this is a really confusing topic for most people so let me explain:
okay you know what BMR is, right? Basal metabolic rate is the absolute minimum you need to function—> heart beats, breathing, replenishing cells like blood cells, kidney function, etc.
BMR is typically between 1200-1700 calories depending on size/gender/height/age/etc
BMR does NOT include things such as: waking up in the morning, walking to your car, standing while brushing your teeth, brushing your teeth, sitting on the computer typing. this is considered ‘daily activity’ that isn’t ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO SURVIVE. most people need 500-1000 calories OVER BMR to support ‘daily activity’
okay so that means you need around 2000 calories to not gain any weight nor lose any weight.
okay so if you eat 1200 calories, technically, you should lose nearly 1 lb a week. however, by just dieting, your body isn’t FORCED to use calories, so it will conserve energy by cutting corners/lowering metabolism (here, metabolism means cell functions that use energy, but it still means you’ll burn less calories, read: energy)
thus you need to eat a NET calorie intake of 1200 to cover your BMR (net means what’s left after what you burned) bc your body HAS to use that.
so when you exercise, you FORCE your body to use your stored energy (fat + glycogen) rather than allow your body to cut corners/use less and less energy to support your ‘daily activity’ but you must eat enough to be 1200 net to cover your bmr. otherwise, it’s starvation, and your body will begin converting muscle to fat (bc fat is more energetically efficient and muscle requires energy to exist, thus by converting muscle to fat, you store more usable energy, as well as lowering your BMR and Metabolism… this makes you “skinny fat”)
you don’t want to eat only 1200 calories, and burn 700, because that leaves your body with only 500 calories to try to maintain homeostasis such as your heart beat and your body temperature.
keep in mind, maintenance calories are between 1700-2300 for the average female! so you’ll still lose weight, but stay healthy.
Diet drinks made with artificial sugars (such as aspartame found in the dieter’s best friend: Diet Coke) hinder weight loss by LOWERING YOUR METABOLISM because “your body’s core temperature doesn’t rise after consuming artificial sweetener, causing a decrease in your BASAL METABOLIC RATE, also leading to weight gain” (TIME)
They also cause you to feel hungrier bc your body’s insulin levels go up when you taste the super saccharin sweet (pun intended) fake sugar, but since it’s not real sugar, the insulin has no sugar to transport, therefore, the high insulin levels make you CRAVE SUGAR (adapted for Science Daily, APA).
And to make things even worse, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS CAUSE VISCERAL FAT STORAGE ESPECIALLY IN YOUR LOWER ABDOMEN (Tone It Up 21). what does this mean? this means that your body stores excess fat on top of your ab muscles. YUM.
Interestingly, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP is considered an artificial sugar that is linked to these weightloss hindrances because although it comes from a plant, it is “not natural” and overly processed (Science Daily).
Also, artificial sugars/sweeteners raise your risk for dieases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, obesity, and some studies show alzheimers.
is diet coke worth it? I THINK NOT.
go for water:
you can flavor it with REAL FRUIT if you don’t like water,
try:raspberries, mint, cucumber, oranges, lime, lemons, strawberries)
- DRINKING WATER KEEPS YOU HYDRATED.
- HYDRATION ALLOWS YOUR BODY TO METABOLIZE YOUR FOOD AND BURN FAT.
- BEING HYDRATED CAN RAISE YOUR METABOLISM BY 3%.
- WATER IS IMPORTANT IN EVERY SINGLE FUNCTION OF YOUR BODY. (Gropper)
(sources:
tone it up diet plan
TIME: Can Sugar Substitues Make you Fat?
American Psych. Assoc. Journal adapted for Science Daily
Gropper, Sareen. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism <— my textbook)
still think diet coke is worth it?
