Weight loss tips: Just about everything you need to know to lose weight

Posted in Weight Management on September 2, 2011.  Last modified on October 18, 2019. Read disclaimer.

For millions of us, losing weight is extremely difficult. Barring certain medical explanations, however, the formula for weight loss is simple -- consume fewer calories than you expend (burn more calories than you eat).

Since 3,500 calories equals 1 pound of body fat, a person wanting to lose 1 pound per week will have to either reduce consumption by 500 calories per day (below their caloric needs) or keep consumption the same and increase physical activity enough to burn that amount. Your body will begin drawing on its fat storage for energy and weight will begin decreasing. (While genetics, diseases and drugs can contribute to obesity, behavior has a strong influence in most cases.)

Medical causes of weight gain

While excess calorie consumption is the most commonly thought of cause for a person being overweight or obese, other considerations may be involved. These can include:

aging: since metabolism naturally slows as we age, it can be easy to gain weight if our diet and activity level remain unchanged.

medications: certain medications can both increase appetite and effect brain signals that regulate how our body stores fat. These include steroids and other hormone therapies, insulin therapy, and certain cancer, migraine, seizure, cardiovascular and many mental health medications. (In fact, unintended weight gain is a leading cause of medication noncompliance.)

medical conditions: Cushing's syndrom, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrom, insulin resistance (Syndrome X) and the hormone changes that occur during puberty, pregnancy and menopause can all disregulate the way our body stores fat. In addition, many conditions such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, depression and injuries can dramatically limit a person's activity level.

Sources:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/MyPyramid_Calorie_Levels.pdf
http://ndep.nih.gov/media/GP_FatCal.pdf
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/physicalactivity_calories_used_table.html
http://www.smokefree.gov/pubs/FFree3.pdf