QUESTION: Tom, Is it possible to not lose body fat because you’re eating too little?
-Linda

ANSWER: Yes and no. This gets a little complicated so let me explain both sides.

Part one of my answer: I say NO, because if you are in a calorie deficit you WILL lose weight.

Most people have heard anecdotes of the dieter who claims to be eating 800 calories a day or some starvation diet level of intake that is clearly in a deficit and yet is not losing fat. Like the mythical unicorn, such an animal does not exist.

Every time you take a person like that and put them in a hospital research center or metabolic ward where their food can be counted, weighed, measured and almost literally “spoon fed” to them, a calorie deficit always produces weight loss.

There are no exceptions, except possibly in rare diseases or mutations. Even then metabolic or hormonal defects or diseases merely lead to energy imbalance via increases in appetite, decreases in energy expenditure or changes in energy partitioning. So at the end of the day it’s STILL calories in versus calories out.

In other words, NO – it’s NOT your thyroid (unless you’ve got a confirmed diagnosis as such…and then guess what… it’s STILL calories in vs calories out, you’re just not burning as many as someone should at your height and weight).

One famous study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine years ago proved this point rather dramatically. After studying obese people – selected specifically because they swore they were eating less than 1200 calories but could not lose weight – Steven Lichtman and his colleages at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York came to the following conclusion:

“The failure of some obese subjects to lose weight while eating a diet they report as low in calories is due to an energy intake substantially higher than reported and an overestimation of physical activity, not to an abnormality in thermogenesis.”

That’s right – the so-called “diet-resistant” subjects were eating more than they thought and moving less than they thought. This was probably the single best study ever published that debunks the “I’m in a calorie deficit but I can’t lose weight” myth:

Part two of my answer, YES, because:

1) Energy intake increases.

Eating too little causes major increases in appetite. With hunger raging out of control, you lose your deficit by overeating. This happens in many ways, such as giving in to cravings, binge eating, eating more on weekends or simply being inconsistent, so some days you’re on your prescribed 1600 calories a day or whatever is your target amount, but on others you’re taking in 2200, 2500, 3000 etc and you don’t realize it or remember it. The overeating days wipe out the deficit days.

2) Metabolism decreases due to smaller body mass.

Any time at all when you’re losing weight, your metabolism is slowly decreasing due to your reduced body mass. The smaller and lighter you get, especially if there’s a large drop in skeletal muscle mass, the fewer calories you need. So your calorie deficit slowly shrinks over time as your diet progresses. As a result, your progress slows down even though you haven’t changed how much you eat.

With starvation, you always lose weight, but eventually you lose so much weight/body mass that you can reach energy balance at the same caloric intake you used to lose weight on. You might translate that as “I went into starvation mode” which wouldn’t be incorrect, but it would be more accurate to say that your calorie needs decreased.

3) Metabolism decreases due to adaptive thermogenesis.

Eating too little also causes a starvation response (adaptive thermogenesis) where metabolic rate can decrease above and beyond what can be accounted for from the change in body mass (#2 above). This is “starvation response” in the truest sense. It does exist and it is well documented. However, the latest research says that the vast majority of the decrease in metabolism comes from reduced body mass. The adaptive component of the reduced metabolic rate is fairly small, perhaps 10% (ie, 220 calories for an average female with a 2200 TDEE). The result is when you don’t eat enough, your actual weight loss is less than predicted on paper, but weight loss doesn’t stop completely.

There is a BIG myth about starvation mode (adaptive thermogenesis) that implies that if you don’t eat enough, your metabolism will slow down so much that you stop losing weight. That can’t happen, it only appears that way because weight loss stops for other reasons. What happens is the math equation changes!

Energy balance is dynamic, so your weight loss slows down and eventually stops over time if you fail to adjust your calories and activity levels in real time each week.

I teach a system for how to adjust calories and activity weekly using a feedback loop method in my Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle program (more info from Burn The Fat)

So what can be done to stop this metabolic slowdown caused by low calorie dieting and the dreaded fat loss plateau that follows? I recommend the following 5 tips:

1) Lose the pounds slowly.

Slow and steady wins in long term fat loss and maintenance every time. Rapid weight loss correlates strongly with weight relapse and loss of lean body mass. Aim for one to two pounds per week, or no more than 1% of total body weight (ie, 3 lbs per week if you weigh 300 lbs).

2) Use a higher energy flux program.

If you are physically capable of exercise, then use weight training AND cardio to increase your calorie expenditure, so you can still have a calorie deficit, but at a higher food intake (also known as a “high energy flux” program, or as we like to say in Burn The Fat, “eat more, burn more.”)

3) Use a conservative calorie deficit.

You must have a calorie deficit to lose fat, but your best bet is to keep the deficit small. This helps you avoid triggering the starvation response, which includes the increased appetite and potential to binge that comes along with starvation diets. I recommend a 20% deficit below your maintenance calories (TDEE), a 30% deficit at most for those with high body fat.

4) Refeed.

Increase your calories (re-feed) for a full day periodically (once a week or so if you are heavy, twice a week if you are already lean), to restimulate metabolism. On the higher calorie day, take your calories to maintenance or even 10, 15, 20% above maintenance and add the extra calories in the form of carbs (carb cycling). The leaner you get, and the longer you’ve been on reduced calories, the more important the re-feeds will be. (You can learn more about this method in chapter 12 of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle)

5) Take periodic diet breaks.

Take 1 week off your calorie restricted diet approximately every 12 weeks or so. During this period, take your calories back up to maintenance, but continue to eat healthy, “clean” foods. Alternately, go into a muscle building phase if increasing lean mass is one of your goals. This will bring metabolism and regulatory hormones back up to normal and keep lean body mass stable.

There is much confusion about how your metabolism, hormones and appetite mechanisms are affected when you’re dieting, so this was really one of the most important questions anyone could have asked.

If this didn’t REALLY click – then you may want to save this and read it again because misunderstanding this stuff  leads more people to remain frustrated and stuck at plateaus than anything else I can think of.

If you’d like to learn exactly how you should be eating to lose 2 lbs of fat per week, then click here to visit Burn The Fat.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto,
Author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle

I have developed some basic strategies and tips to help you turn around any bad eating habits that may have developed over the holidays.

1. Weigh yourself every day. This will help you be committed to losing the weight.
2. Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. Sometimes we think we are hungry but it may be because you are thirsty and really craving water.
3. Increase physical activity. A good goal would be 10,000 steps per day. Not only will this burn more calories but you will also feel better and have more energy
4. Be very choosey with any late night snacking. Since you have minimal energy requirement while sleeping your body stores those extra calories as fat.
5. Sleep at least 7 hours per night. Lack of sleep leads to daytime drowsiness and poor eating for quick energy.
6. Cut out bread rice, pasta and processed foods. These are all high carbohydrate. Lean toward high protein foods which tend to be much more satisfying.
7. Eat more frequently. Try eating every 2-3 hours. Eat some fruit or a vegetable snack. This can help stave off the hunger pains.
8. Tell your family that you are going to lose weight. This will help keep you accountable.
9. Think ahead and plan meals. The battle begins at the grocery store.
10. Limit fast food. Most fast foods are very high in fat. Try bringing leftovers from home for lunch.

Remember this is not a diet plan. This is a lifestyle modification. If you can make these healthy habits part of your usual routine you do not need to “diet” to lose weight.

Here are a few articles which may appeal to you:

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._David_Richardson

http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Tips-to-Lose-Weight-Without-Dieting&id=3596165

What is this miracle to reduce high cholesterol? It’s the vitamin B3, also known as niacin. Here are three reasons why you want this supplement in your arsenal to lower cholesterol naturally.

Reason 1: Niacin Balances Your Blood Cholesterol Levels

There was a report released by the Mayo Clinic that stated niacin can raise HDL by 15 to 35 percent. They also went on to say, “this makes niacin the most effective drug available for raising HDL cholesterol.”

Since HDL is the “good” cholesterol, you do want it raised — it acts to clean up the LDL cholesterol.

And as an extra punch, niacin decreases your triglycerides and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. And that means a healthier body all around!

Reason 2: Niacin Reduces Homocystines

Homocystines have been hushed by the media for some reason, possibly because cholesterol drugs are such big business. But homocystines have been linked to cardiovascular disease — and may even play a more sinister role than does cholesterol, when it comes to heart health!

Niacin reduces excess homocystine levels in your body, and so keeps your heart safe.

Reason 3: Niacin is Good for Your Body

Vitamin B3 is something your body needs anyway! Niacin works in your body to:

• Assist in cellular respiration
• Helps the body utilize nutrients

You may be thinking, isn’t that what vitamins do? True enough, but without cellular respiration, the cells die; if the cells die….well, you can’t live without your cells!

One More Reason — Price

One final reason to take this vitamin is that it’s inexpensive. I’m talking pennies a day, not dollars a tablet.

Niacin is something your body needs anyway, so why not provide it for a tiny sum of cash?

Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

Taking a niacin supplement is just one way to reduce high cholesterol levels without using drugs; there are others as well. In fact, here is some totally free information on lowering cholesterol naturally.

There are other ways to work with your body to balance blood cholesterol levels. For example, cholesterol lowering foods help, too — and they can be awfully yummy! (Dark chocolate, anyone?)

By Marie Nolan
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marie_Nolan

http://EzineArticles.com/?Lowering-Cholesterol-Naturally—3-Reasons-to-Take-Niacin-to-Reduce-High-Cholesterol&id=3229506

1. Burn more calories than you consume. If this makes you go: “D-uuuh!!”, snap out of it and consider that this elementary aspect of dieting escapes countless clueless — and doomed — dieters. Tabloids may claim to have the “miracle foods” that’ll allow you to eat like a pig and have the pounds melt off, but it’s a load.

2. Establish your base metabolism, and set a target calorie goal approx. 500 calories below it. I wrote an article dedicated to establishing your metabolism earlier, so look it up in the article archive if you need a refresher.

3. Keep an honest log. Make estimates of how many calories you stuff yourself with every meal and tally up the total to make sure you stay within your target calorie goal. Convenient “mistakes,” under-estimates and forgetfulness allows you to eat more now, but you’re defeating the whole point of dieting.

4. Actively choose good sources of fat. This may sound like stupid advice — shouldn’t you AVOID fat when dieting? Well, yes and no. You have to keep consuming some fat, just not going overboard. Avoid butter, bacon, whole milk, coconuts and such like the plague. Instead, make use of olive oil (virgin) and fatty fish. Peanut butter is an interesting topic. I used to put it in the same category as the “bad” fats. It belongs there, packing saturated fat as well as artery-clogging trans fatty acids. However, based on highly unscientific testimonies by others as well as personal experience, it seems like a handful of peanuts once in a while when dieting can do wonders in keeping energy levels up while not wreaking havoc with your overall diet. Strange and illogical? You betcha. But it just so happens to work anyway, kind of like bumblebees flying though they technically shouldn’t be able to.

5. Eat small but frequent meals throughout the day. You’ve heard it a million times, I’m sure, but facts remain: In order to keep an even level of blood sugar, you have to eat small, balanced meals.

6. Don’t go wimpy on the weight training. When you diet, you’re in the danger zone for losing muscle mass most of the time. To avoid this, keeping pumping iron, and be diligent about it!

7. Avoid alcohol. Given that barbeque-season is upon us, this can be tough when your friends bring out the ice-cold beer. The solution is simple: Only associate with other bodybuilders, so you at least won’t be the lone dweeb sipping a diet soda! For those of you who have the ridiculous idea that your life should not revolve around bodybuilding: Snap out of it.

8. Do cardio in moderation. Doing 45 minutes on the stair master every day is a great way to get the pounds off quicker. 2 hours is not so great, since you’re bound to start losing muscle mass. When and how much is individual (and depending on what you’ve had to eat earlier in the day) but avoid cardio sessions in excess of 1 hour. If you need the punishment do one session in the morning and one in the evening. Also remember to stay in the 65 heart rate zone for optimal fat burn.

9. Schedule “cheating” days to stay sane. Dieting is no fun. No matter how gung-ho and motivated you are when you start out, you’ll have days when everything is darkness and the world is out to get you. Make sure to get a treat once a week on a set day (Saturday is good) as it gives you something to look forward to. A juicy burger is fatty and calorie-dense, but if you prepare by doing extra cardio for three days in advance you’ll come in right on target for the week.

10. Don’t be afraid of soy. I used to avoid fake-meat products, but having been married to a vegetarian for 3+ years I’ve tried soy hot dogs, burgers, chicken patties, even riblets that taste just like the real thing. And here’s the kicker: Soy products is mostly protein! Granted, soy protein is not the highest quality out there, but if you drink a glass of milk or have some other high-quality protein source with it you can bump up the overall quality in a hurry. Besides, soy has a number of great health benefits when eaten in moderation and contains very little fat.

Source: 10 Weight Loss Tips, by: James Mierop

Here are 5 simple to follow tips to help you not only develop a healthy menu plan, but hopefully one that will allow you to stay healthy well into the future.

1. Take that food pyramid, and look at it.  You know the one!  Veges at the bottom, sweets at the top?  Yeah that’s the one.  This may be shocking to believe, but that pyramid is actually spot-on accurate.
2. Try new things.  Never had a particular fruit or vegetable before, now is a great time to try it.  Tired of boring old meals?  Find new ways to prepare them to make it fun.
3. PLAN you week.  If you are at work during meal times, be sure to take this into account when planning.  If you plan in advance, you’ll know what to cook, and when to cook it.  Believe me when I say this is a HUGE factor in keeping on track.  Prepared menu planners can help with this if you prefer others do the hard work.
   
4. Find a friend who is willing to “buddy up” with you and get on track also!  A friend will not only help ou keep on track, but is a great way to get new menu ideas.
5. Water water everywhere… so drink it!  Your body needs water for virtually everything it does, but most importantly, a well watered body is a body with a good metabolism (which means more fat burning).  It is said 8 glasses of water a day should be the target.. go for MORE than that… you can’t over-drink, so let your body have a swim!

As with any lifestyle change, the purpose of a healthy menu plan is not to “diet”, but to simply create a daily way of life that is both easy to manage, fun to do and good for the body.

Busy lifestyle?  Not a fan of cooking?  Don’t panic, eDiets can actually prepare balanced healthy meals designed FOR YOUR BODY and deliver them to your door.