A Requirement for Weight loss

Controversy exists as to how to lose weight. Today, we will end the controversy. Human physiology obeys the laws of thermodynamics. This means an increase in energy intake (eating more) without a corresponding increase in energy output (working it off) results in a buildup of unused chemical energy stored as fat. Your car has a finite capacity for fuel, adding more than this fixed amount results in mess and your hands smelling of gasoline. Humans are different, when we eat too much fuel, it is stored for later, in your arms, belly, or legs. This is a useful adaptation for famine, when calories are scarce. Luckily for us, we live in a time where there are tons of calorie dense foods. If you wanted to eat double or triple the number of calories needed to maintain your weight it is well within nearly everyone’s means. It would follow that nearly everyone is too fat, and nearly everyone is! The CDC recently published that nearly 3/4 of adult Americans are overweight or obese.... FastStats - Overweight Prevalence. The extra calories consumed are stored and we move bit by bit from a healthy weight, to overweight and then to obesity, all powered by an appetite and the easy access to tons of calories. To become obese, it requires a prolonged excess energy intake (eating too much food) above the required (food) caloric needed to meet your body's needs. If your body needs 2,000 calories to maintain a healthy weight, but you consistently eat 2,500 calories, the extra 500 calories are stored as fat and your weight increases.

As intuition suggests, weight loss requires lower caloric intake than energy expenditure or eat less calories than you burn. This creates a negative energy balance where stored energy (fat) must be used to meet the caloric demands. Perhaps you only eat 1,800 calories for the day, but you burn 2,200, the extra 400 calories are sourced from your stored fat. When it comes to losing weight, it's important to be wary of methods that don't stick to this principle. To discuss effective weight loss strategies, make an appointment at the Cobia Clinic today.