5 Truths About Weight Loss
It’s the diet industry’s world, and we’re all just living in it. Unfortunately, the industry gives us a lot of false hope, a lot of misinformation, and a lot of guilt and shame. However, it never admits to that. Instead, it says that if your plan isn’t working, there must be something wrong with your dedication, and that you should try harder.
The only way to fight back is through education. As a coach, I strive to teach my clients the truths that the diet industry leaves out. Why? Well, because the truth is a little bit more complicated. And a full understanding of the truth might make you conclude that you don’t need to buy another diet plan created by someone who hasn’t even met you and yet still “guarantees” that it’ll work.
Read on for five truths about weight loss.
It’s not as simple as eating less, moving more.
For beginners, this might be true. It can be easy to see results by simply eating less and moving more at the beginning of your wellness journey. However, after a while, your metabolism will adapt, and your body will require increased stimulus to gain muscle. Muscle gain is very important in any weight loss journey as an increase in muscle is the only, sure-fire way to increase your metabolism. However, in order to gain muscle, you need to eat in a caloric surplus. Over time, having more muscle will help you to shed fat. But in order to shed fat, you need to eat in a caloric deficit.
So if you feel like you’re doing all that you can to lose weight, but nothing seems to be changing, rest assured that it’s not you or your lack of effort. It’s just your lack of an effective plan that meets you where you’re at right now and strategically guides you to where you want to go.
An increase in weight on the scale doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in body fat.
It can be very alarming to step on the scale and see a bigger number than you saw just a few days ago. Rest assured, it is most likely not because you’ve gained pounds of fat practically overnight. In order to do so, you’d have to eat a minimum of 4,000 calories each day while not moving from your bed or couch for even a second.
What’s more likely is that your body is retaining water. There are a number of reasons for this biological response, including, but not limited to, muscle recovery after an intense workout, digestion after a meal higher in carbs and or sodium, hormonal influx or shift, medication side effects, and standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time.
For anyone on a weight loss journey, it’s important to understand how and why your weight can fluctuate as well as how often you should be weighing yourself and what you should be doing with those numbers.
If you’ve been in a caloric deficit for a prolonged period of time, your body will adapt to a low calorie diet, and your metabolism will slow.
Anyone who has been dieting for six months or longer will start to see less and less change on the scale and in the way clothes fit. This is because your metabolism begins to adapt to the number of calories you allow yourself each day. To function optimally on a less than desired number of calories, your body slows your metabolism down. Now, your body is primed to work less and exert less energy throughout the day. As a result, you will feel less energized, and you will most likely have less energy for your workouts. Thus, your workouts become less impactful.
I often come across clients who have been dieting for months, and even more commonly, years, and are understandably frustrated by their lack of results. Together, we work to strategically and gradually add calories back into their diet through a process called reverse dieting. This period of time gives them the opportunity to increase metabolism and thus, increase workout effort. Reverse dieting is also a great time to focus on putting on muscle. Remember, increasing muscle mass is the number one way to also increase your metabolism.
After some time off from dieting, your body and metabolism will be reset and primed to enter another dieting phase. How long you spend dieting and reverse dieting is unique to you, your goals, and your body’s response to each phase.
One of the main reasons people struggle to keep weight off is because they lack education and strategy.
The diet industry is saturated with plans to help you lose weight. Most of them come with a list of foods you can or can’t have, a set amount of calories or points you’re allowed to eat, times of day you’re allowed to eat in, and more. What the majority of these plans don’t cover is… now what?
So you’ve been doing said plan, and you’ve lost some weight. But it seems like your body is no longer responding to the plan. Or maybe you are happy with your weight loss and no longer want to follow the plan. Going from calorie restriction to a calorie free-for-all will most likely result in immediate weight gain. Additionally, not eating enough will continue to slow your metabolism and affect a future dieting phase, if applicable.
The key to sustainable and lasting weight loss is having a strong understanding of your body’s personal caloric deficit, maintenance, and surplus windows as well as how and when to execute each of these phases to reach your goals.
Even the most dedicated workout routine can’t cancel out poor, inconsistent nutrition and sleep.
Finally, it’s really important to acknowledge that your daily calorie intake is one piece of your weight loss journey. In order to optimally lose weight, you must also be getting enough sleep and eating a quality, balanced diet. Unfortunately, even the most rigorous workout plan won’t cancel out an inconsistent diet and poor sleep habits.
Anyone struggling with weight loss should look at the bigger picture of their health before resolving to eat even less calories.
If you feel like you could use some more guidance, support, and accountability as you approach your 2023 weight loss resolutions, I am here for you! I offer a number of wellness services that help you to reach your goals, always taking into account your unique needs, your schedule, and what’s important to you. Interested in learning more? Schedule your no-strings-attached, complimentary consultation today!
