That Salad Is Sabotaging You

I know that sad little salad you make for lunch at work… Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, hold the dressing because you heard that 100s of calories can hide in salad dressing (which actually, yes, it can).

And this delightfully low-cal meal follows your similarly low-cal breakfast of coffee and… nope, just coffee.

You eat this way thinking “Ok, for sure I should lose weight – I’m definitely in a calorie deficit!” And yet… the scale stays put, your clothes are still snug, and youre absolutely losing your mind.

Why is weight loss so %@&#ing difficult?

Confession: For a long time, I too bought into the idea that “calories in vs calories out is the whole story.” You’ll still see it all over social media, usually from 22-year-old bros whose bodies are about as similar to yours as their lack of responsibilities are to your full-time job, two kids, and a mortgage: “It’s the First Law of Thermodynamics, you say you’re a doctor, you should read a textbook.” (Yes this was an actual comment)

Here’s the thing – sometimes, the best way to lose fat is to eat more.

You may already know this and are just nervous to take the advice (what if it backfires for me and I gain more?) or this may be news to you. It sounds counter-intuitive but it’s true.

As a woman, your body is designed for procreation – for maintaining an environment that can safely carry a baby to term. Yes, even once you’re past menopause, these mechanisms remain in place (not fair!).

When you chronically under-eat, your body freaks out. It thinks that nutrient availability is scarce and therefore, it holds on to fat for dear life, just in case some potential fetus needs those reserves. Honestly… it all kind of sucks but it’s what we’ve got.

The more you decrease calories and add cardio, the more your body will fight back by increasing baseline cortisol and “saving” as much fat as possible for little Jane.

BUT – when you tell your body “hey, chill, there’s actually plenty of nutrients around, plenty of all the good stuff we need, so it’s safe to let some of this fat go”… that’s when things finally turn around. 

Fat loss will happen when you eat enough protein, enough carbs, enough healthy fats, and do the right kind of exercise to promote building muscle which also helps to revitalize your metabolism.

There’s a time and a place for a calorie deficit, but it’s not for everyone and it’s never meant to be a long-term plan. 

So scrap the salad (or keep it as a side) and dig into a delicious, healthy, filling, well-balanced meal for lunch today.