There exists a popular myth that you can attain weight loss by starvation. People either skip their meals or follow a purely liquid diet in the hope that the reduced calorie intake will help them to attain weight loss faster. There are numerous factors that influence the fat burning capacity in your quest for weight loss. Your eating habits, calorie intake, lifestyle, quantum of physical activity and most importantly your basal metabolic rate which determines the fat burning capacity.
You need to first understand the process by which energy is derived by the body. The foods that we eat are digested and converted into glucose. This serves as a ready fuel for the body to use up in the routine course of the body functions. Anything in excess is converted into fats and stored as reserves to be used later. So, the food and water that you ingest keeps the metabolism going and helps to burn away the calories.
With other factors remaining same, different people attain differing rates of weight loss due to a difference in their metabolic rate. While some have a high metabolism which enables them to burn away all the ingested calories, those who have a slower metabolism have to suffer the brunt of weight gain issues. You can speed up your metabolism by exercising. Make workouts a part of your daily routine and see the ease with which you can burn away the calories.
Starving leads to sluggish metabolism
The body behaves in a similar situation as to how you and I would behave when we are going to be faced with a scarcity. Take the recent example of the hurricane sandy. Right since the announcements and danger flags were raised, all of us rushed out to buy supplies. Since we were unsure of how long we might be closeted in homes, we hoard on them to the extent our wallets and bags permit.
This is same that happens in our body when we starve. Though initially the body is induced to lose weight, sustained starvation will send signals to the brain as to the need to store. The depleting glucose levels are an indicator for the body to get into a storing mode. So, the body slows down its metabolic process and is very cautious about utilizing the calories. As a result, instead of shedding off the calories, they are stored as reserves, thus defeating the very purpose of starvation.
How should you eat while dieting?
Dieting has to be done in a scientific manner. People go on to follow diets as a means of weight loss. Hence what needs to be done is to determine the number of calories needed by you. You must plan your meals accordingly such that you do not exceed the calorie intake. Smaller and frequent meals help to keep your energy levels high and ensure that your metabolism goes steady. This will ensure that you keep losing weight on a continuous basis without reaching a weight loss plateau.
The secret to losing weight in to eat healthy and exercise regularly such that you keep your metabolism on the higher side.