Do You Know Where Your Calories Are Coming From?

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Guest Blogger Post

When we speak of weight loss, the majority of people immediately think calories. True, calories become a major consideration when you are trying to lose weight. In fact, there will be no weight loss at all if you cannot create a calorie deficit in your body.

A calorie deficit simply means you are using up more calories than you are taking in. To illustrate how a calorie deficit is achieved, let’s take the example of a slightly overweight woman in her forties who leads a less active though not completely sedentary lifestyle. Without much activity except for little chores around the home, she will need around 1,800 calories to maintain her present weight. Anything more than that will cause her to gain weight and anything less than that will allow her to lose some weight over a period of time.

One pound of body weight is equal to about 3,500 calories. Yes, that’s how much you will need to burn to lose a single pound! Assuming that the woman mentioned above has been maintaining a 1800-calorie daily consumption, she will need to drop that to 1,300 calories if she wishes to lose one pound each week. By reducing her calorie consumption to 1,300 calories, she is creating a calorie deficit of 500 each day. Multiply 500 by seven days and that amounts to 3,500 calories in a week which is equal to a pound of body weight.

However, weight loss is not simply about counting calories. It’s also about where your calories are coming from and what you do to burn them. Among the leading reasons why obesity is fast becoming a global concern is that we are making the wrong food choices and leading more sedentary lifestyles in this era.

People these days engage in less physical activity with the conveniences afforded by modern day gadgets and equipment. On top of that, we are getting most of our calories from carbohydrates and fats, the two main culprits of weight gain. The body turns to carbs and fats for needed energy and they are highly essential in a healthy and balanced diet. However if there is an excess of one or the other, they get stored as body fat.

Not too many people are aware that there are actually two types of carbohydrates – simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs are usually found in processed food such as those made from white flour and refined sugars. They are high in “empty calories” which provide very little nutrients, vitamin and minerals. They can cause highs and lows in your blood sugar levels which can lead to food cravings. A high intake of simple carbs will lead to weight gain.

Complex carbs, on the other hand, are the healthier carbs. They come from most fruits and vegetables and are rich in fibre and low in calories. They provide consistent energy, help stabilize your blood sugar levels to quash those cravings and keep you feeling satisfied for longer periods.

By simply distinguishing between the unhealthy effects of simple carbohydrates and the health-boosting advantages of complex carbohydrates, you can begin creating that calorie deficit you need to trim off those excess pounds.

Knowing where your calories are coming from is one big step to successful weight loss. By learning to make healthier food choices and feeding your body with the right calories, you will be able to drop the extra weight and keep it off permanently.

Author Bio: Sean Byrne is the Sole Founder Of ItsAboutTreadmills.com. His Site Reviews Popular Products in the Treadmill Market such as the Sole F80 Treadmill and the Sole F63 treadmill. If Your looking for treadmill reviews, come check out his site.

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