The battle of excess calories

If we view food in the same way we view fuel for our vehicle, it simplifies the determination of whether we need fuel or if a refill is not necessary. Unlike a car, our fuel tank is expandable. When we overeat (and don’t burn off these extra calories within the next 3 to 6 hours), our body will store this excess fuel in mini storage cells (fat cells) throughout our body, especially if we eat again before the extra calories are burned off. These extra calories become the energy matter inside our fat cells, and this is what causes us to appear overweight.   

Often, we mistake hunger for the feeling we get when our body starts to run out of sugar, which is when we need to wait a little longer and let our body shift its energy source to burning fat for energy. This is also when you can cash in on the stored calories, but to do so, your blood sugar level has to drop.

A little trick I’ve found that seems to work well is creating a calorie deficit by being active and not eating for an extended period before a heavy meal, and then doing something to burn off the excess blood sugar about an hour after eating. You can also skip eating the next meal or go light to balance out the excess calories. The energy from these (last in) extra calories should be readily available if we do not eat anything sweet or starchy. Too much sugar and starch can turn off the fat-burning process. When insulin levels rise in the blood, it signals the body to stop burning fat for energy and focus on clearing sugar from the blood. Can you imagine how syrupy our blood supply would get if it didn’t work like that?  

Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight: If you overeat, stagger it by having a light meal or simply skipping the next meal. Eating heavy meals without alternating with light meals that are rich in fiber (such as raw vegetables) is a recipe for excess weight gain.  

Getting to know our own body so that we know when it needs food and when we need to give it time to clear food out of our system is essential if we want to reduce our weight or maintain it. When we consume excess calories, they are stored in the fat cells of our bodies as a reserve fuel. Lowering our sugar levels to a sufficient level (for a prolonged period) releases the calories from these areas and reduces the size of these fat deposits.