Eating less is making you fat

So you might be thinking this title is clickbait. It’s not. This is the truth, eating less can actually make you gain fat. How do I know this? Science aside on this topic I have lived it first hand and I have helped 30+ people get through this exact struggle.

Let’s go over some basic science so that this makes more sense for you. Don’t expect anything crazy here, this is going to be a very elementary explanation

I know you have all heard that a caloric deficit is the only way to lose weight. As a refresher:

Caloric deficit= Calories out> calories in

Our bodies have two main sources of fuel, glucose and fats. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose is the most basic form of a carbohydrate, you will hear people talk about polysaccharides or monosaccharides. Just think of that as many or one sugars respectively. Depending on your carb source, you will have many sugars together( polysaccharide) or one sugar group( monosaccharide) Glucose is vital for your body for energy production.

Our bodies use glucose and fat in different ways. Glucose is primarily used for high-intensity and short burst movements. Think sprinting, HIIT, or CrossFit metcons. Fats are used more for the rest of your daily energy needs and also some endurance training. Think of walking or people who run long distances.

So now we know what fuels your body and how to lose weight but how does eating too little make you gain fat? Unless you are on a keto diet your body will always defer to breaking down foods into glucose and using that glucose first. Think of your body as the grocery store, carbs are like produce, you want to get produce in and get it out, you don’t want to sit on it for too long and then have to throw it out. Your fats are like shelf-stable items, they can sit around for much longer and there is less turnover.

When you eat too little your brain isn’t evolved enough to understand that you have a pantry full of food 10 feet from where you are. It will force your body to store everything as fat since fat is that long-term energy source. Your brain is still used to being a nomad and thinking “ I don’t know where my next meal is coming from”.

I like to call this starvation mode. It’s a bit extreme of a name but clients usually understand this way better. this is why I have the majority of my 1:1 nutrition clients start eating more than they are used to. Almost all of them give me the same exact look of “What the fuck, I hired this guy to help me lose weight and he wants me to eat more?.” I crack up every time because in as little as a week, I’ll get a text saying “ Mike my workouts were awesome today! I hit a PR.” Or “ Mike I lifted weights I haven’t touched in years and I didn’t feel totally dead after. This is awesome”

I have about 100 other similar texts like that from clients but the main takeaway here is eating less is making you fat. You now know WHY this happens and if you have been reading any of my posts you will know HOW to eat more.

Don’t forget to call your mom

-Mike