How eating less makes you gain weight
Throughout human history we have been seeking food and finding ways to make food readily available. In our past we were hunters and gathers trying to find ways to survive and keep the human race from becoming endangered. It was very common to go without food in the winter and be forced to fast. Many times, we wondered if we would survive. We would have a seasonal progression each year where some years were better than others. Also, anytime we had killed a large animal we would have to cut it up and eat it within days, so therefore we had a short feast period followed by a lower caloric state.
Human evolution and the ability to adapt affects us today. We adapt to high metabolism or a low metabolism when needed. We have been bombarded by eat less, lose weight mentality for years. I have watched a recent GNC Commercial say this exact thing. But what happens when you continue to eat less, and you start gaining weight or can’t lose any more weight. The process is much more complex because we are adaptive and the ability to have food when we want. Why does YO-YO dieting exist? Our bodies are trying to keep ourselves from starving. This process is regulated through certain things like leptin and other hormones to keep us in homoeostasis. We each have a set point that our body feels as its normal and thus wants to regulate. Another mechanism that the body has, because it is clever, is to add fat cells when you go back to eating normal after a long fast. We are constantly fighting theses battles.
Here are certain scenarios……
1. Imagine you lose weight where you are in a calorie deficit for 6 months because you are trying one of these fad diets, or just eating a lot less but then return to normal eating. This is when the rebound affect happens. This is typically someone who is yoyo dieting.
2. Another common situation is when I get a client who thinks they eat more than what they really are eating. I will ask them to track calories and then we find out they are not even eating a thousand calories. Most likely they have been eating like this for years and their body has down regulated to just have 1000 calories or less just to maintain their body weight. Every time they go a little over its just storing as much energy as possible. This is typically someone who starts gaining weight anytime they eat over their maintenance calories. Someone who may have a fear of eating and food.
3. Last of my most common examples is the Cardio junky who doesn’t understand why they are gaining weight and they are eating less. Its exactly like number 2 where your body understands maintenance at a certain calorie amount. This use to be me and think I could go for a run and take on more calories, but this ended up in weight gain.
If you fall into one of these examples then how do you change?
How can you avoid gaining weight when eating more? First it takes a little time and patience but it is called reverse dieting and there is a proper way to do this. I’m going show a conservative way and an aggressive way. You can add 50-100 calories biweekly conservatively or if you want to get 200 calories bi weekly that is aggressive. I will add this depends on where is your maintenance at right now. Its different if you are at 1000 calories vs reverse dieting at 2000 calories. When in doubt add slowly. But this only works when coupled with strength training and minimal cardio. Strength training is important because muscle expensive and requires energy. This will allow you to take on more calories much easier without much weight gain. Also to manage cardio is dependent on individual.
After the reverse diet process has been completed you can go on mini cuts and mini bulks. It’s a learning process and you can get to where you need go. Set your goal and you can get there.
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