Weight Loss & the Art of the Meal

  had a conversation one day with a friend of mine. She asked if I had heard of a meal prep delivery service. You know the ones. You send in what your weight loss goals are and they send you a customized meal plan with meal prep included to help you reach those goals. This one in particular her co-worker was using and she was asking if I'd heard about it. Her co-worker had lost an incredible amount of weight! I asked what she was eating and her response FLOORED me. "Different stuff, but she's only allowed 500 calories a day." FIVE HUNDRED CALORIES A DAY!?!? That's starvation, not a weight loss plan. I know we all want to get in better shape or lose weight as fast as possible, but there's healthy (and unhealthy) ways to do it. Let's break it down....

Science to Weight Loss

We all know we need a calorie deficit to lose weight, and one pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Remember that.... 1 lb of of fat = 3500 calories. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) depends on a lot of factors, but the average is around 1400 calories for women and 1600 calories for men. This means that if you don't do anything but binge Friends all day, your body will burn this many calories. The problem is, we usually don't realize how many calories are in our food. For example, a Big Mac, medium fry, and medium coke is 1130 calories. We've almost reached our daily limit in one meal.

More Muscle Mass = Higher Metabolism

Remember how we said different factors play into what your RMR is? One of those factors is muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns in resting mode and the faster your metabolism works. One thing you need to gain muscle is food. You need MORE food, not less. This is a reason we see some people eating less and working out more but they're still "soft". Their body is storing fat because it goes into survival mode (calorie saving mode) and isn't sure if it'll get food again for a while. Also, you're not eating enough protein, so there's nothing to supplement the muscles for growth. Keeping track of how many calories you burn while doing cardio or strength training, along with eating low calorie - high protein foods is the best way to get the results you want. Now, why you don't want to go on an extreme diet and overly restrict your calorie intake:

• Lowers your metabolism - low-calorie diets can decrease the number of calories the body burns by as much as 23%
• Nutrient deficiencies - not getting the nutrients you need can lead to medical issues such as anemia and fatigue
• Can weaken bone - low calorie diets can lower estrogen and testosterone levels, which can reduce bone formation and increase bone breakdown
• May lower your immunity - especially when combined with rigorous workout routines

Get Results Faster at Workout Anytime Hixson!

If you prefer expert guidance and lots of encouragement, a Workout Anytime Personal Coach can help you perform your best. Track your nutrition and workouts on our app.  Our certified personal coaches provide personal and professional assistance so you can reach your goals in the shortest time possible. We have a variety of packages available to fit your needs including; one-on-one training, partner training (two people to a group) to small group training of up to six; depending on your preferences, budget and the level of support and assistance you require. Our training team is there to work with you to develop an effective workout and nutrition plan based on your lifestyle, your current fitness level, and age.