Have you been programmed to think that if you eat LESS you will lose MORE weight??
This is an all too common occurrence with anyone who is hoping to lose weight but could actually be the reason you are not getting the results you want! Have you noticed a plateau recently? Do you feel increasingly tired-and exercise isn't giving you the same "pep up" it used to? Then I implore you to look at your daily food intake-you could be eating TOO LITTLE.
Weight loss does require a calorie deficit, but you only need to have a slight deficit to lose weight, a 500 calorie deficit is more than sufficient. A greater deficit than this could actually inhibit your ability to shed weight.
The 3 main reasons why prolonged under-eating will hinder your weight loss…
1. Loss of Lean Muscle Mass. Within your weekly training regime you have hopefully incorporated weights training to help create lean muscle and therefore burn body fat. But, if you are under eating on a consistent basis you will not be providing your body with the proper nourishment it needs to energise yourself and will in turn look to other sources for energy, like lean muscle mass. Losing 500g of lean muscle will lower your metabolism by 35-50 calories a day-do this enough times and you are guaranteed to NOT lose weight! Plus, if you are on a weights training program, you will need to be eating properly to recover and rebuild muscle after each session!
2. Slowed Metabolism. The less you eat, the less your body burns energy (calories) to break down the food you are consuming. This in turn will lead to a slowed metabolism. Not a good idea if you're trying to burn body fat!
3. Increased Stress. Under-eating is a stress on your body. All stress is bad for your body, if it happens too often or in too high a quantity. As stress increases, your body will counteract by releasing cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that signals your body to go into fat storage mode by releasing fat into your blood stream to be used for energy. Keep this up for too many weeks and you will see your weight go in the wrong direction!
Instead of under eating on your macro nutrients that a Vision Personal Trainer has helped you to understand and formulate based on your goal, body type, activity level and body fat %, stick to your carbs, protein and fat targets (+/- 10g) and hit your cardio and weights training targets each week and watch the weight fall off healthily-all while you feel energised and happy!
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
