable to food with sugars and simple carbohydrates. Missing meals, or not eating as often, is not the best way to achieve sustainable weight loss, according to Columbia University Student Health Services. By eating smaller, lower-calorie meals more often instead of fewer, higher-calorie meals, your metabolism will improve.
References
- University of Massachusetts - Amherst: Fitness Myths and Facts
- University of Illinois: A Diet That Works
- University of Colorado: Fad Diets
- "Bathroom Business"; The 411 on Fad Diets Diets; Bowling Green State University Dietetics Program
- Harvard School of Public Health: What Should You Eat?
- Columbia University: Will skipping breakfast and lunch lead to weight loss?
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