EATING TOO LITTLE? NOT LOSING FAT?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD OF DIETING
How many different crash diets and detoxes have you tried for fat loss?
Are you eating poverty calories and not losing any weight? By poverty, I mean 800-1000 calories worth of lettuce, cucumbers and some apple slices. If you can relate, then you need to stop whatever diet you are on NOW!
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through a few things you need to consider before dieting, which may actually be the solution to your struggle.
WHAT TO EXPECT
What I learned in the last couple of years is that fat loss success is definitely a long journey. Most importantly, fat loss is NOT linear. Meaning, starting a fat loss program now does not necessarily mean that you will nail it 100% and reach your ultimate body composition goal the first time. It may take a few rounds, several periods of caloric deficits, refeeds, reverse dieting, and maintenance in order to reach your ultimate physique goal.
I know, most people want to get lean and shredded, but what most people forget to consider is how ready they are to diet, how ready they are to be in a caloric deficit! By ready, I’m not just talking about the mindset, time, commitment, meal prep, or motivation. I am talking about your eating habits, behaviors, eating disorders, diet history and your current caloric intake.
WHAT TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE GOING ON A CALORIC DEFICIT
You do NOT need to (or shouldn’t) be on a caloric deficit if any of these apply to you:
Do you avoid eating comfortably in front of others?
Do you hide food in strange places?
Do you avoid eating well but talk about how good food is?
Do you constantly think about your food, how you need to burn the calories you ate?
Do you take diet pills or laxatives to control your body weight?
Do you prepare or check out really nice meals, but never actually eat them?
Do you feel anxious most of the time?
Are you already on a super low caloric deficit?
Are you eating too little but still have high body fat?
Do you have a history of crash dieting?
Do you have poor sleep and poor energy levels?
Do you have poor awareness about nutrition, nutrients, portions, etc…?
Females, is your period inconsistent?
These are just some of the questions I like to ask before having any of my clients go on a caloric deficit. If these questions are relatable, then a caloric deficit is probably not the smartest thing to be in right now. In this post, we will be focusing mostly on your history of crash dieting and what it has done to your metabolism!
BUT WHAT DO I DO! HOW CAN I LOSE MORE WEIGHT?
Dropping your calories to 600/day is definitely not going to help you. Juice detoxes won’t help you. Diet pills and skipping meals won’t help you either. In fact, these quick fixes and diet hopping (switching from diet to diet) will cause more harm than good. If you remain in a caloric deficit for a long period of time, your metabolism will slow down. If you restore your calories back to a normal number, your metabolic rate will shoot back up!
So, sometimes, to get to where you want to reach, you gotta do the opposite! By opposite, I mean, eat in a caloric surplus, in other words, reverse diet. I know what you’re thinking, “I want to lose fat, so how am I going to do that by eating more?”. Well, cutting down to 600 calories is not going to do it.
Reverse dieting does not mean eating absolutely anything until you are miserably full. It really depends on your current caloric intake. So if you are eating 1000 calories, 1250 calories could already be considered reverse dieting calories. If you are eating 2000 calories, 2100 could be your reverse diet calories!
WHAT IS REVERSE DIETING EXACTLY?
Reverse Dieting is a method that involves strategically increasing caloric intake to get your metabolism and hormones back to a healthier range. Reverse dieting also helps you rebuild a healthier relationship with food, giving you more confidence to return to a more sustainable way of eating. Once, you have achieved a healthier metabolism, cutting calories for fat loss will be way more efficient and results will be faster! While it might seem like a method where weight gain will most definitely happen, if done right and strategically, fat gain will not occur!
NUTRITION IS NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL
Reverse dieting is an investment in your long-term health, but I know how you feel. You are terrified by the idea of eating more fearing weight gain. So now you’re thinking, “where do I stand? How do I do this?”. It’s not easy to figure out how to do this alone, you are not expected to. Though there are many rules and guidelines available online that you can use to reverse diet, you have to keep in mind that every body is different. What works for you may not work for someone else. This is why we do not recommend pre-designed diet templates, where one size fits all. We strongly advise the 1-1 nutrition coaching program when it comes to learning what works best for you.
Your path to a healthier version of yourself is completely different than anyone else. If you are feeling ready to embark your new health journey, we are here for you! We will work with you to design a program that matches your goals, suits your lifestyle, and win your long lasting battle with fat loss!
Are you struggling with your fat loss journey? Do you feel like you have tried everything but nothing is working? I would love to hear your story! Feel free to share it over here!
With love,
Nadine