What is the Secret to Fat Loss? - The Apeiron Life Perspective
- Elizabeth Bradley, MS
- Dec 18, 2023
- 8 min read
What is it:
Confusion often surrounds weight as you may feel unable to control it and are receiving mixed messages from diet culture. One such question is, ‘Can you damage your metabolism?’ The straightforward answer is yes. However, unless it is due to a metabolic disorder like type 1 diabetes, it is not a permanent change to your metabolic process. Changes due to weight gain/loss, muscle gain/loss, or any other shifts in body status are not permanent but may take time and effort to alter. The body is incredible at managing the flow and balance of our needs. It does so by adjusting demands based on the core principle of ‘Calories In’ vs. ‘Calories Out’. But this is not the only influence on our metabolic balance. Cycles of yo-yo dieting, restricted eating, and other detrimental patterns can hinder your path in the long run.
Fat loss tends to be a common concern and is often isolated as a goal rather than classified within the complex metabolic health system. Understanding metabolic processes and the brilliant design of our body's energy system may aid you in optimizing your metabolism and weight loss journey.
Purported claims:
Calories In vs. Calories Out (CICO)
Adaptive thermogenesis
Hormones
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
What the science says:
Fundamentally, calories are a good area to focus on when rebalancing body weight. However, altering body composition is often just as, if not more, essential. Eating less and exercising more is a common approach to producing a caloric deficit in the hopes of facilitating weight loss. Yet, our metabolism involves a vast system of interwoven functions that actively work to stay in balance. The concept that calories are 'just fuel' is an archaic view of how vital energy is to our physical and mental state. The Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) formula shows that although intake and outtake can be balanced, many components affect this outcome.
To begin, let's look at what the main process of 'Calories Out' entails.
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
Activity Levels
Exercise (Type, frequency, and intensity)
General movement = Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
Food digestibility and absorbability = Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
In this article we will first focus on the RMR and NEAT aspect of the ‘Calories Out’ portion of the equation.
The base level of calories your body requires is called the Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). The machine that you are doesn't function for free. Payment in calories gives you your allotted energy expenditure. It varies depending on your age, sex, size and genetics. The type of body you live in will differ from other people and their needs. A person in a larger body burns more resting calories as they have to fuel a larger machine. When you lose weight, your body no longer requires the same amount of calories to function. Body composition and size, therefore, affect what your RMR requirements are. This is one area that can feel like you're plateauing as your body balances out its intake with its needs. But multiple factors affect your RMR; from sleep to stress, everyone's baseline varies.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) occurs during the micro-movements you perform throughout your day. From taking the stairs to shivering in the cold, your energy requirements increase and are part of the NEAT process. NEAT movements can be activated in hundreds of ways throughout your day. Long-term health changes occur when small, consistent habits add up. These subtle movements use up fat on a steady basis for energy. For example, fidgeting stimulates muscles and fat utilization, increasing energy requirements.
However, a strict reduction of calories dampens our NEAT possibilities. Trying to maintain a severely low-calorie rate for a long time will have knock-on effects such as fatigue, lethargy, and overall low energy levels, leading to a lack of NEAT movement and an increase in compensatory habits like napping. As you have low energy reserves, you can dread small tasks such as taking the stairs, walking to work, or even joining in activities with your loved ones. By not being properly fueled, you may end up using fewer calories altogether.
The rate of NEAT opportunity will vary in each person, but making conscious choices each day to increase your small movements will add up over time. For example, choose small items such as walking up the escalator or getting off one stop early from the train to walk the last 15 minutes to work. Those movements will add up over time and steadily sway your CICO equation into losing fat.
Find movements that suit your lifestyle, as there are many ways to do this.
Exchange out your shopping cart for a grocery basket.
Do calf raises or butt clenches as you brush your teeth or do the dishes.
Encourage meetings on the go - Walk and Talks (W&T).
By altering your outlook on tasks or chores as an opportunity to get extra movement into your day, you will increase your NEAT and optimize your longevity. Multitasking your errands with NEAT will give you a double dose of dopamine and set you up for a high quality of life.
We've covered the major areas of our calorie output, so let's hone in on what affects calorie absorption and utilization. Metabolic health relies on a vast system of highly individualized processes. Variations exist in our:
Hormones - Hunger and Stress have interconnected mechanisms.
Body composition - Muscle, fat, water %
Starting Body Mass
Food composition - Macronutrients, processing, fiber
Physical activity - Frequency, quality, and consistency
Food Timing, Quality, and Quantity
Digestibility/Absorbability of Food
Gut Health
Genetics, Age
Medication, Stress, Injury
Metabolic Adaption or Adaptive Thermogenesis (AT) occurs when weight is lost too quickly or an extreme amount from the original weight. Constant low caloric intake or even consistent fat loss is resisted by the body, which will work incredibly hard to maintain balance. Current research does not support the idea of permanent damage to the metabolic system from calorie restriction. Still, the body is only flexible to a degree before extreme pressures can lead to malfunctioning.
Your body is fine-tuned to reach for equilibrium. So if you lose weight, your body compensates and uses fewer calories while increasing your hunger signals as a warning. These signals can cause us to overeat and not trigger signs to tell us it’s enough. Extreme exercise can also cause our hormones to go haywire. What weight you start at, genetics, lifestyle, muscle mass, and so many other factors will dictate your fat loss journey.
Fat loss triggers body fat holding. The exceptionally calibrated hormones and adaptations we’ve built over centuries to prevent starvation are challenging to overcome without the proper techniques. Starting lean and building muscle requires a different process than starting with extra fat and losing it to reveal the muscle beneath. A lean person will naturally burn more calories than the person whose body is resisting the change. Research (Johannsen, 2012) has shown that metabolic slowing may continue even once the goal weight has been met. This can be frustrating for individuals who have worked hard to lose fat mass and preserve muscle, as they are now at a lower caloric need that still requires high physical activity levels.
Flexibility in your chosen methods and not getting discouraged when your fat loss or muscle gain plateau will keep the ball rolling. So change it up if you begin feeling stuck. New activities, breaks, and small changes are likely optimal to keep on track. Our team of health professionals is here to support and guide you on the most efficient path to reaching your goals.
Hormones
A massive part of fat loss is how hormones interact and rebalance the body. They regulate metabolism, fat storage, appetite, and energy equilibrium. In a healthy individual looking to lose fat, understanding how hormones regulate physiological processes can make the process less burdensome. The main hormones we’re focusing on today are:
Leptin - An appetite suppressant released by fat cells that signals when our body has enough stored energy and is satiated. It makes us feel full.
Ghrelin - An appetite signal that gradually rises, producing feelings of hunger.
Insulin - It is released in response to blood sugars, leading to glucose storage in cells and preventing the breakdown of stored fat.
Cortisol - A wide variety of bodily processes rely on this hormone. However, chronic elevation of cortisol levels may lead to difficulty in finding metabolic balance as high stress has a domino effect on the body.
When you add high stress to your body, whether it’s through excess physical activity or restriction of calories, you trigger the cortisol hormone to increase stress response. Leptin decreases, and ghrelin responds by ushering in cravings for high-energy foods, such as starchy or fatty items, to rebalance the body. So when you’re in overdrive, cravings for items such as a donut are not due to weak will but the carefully crafted rebalancing of your hormonal processes. Another reason women tend to have higher body fat percentages is the natural requirements from hormones, which may also dictate fluctuations in cravings for starchy foods within the menstrual cycle. Hormones work hard to rebalance the body when it swings too far out of the correct cycles.
By avoiding large swings in these hormones, you can gradually decrease your body fat percentage without the consequential ravenous cravings. For example, eating small amounts of nutrient-dense starches like sweet potatoes or whole grains may help prevent the appetite swings of feasting and fasting, which can occur if starches are avoided altogether.
Overall, hormones have a significant effect on our appetite and satiety. Trying to manipulate the body through extremes of fasting and consequential feasting will likely force you into a never-ending cycle of dissatisfaction. Extremes are never a healthy way to lose weight and may prevent you from maintaining a healthy weight balance long-term.
Insulin is crucial in regulating glucose uptake into cells and facilitating fat storage. When insulin levels are chronically elevated, the body doesn’t utilize the fat stored in its cells. Accessing our energy stores is an essential factor in fat loss. The concept is linked to endocrine disruption theories, suggesting that even individuals with substantial fat stores may feel internally starved if they cannot access these energy reserves efficiently. Therefore, getting insulin levels under control will assist in reducing caloric intake and allowing for fat loss to occur.
Dramatically reducing calories can lead to a reduction in resting metabolic rate (RMR), physical activity (PA), NEAT, and total energy expenditure (TEE), affecting the body's balance. Approaching fat loss as a gradual, long-term process may minimize the stunting of these processes, preserve lean muscle mass, and lead to long-term body adaptations.
Correct caloric intake is especially vital for athletes to preserve bone health, reduce injury risk, and increase performance. Focusing on resistance training, protein, and phytonutrients will benefit athletes and individuals seeking to enhance their overall well-being.
Our take:
When it comes to fat loss, most of your focus should be on adding in healthy habits rather than restriction or short-term solutions. Incorporating a consistent exercise routine, regular sleep schedule, and research-backed nutrition habits will give you the best long-term health outcomes. Combining fiber, nutrient-dense foods, protein, healthy fats, and performing regular adjustments to diet and activity levels can help maintain a balanced metabolism.
Will this benefit you?
Yes. Understanding the mechanisms behind fat loss can help you reach your goals efficiently and maintain them long-term.
Still curious to try it? If you do, here’s what to keep an eye on:
As metabolic adaptation occurs during weight loss, it requires careful consideration of factors beyond simple calorie counting, and the support of a dietitian may benefit you. Regular self-checks and awareness of overall food intake contribute to successful weight management.
However, our elite team of experts is here to guide you in this process.
References and additional reading:
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