So you desperately want to lose weight. Many of you must have tried different diets like keto, low carb, paleo etc., slimming pills, drinks to burn fat, slimming belts, ab exercisers to tuck in your tummy and what not. And there are many who must have no idea where and how to start or must have given up thinking its too late or impossible for them to lose weight.
Well, there’s bad news, there is no magic potion which can make you lose fat, period. Now the good news is, there is no magic potion, that means you don’t need to do or eat something special to lose weight. There is only one scientific principle, you need to understand and embed in your mind before you do anything for fat loss.
The principle of energy balance:
The food we consume gives us energy. Different kinds of foods have different amounts of energy(calories). Suppose you eat foods throughout the day which amounts to a given number of calories, so this is your calorie intake for a day say “CAL in”.
Now our body burns calories when we perform some physical activity. But the major amount of calories are burned for the functioning of different systems of our body to keep us alive like cardiovascular system(pumping blood), digestive system(metabolism), respiratory system(breathing) and keeping our body warm etc. let us call the sum of calories burned by our body for a day calorie output, say “CAL out”(or TDEE – Total Daily Energy Expenditure).
An analogy to understand energy balance:
Case 1. Suppose you earn 2000 per day and your expenditure is also 2000 per day, so no extra savings. (read no extra calories to add on to your body)
Case 2. You earn 2000 and spend 1800, now you save 200. (200 extra calories will be stored in your body as fat and muscle depending on your diet and physical activity)
Case 3. You earn 2000 and your expenditure is 2200 or you earn 1800 and your expenditure is 2000. Now the extra 200 required will be coming from the savings you already have. (your body will provide the extra 200 calories by burning fat/ muscle depending on your diet and physical activity
now as per principle of energy balance
if CALin = CALout you maintain weight (maintenance calories)
if CALin > CALout you gain weight (calorie surplus)
if CALin < CALout you lose weight (calorie deficit)
As simple as that, this is the basic behind weight loss or gain. Whatever kind of food you eat, no matter what workout you do, you will see no results until you are in a calorie deficit.
To achieve a calorie deficit:
1. Calculate your TDEE (many online TDEE calculators are available). This is your maintenance calories
2. Calculate your daily calorie intake by logging in the details of the food you eat throughout the day(use calorie tracker apps) . Will give you an idea in which zone you lie
3. Design a structured diet plan with 10 to 30 per cent deficit from your maintenance calories
PS: you don’t necessarily need to count your calories forever, a couple of weeks and you will know how to adjust your calories
Now that we have established the basic behind weight loss, it can be very intimidating for many of you to do all those calculations and keep track of calories. Although calorie tracking will give you the most optimal and precise results, you may also consider some tips to cut back calories and also burn extra calories to achieve calorie deficit henceforth weight loss.
Tips for weight loss
1.Clean eating: Avoid junk foods, processed foods as they are high in calories compared to the nutrition they provide, chemically altered to enhance taste, nutrition value is degraded. Avoid confectioneries and soft drinks as these are loaded with sugar.
2. Eat more veggies: Vegetables are low in calories, rich in minerals, vitamins and fiber. Preferably greens.
3. Drink enough water: Keep yourself hydrated, sometimes people misunderstand thirst for hunger. You think your tummy needs something get a glass of water first.
4. Avoid mindless eating: Lying on the couch, watching TV, your hand grabs anything it can and puts it in your mouth and you won’t even know how many calories you just snacked away. Just Stop eating while watching TV.
5. Find healthy food options: Eating fewer calories doesn’t mean you have to eat less amount of food. You just have to choose the right foods. Since your budget of calories is fixed choose food options which apart from having low calories pack the necessary nutrients and also satiate your hunger. In short, to lose weight you don’t need to starve yourself but eat smart. Ex. Evening snacks one cheeseburger/chips( 500/300 calories) or two boiled eggs/1 apple (156/70-90 calories). See the difference.
6. Avoid alcohol: Alcohol has no Nutrition but has calories 7 cal per gm to be precise. It slows down the body’s fat-burning process. Moreover, people tend to binge eat after drinking causing further more damage.
7. Eat till 80% full: many of us have a tendency to eat until we have no more space left in our belly. Eat enough that you are not hungry and try to stop before you are full.
8. Learn to say no: be it family unions, social gatherings, parties people find it rude to decline if someone offers them a drink or say cakes, cookies etc. This can null all your efforts to follow a quantified diet.
9. Use a smaller plate: Using a small plate will automatically reduce the amount of food you take and eat. Use a small bowl, a small version of anything in which you eat. In short portion control.
10. Read the nutrition label: Although you should try to avoid as many things as possible that comes in a packet, however, make a habit of reading the nutrition label, in this way you will be more informed and conscious about what kind of and how much calories you are putting in your mouth. For example, a small pack of chips is around 300 calories, suppose you are on calorie restrictions say 1500 cal diet. 5 packs of it and your whole day’s quota is used up. can you survive with that, is that pack of chips really worth it, ask yourself.
11. Learn to cook: fresh homemade food is always better than those from restaurants and supermarkets. When you cook you know exactly what and how much is in your food. Easy to track calories as well. Learn new recipes, cook what you like and be self-dependent.
12. Involve in physical activities: We know we burn calories by doing physical activities. Think about anything that you like to, anything you wish to try, anything you used to do before, any sports, any games, walking, running, swimming, yoga, gardening, dancing, playing some instruments. Make hobbies your habits.
13. Do household chores: Doing small household chores can also help you burn extra calories. Rather than being a couch potato be a helping hand and think of it as a kind of work out to burn calories. It can be anything like preparing meals, cleaning, doing laundry, cleaning utensils, watering plants etc.
14. Walk more: Walking can also burn a significant amount of calories. Things you can do are, avoid the elevators take stairs instead. While going to a nearby place, market, gym, office etc avoid the vehicle and walk if possible.
15.Proper sleep: Your body needs proper rest to grow and function properly. Sleep deprivation is also linked with hunger cravings which can lead you to eat more. It increases cortisol level(stress hormone), higher levels of which for a prolonged time period can cause weight gain.
Be consistent and believe in yourself, good things are bound to happen. Good Luck.
