Weight loss vs Weight gain: What exactly am I doing?

Oladapo Isabel

Are you trying to get that curvy figure eight or some amazing biceps? Are you underweight or do you feel like the you would get more respect if you had a bigger stature? Whatever you feel, it is certain that at one point or the other, you might have tried to gain or lose weight.

It takes a lot of work to gain weight but losing weight is even harder. Whichever you wish to do, you should know that there are certain factors that influence weigh gain and weight loss. Knowing these factors can help in weight loss or gain journey.

Calories

A calorie is defined as a unit of energy. In this context, a calorie is a unit of energy that is gotten from the food you eat that is responsible for growth and other bodily functions.

Proteins, fatty and starchy foods are common sources of calories. Calories are necessary for weigh gain. It can lead to weight gain after several days of intake. Certain foods are best when it comes to weight gain and the beautiful thing about them is that you actually gain weight in a couple of days depending on how much high-calorie foods you consume.

The U.S. Department of Health advises men to consume 2000-3000 calories a day to maintain their weight, and 1600-2400 for women. Logic advises us to consume more than these calories in order to gain more, and less of them, if we are working with diets. If you’re a religious consumer of milk, tofu, boiled/mashed sweet potatoes, bananas, avocadoes and junk foods like soda, pizza, ice cream, donuts and French fries, you’re definitely on the right path to gaining the extra weight you deserve, especially if you love these things in excess. However, balance is advised as you can substitute some of these junk foods for healthier foods like swallows, meat, yam, rice and beans.

Eating and sleeping late

Eating a lot of starchy foods, especially before bedtime makes you feel heavy and keeps you in a resting position and because your body is at rest, you are not expending any energy. The calories are going to be processed and stored up in your system. In addition to the number of calories consumed each day, timing is also really important. Studies have proven that late night eaters consume more calories as a result of poor food choices made at that time of the night. These people usually end up eating junk, especially if they have to watch late night movies. They gather up a lot of sugar and go to sleep immediately so it adds to their weight because they are not able to burn the calories acquired. So if you’re a late night eater looking to gain weight, it’s not a bad idea to have a movie night. If you’re on a diet or weight loss and you have to binge movies, you should run away from late night snacks.

Fasting

Except if this is for genuine religious reasons, we should probably call this a hunger strike. When you fast, especially when not doing strenuous work, your body is on energy-conservation mode and it is funny how people feel that when they break their fast and have to eat, they should eat as much as possible to cover the meals skipped during the fast. You end up consuming a lot more calories than you would have at a single sitting. You might have to control your food intake after fasting or not eating for a period of time. It is usually best to stick to vegetables and water and/or little food if your goal is to shed weight.

Exercise

If you feel underweight and you still go to the gym to undergo strenuous routines, you’re probably looking to lose your life in the absence of body fat. On the other hand, some people whose goal is to lose weight feel like they have no life in them after working out. Working out makes people really hungry and instead of watching their diet, they run back to eat foods that will fill them, consuming the calories that they just burned and picking the weight right back. So you’re trimming and you have this habit, wondering why your routine is not working. It’s definitely not your village people. You’re doing yourself.

You’d have seen now that gaining or losing weight is not as hard as you think. However, caution must be taken to avoid extremism. Avoid doing too much and know when to stop, especially as your health permits.