What Is Your Weight Loss IQ? See how you do with our five-question quiz …
True or False?
- When it comes down to it, losing weight is about taking in fewer calories than you use.
- Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are necessary for the human body to thrive.
- Fats are high in calories and should be avoided if you are trying to lose weight.
- When you eat is just as important as what you eat.
- The best approach to weight loss is to eat small amounts of food frequently to avoid hunger.
Find The Answers To These Questions Below
When it comes down to it, losing weight is about taking in fewer calories than you use.
True and False. While it is true in general, other factors, particularly hormones will override the body’s use of calories and change your metabolism to go into “survival mode” where you will use far fewer calories. This mode is so powerful that when you reduce your calories too drastically, the hormonal response will “trump” calories every time!
Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are necessary for the human body to thrive.
False. There are “essential amino acids” (protein) and “essential fatty acids” (fat), but there are no essential carbohydrates. Essential in this case meaning needed by the body and unable to be made by the body, so must come from an outside source.
Fats are high in calories and should be avoided if you are trying to lose weight.
True and False. While it is true that fats are higher in calories (9 per gram) vs. protein (4 per gram) and carbohydrates (4 per gram), the hormonally driven “survival mode” that kicks in when you restrict your food intake too drastically makes these numbers irrelevant making it very difficult to lose weight. Fats also positively impact your satiety (feeling of fullness or lack of hunger) so healthy fats can be strategically included in weight loss plans (that is the basis of “ketogenic” diets).
When you eat is just as important as what you eat.
True. Recent research has suggested that fasting is a way to manage the hormonal response of the survival mode. Fasting is difficult, but it is possible to time your eating in ways that gain the benefits of fasting on hormonal control without the difficulty of a true fast. These strategies are referred to as “intermittent fasting” or “time restricted eating” and are proving to be very effective tools to assist with weight loss. A study done on mice found that those allowed access to food around the clock developed obesity when other mice who are the same number of calories but were limited as to their eating time, remained thin.
The best approach to weight loss is to eat small amounts of food frequently to avoid hunger.
False and True. The best approach to weight loss is to use knowledge of how the body works to craft a plan that best fits your lifestyle and goals. For some people that is eating frequent, smaller meals, while others will gain far more benefit from incorporating “intermittent fasting” or “time restricted eating” concepts such that the “survival mode” metabolic slowing is avoided.
If you have a few pounds to lose, we can help.
There is no single best weight loss approach, rather the best approach is to look at each individual situation and develop a strategy that will fit that person.
For a limited time we are offering a free consultation with one of our experienced staff to get you set up with something that will work well for you!