That’s right. You didn’t read the title incorrectly; it says eat MORE to lose weight. This is a concept that many people may not understand, but it is often the case for those people that are looking to lose weight, but their exercise program just isn’t producing the results that they have been looking for. Have you ever seen “The Biggest Loser,” when the trainer has to tell the contestant that they are not losing weight because they aren’t eating enough?
Many people trying to lose weight are still stuck in the mindset that skipping meals or barely eating and exercising excessively is the best and quickest way to get into those skinny jeans. Often the opposite is true. In order to release fat, we need to eat. You must think of the body as a machine. It needs fuel to run properly. If we don’t get the right fuel, yet still try to function normally (or at a higher level with exercise), we are actually causing our metabolism to slow down.
If calories are restricted to the point that there is not enough energy to feed the nervous system, our bodies go into starvation mode. At this point, the body burns muscle for fuel, reducing our overall muscle mass. A reduction in muscle mass results in a slowing of the metabolism. By eating the proper foods more frequently, we are allowing our body to work in order to process the foods into energy. This increases the efficiency of our body’s metabolism and can ultimately result in weight loss.
It is advised that an individual not eat less than 1200 calories per day. Eating less than this on a regular basis is not enough to support your body with the amount of fuel and nutrients that it needs to function properly. So it is a matter not of eating less, but often eating more. Just make sure that it is more of the RIGHT things.
You wouldn’t try to take your new Ferrari to the Audubon without putting the right kind and amount of fuel in it, would you? Then why would you treat your body any differently? Which one is more important to you?
Jeff Pelizzaro, MPT
Physical Therapist / Personal Trainer
Performance United Fitness
www.PerformanceUnited.com
