Why Less Is Not Always More

It’s natural to think that the less you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, however that’s not always the case.

The way weight loss usually works is, when you consume less calories than your body uses per day, you will lose excess weight. Calories are the unit of energy our body uses. When our body is not getting enough calories through our food and drink, it needs to get it from somewhere, so it taps into our energy stores, which can be our fat stores.

However, I have come across some Dads that have been struggling with weight loss results even though they're eating well. When I look closer at their diet and do a calorie count, I notice they are consuming way less calories than their body uses. So how come they are not losing weight? I’ll tell you why.

Our bodies have inbuilt survival mechanisms, it’s the way God made us to be (pretty special if you ask me). There is a point with our calorie intake, where if we are having too low of an amount less than what our body needs, it will go into survival mode.

Our body senses there is a lack of incoming calories (fuel for our energy) and starts to slow down our metabolism in order to conserve our energy stores, particularly if it’s happening consistently. This unfortunately includes our fat stores. Because our metabolism drops, our body’s ability to lose fat becomes less optimal as it tries to hold onto its stores. Which means you will not lose as much fat as you thought you would be eating less.

It’s a bit like when a car is almost out of fuel. In order to make it keep going before the next fuel stop, you would have to drive it conservatively and not at its full capacity, otherwise you may not make it.

For weight loss, your calorie intake needs to be within a certain range to avoid this from happening. It’s different for each individual as it depends on factors such as age, weight, height and physical activity. If you’d like access to my calorie calculator so you can work it out for yourself, comment ‘calculator’ below and I’ll get it to you.

Skipping meals can be a sign you’re not having enough calories. Feeling hungry and not feeding that hunger could be another sign you’re in the ‘danger zone’ for fat loss with your calorie intake.

That’s how sometimes less is not always more.

So if you feel you’ve been eating the right foods and the right portions but not seeing results with your weight, this could potentially be the case. I suggest working out what your calorie intake should be, then count what your calorie intake actually is on a typical day and determine if this is the cause.

Andrew Jax

Weight Loss Coach

DitchTheDadFat.com