Want to know how to lose weight?
Finding your Balance – The Big Picture Regarding Nutrition
Simply put, losing weight comes down to burning more calories than you are consuming, which puts the body in a calorie deficit. So, anything that burns calories will aid in weight loss. In most cases that I have dealt with as a personal trainer, individuals stall their weight loss by consuming too many calories. On the other hand, when proper nutrition is being followed, individuals may not be burning enough calories in order for them to lose weight. Increasing training frequency and/or intensity can help with this.
Finding the correct balance between calories consumed and calories burned is crucial. If too many calories are burned and not enough consumed, then the body’s fat burning hormones may drop too low to the point where it enters starvation mode. When starvation ode occurs, the body will not drop weight due to an effort to hold on to what is has because it is “starving”. This happens to many individuals who overwork themselves. The body needs a sufficient amount of calories and macronutrients (carbs, fats, and protein) in order to respond well to exercise and maintain bodily functions. Finding the correct balance can be tough. The current recommendation suggests that a calorie deficit of 500-1000 calories is safe for most people. In theory, if a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day is maintained throughout a week, then one pound will be lost since there are 3500 calories in pound of fat (500 calories x 7 days = 3500calories).
Starvation mode may also occur if a calorie deficit is maintained for too long. This is the reason for “cheat days” or as I call them, re-feed days. Re-feed days consist of feeding the body an excess of calories (usually from carbs) in order to maintain good bodily function. So there is a very real basis behind “cheat days”, and they are necessary in order to keep the weight coming off. Depending of the individual, re-feed days should be incorporated once every week or two.
If a good balance between calories consumed and burned is maintained, along with re-feed days, then losing weight will not be an issue. There are many nutrition guidelines that can be used instead of actually counting calories, but some are better than others. The nutrition plan that CT Personal Training and Nutrition provides does a great job at achieving a calorie deficit without having to actually count calories. We all vary on an individual basis, but the idea of a balanced calorie deficit works for a good majority of people. So find your balance, maintain it, and your body will do the rest. Happy goal reaching!
