The REAL Deal Behind Gaining & Losing Weight! (You'll be Surprised!)

Before we understand how exactly a human body loses weight, we need to shed some light on what exactly makes us gain weight in the first place. 

According to statistics and what we see around us, a large chunk of the world population is overweight, including my cat. From a high-carb low-fat or low-carb high-fat to ketogenic diets or outright starvation, sometimes, nothing works. What can the main issue be here? Could it be that we don’t understand how weight gain or loss mechanism works in the human body? If you wish to know the basics, here are some simple steps to get to the root of it.

1. The body runs on something known as calories, which is what we get from our food as a source of energy.

2. We get calories from carbohydrates, protein, and fats which collectively are known as macronutrients.

Every food contains this in certain proportions which as calculated in grams.

3. Weight gain occurs when the calories consumed are greater than calories burnt.

The body sometimes cannot burn off the extra calories and instead, stores it for a worst-case scenario; i.e. starvation!

In short: Eat more, stress more, shit less, burn less = Gain Weight*

(*if you’re not overeating and exercising enough and still gaining weight, it’s best to see a doctor to avoid chances of hormonal imbalances or thyroid)

4. All calories don’t burn the same!

#Carbs are stored and burnt in equal proportions.

#Fats are stored more than burnt, as the body prefers that.

#Proteins are rarely burnt; they’re instead used for building muscles and repairing tissues.

5. The body burns carbohydrates first then fats!

#Carbohydrates come from veggies, fruits, grains, and legumes. The body doesn't store any of this as it’s the easiest to burn.

#We get fats from oil, nuts, dairy, and meat. The body only uses these when it runs out of carbohydrates to burn.

#Proteins that we get from meat, dairy, or soy are only burnt when the body is in complete starvation state.

6. We become fat because of an excess of carbohydrates!

When we consume excess of carbs, our body prioritizes burning it over fats, which results in fat storage. This plus a low level of physical activity leads to accumulation of fat since we’re not even getting a chance to burn that way!

7. What comes under carbohydrates?

#Sugar – Fructose (Fruits), Sucrose (Table Sugar), Lactose (Milk).

#Starch – Starchy vegetables like potatoes, breads, grains, and beans.

#Fiber – Almost all plant foods contain fiber in varying quantities.

8. The only way to lose weight is by cutting down on certain types of carbs as they trigger the body to store more fat than usual!

#Sugars to cut out – Sucrose such as table sugar, sweets, sweet syrups, soft drinks, etc. Mainly those sugars which are not naturally found, but extracted.

#Carbohydrates to cut out – Breads, pasta, refined flour, etc.

9. What are fats?

# The Bad Fat – We get these from animal-based foods such as red meat and poultry, and full-fat dairy products. Known to cause type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

# The Good Fat – We get these from plant based foods and oils. Keeps blood cholesterol levels stable and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

10. Increasing the consumption of dietary fiber is the key!

In a plant-based diet, you can be ensured that the body is getting enough fiber, which, in turn, helps you feel full and less hungry. Animal food has no fiber. Plant food sources like grains, vegetables, and fruits are high on fiber content!

11. Plant-based food sources are very low in fat and almost always contain the good fat!

Need we explain more? Stay away from processed foods too.

12. A plant-based diet actually helps to lose weight by burning that excess fat!

Less sugar, less starch, and more fiber combined with regular exercise can actually help you lose weight along with making you feel full. The body will burn the carbs first, and as they are less in number anyway, will focus on burning fat more.

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