Weight Loss at a Glance

As you may already know, body fat and weight are gained due to eating too much and exercising too little, but why exactly does this cause weight gain?

First of all - What is a calorie? A calorie is a unit of measurement used to measure energy. The amount of calories in food determine how much energy it contains which can be used by the body. Typically a piece of food with 500 calories yields more energy than a piece of food with 200 calories.

The body uses calories for every single process which occurs. Throughout the day the body is using up calories to perform tasks such as digestion, brain function, keeping the heart pumping and just keeping the body stable. The average person burns between 1,000 and 2,000 calories per day naturally. Exercising forces the body to use more calories due to the excessive movement and work load being placed on the body.

If the body has any left over calories which it has not used for tasks, these are stored as body fat. This is the reason why eating excessively causes weight gain. If you have eaten 4,000 calories and only the body has only used 2,000, the extra 2,000 calories must be stored as body fat as the body has no use for them. If you repeat this day after day, it eventually becomes noticeable as body fat.

In order to lose weight you must consume less calories than your body is burning which is achieved through exercise and diet. If you are consuming 1,700 calories each day but the body is burning 2,000 then it must draw the extra calories that it needs from your body fat as the body can reconvert body fat back into calories. All though consuming 300 calories less than the body is burning each day will make you lose weight in the long run, it may make you lose weight slowly and therefore I recommend that you also exercise daily to burn extra calories as this can speed the fat burning process, keep your fitness levels up and keep your heart healthy.

Exercise doesn't always have to be running or some other high intensity activity. When it comes down to  weight   loss  all you are doing is forcing the body to burn more calories. You could go for a power walk everyday and still lose substantial amounts of fat all though I recommend that you add some high intensity exercise into your routine to promote maximum fitness and heart health. If you are new to exercise or are considerably overweight I recommend that you start off by power walking and then once you have lost enough weight or feel comfortable enough I suggest you pick up the intensity and start jogging or running.

When it comes down to modifying your diet I recommend that instead of just merely cutting down your calorie intake, you consume a whole different range of healthy food in order to promote maximum muscle mass gains, fat burning gains and keep the body in peak condition.

All though weight can be lost from just cutting down calories alone, it's not usually the most successful route to take as eating unhealthy foods like foods high in fat can be small portions but still high in calories and could still make you feel hungry after eating which could lead to you over-eating. This and the fact that unhealthy foods promote health problems is the reason why you should exchange them for healthy foods. You should aim to include a significant amount of each nutrient in the diet for maximum  weight   loss  results. Your diet should consist of protein for repairing the muscle tissues and other cells around the body, carbohydrate for energy levels and brain function which is beneficial when exercising and good fat (polyunsaturated, mono unsaturated) for heart health, brain health and the utilization of fat soluble vitamins. Stay away from saturated and hydrogenated fat at all costs as these raise bad cholesterol levels and promote heart disease. Vitamins and minerals should also be included in the diet for overall body health, energy release and correct utilization of carbohydrate and protein within the body.