By Dee Griffin
Losing weight starts with a foundational understanding of how the human body works. In the most basic level, there has to be a calorie deficit. This deficit occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. The body does this by converting food into energy but it’s not quite that simple in actual application. Everyone’s body converts food into energy in order to work but there is so much more involved in the process. You have to deal with things such as your age, activity level, genetic make up, your relationship to food, how you handle stress.
When you eat, your body will typically take advantage of any excess calories that you eat and hand on to it in the form of fat. Think of it as your body’s “rainy day fund” but instead of waiting on a rainy day, it is waiting on a time where food is scarce. It’s more of a survival mechanism. The problem is our body doesn’t know that we can get food again at a moment’s notice at the local drive through.
The key to losing weight is as varied as we are individual people. Generally speaking, I typically recommend tracking what you eat. It usually surprises people to see how many calories are in that drive through coffee and bagel on the way to work actually adds up to. After that realization, something as simple as making healthier choices at each meal can add up to weight loss.
Dee Anne Griffin owns Dynamic Health Solutions, LLC and is a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has worked in the medical field for more than 20 years. She listens and recommends different options to create a unique plan that fits each individual. When not practicing medicine Griffin spends time on her family farm tending to her animals and is very active in her church. Contact her at 803-454-1661. Her offices are located at 169 A Medical Circle, West Columbia.
