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Just a few weeks ago I received a message from a frustrated
individual who was on a quest to lose some weight. Maybe
you've asked yourself this very question but it always
starts off with "I want to lose weight." Then it follows
up with their calorie calculations (what they need a day)
and ends with the situation where they are only eating
minimal calories a day. At this point, they get confused
as to why eating less and less doesn't speed up the weight
loss.
Just a few weeks ago I received a message from a frustrated
individual who was on a quest to lose some weight. Maybe
you've asked yourself this very question but it always
starts off with "I want to lose weight." Then it follows
up with their calorie calculations (what they need a day)
and ends with the situation where they are only eating
minimal calories a day. At this point, they get confused
as to why eating less and less doesn't speed up the weight
loss.
Sample Question:
"Over the past few years, I have consumed minimal calories.
I have come to learn that this is my problem, my body is in
survival mode. I came up with my Base Metabolic Rate. My
results come to 3170.45 for TDEE (total daily energy
expenditure). I would assume I haven't been consuming more
than 1000 calories a day, give or take.
Is it true that I can gradually work my way up to 2170-2670
calories, not change my workout, and have better results
than at my current caloric intake? If this is the case, I'm
not sure I understand why."
They cut and cut calories, see no changes, nearly starve
and then give up entirely. This person asked what most
people wonder but never have the courage to seek out the
answer. Suppose...
If I could give you a more effective nutritional strategy
that would "outperform" the approach you are currently
using, would you be interested? If so, let's talk
metabolism!
First, you are in a state of homeostasis. This is the
body's automatic tendency to maintain a relatively constant
internal environment. In your case, exercising more and
cutting more calories will cause your body to adjust
"survive" by making constant changes in order not to lose
any more critical body fat or weight. As you said, you are
in "survival mode." You are in homeostasis and nothing is
going to change unless you understand metabolism. At this
point, your body is not about to release any stored fats.
It needs all it has to sustain life!
Second, metabolism is just a name for the many chemical
process that happen every day that are necessary for the
maintenance of life. The process of breaking down food
into energy and building up of new cells and all that is
our metabolism.
Consider this fact:
There are two phases of metabolism; anabolism and
catabolism. Both occur simultaneously all the time but at
different magnitudes. Let's keep this simple shall we?
Anabolism - The build up phase Catabolism - The breakdown
phase
If you are not eating enough to sustain your body's process
and feeding it the required nutrients, you are mostly
likely in a heighten state of catabolism. This means
you'll build less muscle, your metabolism will be slower
and changes will not be in your favor. A slow metabolism
isn't what you want for your situation.
As an individual who wants to lose weight and make changes
thru exercise and diet, you should be striving for a larger
degree of anabolism.
Don't worry it's not complicated. All I'm saying is, 1000
calories a day in your case is well below your base
metabolic rate, so low that your metabolism is slower then
it could be and your in a state of catabolism where the
changes you want to see (more muscle, less fat) aren't as
likely to occur.
But what about this? "You must be in a calorie deficit to
burn fat."
1000 calories is beyond a deficit. It's putting your body
on empty. A deficit is like being 50 cents short each day
and having to get the smaller sized coffee. But reserve to
empty is having to borrow money from your friend or give
the business an IOU.
Here's the secret: You need to eat more!
You see by eating more calories and more frequently you are
going to raise your metabolism. By raise your metabolism
you will change the state of homeostasis you are currently
experiencing. By eating more and more frequently, you will
be able to achieve a higher level of anabolism. When you
are anabolic, you can build more muscle. By having more
muscle, you'll raise your metabolism. By having a higher
metabolism, you'll burn more fat. Burning more fat could
end up in you losing the bad weight and building up some
good weight. My strong hunch is...
"Is it true that I can gradually work my way up to 2170-
2670, not change my workout, and have better results than
at my current caloric intake?"
Indeed this is true. Your body will have the fuel it needs
for the workouts, it will be able to build up more often
(anabolism) but you'll be in a slight calorie deficit
meaning you are burning more calories then you are
consuming but at a rate where your body feels it can let go
of stored fat.
So it all adds up to this...
If you aren't consuming enough calories, your metabolism
will slow down. The slower it gets, the less change you
will see. While you want to be in a calorie deficit
(defined as 10-20% below maintenance levels) you don't want
to be in a starvation mode where your metabolism is so
slow, you cannot lose a single pound (survival instinct).
By consuming the correct amount of calories per day, you
will see faster gains, you'll lose fat and build more
muscle.
About the Author:
You will learn about metabolism and the ways you can
manipulate it in the Beginner's Guide to Fitness and
Bodybuilding http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com
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