The Simplicity and Power of Energy Balance for Fat Loss
Have you heard these before?
"I'm fat because of my genes."
"I'm fat because I have a slow metabolism."
"I'm fat because of my hormones."
I hear these all the time.
This idea that it isn't too much food that causes you to gain weight but some other factor out of your control.
I used to look in the mirror and think, it's definitely genetics.
"Even when I think I'm undereating, I still gain weight!"
But let's get real.
Weight change is a function of energy balance.
The old adage "calories in, calories out" is spot on.
It's a simple CONCEPT.
If you eat too much food, you WILL gain weight.
And to lose weight, you MUST eat fewer calories than you burn.
You don't gain weight because of your genetics. You gain weight because you may have a genetic predisposition to eating more.
You don't gain weight because of a "slow" metabolism. You gain weight because you eat more food than your metabolism burns.
You don't gain weight because of your unique hormones. You gain weight because your hormones stimulate your appetite and you eat more food.
You don't gain weight because of too many carbs. You gain weight because the carbs (and fat and protein) you eat have too many calories.
You don't gain weight because you drink too much. You gain weight because you drink AND eat too much overall.
You don't gain weight when you undereat. You gain weight when you THINK you're undereating but you're actually eating too much food.
I could go on...
It's easy to make these statements. But in reality, this can be hard to overcome.
Many people think that losing weight is a matter of sheer willpower and discipline, if it's possible for them all.
That you need to severely and continuously cut calories to 1,200 or even lower.
That you need tons of cardio or boot camp exercise.
That you need to restrict entire foods or food groups to remove "bad" foods from your diet.
But this couldn't be further from the truth.
In fact, I was surprised when it finally "clicked" for me.
That I was focused on the wrong side of the equation, CALORIES IN.
And I should have first focused on CALORIES OUT.
That we can restore and increase our metabolism, not through cardio, but through RESISTANCE TRAINING and WALKING.
That we can actually EAT MORE FOOD and not gain weight when we're strength training and getting steps in.
And if we rebalance our macronutrients to serve our goals, we can eat whatever foods we want.
Shifting to a higher protein level to support muscle growth.
Eating enough carbs for energy and recovery.
Tracking what we eat and how we train to learn about our habits and develop consistency over time.
Yes, it can seem overwhelming.
It seems like we have to change everything all at once.
But you can start with ONE THING this week and build and stack from there.
That one thing might be:
Walk every day after 1 meal to get about 2,000 more steps
Add 30 g per day of protein to your current diet
Start a simple beginner resistance training program at home or at your local gym
Start tracking your food to understand your true calorie intake
If you want results, start now.
I help clients every day with the confidence, skill, and consistency to take the action that produces those results.
If you need support, accountability, or ideas and need someone to provide empathy and even education, I'm here for you.
At the end of the day, you're the one in control.
You can decide to stop spinning your wheels.
You can decide to invest in your health and future.
