A lot of people try to lose weight but they don't really understand the basic principle of weight loss. Weight loss or weight gain is determined by what we call Energy Balance. Energy balance is a very simple concept. Imagine a scale where at the one side you have the Calories intake from food and liquids and at the other side the Calories expenditure. If the calories intake is greater than the calories expenditure then you are at a positive energy balance and your body stores the remaining calories as fat. Now if your calories expenditure is greater than your energy intake, your body will use its energy stores (fat, glycogen, protein) to cover the negative balance.

The basic principle is simple as that, but now let's take a closer look at the elements of energy balance and what you can do to lose weight.

Although a lot of people believe that obesity is caused because we now eat more than ever, that is not entirely true. One of the main reasons that obesity is becoming more prevalent is because we now burn less energy than a few decades before.

Let's look at the basic components of energy expenditure and if and how they can be modified.

1. Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR): BMR is the energy your body consumes to sustain your body. For example it's the energy needed for your lungs to function, your heart to beat etc. In other words it's the energy expended while you are at rest. This is the largest part of your total energy expenditure and no matter what some people say there is no magic way to increase it. The best way to increase your BMR is by increasing your body muscle.
2. Physical Activity: This is the most variable part of your total energy expenditure. It is usually calculated as a percentage of the BMR and can vary from 20% to more than 100%. When I talk about physical activity, that does not necessarily mean going to the gym but also your daily activities like walking, working, doing housework etc. Since this is the most variable factor of the equation it is the one that should be targeted more than anything else. Simple changes to your lifestyle can have a huge impact, for example walking to work or the school, using the stairs and not the elevator etc
3. Thermal Effect of Food: This is the last and the smaller part of total energy expenditure (usually less than 10%). In simple words it is the energy your body burns to digest and absorb food. To increase this factor you need to eat small meals often (5-6 small meals daily). Please keep in mind that when I say small meals that could mean a fruit or a glass of milk with cereals etc

Energy intake is rather simple. It's the energy you consume by eating food and drinking fluids. Obviously to lose weight we want to decrease the energy intake. To do this the best way to do is probably reducing the energy density of the food we consume. What does that mean? It simply means that we should start choosing foods that are less concentrated with calories. That way we can decrease the energy intake without decreasing the volume of food that we eat.

Some simple way to do this are:

1. Eat more vegetables. Vegetables are the food that have the less calories per gram.
2. Prefer fresh fruits over juices.
3. Cut down the fat (oils) that we use for cooking.
4. Prefer low fat dairies over full fat dairies.

5. Prefer fish when we can over meat.
6. Eat low fat meat instead of high fat meat and always remove the visible fat.
7. Replace sugar with preferably natural low calorie sweeteners.

1. Alway go to the super market with a list
2. Never go to the super market when you are hungry
3. Always have plenty of vegetables in your fridge
4. Avoid having fattening food at home or if you can not do that make sure that they are not in a visible and easily accessible place.
5. Set a goal (a realistic one).
6. Promise your seld a reward (anything else but foo)
7. Stay away from fad diets

This may sound good but they are just some general information. To actually lose weight you have to create and follow a plan that is tailored to your lifestyle and eating habits. In my opinion the best way to do this is to keep a diary. Let me explain a bit more what I mean. Keep a diary for a week where you record all the meals and food you consume, the hours of the day that you feel hungry and eat and all your physical activity.

After you have done that go back to your diary and start noting down what you could have done differently. Where you could have cut some calories, why you ate more, identify the circumstances that where the reason you overate one day, where you could add some more physical activity etc. Then start making small changes to your lifestyle and eating habits, changes that you believe you can keep permanently. All the changes should be made with two simple goals:

1. Increase your energy expenditure
2. Decrease your energy intake

The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and in no way should be construed as medical advice.