Statistics reveal that in recent years there is a marked and steady escalation towards obesity and excess weight. With the frenetic pace of life, people are getting fatter.  Hand-in-hand with this statistic is an alarming rise in the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other ailments which medical science has proved beyond doubt are inextricably linked to excess weight. The problem is global; more especially in developed and developing countries.  As a consequence, there is a sudden emphasis on weight loss. 

Weight loss is a vast subject with hundreds of thousands of solutions, some practical, others verging on the bizarre. However, the most effective and lasting is a common sense, logical approach.  A proper understanding of the mechanics of weight loss will help. 

Weight loss can be boiled down to a simple mathematical equation: 

Calories expended – Calories absorbed = Weight loss. 

Let us explore this concept further. 

Calories expended.  The total requirement of calories per day is the sum of the calories required to fuel your body + calories of physical activity + calories required for digestion. A little-known fact is that approximately 10% of your daily calorie requirement is needed just to digest the food you eat. 

Calories absorbed.  This is the sum of the calories from all the food and drink taken through the day. Every item of food and drink that we consume contains calories.  Very few edible substances contained zero calories.  Water is the only substance that comes to mind. 

A number of books are available with tables of the calorific values of all types of food and drinks.  Similar information is available on calories burned by people of different weights under different conditions of physical stress, i.e. when working, playing, exercising etc. Such data is also easily obtainable on the Internet. The information will enable you to proceed to actual numbers.  

If weight loss is the goal, then one can easily personalize the formula knowing that 1 pound of body weight is equivalent to 3500 cals.  So if your target weight loss is 22 pounds (10 kgs), which you want to lose in six months (180) days then the solution would work out something like this: 

22 (lbs) * 3500 (cals)/180 (days) = 428 (cals/day) (approx.) 

In other words, to lose 22 pounds in six months the difference between your calories burned and the calories consumed should be 430 cal per day. 

So how do we go about achieving this difference?  You could either increase the calories expended or decrease the calories absorbed, or both.  Let us explore that further. 

Increase calories expended.  The best way is to have a regular exercise program.  However, if you are already exercising, the option is to increase the intensity of the exercise or switch to a more demanding program.  Walking and swimming are the two simplest of exercises without involving any expenses. 

A word of caution: if you are unused to exercise or are suffering from any medical problems, please consult your doctor before embarking on such a program. 

Decrease calories absorbed.  You have two options – a) reduce your food intake, or b) make suitable alterations in your diet.  From the calorie charts you will be able to establish the calorific value or all the foods you are consuming.  Check out those with the highest calories and replace them with foods of lower value.  As a broad guideline, replace fats, carbohydrates and sugars with fresh fruit and vegetable.  Fruit and vegetable not only have a far higher calorific value but have high fiber content as well. Fruit and vegetable is highly recommended by doctors as it is not just a healthy alternative but is also preventive in ailments of the colon. Furthermore, they take longer to digest and consequently keep you full for a longer period.  Additionally, because of their higher fiber content digesting them requires more calories. These advantages make fruit and vegetable a win-win choice. 

A good way of tracking your progress is to maintain a daily diary.  In this you record all the foods you have consumed during the day and their respective calorific values. On the opposite page record your total calorific expenditure.  The difference will give you the calories that have been burned from your body's fat deposits.  Keep a weekly and monthly total and compare this with the actual body weight that you have lost.  At first the loss will be rapid, but in time you will reach a plateau.  Stick with the existing program, or if you wish to accelerate progress, intensify your exercise level.  This will result in a break-through. 

The foregoing is the most effective and sustained method of weight loss. It requires determination and commitment, but the end result is well worth the sacrifice.