Did you know that not eating enough can cause you to gain weight, not lose weight? If you want to lose weight, then this can come as quite a surprise. If you’re like many people, you’ve probably been skipping meals in hope you will shed a few pounds right?
So how can not eating enough cause you to gain weight?
It is all related your metabolism. The higher your metabolism, the more fat your body burns. If you have a low metabolism, then of course the amount of fat your body burns is reduced.
Skipping meals or not eating enough actually teaches your body to become really good at storing fat. Why? Because it needs to, in case it is starved again in future!
Your body needs fuel to work properly, so if you don’t provide it with enough, it will take as much as it can the next time you feed it and store it as fat so it will have fuel the next time it is starved of food.
Sounds logical, doesn’t it? So how do we effectively lose weight?
First you need to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (or BMR). The formula to help you calculate this is located HERE.
Once you have worked this out, it’s time to start completing a food diary. Write down what you are eating and the quantities consumed. From there you can work out whether you’re consuming enough (or too much).
A great way to increase your metabolic rate is to eat more often. Eat around 5 to 6 times a day, spreading your calories out over the day, and you will see a huge difference.
Another way to tell if you’re eating enough calories is to check your energy levels. If you’re feeling like you have no energy or you’re making no progress in your fitness program, then it’s very likely because you’re not eating enough.
Most importantly, most of your calories should be coming from proteins, fruit and vegetables and some complex carbohydrates. If you’re eating a lot of fried or processed foods, these could be sabotaging your weight loss progress, so try to reduce these types of foods as much as you possibly can or even cut them out completely.