I want to explain why eating too little could be keeping you fat.
I know, I’m coming in raw and unfiltered on this one.
Anyway, sugarcoating it doesn’t help anyone so let’s get down to business.
If a calorie deficit is needed for fat loss to occur …
How is it possible that eating too little results in gaining body fat?
Let’s use a real life example to explain it.
We’ll call our subject Charlie for the sake of anonymity.
Charlie was feeling really displeased with herself because she gained over 80 lbs. over the course of several years.
She felt like it just kept creeping on little by little and she expected the weight gain to stop, but it never did.
Eventually, she was fed up and ready to make a change. Timing is everything, right?
Her gym was doing a 16 week challenge that was the perfect kick-start to Charlie’s weight loss efforts.
Sitting around 250 lbs., Charlie was hoping to lose a good chunk of the 80 lbs. she had gained. Maybe 30-40 through the challenge and then continue to work off the remaining 40-50 on her own.
The challenge started and Charlie was feeling great! Working out consistently and following the meal plan.
Even though it was hard to follow, Charlie was motivated by the results. She was eating around 1400 calories per day and doing mostly circuit-based cardio workouts.
Each week the scale was dropping so she busted her ass to stay consistent. Fighting off hunger, low energy, intense cravings, and overall crankiness.
Charlie wanted to finish what she started. Fast forward 16 weeks and she was down 30 lbs.! She was feeling really accomplished and proud of herself.
Then came the body scan…
Charlie found out that almost half of the weight she lost was muscle! She lost 18 lbs. of fat and 12 lbs. of muscle.
Anyway, she wasn’t going to let that stop her. But now that the challenge was over, she felt like she could let up a bit and not be so strict. I mean, who wants to fight off intense hunger and cravings forever?
So, she starts to eat a little bit more like she did before the challenge. She hadn’t really learned any sustainable habits so she kind of defaulted back to what she used to do.
It felt good to get some energy back and not be craving sugar all the damn time. However, after a couple of weeks, Charlie noticed her clothes getting tight again.
She felt extremely frustrated and mad at herself. How could she do this after making so much progress?
That sent her into a short tailspin where she overindulged while feeling sorry for herself. Like, why even bother?
Then came the gut punch. Charlie wanted to start over. So, she went back to her gym and did another body scan …
She had gained back every single pound she lost … AND … it was all fat and no muscle.
Not only was Charlie starting back at square one, but had an even worse body composition, and the real kicker … her metabolism was now slower than before.
Why? Because Charlie had less muscle and more body fat. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. In other words, if you took two identical 250 lb. individuals, and everything about them was exactly the same except one had more muscle … that individual with more muscle would have a faster metabolism.
Basically, they would burn more calories on a daily basis which means they could eat more without gaining weight OR reduce body fat on higher calories than the individual with less muscle.
So, you can see that Charlie really did a number on her metabolism. And, what do you think her solution was?
To go back to the meal plan from the challenge. I mean, “it worked” right? Cutting calories seems to be the go-to plan when frustration hits.
Is eating too little really the best solution?
But now, she has an even slower metabolism so her body doesn’t respond like the first time. The weight loss is much slower and the hunger and cravings are almost unbearable.
Let me stop here. Because this is a real example that is all too common. In fact, you could replace Charlie for Mike and change some minor details and it would be my exact story.
This is exactly how eating too little can lead to gaining more fat.
Now, I could have just told you that research shows a strong correlation between dieting attempts and weight gain. But, that’s not as powerful as spelling it out and detailing exactly how it happens.
The question is … what to do about it?
Personalized coaching will help you get better results
Well, for starters, we want to make sure you’re actually supporting your metabolism with the right amount of food and types of foods.
I call it metabolic priming, which essentially means we want you to be able to eat more calories while losing body fat and improving body composition. This is accomplished through total calories, ratio of macronutrients, and food quality.
It also means monitoring the stress in your life and paying attention to biofeedback markers like energy, hunger, cravings, mood, sleep, etc.
Your body will tell us everything we need to know. It’s just a matter of listening.
We also want to make sure that you’re training and eating in a way to support muscle building or at least maintaining. The reason is because of what I explained above about how it will improve your metabolism.
There are other reasons too, like better nutrient absorption and partitioning and looking better naked (aka achieving the lean and toned physique you desire).
Ultimately, we want to filter everything through the lens of sustainability. If it makes you miserable … you won’t maintain it. There are two things that exponentially increase sustainability and consistency …
- Incorporating things you enjoy like date nights, alcohol, social events, fun foods, etc.
- Eating foods that support your brain chemistry based on your personality type. You’ll feel more like yourself, will have less overall stress on your system, and will notice a more balanced mood.
Those things will contribute to making progress and losing fat more effectively but, most importantly, it will ensure that the results are permanent and not temporary.
Experience dietary freedom with our 1:1 coaching program
This happens to be the EXACT process we utilize for our 1:1 clients in our signature 6-month coaching program. They are able to lose between 20-30 lbs. sustainably while maintaining strong metabolic function which allows them to continue making progress for life.
It’s perfect for anyone who has struggled with similar experience as Charlie (and myself) and want to end the frustration of failed dieting attempts and finally achieve the physical results they desire.
If that’s you and you want to see if our program is the right fit, simply click the button below to PM me on Facebook and we’ll discuss your goals to see if we can help!
Much love,
Coach Mike
