QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY
WHY EXERCISING MORE AND EATING LESS DOESN’T WORK FOR WEIGHT LOSS!
We have all been consistently told that in order to lose weight, we must simply eat less and exercise more, the basic law of thermodynamics. We now know that not only will this not promote weight loss, but will actually often lead to weight gain or weight loss resistance. Most importantly, it is the types of foods we eat that is key, as they influence our metabolic and hormonal responses, leading to true change, or (in many cases) lack thereof.
What about the law of thermodynamics?
There is certainly truth to this principle: if we are taking in more energy (calories) than we are burning, we will not effectively lose weight. However, this law does not touch on the quality of energy we take in, and it’s effects on our metabolism and hormones. The primary hormone we are talking about is insulin, which is our fat storage hormone, and is produced in the pancreas as a response to ingesting carbohydrates. Many individuals find that once they change the kinds of foods they are eating, without adjusting their caloric intake (in many cases, increasing it), they begin to see fat loss.
I burn so many calories from doing cardio, so why am I not losing the weight?
Again, this really comes down to our body’s hormonal responses to exercise. When we cardiovascularly overtrain, our body produces excess cortisol (the stress hormone), which inhibits our ability to lose weight, and makes us gain weight around our mid-section. Strive for somewhere between 1-2 hours/week, and focus more strength training and diet. See what happens. Incorporating weight/resistance training into your exercise program will build lean muscle, which raises metabolism (and no ladies, you will not bulk up, I promise), as well as preventing future injury.
So what types of foods should I eat?
The key here is having a diet focused on real, whole foods. As Michael Pollan notes, if your great grandparents wouldn’t recognize it as food, probably not a good choice. If weight loss is the goal, strive for meals based more on quality fats and proteins rather than carbohydrates. Primary sources of carbs should be leafy and crunchy vegetables, rather than starchy. Remember, dietary fat does not equal body fat; however, refined carbs, sugar, and alcohol absolutely do.
undergroundwellness.com
The Paleo Solution, Robb Wolf
Always remember, there may be other players contributing to weight loss resistance, including sleep, stress, toxicity, and other factors, as well. Contact me with further questions!
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