Why Calories In & Calories Out is wrong

So after having a very interesting chat with a client, I decided to share with you a little from her journey which we can all relate to.

I love these chats for a few reasons: First, I love giving people hope. To let someone know that there is a fix and they are not alone and I can give them the answers to their body that they are looking for - I mean who doesn't like to deliver good news right?! Secondly, my passion is helping people so to trouble shoot hormonal balance, nutrition and fitness issues I find thrilling. It's a win win for sure.

So, back to the chat. As I said, I think many of us can relate to this. She has been on a calorie restricted diet for 3-months, 800-1200 calories per day. She has lost 12kg of the 18kg she wants to lose. At first the weight was coming off like crazy, but all of a sudden she has hit a plateau. Worse then this, in my opinion, she is lacking energy and

therefore her workouts are suffering. This is more common then most might think. To me this is an easy fix.

Metabolism plays a role....

Anytime we lose weight or reduce our body-fat we

change the way in which our metabolism functions. The less you weigh, the less energy required by your body to function, exercise, sleep etc. So, as you reduce weight (and remember weight loss can be water, fat, and even muscle) you reduce your metabolic rate. When we drop the weight to a certain point in order to continue losing weight you will have to continue to reduce your calories. But just how realistic is this? For someone who is already on a restricted diet of 1200 calories or less, how low can they possibly go? This is where dieting can take a dangerous turn.

Why too low calorie doesn't work...

We have been mistakenly directed to reduce calories and increase exercise in order to lose weight. This is obviously wrong. So, it is not so much about the calories in and calories out model - there is a whole lot more to this whole thing.

We need to understand there is a specific amount of calories we need to simply live. I am sitting here typing and thinking and I need caloric expenditure in order for this to happen. No different then when I go to train and lift weights, I burn a certain amount of calories in order for that to happen. So what is the amount of calories we need just to breathe, eat, sleep, think?? On average, for a female it's between 1200-1500. So, obviously if you reduce your calories to 800 calories a day, at first you will most definitely lose weight. Eventually, the body will push-back. This is not sustainable. Quite often people will be losing weight no problem and then all of sudden no matter what they do they cannot drop a pound - for some they start to gain again. This is why I always recommend to count your protein intake rather than calories to start.

Why dieting can be a slippery slop...

Diets are not something I advocate for this exact reason. Even the word diet, gives us a meaning that it is short term! At first people get so excited because they are losing weight and they believe they have finally found their weight loss solution. It is devastating when that is not the case. Worse then that, when you only restrict calories you have left no room for learning. You have no idea what may have been working and what was not - the focus is all on calories in and calories out. It is important when you are trying to find your healthy that you learn along the way. Following a calorie restricted diet will not allow this to happen - in the end you will just know how to drop calories. I practice and preach LONG term healthy lifestyle change so we keep the weight off for good and we feel and live healthy for good too!

The other part to this is weight loss isn't discriminant. You can lose 4.5kg of muscle (which would not be good) water, or fat (which would be amazing) so you want to make sure while losing weight you're combing it with healthy eating for your body and quality exercise that helps you burn fat. This is different for everyone and is not covered in a calorie restricted diet. (Again hence I focus on protein targets to avoid losing muscle mass)

So as you restrict your calories and start to lose the weight be very careful...at first this is so exciting and you may even want to restrict even more to get more results, but I will tell you the body will eventually push back. THIS IS NOT YOUR ANSWER! So, what is the answer? The answer will look slightly different for everyone. On average, if you are looking to drop weight through losing fat (we need to maintain as much lean muscle as we can!) do the following: 