By Marwan Killu
Author of "The Fat Loss Blueprint"
There are 3 big reasons why you may not be able to lose fat while you're in a caloric "deficit"...
#1 - BLT - Bites, Licks, Tastes
You might not think this is something to take into account but these things all add up!
You might like to eat your kid’s leftovers, or you might be a chef and you have to taste the food before you cook it.
These are all calories and the calories all add up. If you are not losing fat and are doing everything right this might be a reason
#2 - Not Counting Liquid Calories
Freshly juiced fruit has become a staple in many diets especially if you are a busy and health conscious person.
You might think fruit juices are “healthy” because they come from fruits but they are not!!
Fruit juices from normal fruits aren’t the same as eating the fruit themselves and fruit juices in cartons that claim to have come from real fruits is even worse for you.
Because when you “juice” the fruits, the fibre is stripped from the fruits so you end up absorbing the “juice” more quickly which results in blood sugar spikes.
Fruit juices also contain HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup).
HFCS is a common sweetener in sodas and fruit-flavored drinks. High-fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to table sugar.
What this sugar does is get into your system undigested straight into your liver which is then stored as fat and as above causes blood sugar crashes and when you get blood sugar crashes you start eating more.
Research has consistently shown links between the consumption of HFCS and obesity, metabolic dysregulation, and similar health issues.
According to a 2017 study of mice, HFCS consumption increased fasting glucose and reduced the ability of mice to clear glucose from the body.
The study also found changes in dopamine signaling in the group that consumed HFCS.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects feelings of motivation and reward.
Past research has linked impaired dopamine signaling to obesity. So you get a quick sugar burst then a blood sugar crash which makes you feel tired and lethargic.
This might be when you think you are hungry but in actual fact its HFCS playing havoc with your hormones.
HFCS is found in a variety of foods including packaged fruits, peanut butter, pre packaged ready meals as well as granola bars.
On the other hand you might be knocking back a few margaritas on the weekend and before you know it you’ve just added a 1000+ calories to your overall day.
#3 - You Are Sedentary Outside the Gym
How many times have you heard the phrase my metabolism is slow/my metabolism is broken this is why I put on weight/that is why I struggle to lose weight?
But my body has gone into starvation mode because I cut my calories.
Or I work out everyday and I eat healthy food? I’ve heard it from countless clients, friends, family members and people in the gym.
That might be true for a very small percentage of the population but if the truth be told our bodies don’t recognise immediately that we are short of calories and immediately go into starvation mode.
It is the fact that we tend to do much less when we are eating less, apart from exercising. It is our body’s natural response to dieting and when we are eating less we move less.
Fat loss is a simple game of numbers. Too much food and not enough energy expenditure will cause weight gain be it fat, muscle or both depending on the circumstances.
The opposite is also true. Eat less, move more and you lose weight.
One simple overlooked but very important factor that is critical for fat loss is NEAT.
Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis can account for 60% of all calories burned throughout the day for active individuals and 15% in sedentary.
It is very rare that you will burn a lot of calories when you are in the gym (crossfit competitors are the exception).
An hour of exercise might burn around 325 calories for every 100lbs of body weight but that average will vastly differ according to lean body mass, BMR etc and most of us aren’t exercising for a good solid hour anyway.
You will struggle to out-exercise a sedentary lifestyle and it doesn’t matter how many times a week you make it to the gym, an hour’s exercise in the gym will not make up for being seated for the remainder of your waking hours.
One of the biggest fat loss mistakes you can make is to foocus solely on the energy you use while exercising.
Exercise will never make up for the energy you could be using living an active lifestyle. If you want to effectively lose fat, you need to move.
And some examples of NEAT are playing with kids, standing instead of sitting or at least take regular breaks between bouts of sitting ( I recommend standing up every 10-15 mins, set a timer) go for a 5 mins walk before sitting down again, taking stairs, working in the garden etc.
NEAT can make or break your fat loss goals, literally.
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Editors Note:
As you can see, it comes down to the fact that you are NOT actually in a caloric deficit, even if you sometimes think you are! THIS is why you're not losing fat.
If you're interested in learning more about Marwan's program, it's called "The Fat Loss Blueprint" and it's PACKED with excellent information on how to get lean FAST, while maintaining optimal hormone levels.
On that page, you'll learn how Marwan took himself from an overfat, stressed-out dad, and got himself RIPPED.
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