It’s based on a law of physics called the Law Of Thermodynamics. But let’s set aside the physics for a second and consider common sense in REAL LIFE. How many people do you know that have cut their calories while exercising more and been able to lose fat long term? And by long term — I don’t mean 2 weeks.
The fact is, when you restrict your calories to try to balance the calories in, calories out equation, all you get is ravenous hunger and a slower metabolism .
Like you, it acts accordingly by slowing things down – it will tell your thyroid gland to slow down your metabolism (not what you want when you’re trying to lose fat!).
The real issue behind it all… The Problem: Calories In – Calories Out DOESN’T WORK. You see, as I did my research, I quickly realized how silly the concept of “Calories in, Calories Out” was.
Clients would start with me, ready to take their fat loss to the next level — and things would go well for about a week or two.
It simply does not work. Basically, Calories in, Calories Out is the claim that if you simply take in less calories than you expend for energy, you will lose weight over time.
And my credibility would be shattered. To clarify what 10 calories actually IS – it’s 1.5 almonds. So if I just had 1 and a half almonds more than I was supposed to, I’d be 10.4 pounds fatter right now.
For 10 years. That means if I had even just TEN calories over my limit per day then I would have 10.4 extra pounds of fat on my body right now.
When your body is low in fuel, it does the same thing that you do to your car. When less calories are coming in because you’re dieting, your body sees no reason to keep firing on all cylinders.
Let me give you a real life example. When your vehicle is running low on fuel, you act accordingly. You might take it easier on the gas pedal, you coast down hills, and you keep your eyes peeled for the nearest gas station.
Remember what Einstein said? It’s time for something new. We need a new fat loss paradigm. The Truth: Fat Loss is NOT a Math Problem You see, this calories in, calories out concept tries to simplify fat loss into a math problem.
I’d tell you that eating according to that guide would take you on the path to better health. Boy was I wrong. And, as horrendous as my dietary recommendations were, my approach to personal training may have been worse.
It simply didn’t work. After all the treadmill mileage and prolonged semi starvation, my clients weight seldom budged. Sometimes their weight even went up. But that was because they put on muscle, right? (wink, wink!) and when the scale moved in the right direction, the results never lasted for more than a few months.
And after a ton of research, I stumbled across the truth – why most common fat loss strategies DON’T WORK.
I was too when I first started my research into true health. I walked across the stage at my University graduation thinking that I knew everything there was to know about fitness, nutrition, and health.
Try this on for size. When I graduated from college 10 years ago, I weighed 171 pounds. Pretty solid. Now, I don’t make it a habit to use the scale, but on a whim I saw today that my body weight is still 171 pounds.