To lose extra pounds, you need to take in fewer calories than you burn. This is called a caloric deficit. They exist two ways to increase your calorie deficit: change what and how much you eat, and/or train regularly.
Most doctors recommend a combination of both healthy weight loss. In the following lines, find out how to lose weight with a caloric deficit and how healthy and effective this method is to a slim line.
What are calories?
No, calories are not bad, and should not be avoided. Calories are necessary because they are the fuel that our body converts into energy.
Actually, a calorie is unit of energy.
Our brains, our muscles – every cell in our body – require energy to function at their optimal state. So, first of all, we want to nourish our body and brain properly. If we don't get enough of those nutrients that calories provide, we'll experience negative consequences, whether it's losing lean muscle mass, not being able to concentrate, or not having the energy we need on a daily basis.
There are different types of calories and they probably sound familiar to you - carbohydrates, proteins, fats and even alcohol. We can also distinguish between good and bad calories, empty calories, and calories with a high glycemic index. Here's why it's important to know this if you want to lose weight using a calorie deficit.
Good calories and bad calories
Food packaging says how many calories (kcal) the food contains - but finding the healthiest choice can be difficult, as not every calorie is the same.
Low-calorie foods are not necessarily good for weight loss. Many good calories come from high-calorie and even high-fat foods. The key is the ratio of calories to nutritional value.
Good calories are those that provide lean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
Bad calories are those that do not provide your body with healthy nutrients. They come from foods like processed foods, sugar, refined flour, unhealthy fats and artificial ingredients.
High-calorie foods are often less healthy, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are. On the other hand, food advertised as low-calorie does not mean that it is the healthiest.
A healthy diet should include:
- lots of fruits and vegetables
- some starchy foods such as whole grain bread, pasta and rice
- some protein from meat, fish, dairy or legumes
- a little fat
Things to cut out of your diet are:
- sweet carbonated drinks
- alcoholic beverages
- sweet breakfast cereals
- cakes
- biscuit
- pastries
When we know which foods have "good" and which "bad" calories, we can more easily determine the value of our favorite foods that are not so easy to define, such as pizza. Pizza can be extremely healthy and extremely harmful, it depends on the method of preparation and the ingredients from which the pizza is made.
If you fill the pizza with vegetables, opt for a thin crust that is not made of white flour, put lean proteins like chicken and turkey instead of classic ham, you can provide yourself with a healthier meal.
Empty calories
Empty calories are another factor to consider. Foods like white sugar, soft and alcoholic drinks, and many processed snacks don't provide much, if any, protein, vitamin, or mineral benefits along with the calories.
The opposite would be food that is rich in nutrients while still being relatively low in calories. Examples are spinach, apples and beans.
Don't think of empty calories as neutral.
Nutritionists consider them bad calories because they can have a negative effect on health. The foods that contribute the most to weight gain are chips, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and meat, both processed and unprocessed. On the other hand, foods that are inversely associated with weight gain are vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and yogurt.
Glycemic index of food
Dietitians pay attention to a food's glycemic index and glycemic load – that is, how quickly and by how much certain foods will raise blood glucose levels. A rise in blood glucose triggers the release of insulin, which in turn affects energy metabolism and the storage of excess energy as fat.
Foods such as white rice, cakes and chips have a high glycemic index, while green vegetables, raw peppers, mushrooms and legumes have a low glycemic index. There is some evidence to suggest that foods with a lower glycemic index may be better at regulating blood sugar levels – regardless of the calories they contain.
Is a calorie deficit a safe method for weight loss?
There is no one best approach to cutting calories, and no sure fire method for losing weight. The weight loss process involves several factors that need to be considered. In general, as long as you are consuming fewer calories than you expend, you should be well on your way to meeting your goal.
The only proven method for weight loss is to replace all sugar-sweetened beverages with water. This simple change can result in a body weight loss of approximately 2% over 6 months.
The Mediterranean diet also shows success in weight loss and is also one of the healthiest diets for your body. It primarily focuses on the following foods:
- fresh fruits and vegetables
- proteins
- whole grains
- nuts
- whole seed
What should be the pace of your calorie deficit?
A good rule of thumb for healthy weight loss is a deficit of about 500 calories per day.
That should put you on course to lose a pound to a pound a week. Keep in mind that your body needs at least 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day for women, and 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day for men. It can be unhealthy to consume less than that per day.
Keep in mind that you may not need a calorie deficit at all, but rather a change in diet and regular foods. Always talk to your doctor before starting a weight loss plan, especially if you have other health problems.
Calorie Deficit Exercise
Research shows that dietary changes alone increase your calorie deficit more easily than exercise alone without proper nutrition. However, the best results come from combining dietary changes with exercise.
This does not mean that you have to go to the gym, it is enough to initially walk for half an hour to an hour a day. We advise that you consult your doctor before starting any intense exercises, especially if you are overweight or have other health conditions.
Remember: regular exercise will not only help you to be healthier and get slimmer faster, but it will also help you to keep the weight off for years to come.
However, the key to any slim line is nutrition. In fact, a successful fitness result is 80% of nutrition and 20% of training. You can lose weight without training with an adequate diet, but you can't lose weight just by training without changing bad eating habits. That's why FitProTeam has prepared a diet for you ByeBye Weight adapted to your needs, with which you will lose weight in a healthy way, without major sacrifices in nutrition! See the experience of users of our program, Milica Milić, who is for lost over 20 kilograms in a short time, and 2 years later the kilos have not returned! Contact us and let us help you achieve the desired result.
