For many people who want to lose weight, they believe that calorie deficit is the key to fat loss. The principle behind this belief is that by burning more calories than what was consumed, a calorie deficit results. Calorie deficit, in turn, forces the body to tap into its energy stores, particularly the fat cells. When this happens, fat loss and weight loss will result.
The amount of calories one consumes or burns off in a single day does not matter that much. It is the amount of consumed and burned off calories over a period of time that matters as far as weight loss is concerned. This means that when you are trying to have a calorie deficit to be able to lose weight and you had a moment of weakness, you do not need to get off your healthy eating plan and weight loss program. A single calorie laden snack does not matter and will not hurt you in the long run. It is the calories that you consumed and burned off during your whole program that matters.
Essentially, there are two main processes involved in achieving weight loss via calorie deficit. The first is having less calorie intake and the second is burning more calories. Consuming less calories is relatively simple and easy. You can either eat food that is low in calories or eat less of the food that you used to eat. If you don’t want to strictly count your calories, have small meals every four hours. You can have these small balanced meals with lean protein sources, whole grain carbohydrates, and lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. By doing this, you can restrict your calorie intake without having to starve or count everything you take in.
The second process, the burning of calories, involves a person’s metabolism and activity levels. Generally speaking, the more active a person is, the more energy is needed by the body so the more calories are burned in the process. The more active you are, the higher concentrations of calories you will be able to burn. This is why exercise is very important if you want to lose weight. Exercise regularly and adopt an active lifestyle. Chose to use the stairs, for example, instead of using the elevator or go for a regular evening stroll to create a higher calorie deficit.
A person’s metabolism is also very important because the higher it runs, the more calories are burned even when one is resting. The more muscle tissues a person has, the higher that person’s metabolism will be. The rationale behind this is that more energy is needed by the muscles to sustain themselves. Therefore, people who want to achieve calorie deficit in order to lose weight also need to do strength exercises.
