Carbs. Calories. Fat. Sugars. What actually makes you gain weight?

Question

I'm trying to lose weight and get healthy, but I don't know what to count! What's really important?

And explaining why would be nice too.

Answer 1

Count calories and exercise. You will lose weight if your calorie intake is less than your calorie expenditure.

The easiest way to limit your calories is to watch the fats & sweets. Fat has 9 calories per gram. Protein & carbs are 4 calories per gram. BUT it does all come down to using more calories than you take in.

Answer 2

The bottom line is that no matter diet, calories matter.

Keeping that in mind, remember that your body uses foods in the following order always: alcohol, carbs, protein, dietary fat.

If you eat of a lot of carbs, then the protein & fat you eat don't get used for energy and are stored at fat.

If you eat too much of those 4 groups, then body fat never gets used for energy and you stay overweight.

High carb diets work (Weight Watchers) because overall calories are lower. Low carb diets work (Atkins, South Beach) because overall carbs are lower. Low carb low calorie diets work (Kimkins) because everything is lower.

What's important is for you to pick a diet that you like and will give you the results you want.

Many people prefer slow loss diets like Weight Watchers because they can still eat sweets or familiar foods.

Many people prefer quick weight loss diets like Kimkins because they're more interested in losing 1 pound a day than in snacking on favorite foods.

All that matters is what you want and what will work for you! You might just design your own diet and cut back portions?

Answer 3

Well.. all of the above in excess. I think the BIGGEST culprit is sugar.. just by cutting out the sodas/frappaccinos/sugary drinks people have on a daily basis, many people lose weight. But like I said, I believe that all of them can do damage if eaten too much. The best rule to remember when it comes to food is everything in moderation. If you eat fast food every day for most meals, chances are that you will gain weight, or at least become unhealthier in some form. But if you eat a burger 2 or 3 times a month, and grab a frappaccino once in a while with friends, that should be fine if you're otherwise healthy. I think for different people also, different things make them gain weight. Like for me, sugar is my enemy, like candy and such. For my mom, carbs are the enemy, like rice and white bread, whereas they don't affect me that much. Sugar is a form of carbohydrates though.. I suppose it's something that can be talked about endlessly, and there are a ton of theories. The best one, if you ask me, is just eat what you want in smaller quantities. Try to add healthier things to your diet, substitute wheat for white, eat less sugar, and move more.. not necessarily exercise, but move.. dance, play, etc. I think the majority of people will be fine that way. :o)

Answer 4

There are complex carbs and simple carbs. Your body converts carbs into glucose. To lose weight you should cut down on carbs, sugars and fats. To eat healthy is to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, stay away from fried foods, red meats and saturated fats. Find some form of exercise that you like and do it every day. You will be healthy, lean and will have lots of energy.
Keep your calories from fat to 30% or less but don't cut out all fat.
Your heart requires it. Your brain requires glucose. Just cut down on both.

Answer 5

We gain weight when we consume more calories than we need. The first thing to do if you want to lose weight is to determine the number of calories we need. Let us suppose that it is 1800. Then figure the number of calories you consume in your regular breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most foods carry nutritional labels. Use these labels as an aid in determining your intake.

Most people do not consider the number of calories they consume in so-called snack items. A can of soda, for instance, contains about 200 calories, or 11% of your 1800 calorie daily quota. Until you begin showing results in your weight -loss objective make a rule that you will not consume any snack items. Rely on your three meals for your total calorie intake. Good luck.

Answer 6

Calories
The first aspect of a healthy diet is the most basic. Whether you are looking to lose or maintain weight, you need to be sure you caloric intake is appropriate for your body. The FDA recommends an average intake of 2,000 calories per day. If you are trying to lose weight, however, you may want to reduce your caloric intake to 1,000-1,500 per day. These numbers are just guidelines, however.

A Balanced Diet
There are many building blocks in the pyramid of good nutrition. Even while cutting calories, you need to be sure that you are getting all of what you need.

Exercise
Not only will it help you to lose weight, exercise will improve every aspect of your life. Get into the habit of being active now -- you will be thankful for it for the rest of your life. You don’t need to run 5 miles to say you exercise. Start off by walking outside for 15 minutes per day. If you can commit to that, you will begin to see results within two weeks, and that will keep you going. Gradually increase your exercise as you are able. Some days you may not want to, but remind yourself that the rewards are huge. Also remember that household chores such as sweeping and dusting count as physical activity too. Be active in anyway you can.

Answer 7

a balanced diet is important. Eat 3 meals a day and healthy snacks in between. Avoid fats and sugars. Don't cut carbs. Your brain needs carbs to function. Any nutritionist will tell you that. the Atkins diet is horrible. Just start doing something physical each day, enough to make you tired. Up it every two weeks gradually making it more strenuous. For example, start walking, but later start running when you are able.

Answer 8

The best is to cut out all fatt and all sugar that you are aware of. You will get sugar anyway.. cause fruit has sugar in it...Look at the labels of condiments.. Dijon mustard with horseradish has sugar..whereas salsa sauce does not. In the short term limit your bread intake to 1 slice of Hollywood bread a day.. Eat 2 fruits a day, eat 2-3 100 grams of protein (that would be about a deck of cards) of meat (limit red meat to once a week) or low fat cheese, 2 servings of 8 ounces of non-starchy non-sugary vegetables (green leafy,tomatoes, brocolli, peppers). Be sure to take a multi- vitamin a day. I take the Swiss Herbal Total Woman. I would have your blood checked when you begin and have it check every six weeks while you are on this diet so that you remain healthy. When I was on this strict diet, I had to incorporate a daily iron pill and potttasium pill...Sticking to this may be hard trying to do it all alone...Perhaps join an on-line diet help website? Good luck.. it does work.. but i understand motiviation issues.. I saw someone three times a week to help keep me motiviation on this diet. I was 160 lbs.. i was as low as 126 lbs.. It is now three years later and I would say im probably about 135 lbs. I'll put myself back on this diet to bring myself back to under 130.. Now that i've dedicated time and money to gain control of my appearance i want to keep it. And dang I look good without those pounds!

Answer 9

This is fairly simple but can be complex to apply.

You gain weight when you burn less calories than what you take in.

You lose weight when you burn more calories than what you take in.

So with a diet or better eating the goal would be to chose appropriate foods and to consume an appropriate amount of calories so that you are not taking in more than you can burn.

With exercise you are helping your body to burn off calories above and beyond what your body would burn doing normal everyday activities.

Answer 10

If you've been working out then you probably gained muscle... there hasn't been any evidence at all that fat in a diet causes fat on your body. Try eating small balanced meals through out the day, things like chicken and fish and veggies and fruit.