Losing weight as well as maintaining it is hard because of the way our body responds to weight loss. When we lose weight, our body tries to put that weight back on. This can be rectified by following a healthy lifestyle, including eating a balanced nutrient-rich diet and following healthy habits. 

However, in some cases simply including healthy eating habits and everyday physical activities in your everyday routine isn’t enough. And it all comes down to just one thing: understanding the basics of weight gain.

Understanding The Principle Of Weight Gain:

The principle of weight gain is very uncomplicated. In simple terms, when the energy intake exceeds the energy expenditure, the body accumulates fat, which leads to an increase in weight. 

We often hear a lot that a daily exercise routine is a key to weight loss. Some often say that taking the stairs, instead of opting for the elevator can make a difference. But it is much more efficient to cut calories. Decreasing the food intake is more effective than increasing your everyday physical activities.

However, the problem is that we just rely on exercise alone and it often backfires, for multiple reasons. This is partly a problem because exercise affects the hunger and appetite hormones, making us feel noticeably hungrier after an intense workout session.

For example, let’s assume a person walks briskly for an hour and burns around 400 kcal. But if that person then has a beer and a slice of pizza afterwards as the exercise made them hungry, in this situation their calorie intake will be more than what they have burned. 

On this journey to weight loss, people tend to naturally compensate for the calories they expend. That’s the root cause of not losing weight fast enough. 

This entire weight loss process is an adaptive system. This is the reason we often overestimate the radical effect of a particular treatment. Urging people to take the stairs instead of the elevator or go for a nightly stroll or to cut down on their calories is unlikely to work.

The other significant problem with exercise without dieting is that it is tiring and the body will likely compensate. If the exercise routine is tiring, there are chances of you becoming more sedentary for the rest of the day. Some of the calories that we burn come from our basic movements throughout the day. 

Exercise Can Help To Fix The Broken Metabolism

When people are unable to lose quickly, many mistakenly assume that their metabolism is broken. But that’s not the case. While exercise may not be considered as a significant factor for weight loss as calorie restriction, it is important in another way. 

It plays a huge role in fixing the issues with your metabolism. The metabolism becomes inflexible if you remain inactive for a couple of days. But once you start performing activities and leading a much active lifestyle, your metabolism reverts back to the normal pace. Anecdotal evidence supports that metabolism can go back to its earlier healthy stage . Exercise plays a critical part in this maintenance phase, one that is known to be more difficult than the weight loss phase. Exercise is very vital to maintain lost weight, and people who are not physically active are more likely to easily gain weight.

There Is No Magical Combination Of Foods For Weight Loss

Many often think that if they can just discover the right combination of foods or the right formula for calorie intake, they can magically lose weight or maintain the weight they have lost. 

You’ll come across numerous diets that promise the cure-all for weight loss. It includes low-fat diets, low glycemic diets, low-carb diets, paleo diets, and many more iterations of all of these diets. They have people believing that there is some magical combination of foods that are going to have unique effects on their weight because of the unique interaction with their metabolism. 

While following a nutritious diet is a great idea, getting on one just to lose weight will leave you disappointed. Instead of relying on information from the internet, look for a nutritionist who understands calorie consumption and can help you prepare a diet that agrees with you and your exercise routine as well. Once you have proper diet and exercise routine setup,  all that’s left to do is follow is without fail. That is the important step, following through on your plan. Doing this will ensure that your metabolism falls in line as well.

To Sum Up

To boil everything down: by reducing calorie intake and eating better as well as exercising one can keep their weight in check. Also, one of the most important elements to remember is practising the routine repeatedly over time. 

One has to work harder at maintaining their weight. But all the efforts are worth coming to terms with. Your body will always respond to the changes you make, helping you lead a healthy lifestyle that will have a positive impact on your life. So, it’s time to take your body seriously.