WHY BEING IN A CALORIE DEFICIT ISN'T WORKING FOR YOU.

         Calorie deficit has for the longest been a rule of thumb when it comes to sustainable weight loss and fat loss. This simply means expending more than the intake. It's made possible by accurately tracking everything i.e. calorie in using a kitchen scale and calories out using a well detailed smart watch. 

Apart from food intake, there are other factors that influence the process which can't be ignored. They predominately dictate how and where fat mass is stored. Some can easily be tweaked to help in the reduction process while others, adaptation and being cautious could play a key role in this.

There is a synergistic effect when being ion a calorie deficit is combined with a well-structured workout regimen. Prioritization of quality protein during this period would help in muscle mass retention. Increase in daily physical activities would make it easier to expend more calories which most times is inform of step counts. 

What are some of these mechanisms that results in energy expenditure?

Energy utilization in our bodies occurs in different forms. These forms amount to the total utilization of calories known as Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). These mechanisms include: 
  • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - is the amount of energy the body needs to maintain its basic functions while at complete rest i.e. breathing, circulation and vital cellular activity.
  • Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) - it's the energy required for digestion, absorption and processing of food. 
  • Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) - energy expended on daily non-structured activities like sitting, standing, walking etc.
  • Exercise Induced Thermogenesis (EIT) - is the amount of energy expended during exercise. 
        These energy forms give insights on why being physically active and resistance training is highly encouraged. Increase in steps as a form of physical activities will increase the body's NEAT hence contribute to more caloric expenditure.
Resistance training stimulates our BMR when at rest through repairing of worn-out tissues and during the "After-burn Effect" where oxygen intake to the muscle remains elevated resulting in more calorie consumption.

What jeopardizes the efforts of being in a calorie deficit?

At times, the urge for results gets us to extreme levels which easily sabotages the progress.
      Despite all these, the body still needs macros to go about its daily functioning. Whenever we go way beyond the minimum calorie deficit, the body senses these and quickly switches to survival mode. This results in Adaptive Thermogenesis, where the body tries to readjust to the starvation type of state imposed to it.
This slows down metabolism which is a key factor in all weight loss journeys. The body will end up preserving any calorie consumed for the next meal isn't guaranteed. Adaptive thermogenesis could be a big contributor as to why guys easily restore lost weight back as soon as they are done with an extreme calorie deficit phase.

Easy tips to avoid getting in an Adaptive Thermogenesis state.

Avoid being in extreme levels of the deficit. This is a leading factor to the state. Results do take time and everyone journey is different. Having Diet breaks where you increase your calories once in a while will be a great way of balancing your metabolism. In this case, getting to your maintenance calories would be a great sweet spot to keep it under control and balance the leptin (satiety) hormone. We can link this to having cheat meals after a while to prevent temptations and feeling drained by the deficit. Avoid quick strategies that sound too good to be true while it has taken you a lifetime to gain all that weight. Most times it results in disappointments and retrogression. Reverse dieting could be a great exit plan from this phase. Gradually increasing your calorie intake will help control your metabolism to prevent quick weight gain. A trial and error approach to these tips would give the answer to what works best for you.


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