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Arete Warriors – spirit, mind, body strong
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The Great Weight Debate
There’s a debate going on social media about whether weight loss really comes down to a calorie deficit.
In my opinion (and that of the research 😜) calories are important, but here’s the nuance I think many of these well-meaning experts are trying to convey.
Some of us FEEL better eating certain ways, and because we feel better, we naturally make healthier choices about how much we eat and how much we move.
For example, some people feel better eating low carb. And because they feel better with lower overall blood sugar, they will move more and eat less.
Others may lose weight initially but eventually end up face-first in a Key Lime Pie and never make it back to the diet.
Some people lose a tremendous amount of weight on keto because the higher fat intake keeps them satisfied, so they naturally eat fewer calories.
For others, the higher-fat (and therefore higher-calorie) foods only increase the consumption side of the equation, and they gain weight instead.
Some people choose to fast. They lose weight because they don’t eat as much during a designated period of time.
Others don’t lose weight at all because the deprivation causes them to over-indulge when they’re finally “allowed” to eat.
I do believe it comes down to calories IN vs calories OUT, but there are different ways to create that caloric deficit, and the best one is the one you can happily sustain.
It doesn’t need to be torture.
In fact, it’s can’t be.
Let’s Prepare – the warm up
There are two parts to maintaining a healthy weight.
- Getting there.
- Staying there.
Many people can lose weight. Far fewer lose it in a way that allows them to keep it off.
For starters, your body perceives a decrease in calories as a potential threat to survival and responds by slowing energy expenditure in an effort to preserve its reserves.
The scientific terms for this are adaptive thermogenesis or metabolic adaptation.
Your body may reduce spontaneous movement, decrease muscle mass, and alter hormones like leptin and ghrelin- all in an effort to encourage you to regain the weight.
And we haven’t even added in the (peri)menopausal shifts working against us yet.
More on that another time.
Attitude is another key component.
If you constantly feel deprived, or you’re eating less than your body actually needs, you’ll eventually return (consciously or not) to eating at the level your brain believes it needs.
No normal human wants to be in deprivation mode forever.
But if your focus is on all the delicious foods you do get to eat, and your plan genuinely feels enjoyable, you’re much more likely to stick with it.
Identity is huge.
If you identify as someone who overeats, you will subconsciously look for ways to prove yourself right.
But if you begin to see yourself as someone who eats slowly, chews thoroughly, mindfully, and listens to actual hunger, your actions will gradually match that identity.
At first, those behaviors require conscious practice.
Eventually, they shift from something I’m doing to something I am.
Does that make sense?
There are other important psychological components to losing weight.
Your body naturally adjusts it’s metabolism and systems to accommodate how you’re influencing the equation.
For example, I am a little obsessed with working out. It just improves my mood. But I’ve noticed that during seasons when I couldn’t train with my usual intensity, I actually ate so much less I lost weight.
Our bodies don’t just respond to exercise – they respond to our total energy needs.
I don’t know about you, but my energy needs are severe right now. (Allergies + Hormones = Ravenous)
Some of us have an evolutionary tendency to store excess energy. Our bodies are programmed to prepare for famine. Especially women.
As mentioned above, our bodies actually shift to utilize less when we give it less to use!
That’s one reason why slow and steady often wins the race.
Let’s Work – the exercise
- Ideally, a person would lose a bit of weight, then purposefully try only to maintain that new weight for a month or so, before trying to lose any more.
2. This must be done with an abundance mindset vs focusing on what we “aren’t allowed” to have.
3. Work on your identity throughout the process. I am this kind of person vs. I am trying to behave in this new way.
4. WHY are we overeating? Are we eating because we’re bored, sad, anxious, tired … or actually hungry?
5. Find the best way to achieve a small, but consistent negative caloric balance. Remember, it has to FEEL GOOD.
Options may include:
- Time restricted eating (ex – no eating after 7pm)
- Lower carb
- Higher fat
- Higher fiber
- Higher protein
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
There isn’t one perfect plan for everyone.
Find the combination that helps you consistently eat a little less, feel a little better, and move a little more, for years, instead of weeks.
I hope this helped simplify a very messy topic.
