What are the key principles to weight loss?

I used to base all of my advice on weight loss on calories. If we take in more calories than we use on a given day, the body tends to store the excess calories as fat. The opposite is also true -- if we use more calories in a given day because of our metabolism and/or exercise, our body will burn fat, and we will tend to lose weight. One pound of fat is 3500 calories, roughly. Portion control is obviously a key issue. However, calorie counting is difficult.

The basic advice regarding weight loss that I now use is based on the “Glycemic (sugar) index” of foods. Basically, what this means is that certain foods turn into sugar more quickly and, if taken in significant amounts (called the “glycemic load”), our bodies turn the excess sugar into fat. Therefore, it matters how quickly the food is turned into sugar and also how much of it we take at a given time that determines how much fat we add or lose.

Simply stated, it is better to take numerous small amounts of low glycemic index foods throughout the day rather than taking only one meal a day or taking higher glycemic index foods.

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