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Perhaps you've heard some of these common fitness idioms - "No pain, no gain"
or
"I need to work off my spare tire",
or
"Don't go into starvation mode!"
That last one, especially, has become almost a battle cry among anti-dieters. The thought that if you eat too little food, your body will stop losing weight and may actually GAIN fat.
But is that true? Is starvation mode really a thing? Why do you sometimes lose weight after a big meal? Let's dive into some of the complex metabolic effects of dieting - and how to eat more and still lose weight.
First, let's operate under the assumption that you are human. You are not a robot. You have human cells, a human metabolism, and human bodily processes. As a result of being human, you suffer from the laws of thermodynamics just like the rest of us.
This means that your body operates under the ONE BASIC RULE of CICO - Calories in (you consume energy) and calories out (you expend energy).
It's unlikely that you exist in an alternate dimension with magical calories and fat cells that appear and disappear spontaneously.
Second Assumption - Yes starvation mode is a thing. However, it is a very extremely tremendously unlikely thing. It's unlikely that you, living in a first world country with a phone and internet access, will experience starvation mode if you're eating at least once every 72 hours. Feeling hungry is not starvation mode.
Starvation mode is a phenomenon that happens when a person is extremely malnourished. Like stranded on a desert island malnourished.
Side effects of starvation mode include:
Lethargic feeling
Always feeling cold
Loss of hunger
Behavioral changes like anxiety, depression, anger
Loss of hair
Loss of immune system
Distended belly
Gastrointestinal disorders
If you live within walking distance of a McDonald's, you are not in starvation mode. If you are gaining weight, you are definitely not in starvation mode.
Weight Loss Plateaus Do Happen
So if you're not in starvation mode, what explains the weight loss plateau? Especially when you're doing everything correctly and you're definitely NOT overeating on the weekend?
Here's where the complexities of human metabolism come into play and - for the sake of brevity and my sanity - we're going to simplify the process.
Your body likes having energy. Calories are like your metabolism's currency. It wants it. It needs it. Your metabolism is a capitalist. It will do whatever it takes to get and maintain that sweet sweet currency.
Your metabolism is also extremely adaptive. It's not a one-speed metabolism, it adjusts to the environment. If you diet, your metabolism will decrease so it doesn't lose it's energy reserves (fat). If you over-eat, your metabolism will store anything leftover (fat).
Now factoring our ONE RULE OF WEIGHT LOSS, we know to burn fat you must be in a caloric deficit. But we also need to be in a sweet spot of lower calories AND high metabolic output.
Not All Deficits Are Created Equal
Let's assume you need a daily 500 calorie deficit to reach your fat loss goal. There are three major ways of going about this - decreasing your food intake, OR increasing your exercise, OR both. The best way is both.
For this example, the numbers are simplified (this whole process is simplified), to assume a 2000 calorie "average" person.
If your caloric needs are 2000 calories, and you eat 1500, you're technically in a caloric deficit. But with a caveat of no exercise, low energy, and low mood. Your metabolism will start to suffer after a few months. Eventually, your metabolic needs and your calorie intake will be evenly matched. Meaning the only way to continue losing weight is to KEEP DIETING - which means you're not eating anything. This is where many people give up.
Alternatively, if you increase your metabolism by exercising with resistance training and fat burning cardio, you can bring your caloric needs up to 2500. You then create a 500 calorie deficit by eating 2000 calories - which is MORE than the dieting-only method above.
That means when comparing the two methods above, the second method gives your body an extra 500 calories to enjoy while still in a 500 calorie deficit.
It's like your metabolism debating on whether to save money, or go on an expensive vacation.
Within these two extremes of "eating too little" and "eating too much" lies the SWEET SPOT of weight loss. It's the perfect zone where you're eating enough to maintain a high metabolism and fuel your lifestyle, but still in a calorie deficit. When you hit this zone, you see RAPID fat loss.
Some nutritionists call this sweet spot the "G-Flux Zone" or"Energy Flux Zone".
Always in Motion, The G-Flux Is
Unfortunately, a frustrating factor of the G-Flux Zone is that it's different for each person and the sweet spot is always moving. Your individual sweet spot depends on your activity levels, energy intake, nutrition quality, sleep quality, and overall lifestyle.
If you're in poor health, eating bad foods, and not exercising, your G-Flux Zone is going to be a very, very small window. Maybe non-existent.
But if you're riding high on a healthy lifestyle, you're more likely to be in a G-Flux Zone. The basic idea here is exercise more, eat more, and see more progress. This is why fit, healthier people can get away with the occasional cheat meal - they're always in the sweet spot and their metabolism never takes a hit.
So why don't we START a fitness program by trying to find the G-Flux Zone and make as much progress as possible? Well, we do. But there are many things that need to be in place for optimum G-Flux to happen.
To hit that sweet spot you need:
The right amount of calories (estimate yours here)
The right quality of calories
A resistance training program (here's a free one for you)
Cardiovascular exercise
Enough protein to stimulate muscle synthesis
A good amount of quality sleep
Adequate hydration
Supplementation of any missing nutrients
And to top it off, you need a lifestyle and support system to MAINTAIN these habits. Most people simply do not have all (or any) of these in place at the beginning of a fitness program.
I show you how to do all of these things with my free email course: The 4-Things You Need To Lose Weight, Build Muscle, and Transform Your Physique
This is why, for most people, it's easier and more effective to start a diet and reduce overall calories. This actually gets us closer to the G-Flux Zone, as most diets also mean improving nutrient quality.
Another potential problem for new exercisers is that to optimize the G-Flux Zone, you need to exercise MORE. Many people simply can't exercise more. Either because they lack the time, the available energy, the work capacity, or pain tolerance.
You Know It When You Feel It
So how do you get to that sweet spot?
Trying to measure and analyze your G-Flux Zone is very difficult. You can't put precise mathematical numbers to it, human metabolism is far too complex. Instead, you have to feel it - and you may need to do a little trial-and-error to find it.
You're looking for a few cues:
Are you seeing fat loss?
Are you feeling energetic?
Are you recovering well?
Are you sleeping well?
If all of these are a "YES", then congratulations, you're in the G-Flux Zone! Keep it up!
If not, try slowly adjusting each variable until you're feeling good and seeing progress. It can take some time, but you know that popular idiom about that famous place not being built in a day...
Rome. It was Rome.
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