Lose Weight by Not Eating - Does it Work?

I've been involved in the fitness industry for well over a decade now so I have pretty much heard it all. One of the most popular statements I hear when giving consultations to prospective clients is that they have, at one point, tried to lose weight by not eating.

While in theory it may make sense that if you restrict your calorie intake by starving yourself, you'll lose the weight at a rapid rate. Think of all the video footage (movies) of people stranded in isolation for an extended period of time - they all look deathly skinny. So, you must be able to lose weight by not eating, right?

Well, yes and no. Sure, you'll lose weight because if you don't feed your body, your body will pretty much feed on itself in order for you to survive. As a result, your body goes into what's known as "survival mode" and your metabolic rate drastically slows down for conservation purposes.

When people try to lose weight by not eating, their metabolism slows down. Then, once they've lost their desired amount of weight, they return to their previous diet. Only this time, since they tried to lose weight by not eating, their metabolic rate is now slower than it previously was.

So what happens when people try to use weight by not eating? Yup, you guessed it - they gain even more weight back once they start eating again. So many people make the mistake of trying to lose weight by not eating that it inspired the term "yoyo dieting". Appropriately titled, "yoyo diets" will allow you to quickly drop weight but unfortunately, you'll gain it back almost as rapidly as you lost it.

So rather than trying to lose weight by not eating, what's the solution?

The solution - and I'm sure you've heard of it before - is actually to eat more often. Eating small, yet frequent portions of nutritious food will keep your metabolic rate elevated so you'll burn more calories throughout the day.

The keyword here is "nutritious". You need to eat healthy fats, low glycemic carbohydrates and plenty of protein as amino acids - which are found in protein - are the building blocks of muscle tissue.

So What Are Healthy Fats?

Not all fat is bad for you. On the contrary, certain fats will actually help cleanse your arteries and prevent heart disease. Certain fats are so good for you in fact that they're sold as dietary supplements. Omega 3's anyone? Basically, you want to limit your intake of saturated fats and try to consume the healthy, unsaturated fats.

And What Is This Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index is a ranking system that classifies foods (carbohdrates) based on the effect they have on blood sugar levels. Foods that have a high index ranking cause a rapid increase in blood sugar which in turn, triggers an insulin response that ultimately leads to increased fat storage. For that reason - along with many other reasons - you want to stick to eating foods with a low to moderate ranking.

I understand that keeping track of all this can be somewhat overwhelming. For that reason, I highly recommend that you look into getting yourself on an easy to follow nutrition plan. Notice I didn't say "diet"? Well that's because "diets" don't work.

Problem is, when you're looking for a good meal plan, you're most likely going to come across sales pitches for all sorts of wacky products that will promise you the world. Of course, these products won't come through with their claims.

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