Calories vs Hormones

image courtesy of prweb.com

Isn't it just a matter of calories in vs calories out? Don't you simply have to eat less and exercise more in order to burn more calories than you take in to ultimately lose weight? Unfortunately, no. The human body is just not quite that simple.

If you have ever tried losing weight by eating less and exercising more I am sure you have found a few things out the hard way.

• You are chronically hungry from being in such a caloric deficit.
• You crave and constantly think about food (mostly sweets and other junk food). 
• You are more irritable than normal.
• You have little motivation and/or energy to exercise (usually worse from a long-term caloric deficit).
• You realize this lifestyle is not sustainable, end up bingeing on unhealthy foods, end up gaining all the weight back and then some, and lose some hope that you will be able to lose weight.

If this has ever happened to you, you are not alone. It is invariably what happens, and will happen, every time you try losing weight this way. It is just he way the body is designed. Calorie restriction leads to the body to slow down your metabolism and fat burning hormones, while increasing your fat storing hormones, decreasing your energy, and increasing your cravings for food, and increases your weight set point (this will be discussed in much greater detail in following blog posts. Essentially, it is the reason why you end up gaining everything back and then some, and why you can stay at one weight range for years and years will changing diet, exercise, and everything else). Why would your body do the exact opposite of what you want? Survival. When humans were first sprung on to this planet, there was not an endless supply of food at the local supermarket or fast food restaurant. Therefore, when times were scarce, the body would slow the metabolism, increase fat storing hormones, and signal the person to crave as much food as possible. Then when they finally got an abundance of food, their body had learned that maybe they should store just a little more body fat in case this starvation thing ever happened again.

So if superficial 'weight loss' diets and exercise programs designed exclusively to put you into a caloric deficit don't actually work in the long run, how do you go about losing weight? Hope you like cliff hangers..

Be sure to check back every Thursday as we continue to walk along the path of permanent and sustainable weight changes.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Peace

-T