I grew up hearing things like "to lose weight all you have to do is eat less and then burn more than you eat" nice concept and that is only partially true. The science behind losing weight is a lot more complex! As I hit a plateau and stalled in my weight loss journey, I had to start figuring out where my trouble is coming from. After discussing things with my nutritionist and primary doctor and my surgeon I had to finally admit that I am calorie deficient. While the term Calorie Deficit refers to taking in less calories than you burn in order to lose weight, being deficient means I have way too few calories coming in that my body is now storing everything. My metabolism has essentially shut down making dropping any pounds almost impossible.
Let me explain a little better. According to Wikipedia, "A caloric deficit, also called an energy expenditure, is any thermodynamic deficit or shortage in the amount of caloriesconsumed (or an increase in the amount of calories lost) relative to the average amount of calories that an organism regularly consumes. Caloric deficits are considered an ideally important factor in weight loss in order to enhance the health of an organism by reducing it's body weight. The goal of weight loss is to reduce the amount of calories that an organism usually consumes by reducing it's food intake or consumption patterns or by increasing bodily exertion through exercise or increased activity." However, at a certain point, cutting too many calories out makes your body think it is starving and it shuts down all of your efforts.
No one enjoys being hungry. At least, no one I know. So, cutting calories is a big deal to most people. Making the decision to count calories and stick to it is a challenge and many people get that idea of less being more in an attempt to get more bang for their workout buck. In the article, Why Can't I Eat Less Than 1,200 On My Diet, Dr. Nicol's (a board certified physician from Southern California) says, "Determining a safe minimum amount of daily calories can be difficult... However, extreme restriction of consumed calories can significantly slow the metabolic rate, and hinder your weightloss goals. The American College of Sports Medicine states that you shouldn't send signals to your body to conserve calories by detoxing or fasting. They recommend that women should eat at least 1,200 calories per day and men should eat at least 1,800."
But, keep in mind that does NOT mean go grab a freakin' candybar to get calories in! In another article I read I absolutely LOVED the way the author worded things! Check out "4 Ways To Ruin Your Calorie Deficit" on jcdfitness.com because it is absolutely worth the read.... but a part that really stuck out was about choices. " Instead of a sensible idea, such as ordering a personal pan pizza from their favorite pizzeria, they decide to go to an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. Instead of preparing a solid meal at home, in which they can account for the ingredients used and make only enough for themselves, they decide to go out to a restaurant that serves huge portions on a night with one-dollar drafts of their favorite brew.There’s nothing wrong with having a few beers or going to your favorite restaurant, but if ones diet is full of constant restriction – the kind of restriction that leaves you constantly thinking about a weekend full of booze or the eat-100-wings-and-they’re-free promotion at the local bar, screwing up your diet is inevitable." After spending so much time planning and counting and executing your skills a "Freebie" meal can be a bad thing too!
This science is complicated....all comes down to, too much is bad yet, not enough can be worse. But, trying to use simplify the concept might be the ticket for you. "Don’t get so hung up on the exact number of calories. Simply eat when you’re hungry and only enough until you’re no longer hungry – not full. This is a big difference. In the beginning you won't be very hungry as your metabolism has down-regulated.You still have to find a way to get your body energy and nutrients which is why I recommend protein or meal replacement shakes. It’s much easier to drink something than eat solid food when you’re metabolism is down.This is going to take a commitment and lifestyle change on your part. Make no mistake about it, this all comes down to a matter of your priorities. If you can’t take 60 seconds out of your morning or afternoon to drink a shake that will provide your body with essential fuel and nutrients to boost your metabolism, don’t expect to be very good at burning fat." As per Shane Doll's article "How Not Enough Calories Can Make You Gain Weight" on ShapingConcepts.com.
I sat down and read site after site and they all said about the same thing. We need food to live. We just have a bad habit of living to eat in this country. I had done SO well back before surgery bc I could eat without getting sick. My diet consisted of fresh fruits and veggies and protein shakes. I dropped 80 pounds in 3 1/2 months and now that I went away from this it slowed down to only 60 pounds in 4 months. UGH! So, even though I was told originally to not worry about counting calories the tune has changed because getting in only 300 calories day after day has taken it's toll on me. I am now back to getting in quantity and not just quality but I can't see the point in going to ridiculous choices like junk just to hit some number of calories. While I do need to increase my calories it is the actual nutrition my body is needing.
I have a plan (again) and have started really trying to get on track. What I need may not be what your body requires. It is basic guidelines we all have to go by. Changing the finer details to balance your health and physical needs. I am not an expert, heck! My body is giving my support team a hell of a time in figuring out what I am lacking! Therefore, working on getting in more of the quality foods into my belly so my metabolism will ramp back up is difficult enough for me but I accept the challenge. As well as cutting back on my workout routine until I have managed successfully got my nutritional needs met is actually the HARDEST part for me. Taking several classes daily makes me happy but my body is screaming for help so, I must sacrifice my gym-rat tendencies for awhile. I am not saying I will not be going to the gym daily, just that my intensity has been scaled back and modified.
My next research project is to look into healthy fats and balancing other nutritional components since I know I have an almost entirely fat free diet..... until then, happy reading!
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