In light of the recently highly published study findings concerning weight management and calories, we find it a good time to review the basics on how our bodies use food.
The accumulation of an excess of 3500 calories equals the storage of one pound of body fat. How do people accumulate these calories? The answer is simple. They all pass between our lips, through our mouth and stomach and into our intestines. At that point, various chemical processes take over to extract nutrients and calories our bodies require for growth and maintence. Since food is essential for life, extra calories are stored as glycogen or fat. The stores are needed for the rare times when adequate food is not readily available to fuel our various body functions.
How much food do we really need to support life? This answer varies greatly from person to person. The amount of food needed is frequently broken down into two categories. The first category is known as the Basal or Resting Metabolic Rate. This measurement yields the number of calories your body needs to simply exist. We must add to that number, the amount of calories your body needs for daily activities. If the number of calories eaten equals the number of calories burned, weight remains stable. If the balance is tipped, we either lose weight or gain weight. The Basal Metabolic Rate remains fairly constant as long as your weight is steady, but because of varying activity, the number of calories needed varies greatly day by day. The more active you are, the more calories you will need to maintain the balance.
What do we need to do to tip the balance to produce weight loss? Stop eating!@* Unfortunately, as we deplete the calories in our fat reserves, our metabolism slows to prolong life in starvation mode. This method may lead to severe irreversible medical problems. The real solution is to reduce the number of calories eaten and/or increase the calories burned A slow, but steady weight loss is the goal. Every diet ever written strives to lower the number of calories eaten. Each particular diet has its own particular way of doing it. But the fact remains that whether one tries hypnosis, Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig or Atkins, the primary goal is to reduce the number of calories eaten. The better diets also take into account and encourage moderately increased activity as well as good nutrition.
A study published in The Journal of Physiology, performed at the Copenhagen Muscle Research Center at the University of Copenhagen, concluded that when mild exercise is performed, there is a tendency to burn relatively more fat than glucose. As the exercise intensity increases, the muscles switches from fat utilization to glucose utilization for fuel. This would indicate that a lower level of exercise for a longer period of time would be most helpful.
Remember, although calorie control is essential for weight loss, a balanced diet is needed for health. A good healthy life style promotes a variety of foods in moderate quantities with moderate exercise. For assistance with nutritional lifestyle management, consult with the licensed dietitians at Hill Nutrition Associates, Inc. Contact at EatRightHNA.com or 772-220-8058.