YOGYAKARTA - What is a calorie deficit and can that method help lose weight?

Trying to lose weight? You have to be in a calorie deficit, and that means eating and drinking less calories than you burn.

There are two ways to make a calorie deficit:

Reduce calorie intake changing what and how much you eat

Increase calorie expenditure in the form of exercise

How does a calorie deficit help you lose weight? This puts you in a 'catabolic' state, when the body breaks the muscles and fats for energy.

If you reduce 500 calories a day from what you usually eat, you can expect to lose about 1 pound 0.5kg a week, which is a healthy amount according to CDC guidelines. The best exercise machine to lose weight can also help reduce body fat.

Kalori is an energy unit that we get from food and drinks. To relieve body fat, a calorie deficit is needed that means eating less calories than you burn.

Nutritionist and PT Alex Parren say: The calorie deficit is when you consume less calories than you spend a day. Each human has a unique Metabolic Rate (BMR) Basal, which shows how many calories their bodies burn by simply performing their daily normal functions, such as breathing, digesting food, disposing of waste products, and cognitive function.

Factors that affect BMR include age, gender, height and weight. Imagine your BMR as the calorie amount you will burn if you stay in bed and sleep throughout the day. That doesn't take into account your lifestyle and that most people's BMR will be quite low - about 1,500 calories for adults.

On average day, you will burn more calories than this because you will wake up and move. In general, women need about 2,000 calories a day to maintain their weight, and 1,500 to lose 1 pound a week. The average man needs to consume about 2,500 to maintain the same weight, or 2,000 to lose 1 pound a week.

Research published in Frontiers in Physiology shows that exercising muscle formation in conjunction with a calorie deficit will also help the body prioritize body fat loss rather than just muscles.

The body uses calories obtained from food for your metabolism, digestion, and physical activity fuel. When the number of calories you eat is the same as the calories you burn for energy, your weight will remain stable.

Once your body's energy needs are met, each extra calorie is stored - some in the muscles as glycogen (main fuel source for our cells), but mostly as fat. So, if you eat more calories than you burn known as a calorie surplus this will cause weight gain. On the other hand, if you consume less food than you need for energy, you will lose weight.

Parren said: There are several studies that prove that a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. All types of diet whether it's a paleo diet (open on a new tab), a DASH diet (open on a new tab), or Keto (open on a new tab) relies on a calorie deficit to work. He recommends not to exceed the 500-calorie deficit a day.

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