Why 1,200 calories (or less) is a horrible idea.
Diet culture has taught us that 1,200 calories (or less) is necessary for fat loss, when in reality - that’s not nearly enough.
Why do we think that?
For starters, we live in a society with immediate gratification, and have been taught that by making a few changes, we should see results instantly if we follow a set of rules.
This works for some things, but NOT for changing our body.
Popular calorie counters often suggest 1,200 calories a day when we choose the option to “lose weight as fast as possible”.
FUN FACT: this is the amount of calories that an INACTIVE 4-year old needs per day. Yep - you read that correctly.
We’ve been trained to feel guilty for being hungry - that the less we eat, the better our body will look. That’s garbage advice and NOT TRUE. Start feeding your body - you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel.
Stop and think about that. Stop and think about anything GREAT that you’ve accomplished in your life. Getting your college degree. Having a baby - getting that promotion.
Did any of that happen overnight?
No.
Did you get the body you currently have now overnight?
No.
So why do we think a few salads and a handful of workouts should get us our dream body?
Our bodies NEED food. Our metabolisms NEED a healthy amount of calories. Our bodies NEED nourishment to function optimally.
Stop buying into these severe calorie restriction gimmicks that promise instant results. By doing this, you’re telling your metabolism to slow down, and adapt to the unhealthy amount of food you’re eating, making it not only HARDER to lose weight, but EASIER to gain the weight back + more. When you deprive yourself of food:
your metabolism slows down
you lose muscle mass (required to keep your metabolism UP and keep the weight off)
you deprive yourself of vital vitamins and nutrients
you will ultimately overindulge
Metabolic adaptation is something we address in our 1:1 Foundational Coaching program with our clients, through our first phase, Priming your Metabolism for FAT LOSS. We work with our clients to get their metabolism as EFFICIENT as possible, which is necessary to lose fat for GOOD. Doing this through balanced meals, prioritizing protein, movement and strength training increases your resting metabolic rate (the number of calories your body burns at rest).
Doesn’t that sound great? Eating more and changing your body so for the rest of your life, you burn more calories doing NOTHING?
While each individuals’ daily calorie needs vary, adult women range from 1,600 to 2,400 and adult men range from 2,000 to 3,100.
The internet is FULL of information on how to lose weight, however it can be a full-time job shifting through what’s fact, and what’s a load of bologna. That’s why people like us exist - think about it.
Imagine investing in a nutrition coach to support, guide and TEACH you the proper way to fuel your body. Sure, it might take six months to a year, but isn’t that better than decades of starving yourself, only to “start Monday” over and over and over?