By Yervand Kondrahjian | Staff Writer
Some people think that diet is the only variable that comes with losing weight. Some others add that diet and physical activity are both equally essential for a healthy lifestyle. But what if I said that there is a third variable that comes into play when it comes to losing weight? Genetics. So, let us discuss the significance of both, diet, and genetics, in losing weight and maintaining a healthy balance.
‘Calories in’ are the calories you consume from food, and ‘calories out’ are the calories you expend via exercise. There are 3 main bodily processes that burn calories: The fundamental metabolism comes first. Your body uses the bulk of the calories you ingest to sustain vital functions like your heartbeat. You may hear people refer to this as your basal metabolic rate (BMR). The second is digestion: Your body uses about 10% to 15% of the calories you consume to fuel digestion. In fact, the thermic effect of food (TEF), which changes depending on the items you eat, is what causes this. Last but not least comes physical exercise: Your diet’s excess calories are intended to fuel your physical activity, such as exercises and regular activities like walking, reading, and washing dishes.
We start by estimating basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is based on the use of equations created specifically for this function, which includes variables such as age, gender, height, and weight. BMR is often multiplied by an activity level factor depending on physical activity such as workouts, exercise, and the type of job a person works. The thermic effect of food is another variable that may be considered in the calculation; however, it is not typically done and has much less influence than BMR and activity level.
You may lower body weight and enhance metabolic health by adopting a nutritious diet and increasing physical exercise. Plans for treating obesity and losing weight, in general, include cutting calories by at least 500 per day in order to lose one pound of weight per week.
Even with all these precautions, this sometimes comes with a hefty drawback: Dieters typically gain half to all of their initial weight back within three to five years. However, maintaining even 5 to 10% of weight loss is a major accomplishment. This is why it is vital for dieters to understand that diet doesn’t stop when the ideal weight is reached: It is a permanent process that should be regulated.
Your capacity to change, maintain, or gain weight depends on a variety of behavioral, environmental, and hereditary variables. Is it true that your capacity to shed pounds in order to enhance your health and total body composition is significantly influenced by your genetics? Or is food the main motivator? Particularly, when it comes to body fat, genetics have an intriguing effect on body composition. Depending on your gender, age, and of course, family genetics, your body is built to store fat in specific locations.
According to set point theory, your body may have a preferred weight range. This is believed to increase the risk of weight gain after dieting. This theory further discusses that this optimal weight range can be influenced genetically by dietary choices or environmental variables. The researchers also noted that DNA polymorphisms affect the maintenance and deposition of body fat as well as body shape, and that genetics affect gender-specific body fat distribution. Remember that the concertation of fat has more diverse effects than the amount of fat stored.
Remember that weight reduction is more complicated than the simple equation calories in minus calories out. Weight reduction is also much more complicated than only the BMR. The best method for reducing fat and building muscle is to combine a good diet with exercise. Combining weight training with cardio exercise, especially during high-intensity exercises, can enhance skeletal muscle mass, decrease body fat mass overall, and improve muscular endurance.
It is true that you cannot do anything to change your genetics, and that some genetic components may make it harder for you to achieve your ideal body weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, genetics should not be used as an excuse to demotivate you to reach your health goals. This is because, regardless of your genetics, if you maintain a balanced diet and exercise, you will set yourself on the right track to becoming a healthier version of yourself.