Let’s make a reservation immediately: a calorie deficit is the most effective way to lose weight. But remember the pitfalls that interfere with weight loss.
Let’s imagine you lead a sedentary lifestyle and love to spin Indian slots and similar games like on the Bollywood Casino website but are on a diet. Can you lose weight quickly? Very unlikely.
A calorie deficit is a critical factor in weight loss, but people trying to lose weight face difficulties when their efforts do not yield the expected results. Why is this happening? Here are some reasons that may prevent you from achieving your goal:
- Uneven distribution of calories – if you eat too little in the morning and at lunch but too much in the evening, this can prevent you from achieving a calorie deficit.
- Miscalculating calories – Even if you’re following a calorie deficit, underestimating the number of calories in your food can set you up for failure.
- Insufficient level of physical activity – a calorie deficit only ensures weight loss if your level of physical activity is adequate.
- Significant fluctuations in weight – when weight changes by large discrepancies, this may be due to differences in body composition rather than weight loss.
- Health and medical problems – Some medical conditions can prevent you from losing weight, no matter how hard you try.
So, if you’re having trouble losing weight, make sure you’re distributing your calories, counting your calories, getting enough exercise, and seeing your doctor for a health checkup.
Main problems
When does a calorie deficit not work? This question can be answered in different ways. It all depends on what angle you look at.
From the point of view of physics, as long as physical laws apply to the visible part of our universe, such a situation cannot be. If only the supporters of the keto diet live in some fat behind the looking glass, they have their fundamental disciplines. So, if this is an actual calorie deficit, it cannot fail to work, just as there are no states where the law of universal gravitation does not work. It must be understood that this is not some magical approach or cunning scheme; this is just a physical phenomenon.
But, besides this, there is another statement, which, according to the people broadcasting it, is peremptory. And it sounds like this: “My friend eats everything and does not get fat, so your calories are nonsense.”
The fact is that it’s not always possible to put an “equal” sign between “eating everything” and an excess of incoming calories. Therefore, you can only know how much and how she eats once you see her. Add to this physical activity if a friend goes in for sports. And if not engaged, there is also spontaneous activity, which you cannot track. What if she walks to the nearest supermarket more often than by car? Yes, it’s trite – she cleans her apartment more often, or her home is more significant, and in connection with this, she needs more energy to wash the floors. We do not yet consider such factors as height, weight, age, amount of muscle tissue, and so on, which distinguish energy expenditure to support the life of a friend from your energy expenditure.
Don’t Forget About Your Meals
Remember meals outside the home. For example, a study published in May 2013 in the British Medical Journal showed that we grossly underestimate the calorie content of meals when we dine, for example, in a cafe or at a party – in some cases by about 20%. So, naturally, the calorie content is underestimated; it is more.
And we haven’t touched on many other factors yet, such as losing motivation to control the diet for the weekend. According to recent surveys, 15% of people stop tracking their diet.
Think about it: Saturday and Sunday make up nearly 30% of the week—a significant amount of time that can help or hinder progress. And then these people run and scream on social media that a calorie deficit doesn’t work.
Well, the most common problem is determining caloric content by eye and, in general, the difficulty in determining the caloric content of a serving.
Read labels carefully
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a 2013 study of more than 3,000 American adults and found that most had trouble interpreting labels. For example, about 25% were unable to determine how many calories are in a container of food, and 40% did not calculate the percentage of daily calories per serving.
But understanding the number of servings per container and the number of calories per serving is crucial when tracking calories. As a result, the denial of energy balance and the division of food into bad and good leads to the insane popularity of the most incredible diets, the supporters of which are increasing.
Do not be upset if you cannot lose weight
A healthy body is the dream of many people. However, losing weight and getting into the desired physical shape is a complex and lengthy process that requires a lot of self-discipline and perseverance from a person. But it often happens that, despite all efforts, it is impossible to lose excess weight, which can lead to disappointment and frustration. But you should not give up and get depressed because of it.
Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t be upset if you can’t lose weight:
- Losing weight is an individual process, and it can take different times for different people.
- Perhaps you are not getting enough calories and vitamins, which does not allow your body to function correctly, and because of this, weight loss does not occur.
- Stress and lack of sleep can interfere with the process of losing weight. In addition, focusing too much on your weight and health can lead to stress and negative emotions, complicating losing weight.
- Focusing on a healthy lifestyle may be more important than weight loss itself. Focusing on eating right, being active, and feeling good about yourself will improve your overall health, whether or not you manage to lose weight.
Thus, you should not be upset if losing weight is impossible. Instead, enjoy the process and focus on a healthy lifestyle, not just the number on the scale.
