Being In a Calorie Deficit Sucks
Let’s face it. Being in a calorie deficit sucks! You’re not the only one that thinks that.
What sucks even more is when you hit the inevitable plateau that happens to most dieters.
Contrary to popular belief, this plateau is a normal response to you being in a calorie deficit.
Your body hates it when you are in a calorie deficit.
The human body is smart. It eventually catches up to what you are up to and realizes that you are trying to starve yourself. It doesn’t like that so it adapts through it’s self defense system
Effect of a Hypo-Caloric Diet On Your Body
Being on a hypo-caloric diet and the resulting weight loss that comes from that causes changes in your body. Mainly changes in your circulating levels of hormones that regulate your hunger and satiety.
This signals to your brain that you are nutrient deprived and your brains kicks things up a notch by increasing your hunger and food cravings and decreases your satiety.
To make things worse, your body finds a way to increase energy intake, and to decrease total daily energy expenditure (more on that below). All this is your body responding to you losing weight. Your body is finding ways to adapt to those changes.
Metabolic Adaptation
Plateauing of fat loss during your dieting is due to metabolic adaptations.
Your body is not interested at all in you losing weight. So, it defends against this fat loss loss to reach homeostasis, a state of balance.
How does it defend against this fat loss?
The body fights against this “controlled starvation” in a few ways:
- Decreases your basal metabolic rate
- Decreases your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)
- The thermic effect of food decreases
- Your gut microbiota changes
- You’re mitochondrial efficiency decreases.
To have permanent weight loss you need to have good weight loss strategies + weight maintenance strategies.
This is why working with a coach who understand these things and can guide you during this process is crucial.
Don’t get overwhelmed. Start working with one of our Pare & Prune coaches and get the help you need to overcome this plateau.
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