Weight Loss Basics: A Beginner’s guide

Weight loss basics, when and how does weight loss occur? To put it in simple terms –

1. Weight loss occurs when your body doesn’t get enough Calories/Energy to function.

This basically happens when you don’t eat enough food your body requires. Although this contributes to weight loss, starving yourself is not an advisable course of action.

2. Weight loss can also occur when your body uses more Calories/Energy than you consume.

This happens when you are involved in some physical activities like being in Sports or exercising at a gym. And since you are involved in physical activities your body will burn Calories for doing those activities, as a result it will require more energy to function, and if you don’t eat accordingly it will lead to weight loss.

Apart from the above two you should know that your body uses Calories even at rest, just to keep your organs working properly.

• Normal daily activities like walking, working, etc. burns Calories.
• Digesting the food you eat burns Calories.
• Even your brain burns Calories for thinking.(Almost 20% of your Total Calories are used by the brain)

You get Calories through food. Therefore, the process of losing weight starts with “decreasing the amount of Calories you eat and increasing the amount of Calories you burn”, thereby creating a “Caloric deficit”. The most effectively used technique for burning Calories/Losing weight is Exercising.

Point to remember: Fat Loss = Calories In < Calories Out 

Now you may ask what happens when you decrease the amount of Calories you eat?

When you decrease the amount of Calories you eat, it will create an energy shortage, Thereby making your body to tap into the internal energy stores(fat content) to compensate its energy needs. As a result the fat stored in your body will be converted(burned) to energy thereby resulting in weight loss.

Point to remember: Eating less contributes to weight loss (or) Caloric deficit = weight loss.

PS: If you want to know more about Calories and Energy please read this.