We are often told 3,500 calories are in one pound of fat. Thus, if you cut back or work off 3,500 calories, you will lose an entire pound of fat. However, most of us have proven to ourselves repeatedly that this logic does not work and we can’t lose weight. Let me tell you why!
The 3,500 calorie rule came from a science experiment involving bomb calorimeters, not complex human bodies. The human body has more physiology than a simple science experiment. When we lose weight, our body works to become more “efficient” with the amount of energy expended and sometimes even works to “bring back the weight”. Studies show that our brain is designed to protect us from weight loss so if we lose weight, our brain fights back by increasing hunger hormones and decreasing satiety hormones, causing an increase in appetite.
Did you know that our bodies resist under-nutrition too? As a result, after weight loss— we may feel more hunger! Ways to prepare for this are to (1) learn how to avoid eating for reasons other than REAL hunger, (2) avoid frequent snacking and (3) utilize portion control and remove foods in your environment that are incredibly tempting. These sound like simple things to do, but simple things to do are also simple not to do. At my practice, to help patients reach their goals, we pair them with a health coach to tackle stimulus control and also to help develop proven strategies to help support weight change.
Our bodies also decrease resting energy expenditure with weight loss due to a loss of body tissue. This means that as we lose weight, our bodies will use less energy when at rest, which leads to a reduction or a plateau in weight loss. An oversimplified example of this concept is that an SUV burns more fuel than a compact car. As our body size reduces, our body does not burn as many calories at rest; therefore it can become harder to lose weight.
How can we overcome this? We work to manage stress, increase physical activity, ensure excellent sleep practices, and even consider anti-obesity medications (if appropriate).
If you’re struggling with your weight and want an expert on your team, contact Dr. Shah today.
