I'm going to share with you the most crucial weight loss strategy that will literally make or break your success. This is the number one fat loss tip I could ever give you. If you don't get this right, you can kiss your fat loss results goodbye. This is the one absolute requirement for weight loss, and it’s something you’ve probably heard of before. However, there’s one critical distinction about this familiar advice that you might not have considered - and this one thing makes all the difference in the world…
Please keep in mind I am a big advocate on body positivity and feeling good in your own skin. You don’t need to have abs or a toned body to be beautiful. This article is to inform you on how to lose weight if that’s your goal. Your loved ones and I would like you around for a long time if you struggle with your weight ask for help! Now let’s get to it.
Let me quote Melvin Williams, PhD, professor emeritus of exercise science at Old Dominion University and author of the textbook Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport (McGraw Hill):
“Human energy systems are governed by the same laws of physics that rule all energy transformations. No substantial evidence is available to disprove the caloric theory. It is still the physical basis for bodyweight control.”
There are a variety of diet programs and weight loss “gurus” who claim that calories don’t count. They insist that if you eat certain foods or avoid certain foods, that’s all you have to do to lose weight. Dozens, maybe hundreds of such diets exist, with certain “magic foods” put up on a pedestal or certain “evil fat-storing foods" banished into the forbidden foods zone.
Other weight loss “experts” invoke the insulin/carbohydrate hypothesis which claims that carbs drive insulin which drives body fat. Majority saying“Carbs are the reason for the obesity crisis today, not excess calories.”
They are all mistaken.
Of course, there IS more to nutrition than calories in vs calories out. Food quality and nutrition content matters for good health. In addition, your food choices can affect your energy intake. We could even point the finger at an excess of refined starches and grains, sugar and soft drinks (carbs!) as major contributing factors to the surplus calories that lead to obesity. However, that brings us back to excess calories as the pivotal point in the chain of causation, not carbs. A caloric deficit is a required condition for weight loss - even if you opt for the low carb approach - and that’s where your focus should go – on the deficit. This is why Intermittent Fasting(16:8 Diet) is such an effective weight loss program. You want to eat healthy the 8 hours you are eating but you are burning fat the 16 hours because no calories are being consumed.
Trying to count every single calorie - in the literal sense - can drive you crazy and is probably not realistic as a lifestyle for the long term. It's one thing to count portions instead of calories, that is at least acknowledging the importance of portion control. I use a food scale and measure my portions based on a cup, ounces, etc.
For example my third meal of the day consists of the following. Please keep in mind I’m looking to gain muscle and not trying to lose weight this is just an example.
10oz Chicken 307.6 Calories, 63.1 Protein, 0 carbs, 3.9 Fat
1 cup of Broccoli 31 Calories, 2.5 Protein, 6 carbs, 0.4 Fat
6oz Sweet Potato 151.2 Calories, 3.4 Protein, 33.4 carbs, 0 Fat
Total: 489.8 Calories, 69 Protein, 39.4 Carbs, 4.3 Fat
However, it's another altogether to deny that calories matter. Is it necessary to count every calorie to lose weight? No. But it IS necessary to eat fewer calories then you burn. Whether you count calories and eat less than you burn, or you don't count calories and eat less than you burn, the end result is the same. Personally, I'd rather know exactly what I'm eating rather than take chances by guessing.
I believe that it's very important to develop an understanding of and a respect for the law of calorie balance (and portion control). I also believe that it's an important part of nutrition education to learn how many calories are in the foods you eat on a regular basis, including (and perhaps, especially) how many calories are in the foods you eat when you dine at restaurants.
Now, here’s that critical distinction…
You’ve heard it said, “exercise more and eat less” a million times. However, saying “focus on the calorie deficit” is NOT the same thing. If you don’t understand the difference, you could end up spinning your wheels for years. You could exercise more, but if you compensate by eating more, you cancel your deficit. You could eat less, but if you compensate by moving less, again you cancel your deficit.
This type of compensation can happen unconsciously, which leads to confusion about why you’re not losing weight or why you’re gaining. That often leads you to make excuses or blame the wrong thing… anything but the calories.
Therefore, “focus on the calorie deficit” more accurately states the most important key to weight loss than “exercise more and eat less.” Make sure you understand this distinction and then follow this advice.
Last but not least, keep in mind that there are a lot of ways to establish a deficit and many of those ways are really dumb. Eating nothing but grapefruits, cabbage, Twinkies… but in a deficit?… Dumb!
Conclusion
The bottom line is that a calorie deficit is required for fat loss, but once your deficit is established, the composition of your hypo-caloric diet DOES matter. That’s why any good fat loss program starts with "calories in vs calories out" but doesn’t stop there - you also need to look at protein, essential fats, macronutrients, micronutrients, food quality and how the diet you choose fits into your lifestyle. This is the pivotal strategy that my entire Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle system hinges upon.
Don’t let the simplicity of this idea fool you. This is the #1 key to your successful weight loss now and in the future: Focus on the deficit!
Train hard and expect success!'
Thank you for reading my blog! Let’s get you on track to living healthier life!
Your Friend,
Nicholas Poulin
CEO & Founder
Poulin Health & Wellness