Yesterday I wrote about the fallacy of cutting out 100 calories per day and expecting to lose 10lbs in one year. It seemed to work on paper, but we saw in reality the conclusion is based on a host of incorrect assumptions.
The calories in/calories out idea is useful if we think about in the opposite way. In a backward looking way, if you gained weight we know that you ate more than you burned and conversely that if you lost weight you burned more than you consumed. So instead of how can we eat less and fight our body's natural desire for balance, ask how can we get our body to use our stored energy (body fat) and lead us to want less food. How can we make tons of energy available to our cells so they don't signal us to eat more? How can we make so much energy available to the cells that we feel energetic and capable of being active? These things are all about controlling hormones. It's hormones that influence whether energy gets stored or burned. It's hormones that make you feel hungry or sated. I can geek out on the biological mechanisms, but I'll spare you for now. If you want to know, I'll elaborate in the comments. We can't count calories down to the minutiae, but we can do things to tilt our internal hormonal balance towards energy release and away from energy storage.
Behaviors that influence energy conservation/storage:
- calorie restricted dieting
- high carbohydrate consumption
- long, slow cardio
- stress
- lack of sleep
- some prescription medications
Behaviors that promote energy release
- adequate caloric intake
- low carbohydrate consumption
- high intensity exercise
- weight training
- emotional balance
- plenty of sleep
- intermittent fasting
The
why of each of these points could be (and has been) a post all its own. But regardless of the explanation, the action plan is the same. More behaviors from the energy release category and less from the energy storage. Simple enough? We hope so!
Did you know that low carbohydrate diets
increase your basal metabolic rate? AND they reduce your appetite. Low carb dieters have been shown to spontaneously consume up to 400 calories per day less - without even trying! High intensity exercise too, improves your hormone situation by increasing insulin sensitivity and improving your body's ability to access and use energy stored in the fat cells.
So the 1200 calorie/day, Special K diet with hours on the elliptical is out. What's in? Eating meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar... oh, and plenty of it. Working out hard and fast for short periods of time and lifting some heavy things. Staying relaxed, grounded, happy, and well rested - all of which are easier to accomplish with an adequate fat intake since fat is a major player in the creation and transmission of most hormones.
This approach supports your immune system, reduces inflammation, reduces blood sugar, improves insulin sensitivity - in short, it makes you healthier. It also makes you stronger, fitter, and more energetic. One more pleasant side effect? It makes you
leaner, because healthy bodies don't carry an inordinate amount of body fat. Sounds good to me!