When it comes to weight loss, calories are a confusing thing for many. There is an ongoing debate whether you should count them in order to get slimmer. The main reason behind this lies in people not truly understanding the amount of calories they really need – no matter if they want to lose some weight, maintain it, or gain it.
Most people already know what the recommended number of calories: 2,000 daily for women, and 2,500 for men. However, each individual is different. That is why it’s important to understand what calories exactly are, as well as what their purpose is. This will help you realize the amount of calories your body requires.
What Are Calories?
People have a negative relationship concerning food and weight, which is why many believe that calories are necessarily bad. However, plainly speaking, a calorie is just a unit we use for measuring energy. In other words, if a food or drink you consume has a large calorie content, it isn’t necessarily bad for you. The amount of calories simply indicates the amount of energy that food will provide you with.
You can intake more calories (or rather, energy) than your body can burn during the day. When this happens, you will have a sufficit, so the body will store this excess energy as fat. In order to lose weight, it’s important to intake fewer calories (energy) than you need for functioning.
What Is the Amount of Calories I Need?
When it comes to calories, there isn’t one number that can fit all. The necessary consumption of calories will depend on many factors, such as your age, gender, weight and height. There are several online calculators that can help you find the right calorie amount for you. Generally, if your goal is weight loss, you should consume 500 calories less than your body needs daily.
As calories are just a unit for measuring energy, it’s logical that the higher the amount of energy you need, the higher the number of calories you should consume. If you want to lose weight, you must increase your activity levels while lowering the consumption of calories.
How to Lower the Intake of Calories
When people want to cut the calorie intake, they usually decide to go on a strict diet that consists of nothing except plain lettuce. The truth is that you can easily lower the consumption of calories without having to sacrifice flavor or having to stay hungry all the time.
First off, drink more water. Our bodies can often mistake thirst for hunger, causing us to eat when we don’t need to. 2 liters daily should be your goal. Whenever you think you are feeling a bit hungry, take a glass of water. If you feel hungry about 20 minutes afterwards, it’s time to eat something.
When you drink more water you can also increase the amount of calories that your body burns, which will help you lose weight more quickly.
Another useful and easy method for cutting down calories is to quit drinking fruit juices and fizzy drinks. These contain a lot of sugars and calories that won’t help you feel fuller, while you’re already intaking a high amount of calories. Drink pure water and fruit juices that don’t contain sugar. These have a small number of calories, as well as many health benefits.
In case you’re worried about feeling hungry while eating less calories than usual, you should consume more proteins to make up for the loss. Protein is among the best nutrients when it comes to weight loss. It will increase your body’s metabolism, while helping you lower your appetite.
Some foods that are rich in protein aer turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, dairy products, seeds, tofu and other soy-based foods.
Using Orlistat for Weight Loss
Even with a diet that is low on calories and high activity levels, some people still find it very challenging (or even impossible) to lose any weight. Fortunately, there are many medications for weight loss that can help you with this.
One of these medications is Orlistat, which you may find under the name Xenical or Alli. This medication blocks the fat absorption from the foods you intake. This will help you with your weight loss. It’s highly-effective, and it can help you lose 10-20% of your body weight in 3 to 6 months. This medication is prescription-only and it’s suitable for individuals who have a BMI of 27 or higher. You can buy it online at True Medical.
