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Writer's pictureWasequa Ayesha

Eating less and gaining more? A paradox?



I work with clients trying to lose weight or struggling to maintain weight loss and the most common theme that emerges from our initial conversation is that most clients restrict their eating, and exercise more every time they feel like they need to lose a few pounds for reasons including a wedding, holiday, or a competition. And yes, they lose some weight initially, then plateau, and end up adding more pounds on the scale and body.

This does not mean that they are lying to me or cheating and not sticking to guidelines whichever form of diet that they had chosen, and surely it is not the willpower that they are lacking. So, what could be the problem?


For some people calories in equals to calories out equation does not result in what they want to achieve especially if you are about and over 40, because it is an oversimplification of complex physiological processes that we put out of balance and deplete our bodies of essential nutrients.


There are many factors that contribute to our overall health apart from caloric restriction and physical exercise, and hence quite a few of us especially in our 40s and beyond face an actual inability to lose weight. Some of these factors include

· Psychological stress

· Quantity and quality of sleep

· Diet history

· Exercise history

· Chemical exposure (alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, mold, ultra-processed food, etc)

· Hormone balance (insulin, cortisol, thyroid, oestrogen, progesterone, etc)


All the above factors affect metabolism either directly or indirectly. A healthy metabolism is a fine balance between anabolism and catabolism and the foundation for a successful sustainable healthy weight loss is through healing the metabolism, by paying attention to all the factors, and by addressing the root causes of the symptoms rather than following a simple mathematical equation. I believe and advocate that ‘It is necessary to be healthy to lose weight and not the other way around.’


What could be the reasons for poor metabolism?


In practice, I gather as much personal and medical history as possible, and the common reasons which are also well-researched, that emerge include

· Low-fat or very low-fat diets poor in healthy fats

· High-carb diets

· Diets low in protein

· Yo-Yo dieting

· Chronic undereating

· Lack of wholefood diet in wake of calorie counting

· Fasting

· Excessive cardio

· Trauma or prolonged psychological stress


It all starts with initial weight loss but in the long term, lack of nutritious nourishing food devoids the body of essential macro and micronutrients which are required to form/synthesize hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and energy. In effect long-term starvation could result in more harm to our metabolism than good, thereby throwing it out of balance, depleted, and damaged. Our bodies are very well adapted to deprivation but not to excess, hence we go into conservation mode by slowing the metabolism just to stay alive, and at this stage, if you are still restricting your diet and exercising more, then this can have a seemingly paradoxical effect and result in gaining more weight back than was lost.


Book a free 15-minute Mini Consultation with me if you would like help with your weight loss goals.


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