If you have never been successful at losing weight, or if it is your first time trying, you should know that your diet will be critical to your success. Before trying to figure out what to eat, when it eat it and how much to eat, you should understand how weight loss works. A low-calorie diet works for weight loss when you burn a greater number of calories than you consume.
General Information
The University of Illinois explains that weight loss through calorie-counting is a matter of "simple math." Weight loss will occur when you burn a greater number of calories than you consume or eat. Simply eating a low-calorie diet will not "cause" weight loss. You need to lower your caloric intake below your caloric expenditure for weight loss to occur. Jane Kirby, a registered dietitian, in her book, "Dieting for Dummies," explains that most dieters that are struggling to lose weight are most likely eating too many calories. Kirby emphasizes the importance of knowing your caloric requirements in order to achieve your weight loss goals.
Dieting Recommendations
Thinking about weight loss in term of caloric intake versus caloric expenditure may make dieting easier to understand. A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. The University of Illinois suggests lowering your daily caloric intake by 500 to 1,000 calories. For most people, this will cause 1 to 2 lbs. of fat loss over a seven-day period. Mayo Clinic recommends losing 1 to 2 lbs. per week as healthy and realistic goal for losing weight. Low-calorie fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein should replace foods that are higher in calories, especially foods that contain high amounts of saturated fat or sugar.
Too Few Calories
Many people want to reduce the amount of calories they consume as much as possible, in order to lose as much weight as quickly as possible. Although this may be tempting, not eating enough calories will negatively effect your health and dieting goals. If you reduce your calories too much, your body begins to burn muscle tissue and not fat. Also, if you do not eat enough calories, your metabolism will slow down, reducing your energy expenditure and making it more difficult to lose weight. Even when dieting, most people require about 2,000 calories. According to the UCLA Health System, consuming 1,000 calories or less has the same effect on your body as total starvation.
Troubleshooting
If you have been trying to lose weight, but have not been successful, it is likely because your caloric intake is either equal to, or exceeding, your caloric expenditure, according to Jane Kirby. Although it is unlikely that a medical disorder is preventing you from losing weight, it is possible. For instance, an underactive thyroid, a serious medical condition, will decrease your metabolism and cause you to burn fewer calories. If a medical condition decreases your caloric expenditure below your caloric intake, you cannot lose weight. Eating foods high in carbohydrates may also interfere with your weight loss. Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, says a low-carbohydrate diet is superior to a traditional "balanced" or high-carbohydrate diet for weight loss. If you have been unable to lose weight with a calorie-deficit diet and exercise you should talk to your health care provider.
References
- "Living Low Carb"; Dr. Jonny Bowden Ph.D. CNS; 2008
- Harvard School of Public Health: Diets That Reduce Calories Lead to Weight Loss, Regardless of Carbohydrate, Protein or Fat Content; Feb 2009
- University of California - Los Angeles: Dietary Programs / Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD)
- West Virginia University: 10 Dieting Myths
- University of Illinois: A Diet That Works
- Mayo Clinic: Weight Loss: 6 Strategies For Success
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