All About Calorie Restriction

The idea is simple and it makes sense…

Whatever you eat should be in a caloric deficit of what you put out. Simple math, right?
You use X amount of calories/day then you are allowed to eat Y calories/day.

This method provides fast results and it allows you to eat whatever you want, as long as you’re within that calorie deficit.

But if only our bodies were as simple as basic math… and we’re here to tell you that it’s not!

Shocked? I hope not, but at the same time, some may be because they believe wholeheartedly that calorie restriction works.

Calorie restriction will get fast results but it will not get you sustainable results.

The truth is, calorie restriction can work for weight loss and it often does. But, many typically can’t keep up with it long term…  they’re always hungry and tired. We like to say that in the end hunger always wins. If you’re experiencing fatigue, pain, skin issues, gut pain, headaches, etc… calorie restriction is not going to help.

Raise of hands, how many of you have tried calorie restricting diets and failed?
It’s not your fault and it’s not because you lack willpower…

By restricting calories you likely aren’t getting enough nutrients in your diet. This results in…

Continuous Hunger
Loss in bone density
Irregular hormone levels
Brain fog
Fatigue
and other symptoms…in other words, NOT SUSTAINABLE for a typical human being.

Has anyone ever explained to you how calories are measured?

Well, let’s go through it now…

A calorie is a measure of ENERGY not weight or volume. To measure it; food scientists put food in a box, they heat it up without any outside influences and the time it takes to burn completely is the amount of calories it has.

This is where the phrase “burning calories” comes from. (?)

We’re here to tell you that our bodies do not work like that. I’m sure you’re aware that we don’t have a little oven inside us burning the food we eat. What we do have is an intricate system of chemical reactions that break up food so we can absorb its nutrients.

Our intricate system doesn’t care how long a particular food takes to burn up in an oven. What it cares about is the nutrients it can absorb for energy.

This is why calories in vs. calories out doesn’t really make sense if your goal is weight loss.

Weight loss is not a caloric issue; it’s a hormonal one.

So what you should be focusing on is the hormonal response you get from food. Avoiding foods that will cause a big hormonal response is the way to go. Insulin is the master hormone and it’s what tells our body to hold on to fat or burn it. The food that really spikes insulin is, you guessed it, carbs/sugar.

We want to burn fat for weight loss not burn energy (calories) so keeping your insulin levels stable and without big spikes is what you should focus on. Not calories in/calories out.

Calories in/calories out can get you some results but you can also experience hunger and nutrient deficiency which leads to poor health and inflammation.

Growing up we learned to fear fat and I’m certain that has to do with putting calories on this undeserving pedestal.

Fat has 9 calories per gram while carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per gram. So if we are taught that calories are important, it makes us think fat is bad for us and we should avoid it and go for other foods with less calories.

Good thing science is telling us today that evolution makes a lot of sense and fearing fat is nonsensical. The sugar industry did everything it could to take the blame away from sugar and place it on saturated fat and salt. Turning our focus on calories was a great sales move for them.

Calories are a small part of the equation, we use it as a marker of quantity but even then it’s extremely variable to each person.

To sum it up, stop killing yourself with counting calories. Start focusing on real, nutrient-dense foods that keep you satiated and doesn’t spike insulin to a high degree.

Our Modern Caveman 12 week program focuses on creating a sustainable eating plan for you that does not leave you hungry.

A diet program that doesn’t mean I have to starve myself? Who knew it existed?? Check out the program HERE or email us for more info!