Why you aren't losing body fat

Lets cut right to the chase.

You aren't losing the body fat you want because your calorie intake is too high.

These were (essentially) the words my pediatrician spoke to me and my mom when I was about 12, overweight and frustrated. My mom was shocked, my feelings were hurt. But the doctor was right.

My pediatrician's bedside manner could've used some work, but his words were absolutely true. And what I didn't tell him was all the food I was eating when no one was looking and my mom wanted to defend me to protect my feelings.

That's it right there: your (and my) feelings constantly get in the way of seeing the basic truth that has no reflection on who we are as people.

Following the rules

If you needed help with money and went to your accountant, the goal would be to A. Spend less and/or B. Make more.

Fat loss follows the same rules in that you need to A. Eat fewer calories and/or B. Burn more.

Option B is helpful if your current activity is very low or zero. If you are a couch potato who suddenly starts lifting weights 4 days per week, you'll lose some fat and gain some muscle without any dieting because the change in activity and demand on your body is so sudden.

But if you already exercise or are slowly adding some in, Option B will not give you much bang for your buck.

That leaves us with Option A: Eat fewer calories.

Why is this the solution?

Food is a source of energy. You consume food and your digestive system breaks it down and your body extracts energy from the smallest components like: fatty acids, glucose and amino acids. You need a certain amount of calories to maintain your current energy needs and these energy needs are largely centered around HOW BIG YOU ARE.

So, your bodysize ultimately determines how many calories you need daily to maintain your weight.

Body fat is stored energy. We use it between meals and during longer periods (like sleep) for energy to power our basic bodily functions. We need a certain amount of body fat for survival, so the ultimate goal is never "zero".

But once we start seeing rolls, love handles and other signs of excess body fat, this is a sign that our energy intake (from food) is higher than our actual day to day needs.

The only effective way to reduce the excess body fat? Consumer fewer calories.

When you consume fewer calories than the amount required to maintain your current weight, you lose body fat. This is because your body starts using energy from body fat to make up the difference.

Once you lose enough body fat, the current calorie deficit you are in stops working, because you are smaller and thus require fewer calories to maintain a smaller body size. You can simply reduce calories again if you need to lean out further.

What about weight?

Do not confuse body weight with body fat. Our muscles contain a large amount (about 70%) of water, due to stored carbohydrates. So any low-carb diet results in a large and sudden decrease in weight, from the decrease in water your muscle are carrying. This does not mean you are losing fat!

You will be losing fat if your total calories are less than what you burn, but the extreme carb reduction is not necessary for this. And, the sudden weight change from the water loss can make it tough to determine if you are actually losing fat.

I prefer a moderate calorie reduction (300-500 per day), taken from a mix of carbs and dietary fat, so there are fewer water weight fluctuations and we don't need to cut out entire food groups.

What about insulin?

Insulin is a hormone that directs energy storage and stops muscle breakdown. It is absolutely necessary for survival and not the culprit in gaining excess fat. In fact, it's the excess fat gain that causes insulin resistance, not the other way around. Insulin also tells our brain we're "full" so it's helpful in controlling hunger. You can absolutely consume carbohydrates and let insulin do it's thing while you lose fat. Losing fat will increase your insulin sensitivity.

You cannot cheat the laws of energy

If you really struggle to lose fat, accepting that your total daily calorie intake is the driver of this will free you from being led down endless paths of diets and supplements that lead nowhere. Like the accountant screaming that you need to spend less money to help your bank account, you need to consume fewer calories to lose bodyfat.

From here, the solution is very simple. Find your daily maintenance calories, reduce them by 300-500 per day, consume 0.6 to 1g protein per pound and do it consistently. 

That's it.

Any food choices, meal timing and number of meals are largely personal preference. 

Roadblocks

As usual, the major roadblocks are our own personal emotions and preferences that trip us up on the path to success. Most clients have a hard time ackowledging the snacks, alcohol and late night food that contributes to the extra calories that have caused fat gain. It's hard to admit because we think it reflects poorly on us as people. It doesn't, because we're human and we're wired to seek easy calories.

The first step is ackowledging what we're doing and taking ownership, so we can address the root issue.

In summary, you aren't losing bodyfat because you are consuming too many calories. That's VERY simple.

The hard part is sticking to a plan and doing it every day without letting your stress, emotions, friends or family obligations derail you from that.

The major reason The Strong Kitchen exists is to make the food for you, so you don't need to rely on your willpower and energy to manage your meals. Once we do that for you, eating fewer calories to lose fat is very easy!