Weight loss is often perceived as a difficult and frustrating process. Everyone who has tried to lose weight will understand the struggles that come with it. According to Chennai-based fitness coach Raj Ganpath, losing weight is much harder than gaining weight. This imbalance is not a flaw in the human body but a deliberate design of how the body has evolved to function.
In an Instagram video, Ganpath gave reasons why it is much more difficult to lose weight than to gain it. The fitness influencer associated this with some basic survival instincts of the human body.
The relationship between calorie intake and body weight
Starting by explaining the relationship between calorie intake and body weight, Ganpath states that people experience weight loss when they consume fewer calories than they burn, thus creating a calorie deficit. In cases where people consume more calories than they burn, they gain weight. Despite its seeming simplicity, creating a calorie deficit is usually much more difficult than creating a calorie surplus.
A person who consumes 2,000 calories a day may find it difficult to consume 500 fewer calories and even more challenging to cut 1,000 calories without feeling deprived.
Burning calories requires effort
The fitness coach also highlights the challenge of increasing calorie expenditure. He explains that burning additional calories requires physical activities such as exercising, walking and moving around. Increasing energy expenditure by 500 or even 1,000 calories each day calls for a considerable amount of time and effort.
On the other hand, decreasing calorie expenditure is comparatively easier.
Skipping workouts, avoiding physical activity and spending more time sitting or resting can quickly lower the number of calories burned each day.
Why the body prefers to store energy
According to Ganpath, these two factors work together to make weight gain easier and weight loss more difficult. The body naturally favours energy conservation and storage rather than energy expenditure.
According to him, this instinctive behaviour is the result of human evolution. He believes that throughout human history, food shortages posed a greater threat than weight gain. This is why the human body has evolved in a way that encourages energy storage and protects against starvation.
Ganpath notes that if the body had an easier time expending energy and a harder time storing it, there would have been a higher risk of death for humans. The conservation of energy by the body is thus a survival strategy, even when compared to the dangers of obesity.
As per Raj Ganpath, being aware of these facts can help people approach their weight-loss efforts more realistically. Instead of going against the body’s natural tendencies, one should strive for gradual improvements in diet and lifestyle.
(By Avnie Saraf)
Also read: From 72 kg to 49 kg: Fitness trainer reveals 8 habits she quit to transform her body
