How do we lose weight? Is it really just calories in vs. calories out?

The majority of my clients are either looking to lose weight or maintain their current weight. We all know that watching our caloric intake and exercise makes for a good partnership of reaching our weight loss goals, however, there is more to it. Your RMR (resting metabolic rate) is a major contributor to weight loss. Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Throughout this intricate biochemical process, calories in your food and beverages link to oxygen to release the energy your body requires to function. Even while you're at rest, your body needs energy to do it's most basic, quiet functions, ie; breathing, adjusting hormone levels, circulating blood, regulating your temperature, and growing and repairing cells. Your RMR typically accounts for 60%-75% of your total daily energy expenditure. So while weight gain is a combination of genetic makeup, hormonal controls, diet, sleep stress and physical activity, all of these factors equate to the imbalance of the energy equation. You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn - or burn fewer calories than you eat. Here's an article which further explores this topic by one of my former UCSD instructors who is very well recognized and respected in the fitness industry: http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/the-energy-equation