Metabolism is the process through which food is converted into energy to help sustain bodily functions.
The calories that our body burns during the resting phase are called ‘Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)’. Yes, you can burn calories even while sleeping or watching TV. BMR can increase or decrease depending on our body size and the amount of body fat we have.
Weight gain typically occurs through metabolic imbalance where food intake exceeds energy expenditure from metabolic functions, resulting in excess energy being stored as fat.
The strict dietary regimes that you follow for weight loss, most of them remain ineffective. When you are on a restrictive diet that tells you to consume very few calories per day, you will begin to starve.
This causes the metabolism to slow down by burning only fewer calories so that if you were to leave that diet and resume your normal eating, the body is tricked into defense mode by regaining the same weight back. Therefore, many people struggle to keep fat off the long term as this will cause a decline in their metabolism.
To clarify, one of the main ways to lose weight is to be within a caloric deficit.
However, it doesn’t have to be a major deficit; depending on your goals and needs, a 1500-1600 caloric diet may not be enough.
Eating enough and fueling your body with the right amount of nutrition will optimize fat loss over time.