Whether you want to go on a diet to lose 5 pounds to fit into an old pair of jeans or have said "enough is enough," because you have over 100 pounds to lose, the same rules for fat loss and diet apply. Understanding how to lose weight safely in a healthful and sustainable way will be key to taking the pounds off and keeping them off for good.
How Weight Loss Works
Although it make seem complicated and painstakingly hard, weight loss is actually a matter of simple math, according to the University of Illinois. In short, if you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Likewise, if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Fat loss occurs when you create a "caloric deficit," by burning more calories than you consume. There are two basic ways to create a caloric deficit. The first is exercising to increase the amount of calories that you burn. The second and perhaps a more efficient way, is to simply consume less calories by eating less food.
Dieting Basics
Dieting is the process of creating a caloric deficit by eating fewer calories. This must be done in a safe and healthful way to yield lasting results. The University of Illinois suggests reducing your caloric intake by 500 to 1000 calories if you want to lose weight. A 500 to 1000 caloric reduction, for most people, will produce 1 to 2 pounds of fat loss a week. The University of Maryland states that weekly weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds is the ideal amount that you should shoot for.
Aggressive Weight Loss
Since reducing calories is the key to losing weight, many people who are aggressively attempting to lose fat often drastically reduce their caloric intake. This is unhealthful and unproductive for fat loss. According to The Ohio State University Medical Center, if you lose more than 2 pounds of weight per week, much of that weight will be lean muscle and not fat. By cutting calories by too much, you become malnourished because you are not eating enough dietary fat, carbohydrates, protein and nutrients that are essential for your body. Additionally, according Penn State University if your diet is too low in calories, below 1200 calories for most people, your metabolism will slow down and it will be more difficult to burn fat.
What Foods to Eat
If it is your very first time making a significant and committed effort to lose weight, you may be confused about what foods to eat to help you burn fat. Remember, if you want to lose fat, the goal is to reduce current caloric intake by 500 to 1000 calories, but not avoid eating. In short, you want to substitute or replace high-calorie foods with low-calorie foods. More specifically, high-calorie foods contain large amounts of saturated fat and sugar. Low-calorie foods that can be on your grocery list include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean sources of protein such as egg whites, skinless poultry, non-fat milk, fat-free cheese and all kinds of fish including salmon, herring, tuna, sea bass, cod and mackerel. There is no "best" food to promote fat loss; the overall reduction of calories is the main goal.
References
- University of Illinois: A Diet That Works
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss
- The Ohio State Medical Center: Ten Tips for Sensible Weight Control and Healthy Living
- Penn State University: Boosting Your Metabolism 101
- Harvard School of Public Health: What Should You Eat?
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