Eating MORE to Lose Weight
Science tells us that we need to eat LESS to lose weight. But “less” compared to what exactly? What if you’re already eating only 1000 or 1300 calories per day? You’re supposed to eat less than that to lose weight? HELL NO.
Look, your body requires a specific amount of calories to function properly. This is called your resting metabolic rate. This number is different for every person. If you’re not hitting this number in calories + eating enough calories to fuel your workouts, you WILL NOT lose body fat. People can say all day long, “less calories in, more calories out” is all that matters to lose body fat but it’s absolutely not. Especially if you’re someone that’s eating 1000 calories and working out for an hour per day. You’re literally starving your body and it’s going to start sacrificing normal every day function to survive. AND it will actually PUT ON body fat and burn it’s own muscle mass. Sounds super counterproductive.
For those who consistently eat a shit load of calories all day, you’re actually in a great spot to lose weight. Yes, lowering your calories will absolutely allow you lose weight. However, for those who eat 800-1500 calories every single day and struggle to lose weight, you’re in a terrible spot to lose body fat by lowering your calories EVEN MORE. In reality, you’re already in a deficit at 800-1500 calories. There is no way your body can function at maximum capacity, be fueled for workouts, AND drop body fat with those numbers.
So, where do we go from there? Bare with me. We need to INCREASE your caloric intake in order to increase your metabolism and ultimately allow you to lose body fat. Sounds insane right? It’s called reverse dieting. The idea is to slowly increase calories over time. Slow and small increases are key. This will allow your metabolism to keep up and power through the calories you’re eating efficiently. Once we get efficient at utilizing a certain amount of calories, THEN we start “cutting” calories. That way, when we’re in a deficit, we’re still providing our bodies with optimal calories to preserve bodily function AND we’re able to burn fat at the SAME TIME.
Here’s an example - Karen has been working out forever and eats 1100 calories per day. She works out for about an hour 5 days out of the week, and she just can’t get rid of body fat, especially in those stubborn areas. Karen decides to hire a nutrition coach who puts her through reverse dieting. The first 2 weeks she eats 1300 calories, the second 2 weeks she eats 1500 calories, the next 2 weeks she increases to 1700, the next - 1900, and her final 2 weeks she is at 2100 calories. Sounds insane but Karen has not gained ANY weight during the increases. The slow and small increases have allowed her metabolism to ramp up and she may have even lost some body fat along the way. NOW, this is where things get fun. Her nutrition coach then begins to put her through a “cut”. So now that she’s use to 2100 calories, she’s going to cut 300 calories, so 1800 total calories for the day. Her body recognizes the drop in calories as a DEFICIT now! Karen now starts to drop body fat and see changes that she has NEVER seen! And you know what the best part is? SHE’S NOT HAVING TO DEPRIVE AND STARVE HERSELF!
Moral of the story - if you’ve been eating the same amount of calories everrrryyy day, your body is not going to recognize it as a deficit. EVER. This explains why you’ve stopped seeing results. Reverse dieting is a great way to reboot the metabolism and establish a larger base to allow your body and nutrition more flexibility and enjoyment. No one wants to be eating 1000 calories per day. Been there, done that and it’s AWFUL and so unfulfilling. In reality, with proper strategy, FEMALE clients can lose body fat at around 2000 calories or even more! They are sooo much happier when their body recognizes 2000 calories as a deficit as opposed to when it recognizes 1000 calories as a deficit.
If you’ve been stuck in a rut, maybe it’s time to address your metabolism. And hey! While we’re at it, let’s teach your body to lose body fat while eating MORE! Yassssss