Losing weight can be achieved in a number of ways, such as through dieting, surgery and exercise. Typically, when you think of losing weight, you are specifically referring to losing fat weight. If you are trying to lose weight naturally, a combination of healthy eating and a regular exercise program are your best options.
Principles of Weight Loss
For you to lose weight, your calories consumed must be less than your calories used. For example, if you typically consume 2000 calories per day, you need to burn more than 2000 calories per day for weight loss to occur. Specifically, if you want to lose 1 lb. of body fat, you must burn 3500 more calories than you consume. If you want to lose 1 lb. of fat per week, you have to create a caloric deficit of 3500 calories per week. The way in which you create the deficit is up to you. You can reduce your caloric intake daily by 500 calories, or you can burn an additional 500 calories per day through exercise. Combining the two options can maximize your weight loss.
Weight Loss Through Diet
Losing weight through dieting means you consume fewer calories than you burn in an average day. If you constantly eat fewer calories than your body burns each day, you will lose weight, because your body will break down your fat and use it for energy.
Weight Loss Through Exercise
To lose weight through exercise, you are creating a caloric deficit by burning more calories than you consume through additional activity, instead of by restricting the amount of calories you eat. Just as with dieting, your body will break down the fat and use it for the energy needed to complete all activities in your day, including your workout.
Conclusion
Essentially, when you refer to losing weight, you are referring to your fat weight being broken down and used for energy to perform daily functions and exercise. Your metabolism uses your fat mass for energy, and the end result is weight loss. The weight is ultimately disappearing when it is used as an energy source. It is important to note that fat cells do not disappear. When you gain weight, fat is stored in fat cells, and when they grow too large, they divide -- so you then have more fat cells. Losing weight will shrink these cells, but it will not make them disappear; so if you put fat weight back on by consuming more calories than you burn, it will be stored again in these existing cells.
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