From various food products to fitness and weight loss programs, the word "calorie" can be seen anywhere these days. Yes, the "calorie" is rapidly becoming one of the buzz words of the food and fitness industries. The constant increase in obesity and chronic diseases further aggravates this issue.
To prevent obesity and the chronic diseases that can result from it, many people try to cut down or reduce calories. Sadly, they often see dismal results. Worst yet, some eventually give up and gain even more weight. Fortunately by using the correct strategies, it is possible to reduce caloric intake.
What Exactly is a Calorie Anyway?
When one think of calories, a glut of food images often comes to mind. Yes, people commonly associate calories with food. In reality, though, a calorie is simply a unit of heat. A calorie is defined as the amount of heat or energy needed to raise temperature of 1 gram water by 1 degree?Celsius [1]. For instance, if you want to increase 10 grams of water by 1 degree Celsius, you need to 10 calories.
The Calorie - A Crucial Factor of Weight Gain
If calories are simply a unit of heat, why do people take them so seriously? Remember, energy comes in different forms. The foods you eat contain energy (potential energy). Dietitians measure the energy from food in calories. During physical activity, your body performs work and converts the potential energy from food into kinetic energy.
If your body stores more calories than it burns through physical activity, there will be a net gain of energy?which leads to weight gain. In contrast, if your body burns more calories than it stores, there will be a net loss of energy?which leads to weight loss. Yes, the concept is simple: If you cut calories, you will lose weight. But, cutting calories is easier said than done. The following procedures allow you how to easily reduce caloric intake.
How to Reduce Calories the Right Way:
7 Effective Tips to Slash Calories:
1. Accentuate on quality. Some people have a tendency to base their food choices on the number of calories they see on?the label. While this does allow you to conveniently monitor your caloric intake, it may deviate your attention from the quality of the calories.
For example, foods that are high in trans fats and refined sugars are still hazardous to your health regardless of the number of calories. Do not be deceived by the "reduced calories" statements that are written in the front cover of many food products. Rather, take the time to analyze the ingredients. Not paying attention to the quality of your caloric intake will lead to unhealthy weight loss.
Key Points: ?Extreme calorie restriction increases cortisol or stress levels?which makes your more vulnerable to weight gain. Give your body time to adjust by?decreasing?calories incrementally overtime.
While calorie restriction does not necessarily lead to weight gain, it does make your more body more vulnerable to it. For instance, after going on a rigid extreme calorie restriction diet, some give up and return back to their normal eating habits. Since the body is now accustomed to an extremely low caloric intake, they may end up gaining more weight than before. Instead, decrease calories by small increments overtime. However, do not decrease caloric intake beyond safe levels.
3. Eat Less Fat. Fat is one of those words that often make people cringe. There is good reason to be cautious about your dietary fat intake. In general, calories come in three forms: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. What makes fat so different is the fact that it contains about 9 calories per gram. In contrast, protein and carbohydrates contain about 4 calories per gram [2]. Yes, pound for pound, fat contains more calories than carbohydrates and protein.
Key Points: Fat contains more calories than protein and carbohydrates. Avoid trans fats, and emphasize on healthy unsaturated fats such as omega-3 fatty acids.
However, you should not abstain from all fats. Some fats are actually good for you. Unsaturated fats from nuts and avocados benefit your health. For example, omega-3 fatty acids are rife with health benefits from improved cognitive function to heart disease prevention [3, 4]. Stay away from unhealthy trans fats from processed foods. These types of fats are strongly associated with obesity [5].
Key Points:?Drinking water helps you ?lower calories by causing a feeling of fullness. Adequate water consumption before meals coupled with a reduced calorie diet leads to weight loss.
The results from those studies indicate that drinking more water, especially before meals, leads to greater weight loss when combined with a reduced calorie diet.?It is true that water aids in weight loss, but how exactly does it help you reduce calories? It does this by giving you a feeling of satiety or fullness. By drinking adequate water before meals, you will not have to eat as much.
5. Eat more fiber. Dietary fiber is the?indigestible carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables. They help increase the bulk of stool or food volume in your stomach without increasing calories. Like water, fiber also makes you feel fuller. In other words, make sure your diet has enough fruits and vegetables. Plant-based foods tend to be rich in essential vitamins and minerals.
6. Get more sleep. Not getting enough sleep is the last thing you should want to do if you are trying to cut calories. Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase cortisol and ghrelin levels?which stimulate fat buildup. A 2008 study published by the Journal of Sleep Research shows that just one night of sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels [8].
The problem is that ghrelin is a hormone that stimulate your appetite. As a result, sleep deprivation increase your cravings for food?making it harder to decrease calories. The best way to fix this problem is by cultivating healthy sleeping habits by making sure you get enough sleep (7+ hours a night) and by going to sleep at the same time every day.
7. Cultivate self-control. Reducing calories requires?seriousness. Create a plan and incessantly ask your self: "Why am I doing this? What is my objective? What will result from doing all of this? Those questions will help focus on your goals. Make sure you apply all of the principles listed above to increase your chances of success. Yes, cutting calories is not as hard you think. All it takes is commitment and strategy.
References:
1. Michigan State University. Department of Physics and Astronomy. Lansing State Journal. "What is a Calorie?" Published May 8, 1996. Accessed September 19, 2012.
2. University of California. Dining Services. "Calories Count." Published 2005. Accessed September 22, 2012.
3. Nutritional Neuroscience. "Lower omega-3 fatty acid intake and status are associated with poorer cognitive function in older age: A comparison of individuals with and without cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease." Published July, 2012. Accessed September 22, 2012.
4. The British Journal of Nutrition. "Long chain omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review." Published June, 2012. Accessed September 22, 2012.
5. Obesity. "Trans fat diet induces abdominal obesity and changes in insulin sensitivity in monkeys." Published July, 2007. Accessed September 22, 2012.
6. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Replacing caloric beverages with water or diet beverages for weight loss in adults: main results of the Choose Healthy Options Consciously Everyday (CHOICE) randomized clinical trial." Published March, 2012. Accessed September 23, 2012.
7. Obesity. "Water Consumption Increases Weight Loss During a Hypocaloric Diet Intervention in Middle-aged and Older adults." Published August, 2009. Accessed September 23, 2012.
8. Journal of Sleep Research. "A single night of sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels and feelings of hunger in normal-weight healthy men." Published September, 2008. Accessed September 23, 2012.
Source: http://www.librehealth.com/2012/09/how-to-cut-calories-to-lose-weight.html
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