You're trying to lose weight and you just…
CAN'T.
That's the story all of us experience.
So what's going on?
Well, chances are you are breaking at least one of five unbreakable rules of weight loss.
If you're finally ready to break the cycle, then let's discuss exactly what these rules
are.
According to the internet, weight loss is very very complicated.
However, although the actions required for losing weight can indeed be difficult, weight
is a conceptually straightforward process.
In fact, in the most technical sense, there's only one TRULY unbreakable rule of weight
loss.
And that is, energy balance.
Now, let's just think about it for a moment.
When we think about weight loss, what exactly are we trying to lose in our bodies?
Depending on what's hot in entertainment right now, it might be our blood, brains, or hearts,
but usually we want to lose body fat.
And, body fat, of course, is our number one source of stored energy.
This is where the all-so-frightening term known as calories comes into play.
In order to lose weight that is primarily body fat, we have take in less energy than
we use, thus creating an energy deficit compensated by mobilizing or using our fat stores.
And since calories is a unit or measurement of energy, we often hear the phrase, “calories
in versus calories out,” which is the same as saying energy balance.
Approximately one pound of body fat contains 3500 calories of energy.
So, to lose something like, 5 pounds in 2 months, you have to achieve a net energy deficit
of 17,500 calories, which is a daily deficit of approximately 300 calories.
Now, counting calories is far from perfect, and many corners of the internet have contended
the importance of calories and energy balance in general.
However, in the scientific literature, by far the most consistent factor for weight
management, be it weight loss, gain, or maintenance, is indeed energy balance.
But it is true that calories are not completely accurate, primarily because our current methods
to measure it are largely inconsistent.
However, we can somewhat correct this by observing bodyweight changes over time and then adjusting
our estimates accordingly.
Unless some compelling data suddenly emerges contesting it, the one true unbreakable rule
of weight loss is achieving an energy deficit.
But, of course, now you're probably wondering, "why does this video say five rules?"
Well, I'm certainly not the first nor last person to speak the gospel of energy deficit.
But, of course, knowing is not the same as doing.
And that's where the remaining four unbreakable rules arise because they are the most relevant
factors in successfully achieving this energy deficit.
So, get ready, 'cause I'm gonna solve all of your weight loss troubles by telling you
all the rules right now.
Again, the first and overarching, unbreakable rule is to maintain an energy deficit.
The other four unbreakable rules are to manage food intake, increase physical activity, get
sufficient recovery, and maintain consistency.
Apologies if you expected some sort of stunning revelation, but unfortunately, these are indeed
the boring but tried-and-true rules of weight loss and essentially all fitness goals.
Weight loss undoubtedly and fundamentally requires a great deal of effort.
Of course, I want to help you with these rules, so let me share my one absolute favorite tip
for each of these rules that can make it easier for you to follow them.
And if you want even more tips and strategies, I've covered weight loss many times before,
so feel free to check out my other videos.
But in the interest of time, we'll keep things simple for this one.
First, let's talk about managing food intake.
Now, reducing your food or calorie intake is not at all required to lose weight, but
for most, it will be the easiest path to achieve it.
But, like anything, if you want to manage it, first you have to understand it.
So, my favorite tip here is to simply learn more about the food you eat.
The more you understand your food, the more you can, of course, make educated decisions
for your diet.
Educate yourself on things like your food's calorie content by using calorie apps, and
things like its macro and micronutrient content.
And when you do, you'll come to discover interesting tidbits like how eating not less but MORE
PROTEIN is better for losing weight.
Protein, alongside carbs and fats, are the primary energy sources in our food known as
macronutrients.
But, compared to carbs and fats, protein has a much stronger influence on satiety, or the
feeling of fullness, which can then naturally reduce overall food intake.
Our bodies also don't really like to use protein as energy, since it has a high metabolic cost
and is a key component in virtually all other bodily functions.
So, although on the surface it seems counterintuitive, having more protein calories can actually
reduce your overall calories.
So yes, get your protein and learn more about your food.
Then there's the other side of the calorie coin, and that is using or burning more energy,
which can be done by increasing physical activity or exercise.
Again, people usually find it easier to eat fewer than burn more calories, and there are
even studies that suggest exercise per se normally has very little impact on weight
loss.
But the science also shows that by far the most effective weight loss strategy is eating
less AND burning more calories.
I know, super surprising stuff.
So it would be in your best interest to add exercise wherever you can.
And, one of my favorite tips to do that is to simply track your progress.
Not just your weight loss progress, but also the progress of the activities you're doing.
If you're lifting weights, then track your strength and reps.
If you're running, then track your speed and distance.
If you're doing more physical chores, then...
congrats, you have a cleaner home.
The point of tracking has to do with a psychological factor known as self-efficacy, which, in simple
terms, means how much you believe in yourself to achieve or do something.
In weight loss research, self-efficacy has been identified as one of the most common
factors among individuals that not only successfully lost weight but also successfully kept the
weight off.
And one way to improve self-efficacy is to experience successes in the given activity
or goal.
In other words, people like to see their own improvement, no matter how small, which can
normally compel us to keep going.
And we can observe these improvements by tracking our progress.
So I definitely recommend doing just that.
Now, for getting enough recovery.
We all know how important recovery is especially getting enough quality sleep.
For weight loss specifically, sustaining an energy deficit will likely mean that exercise
fatigue sets in more quickly, which means we'll require quicker and more rest.
So my favorite tip is here is simply just that.
You want to rest more between your sets, add more walking breaks during your runs, and
in the larger scale, allow more recovery time between exercise sessions or implement full
recovery or deload weeks from time to time.
You can even temporarily increase your food intake to provide sufficient nutrients for
recovery.
Also, keep in mind that stress from exercise can compound with stress in other areas of
your life, and vice versa.
So if things are getting a bit stressful at work, exercise can still be useful, but it
becomes imperative to avoid overexertion.
Give it a rest if you need the rest.
And finally, we have the matter of consistency.
My one big, favorite tip for being consistent is to... be okay with fucking up.
Or, in other words, accept that sometimes you're not gonna be consistent.
Sure, we all would love having the discipline to stick to a plan all the way through, but
if we're being real, that just doesn't happen most of the time.
But, just because you had a bad day, week, or even month, it doesn't mean that your chances
of success are completely gone.
Remember, it's about net or overall reduction in calories over a long period of time.
Think of it like trying to save money.
Sure, some days you'll put more money into your savings but some days you'll have to
pull out some of your savings and that's okay.
Just keep trying to save more and more in the future.
And, before you know it, you'll be saving so much that Microsoft Word starts getting
a bit jealous.
Be consistent with accepting inconsistencies and you'll be more consistent than ever.
And, that's the five unbreakable rules of weight loss.
One true and overarching rule and four rules that will best help you achieve it.
Weight loss, as a concept is simple, but execution does take a bit of work.
And if you need more help figuring out that work, then check out this next video that
will break it down for you step by step.
Other than that, if you enjoyed this video, please give it a consistent thumbs up and
share it with your rule-loving friends.
Subscribe for more and let me know what you think in the comments.
As always, thank you for watching and don't forget to get your protein.