K
Katie
Guest
Losing weight isn't a simple mathematical equation. In a laboratory,
one pound of fat equals 3500 calories -- if you accumulate a caloric
deficit of 3500 calories, your body will shed one pound of fat and if
you eat 3500 excess calories, your body will gain one pound. It's also
why most nutritionally sound diets will only provide (for women) a
weight loss of between 1 and 2 pounds a week -- do the math and see how
difficult it would be to get more than a 7000 calorie deficit in a week
As an evolutionary mechanism to survive famine and starvation, if you
provide too few calories to your body on a consistent basis, it will go
into "starvation mode" and your basal metabolism will slow down.
Generally diets for women which are below 1200 to 1400 calories will
slow down the basal metabolism. Consistent aerobic exercise will of
course help weight loss because even though the basal metabolism is
slowing down, exercise burns calories both during exercise and for a
period of time afterwards. Muscles also raise metabolism in the sense
that body fat is inert and doesn't require fuel except that which is
necessary to schlep it around
Muscles actually require energy
(calories) even when not being used -- that's why the same weight
person who is more muscular will have a higher basal metabolism as a
VERY general rule.
Every person is individual -- if you are exercising way too much and
eating too little, your metabolism might slow down.
one pound of fat equals 3500 calories -- if you accumulate a caloric
deficit of 3500 calories, your body will shed one pound of fat and if
you eat 3500 excess calories, your body will gain one pound. It's also
why most nutritionally sound diets will only provide (for women) a
weight loss of between 1 and 2 pounds a week -- do the math and see how
difficult it would be to get more than a 7000 calorie deficit in a week
As an evolutionary mechanism to survive famine and starvation, if you
provide too few calories to your body on a consistent basis, it will go
into "starvation mode" and your basal metabolism will slow down.
Generally diets for women which are below 1200 to 1400 calories will
slow down the basal metabolism. Consistent aerobic exercise will of
course help weight loss because even though the basal metabolism is
slowing down, exercise burns calories both during exercise and for a
period of time afterwards. Muscles also raise metabolism in the sense
that body fat is inert and doesn't require fuel except that which is
necessary to schlep it around
Muscles actually require energy (calories) even when not being used -- that's why the same weight
person who is more muscular will have a higher basal metabolism as a
VERY general rule.
Every person is individual -- if you are exercising way too much and
eating too little, your metabolism might slow down.
Good post! Several years ago my trainer had me on a 1400 calorie diet. I noticed that I stopped losing weight. We adjusted it to 1500-1600 calorie diet and the pounds came off. It has taken me over 2 months to lose 10 pounds the healthy way.
