You want me to eat MORE to lose weight?

I received a great question from a new client that I am sure many of you struggle with.

Q – In the past when I have been trying to lose weight, my daily calorie intake has been 900-1200. Why do you want me to eat so much food and so often? Won’t that make me gain weight, not lose it?

A – (Background: For this particular woman I designed a diet that is 1400 calories per day to start and I plan to increase as she gets used to this calorie increase from where she has been)

I actually consider 1400 calories to be very low and never recommend below 1200 even for someone in the final weeks of a show. Most of my clients calories are in the 1400-2000 range and personally I eat between 2200-2400 daily (this is for maintaining my current physique… if I want to lose weight I cut back to 1600-1900.)

At 5’2′ and 140 lbs, your resting metabolic rate is 1400 calories per day. That is what your body burns just existing day in and day out. Add the exercise you do and that rate comes up considerably.

There are approximately 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. So, if you create a 3500-calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight. (On average 75% of this is fat, 25% lean tissue so we counter act that by including a lot of protein and amino acids your body needs to actually gain muscle) If you create a 7000 calorie deficit you will lose two pounds and so on. The calorie deficit can be achieved either by calorie-restriction alone, or by a combination of fewer calories in (diet) and more calories out (exercise). This combination of diet and exercise is best for lasting weight loss. Indeed, sustained weight loss is difficult or impossible without increased regular exercise.

To lose fat, we try to come in at a 500 calorie deficit per day. However, we cannot just cut your calories way down and expect your body to lose fat. As a guide to minimum calorie intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women.

Studies show that women that drop their calories between 800-1200 per day for extended periods of time significantly lower their metabolism, causing their bodies to go into a protection mode, giving them less energy and causing their body to burn muscle while stubbornly holding on to fat reserves.

Here is a source article that you might find interesting.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/WT00006