To be clear, whether your goal is to lose a few kilos or to achieve a beach body, diet and exercise are essential. To create a caloric deficit, you must eat less and move more. When you're in a calorie deficit, your body has no choice but to start burning fat for fuel. The greater the deficit, the easier it will be for your body to shed fat. However, most people use crash dieting or starvation to lose weight, which is terrible for their organs.
So, if you are new to dieting or want to lose weight quickly, let us first define what a calorie deficit is and the benefits of a calorie-deficit diet.
What Is Calorie Deficit?
Calories are units of energy. In layman's terms, calories are the energy that people get from food and drinks, essential for daily tasks and internal bodily functions. However, calorie consumption varies according to age, gender, goal, and daily activity. Maintenance calories are the foundation; a person is advised to consume at least their maintenance if they want to live a healthy life. Going higher or lower than the maintenance depends on the individual's goal.
So, say your maintenance calories are 2,100, and if you consume less than that, say 1,800, you will enter the deficit phase. You can achieve this deficit by either eating less or exercising more. If you combine eating less and exercising, you can double the benefits.
Also Read: 5 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight On A Vegan Diet
Benefits Of Calorie Deficit
Improves Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that regulates blood glucose levels in the body, and the reason you store so much fat in your body is that your insulin is inefficient. As a result, whenever you consume carbohydrates, your insulin levels rise. The normal function of the hormone insulin is to transfer carbs from the blood into the liver. However, in people with insulin resistance, the muscles and liver resist the action of insulin, requiring the body to produce more to maintain normal blood glucose levels. So, when you follow a calorie-restricted diet, you first eat less, and then your carb intake decreases, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
Reduced Inflammation
When in a calorie deficit, you tend to avoid unhealthy foods and consume more fruits and vegetables. Eating healthy food not only detoxifies your system, but it also contains essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help flush away toxins, resulting in reduced inflammation. It increases your metabolism rate too. Another good thing about eating fruits and vegetables is that they are high in fibre, which helps against constipation.
Improve Blood Sugar Levels
When we are in a calorie deficit, we are first advised to cut out sugary and high-carbohydrate foods. When you eat fewer sugary foods, your insulin levels drop, allowing you to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. Moreover, if your blood sugar levels are under control, your chances of developing heart disease also decrease.
Also Read: Does Dieting Mean Being Hungry All The Time? Here’s How To Manage Those Pangs While Losing Weight
Pro Tip
Whatever diet or eating pattern you follow, don't do it for more than 90 days. Taking a few days off from eating the same foods is critical so that you don’t hit a weight-loss plateau. However, do consult your trainer or doctor before making a decision.
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