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Weight Loss Exercise

What Calories Really Are and How Understanding Them Will Help You Lose Weight


If you’ve been on a diet before, then you’ve probably heard people talk about calories. So what are calories? Why are they so important in weight loss? Without knowing these crucial terms, it’s hard to understand the science behind weight loss.

So What Are Calories?

When defined in nutrition, calories are a measure of the energy in food. The more calories a particular food has, the more energy it contains. Energy is good, right? In the right amounts, it is. Unfortunately, many of us eat too many calories on a daily basis, and that’s what makes us overweight in the first place. Excess calories in the body turn into fat, and that’s why you should only eat as much as your body needs.

How Calories Fit Into Weight Loss

So, what role do calories play in weight loss? It’s simple. When you take in or consume fewer calories than your body needs, you lose weight. When you eat too many calories compared to what your body needs, then you gain weight. Your body needs calories to expend as it carries out its basic functions (circulation, excretion, digestion, and so on) as well as to allow you to carry out other activities throughout your day. This is also where exercise fits in; since exercising helps your body burn more calories, it helps you lose weight as well.

In simple words, to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit so that your body burns fat to make up for the missing calories. This means you either need to eat less, exercise more, or do a combination of the two (the third option works best).

As a general rule, a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day usually helps you lose one pound of weight in a week. If the calorie deficit is 1000 calories, you lose two pounds. Medical professionals recommend maintaining weight loss in the healthy zone, which is around one to two pounds a week, and not more. However, if you are very obese, you may find yourself losing much more weight in the initial few weeks after you lower your calorie count.

Hopefully this post has helped you understand the link between calories and weight loss better. In a nutshell, maintain a caloric deficit, and you will lose weight. How do you maintain this deficit? It’s easy; make healthier low-calorie food choices, cut out unnecessary empty calories from sugary items and alcohol, start being more active throughout the day, and maintain a positive attitude and strong willpower. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it!


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Weight Loss Exercise

How To Figure Out How Many Calories You Burn Each Day


Although there are a few reasons we become overweight, the simplest explanation is that we consume more calories than we burn off. Do this for long enough and youâ??ll pile on the pounds, unless youâ??re lucky enough to be one of those people with a super-fast metabolism!

If you want to lose weight, then you should definitely know how many calories your body burns on a daily basis. The idea behind dieting and exercise is to create enough of a caloric deficit so that your body starts burning off fat, and knowing how much your body needs to start with is an important step to figuring out how you are going to create a caloric deficit.

What Does Your Body Spend Energy On?

First of all, you should know what exactly your body spends energy on. For one thing, your body uses energy on metabolic processes, in other words, the most basic bodily functions that keep you alive such as breathing, blood circulation, excretion, and so on.

Besides that, your body additionally expends energy on simple things you do throughout the day, such as brushing your teeth, bathing, cooking, and so on.


If you are on your feet a lot and exercise frequently, then your body burns even more calories. Also, if you have a high amount of muscle mass, your body burns more calories for metabolism than it does if you have the same amount of fat.

How to Calculate the Number of Calories You Burn

To calculate how many calories you burn each day is difficult to do manually, so the best way to go about doing this is by using an online calorie needs calculator. Just fill in the short form in the calculator, and click calculate. You will then get an estimate of how many calories you should consume on a daily basis.

Alternatively, you can join a calorie-tracking site that calculates how many calories you can eat every day, select your activity level as sedentary, and then manually track in any extra exercise you do throughout the day. This way you will get a better idea of your caloric burn each day.

There are even gadgets you can wear all day to get an estimate of how many calories you burn. These can cost a fair bit but make a very worthwhile investment for anyone whoâ??s really serious about losing weight.

And thatâ??s all there is to finding out how much you burn every day. Itâ??s wonderful that you are committed to ensuring your body is in good health by keeping your weight under check. Good luck!


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Weight Loss Exercise

The Raw Food Detox Diet


Interested in trying raw food without wanting to go raw for the rest of your life? A raw food detox diet may be the answer.

The raw food detox diet is reported to have many benefits. People who eat 100% raw food all of the time have said that they notice improvements in many health conditions. In addition, most people who were overweight will lose weight on a raw food diet, although this does depend on what you choose to eat.

The Raw Food Detox Diet

Raw Food Detox Diet

When detoxing, as you probably know, most people have some side effects. They may include headaches, joint pain, nasal congestion and other symptoms. This happens because many toxins that were previously stored in fat cells in the body are suddenly released into the bloodstream for processing and excretion.

 

Because of this, it is best to follow a raw food detox diet for around 10 days. You can expect symptoms in the first 5-7 days. After that, you may begin to feel more benefits. Of course, you should have medical supervision before beginning any diet.

What To Eat On A Raw Food Detox Diet

Here are some suggestions for your daily menu on a raw detox.

Raw Food Detox Breakfast

Green fruit smoothie.

Mix any fruit in the blender with some lettuce or spinach leaves for a classic delicious green smoothie. Adding the greens makes it more nutritious. You can also use celery or cucumber with most fruit. One of my favorites is pineapple and fennel bulb. Use up to two types of fruit and one vegetable: you will not want too many different flavors.

Or: Banana, half avocado and raw cacao powder smoothie.

This is a more filling option. The addition of cacao powder can give you a huge energy boost to get you started in the morning.

Raw Food Detox Lunch

Any combination of salad vegetables, plus a handful of raw nuts or seeds.

Be adventurous with your vegetables: you do not need to stick to only the standard salad. For a dressing you can use extra virgin olive oil and live vinegar, or blend tomato juice with avocado or nut butter.

Or: grated or finely chopped carrot or butternut squash with nut mylk (or nut butter mixed with a little water) and a handful of pumpkin seeds.

Raw Food Detox Dinner

The choices are endless when you have a little more time to prepare a meal. Check out any raw food website or cookbook for a huge variety of delicious recipes. Repeat your favorites by all means, but make sure to change it up from time to time with new recipes.

What Not To Eat On A Raw Food Detox Diet

Of course, if you are following a raw food detox diet, you would not eat anything cooked. This includes anything that has been processed or heated before it reaches your kitchen, such as dairy products which have been pasteurized. It also includes hot drinks like coffee (which is anyway produced from roasted beans).

To be sure, and also to increase the effect of the detox, many people decide only to use fresh whole fruits and vegetables in a raw detox. This means no dried foods and no oils or added fats. Some even cut out nuts. If you are going to do that, however, you should not do it for more than 10 days. Nuts and seeds contain many essential fats and minerals that are vital for a longer term raw food diet.

 

The Raw Food Detox Diet
This is my recommendation for a cheap and easy book to learn the essentials of the Raw Food Diet. Whether you want to start today doing Raw completely or if you just want to test out the Raw Food waters this book is a must. This specific easy to use Raw Food diet will help you lose weight, look younger, and have great energy. Learn more about Raw Food here now.

So Try out the Raw Food Detox Diet today and see if it makes you healthier and happier

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