No, seriously, how do I lose weight?

Groan. Losing weight is difficult. With so many “diets” and supplements available it’s hard to tease out what “works” and what is actually a waste of time. I’m not sure I have the best news for you but, the truth is, weight loss isn’t easy. Or is it? And we just make it difficult?  What I can tell you for certain is this: 

What does all this add up to? It seems to me that despite an overwhelming consumption with health and wellness, people still struggle to achieve weight loss.

And what about those friends who are always avoiding carbohydrates or following a strict keto diet… Do you avoid carbs? Eat Fat? Stop eating? What is the trick? 

I can see how it’s all so confusing. 

I want to be able to tell you that a balanced diet is the key to losing weight. Or that everything in moderation will aid in your weightloss journey. But I can’t say that. There needs to be a caloric deficit to make a difference and the calories you consume must be nutrient dense. Good intentions and “everything in moderation” doesn’t add up to a reduction in body fat, which in all actuality should be the focus for better health. 

Here’s the truth about weight loss: it takes time, commitment, planning, and sweat. You literally cannot have your cake and eat it too. (I promise there’s good news at the end.)

There are a lot of factors that impact a person’s ability to lose weight and keep it off. Things like autoimmune disorders, prescription medication, physical limitations, busy schedules…but let’s say for a minute, these are self imposed limitations. Excuses. Walls. Barriers. Now what? Focus on what you CAN control and the rest will fall into place.  I will admit this: It’s easier to pinpoint the negative behaviors than it is to change them. But if weight loss is your goal, then you need to identify barriers so you can stop spinning your wheels. 

Why can’t I lose weight?

I have four suggestions as to why shedding unwanted pounds is so difficult.

Lack of Sleep

I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard anybody complain of getting too much sleep. More than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, according to a study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. With 1 in 3 adults trying to function on less than 7 hours of sleep, it doesn’t surprise me to see so many adults and children fatigued, moody, unfocused, and generally unwell at times. Lack of sleep is associated with obesity, diabetes, and mental distress. 

Lack of sleep interferes with your body’s hormonal balance, particularly hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin. In a nutshell, ghrelin is the hormone that tells your brain it’s time for you to eat and leptin is the hormone that tells your brain to stop eating. Leptin also plays a role in regulating metabolism and breaking down fat. 

Sleep deprivation increases the production of ghrelin, raising levels in the body, causing you to crave certain foods that restore mood.  When you are well rested, your leptin levels are balanced. It is at this time your body’s metabolism functions properly and your hunger is controlled. If you experience difficulty sleeping or staying asleep for long periods of time, you’ll want to look closely at what is preventing you from getting enough rest. 

Alcohol

Unfortunately, alcohol is not weight loss friendly. Consuming alcohol on a regular basis causes sleep disruption, adds empty calories to our diets, and interferes with the body’s ability to utilize carbohydrates and fat as a source of fuel during exercise. Insulin, the hormone that converts sugar into a usable form of energy, shunts unmetabolized sugar to our fat cells to be converted to fatty acids and triglycerides. Too much insulin may also interfere with the production of our “stop eating” hormone, leptin. 

The SCAN Registered Dieticians posted a thorough graphic for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that outlines the consequences of alcohol use on performance. You can decide for yourself if alcohol is affecting your progress negatively. 

Sugar

So sweet, yet so bad for your health! Sugar in its natural form is not inherently bad. Fructose and sucrose are found in fruit and some vegetables, while lactose is in dairy products. Fructose and glucose are naturally found in honey as well. The problem is that Americans are consuming an excessive amount of added sugar – the kind used to enhance flavor in foods, processed foods, or sugary drinks.

Even though natural and added sugars are metabolized by the body the same way, they ultimately have different fates. It appears that natural sugar is buffered by substantial nutrients like vitamins and fiber. Added sugar is strongly linked to negative health effects, particularly heart disease, weight gain, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and type-2 diabetes. 

Be on the lookout for foods that contain sucrose (table sugar), high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), dextrose, maltose, or rice syrup to name a few. 

Too many (poor quality) calories! 

It’s easy to underestimate the amount of calories consumed in a day and exactly how nutritious they are. This is a huge misstep when trying to lose weight. Years ago the only way to track calories was to add them up yourself, but now there’s options. Apps like MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, FatSecret, Fitbit, and SparkPeople make it easy for you to count calories, create and save meals, and set goals for your diet. An added bonus to digital diet tracking is the sense that you’re not in it alone. You can join millions in an online community of people with shared goals or connect with individual friends for accountability. The research shows that people who log calories to lose weight, not only lose weight, but maintain their desired weight in the long run. Dietary tracking may seem like a daunting task, but a worthwhile habit. 

It’s also important to track calories to make sure you consume enough. A common mistake people make is to deprive their bodies of energy (calories). Don’t fall into this habit! Deprivation is just as detrimental as eating too many calories. The body senses starvation, causing hunger hormones to act accordingly. Consider this, as leptin levels rise, your metabolic rate increases. As leptin levels fall, your metabolism slows. When the body senses energy intake is restricted (and leptin levels go below normal levels), body processes kick in and drive leptin levels up to restore balance between hunger and satiation. This effect causes you to feel even hungrier! The last thing you want is to deprive yourself of energy rich foods, try to maintain energy for a workout, and meet a weight loss goal when you’re hungry! 

You would think that large amounts of leptin would be a good thing to signal to someone to stop eating. But it doesn’t work this way. For example, people who are obese have high amounts of leptin but may become resistant to the stop eating messages it carries to the human brain. 

As far as diet is concerned, a reasonable option for healthy weight loss is to strike a balance between a caloric deficit and nutrient dense portion controlled meals throughout the day. 

This is not the good news I promised…but it’s coming!

How many calories should I consume daily when my goal is to lose weight? 

I’m hesitant to offer a set amount of calories any one person should consume. This is such a personalized concept and is highly dependent on your activity level and how nutrient rich the calories are. What I mean by this is it’s not effective to eat low fiber foods, bad fats, or simple starches. Essentially, you could experience more fat gain due to how your body processes these empty foods. The key is to fuel your body with high fiber foods, good fats, complex carbohydrates, and lean protein. 

With this said, I’m the type of person who appreciates parameters and guidelines so I’ll provide a few to think about. 

Men and women differ greatly in how many calories are needed to create a caloric deficit. On average, women require between 1,200 and 1,500 calories to achieve a healthy weekly weight loss of 1 – 1.5 pounds. For men, 1,800 – 2,200 calories daily is typically recommended for healthy weight loss. I say, embrace the range I’m offering as each day will not be perfect, nor does it need to be. Truly, I would concern myself more with the type of food consumed within these ranges. 

I’m fully aware of the thousands of weight loss diets, philosophies, and products suggested for weight loss, but focus on habits that are sustainable. Don’t get me wrong, you undoubtedly know someone who has been successful on a particular “diet”, but long term success is the goal.

What types of food should you eat to lose weight?

If you are weight training and engaging in aerobic exercise, you need to fuel your workouts. Try to consume a variety of macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to meet the demands of your training.

Carbohydrates function to provide energy and have an ergogenic effect on high-intensity, intermittent activity, endurance performance, and overall work output.

Fat, from an athletic standpoint, serves to regulate hormones and is a carrier for vitamins A, D, E, and K. Essential fatty acids like omega-6 and omega-3 are necessary for healthy cell formation, brain and nervous system development, and hormone production. Approximately 30% of your caloric intake should come from healthy fats.

Protein, and by protein I mean amino acids (the building blocks to protein), should be high – quality or complete (contain essential amino acids). High-quality proteins support growth and tissue development and can be found in foods like eggs, meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products. As a bonus fact, if you are training to put on size, your protein requirement may be between 1.5 and 2.0 g/kg body weight. If you are vegan or have dietary restrictions, you will have to plan your meals carefully. 

What about exercising for weight loss?

First and foremost – increase your intensity. Ramp it up! 5 – 6 days a week, high intensity, and weight lifting. More muscle equals less body fat equals more energy burned. Boost your metabolism! 

It’s time to maximize your gym time, increase your overall physical activity, and plan out your weekly workouts. If your gym offers weekly classes, plan your schedule accordingly. You may consider hiring a personal trainer once or twice a week for accountability. There is enough evidence to show that people who workout with a personal trainer are more likely to stick with a workout program. Decide what will work for your schedule, your budget, and your lifestyle – but I recommend doing SOMETHING. 

I mentioned that there would be good news…finally! 

The good news is that once you’ve achieved your goal weight or desired body fat percentage, then you can enjoy all things in moderation, provided you maintain an effective workout program and regular physical activity. 

Embrace the weight loss journey. I promise the sense of accomplishment and improved health will be worth it all. Train hard. Eat well. Rest. Repeat.