“Eat Less, Move More” Is it Worth for Weight Loss?
Who hasn’t heard of ‘Eat less, move more’ for weight loss? But is this really all there is to weight loss?
This advice seems to be based on the first law of thermodynamics, which applies beautifully to internal combustion engines. Not so much human metabolism.
Nevertheless, this theory’s simplicity is so intuitively appealing that it has endured, despite all the evidence to the contrary. There are chances that you already know that reducing the amount of food you eat starts well and ends badly, but you keep doing it anyway.
Let’s imagine this scenario; you reduce your calorie intake substantially and quickly lose weight. As counting calories is what you’ve been instructed to do, and that is what you have always done, you know nothing else except eating less. That sure can offer a significant effect at first as you reduce your calorie intake and quickly lose some weight. However, we all know what happens next. You get raging hunger, gnawing at both your stomach and your resolve.
When that happens, even eating “normally” results in weight gain. One emotional trigger, one unkind word, and your willpower crumbles.
To cut it short, you get stuck in this cycle of calorie restriction, weight loss, loss of willpower followed by weight gain. This is not to say that calorie restriction is not important. But there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
Here are a few tips that can make you lose weight in the long run.
1. Cutting out carbs
This is one of the most effective solutions for losing weight organically. A low carbohydrate diet works because it stimulates the release of fat from storage by reducing insulin secretion. Insulin is one of the major hormones responsible for storing fat in the body. When choosing carbs, try to choose complex carbs instead of ultra-processed ones.
2. Eat fat to burn fat
You’ve probably heard that if you eat fat, you store that fat and so you need to avoid it altogether. You’ve probably even convinced yourself that those fat-free options are delicious. The problem is that the fat in those options is often replaced with sugar which is the real enemy. If you want to burn fat, you don’t need to avoid it but be cautious to not over-indulge because that may lead to excess calorie intake which will not help either.
Wrapping it up
Unlike an internal combustion engine, the human body is a complex living organism driven by hormones and conventional survival mechanisms. You are sure to engage in a battle with your body when you reduce your calorie intake by too much. Engaging in this battle can be the most futile thing. Work with your body like a dear friend and not a foe.
