How Does Dieting Work?

What Is a Diet?

Dieting can be defined as the process of eating a reduced number of calories per day in order to lose weight. A diet can be accomplished in several ways. Sometimes it is a commitment to simply eat less through the consumption of lower-calorie foods or by reducing portion sizes.

A diet can also take the form of a purchased program with meals, eating plans and support groups. Some diets can be categorized as fad diets. These types often require the elimination of a specific food group or the consumption of supplements. There is typically a promise of rapid or great amounts of weight loss.

Calories Consumed vs. Calories Burned

The body needs a specific amount of calories to maintain weight. When calories consumed through food equal those burned each day through function and activity, body weight is maintained and remains constant.

The activity that burns calories is not just exercise. Just keeping the body alive and functioning uses calories. This includes things such as Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is normal body function such as respiration, Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) or the amount of calories you burn at rest such as when you are lying in bed, and Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), which involves the use of calories to utilize or digest food. All of these combined with exercise determine the amount of calories the body needs on a daily basis.

When you diet, you consume fewer calories than your body needs to support your current weight. When fewer calories are being provided through food, carbohydrate, fat and sometimes protein stored in the body is broken down for energy. This results in weight loss over time.

Dangers of Extreme Dieting

Although eating less and calorie reduction are important components of successful weight loss, it is wise not to restrict calories too drastically. When the body has too few calories to maintain normal function, it can begin to respond as if it is in starvation mode. It will begin to conserve calories, and less weight loss will result. In addition, low-calorie diets lead to a loss of lean muscle tissue. There must be a healthy ratio of calories eaten versus calories burned through activity to produce overall healthy weight loss.

When dieting, it is best not to eat fewer than 1,200 calories each day. Also steer clear of eliminating entire food groups. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein and calcium sources to ensure that your body is getting the right amount of necessary nutrients as it sheds excess weight.