Why Low Calorie Diets Cause Weight Gain

You’ve been there.

Following a plan that’s supposed to get you lean.

You cut calories just about as low as you can handle, while battling with intense hunger, and severe cravings, yet for some reason, that fat that should be shifting – it’s going nowhere.

And you feel desperate, disheartened, and like you’re a dieting failure.

But wait –

It’s NOT Your Fault!

See, these diets that are designed to get you shredded, strip away stubborn fat and give you the body of your dreams – they are actually the cause of your lack of progress.

In fact, not only are they sabotaging your results, they’re solely responsible for you gaining weight.

Your Body is Adapting

In this world of calorie-counting and cutting portion sizes, it’s easy to believe that simply lowering your calorie intake will result in weight loss, and help you torch body fat.

But this isn’t the case.

In reality, your body adapts, and compensates for this low calorie intake by burning less.

Here’s how it works –

Eat Less = Burn Less

Eat More = Burn More

I’m not saying that suddenly switching to a high-calorie diet of donuts, pizzas and pretzels is going to get you shredded, but eating more nutrient-dense, healthy foods may well be the answer to your fat loss prayers.

By slashing your calorie intake, your body descends into survival mode, and tries to store everything you eat, meaning you’ll never burn fat.

By giving it more food, it’s primed to kick your metabolism into overdrive.

Let Me Tell You a Story …

A friend of mind came to me asking for a personalized diet plan a few weeks back.

She’d been on a low calorie diet, and not losing weight.

So I told her to eat 600 more calories every day.

Sounds crazy, right?

Well – she lost weight and broke through that plateau.

(I explain HOW this works in the video)

I was the same.

During my journey where I lost 27 pounds of pure fat, I hit a wall.

That was when I thought that calories were all that mattered, and that low-calorie diets were “the answer.”

Guess what I did?

I started eating MORE calories from MORE whole-foods … and smashed that plateau, eventually reaching 8% body fat.

How to Increase Your Calories to Lose Weight

As much as low-calorie diets are bad news for weight loss, you can’t just double or treble your calorie intake and expect to see progress.

In fact, such a huge jump up will almost inevitably result in a tonne of fat gain.

It’s all about increasing your intake slowly and surely, by adding around 10% of your calorie intake every week.

So if you’re currently eating 1,200 calories per day, try just bumping this up by 100 to 150 so you’re at 1,300- 1,350 calories.

Stick with this for a week, then add another 100 – 150 calories, until you hit a more sensible number, such as 1,500 calories, then see where you’re at.

If you want a hand with this, check out my custom meal planning service?

It takes all the guesswork out of it, and my team of experts and I ensure that we maximize your calorie intake as you get lighter, leaner, fitter and send your energy levels through the roof.

For details on my world class 12-week meal planning service click here.

A Higher Quality

Another HUGE point here, is that the calories you add have to be quality calories.

We’re talking complex carbohydrates like rice, sweet potato and quinoa.

Lean meats and oily fish.

Nuts and seeds.

And of course – fruits and vegetables.

These will fuel performance, stoke your metabolism, and contribute to burning more calories.

Moral of the Story

Food is fuel.

You’re like a car.

Think of your body as a fine specimen of sports car, like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini – you wouldn’t drive one of these beauties around with just dregs left in the gas tank, or full of low-quality fuel, would you?

You should treat your body with the same respect.

To perform at your peak, and allow your body to lose fat, you have to eat enough, and make sure that it’s nutritious, wholesome food.

Remember –

Eat more – burn more

And of course –

Be patient.

Stay the course.

And let’s get fit, together.

For extra tips, hints, and a little more on how I’m currently losing fat faster than ever while eating over 3,000 calories per day, check out the video –