Can Eating More Help With Weight Loss?

Can we stop with the portion sizes?  Insert memories of frozen dinners with the special compartments for each food group.  Those days can be over.  So many people are portion sizing their meals because they think they are going to gain weight. This could not be further from the truth.  Portion sizes are not determinate of health success.  I think if one is going to portion out their meals they really need to take an in-depth look at what kinds of foods are being limited and/or downsized.  It all comes down to the food they are consuming being calorically dense or nutrient dense. 

I used to think eating more would cause weight gain, but it does not.  This is truly a myth.  When one has to restrict their food intake this is because they think restriction and calorie counting is effective and have no knowledge of nutrition efficacy or the foods they choose to consume are calorically dense. When prepping meals the focus needs to be more on nutrient density and nutrient efficacy.  Many people are eating meals that contain empty calories and are void of nutritional value.  Nutrients are vital to health.  Calories are the amount of energy one gets from the food that they eat.  However if there are empty calories meaning void of essential nutrients, the body cannot get energy.

This is why portion sizing and counting calories is highly ineffective to weight loss longevity.  There is a lack of nutrient efficacy when it comes to calorically dense foods with no nutrient density because the body does not thrive on empty calories.  The body has to work extremely hard to process junk food, sugary foods, foods rich in acrylamides, and pesticides. Can you lose weight on a restrictive diet?  Absolutely.  In fact, I have lost weight on a restrictive diet and almost my sanity because I was CONSTANTLY hungry.  I was hungry, I was hangry, I was shaky, and deprived.  It was not a good diet.  I ate every two hours and I counted the calories of everything I was eating.

Those calories came from processed foods.  Therefore, my body reacted negatively to it.  I actually used to think shakiness or my stomach growling meant I was hungry.  This is not true.  True hunger begins in the esophagus not in the stomach.  You can always tell when you are hungry based on your throat. If more people paid attention to true hunger signals and nutrient density they would not be concerned about counting calories.  True hunger encourages satiety and homeostasis.  You won’t overeat or deprive when nutrient density is of utmost importance.  The body won’t let you overeat when you pay attention to that signal.  The body knows how to function properly.  It is us that break it down by listening to faulty information that does not have our best interest at heart.  Health is not in the hands of dietary restriction, but rather in the hands of nutrient abundance. 

If the nutrients are greater than the calories then you can eat more of it without guilt.  Eating is a lifestyle.  Food should be enjoyed and not looked at as a stipulation or a sacrifice.  There is this mentality of “sacrifice your food faves for that body you want” and that really needs to end.  You do not have to sacrifice what you eat.  You simply need to make them healthier and nutrient rich so that you can eat more and feel great not only on the outside, but the on the inside. When calories are being counted and tracked this is not an indication of health.  This is an indication that you hit your macros and your physique is going to look great, but you won’t feel great.  This is why I do not agree with IIFYM (if it fits your macros) or any sort of macro counting diet.  This does not show nutritional efficacy.  Nutrition efficacy is important in determining if the body is going to absorb the nutrients are not.  It is important in determining if the body is going to be nourished or malnourished. 

You can restrict your diet, you can count calories, but if you are experiencing malabsorption and are malnourished then you are not experiencing health.  Knowing basic nutritional principles is key in health success.  The goal should always be to achieve health success.  In order to achieve that, the body has to be given what it is able to process.  You can have a bunch of leafy greens because they are nutrient dense.  There are so many ways to use greens in various things.  I have been vegan and plant-based for a while so I can eat greens raw + steamed by themselves. I know this is not true for everyone and that is fine.  You can put greens in smoothies, on pizza, in a veggie lasagna, and more.  There are so many ways to incorporate nutrient dense foods into your diet that can taste amazing when you know how to create recipes.  I know it can feel extremely overwhelming to create healthy recipes, but happily for you I did the work for you.

Before I tell you what it is I want to hear from you.  What do you struggle with on your weight loss journey?  Let me know in the comments!

Now I can tell you.  You might have hit a plateau on your weight loss journey.  Sure you might be feeling sluggish, stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed at this time.  Well not to worry because I created this FREE “3-Day Meal Plan for Stressed and Overworked Moms” designed for moms who want to increase their energy and get rid of their stress through nutrition, without sacrificing their food favorites.

What You’ll Get:

-   meal plans

-   recipes

-   grocery store list

-   food diary

-   done for you meal prep guide

Benefits:

-   increase energy

-   get rid of stress

-   turn the body into a fat-burning machine

-   decrease swelling aka inflammation

-   lose water weight

Are you wanting to deep dive and completely overhaul your health? Book a Discovery Call with me: