| We all know that in order to lose weight, we need to | | | | fat cells do not have much function and they are not |
| burn more calories than we consume. Why is that | | | | active. Fat cells just sits there making you look ugly |
| so? What exactly are calories? How are we to burn | | | | and may cause health complications. |
| more calories? | | | | Different food category carries different amount of |
| Well, a calorie is simply a form of heat measurement. | | | | calories. For example, there are about 4 calories in a |
| It is the amount of energy that is required to raise | | | | gram of protein or carbohydrate. However, each |
| one milliliter of water by one degree Celsius. Calorie | | | | gram of fat contains 9 calories and so the more fat |
| measures the amount of heat or energy that is | | | | you eat, the more calories your body will store and |
| released when you burn the food you have | | | | you will have a harder time burning them off if you |
| consumed. | | | | want to lose weight. Empty calories like alcohol should |
| Calories are actually burnt through a very complicated | | | | be avoided if you want to lose weight because each |
| process that oxidizes food to its basic components. | | | | gram of alcohol contains 7 calories. |
| Take for example, if you burn sugar, the sugar will | | | | Some people raise their metabolic rate (calorie burning |
| be transformed into carbon dioxide in a chemical | | | | rate) by eating several small meals a day instead of |
| reaction. However in the human body, the food burnt | | | | usual three big meals. By eating more frequently, |
| is converted to forms of energy. | | | | your insulin level is also regulated and less insulin will |
| So therefore when you consume food, the food is | | | | then be converted to body fat. |
| stored as body fat or glycogen (glycogen is mostly | | | | So how can you burn more calories and also raise |
| stored in liver and muscles) to be burnt for energy. | | | | your metabolism in order to be a natural calorie |
| Your body's preference is to burn glycogen first and | | | | burner? The answer is to build more muscles, eat |
| then body fat when you expand energy such as | | | | frequent small meals and embark on an exercise |
| when you are performing an exercise routine. | | | | regimen to expand energy and thus burning more |
| The more muscle mass you have, the more calories | | | | calories in the process. By doing so, you will be losing |
| you will burn. This is because muscle cells are | | | | weight naturally in a healthy way. |
| metabolically active where fat cells are not because | | | | |