Protein plays a multifaceted role in weight management, influencing factors like hunger levels, metabolism, and muscle preservation. While heavy resistance training provides the necessary stimulus, signaling to the body that existing muscle should be retained, a high-protein diet ensures the body has an ample supply of amino acids. This prevents your body from metabolizing muscle tissue for energy.

The best protein powders provide a convenient and lean source of the muscle-building macronutrient, helping you hit your daily protein goals while also maintaining a calorie deficit. We tested more than 100 protein powders and selected nine products we think are best for weight loss.

This content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of health problems. Always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen.

How We Chose Our Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss

We chose these products based on a number of factors, including:

• Testing and expert analysis: We tested all of the protein powders and shakes on this list and received input from our panel of expert contributors, which includes registered dietitians and highly credentialed experts in sports nutrition and exercise science.
• Protein content: All the products we’ve highlighted contain at least 25g of protein per serving, a good benchmark for the typical consumer.
• Protein-to-calorie ratio: The ideal ratio is at least 15g of protein per 100 calories, and all the products on our list exceed that mark.
• Taste: We’ve accounted for flavor, texture, mixability, and flavor options.
• Third-party testing and certifications: Products that have undergone testing by independent labs and received quality certifications reflect a brand’s commitment to quality and purity.
• Consumer criteria: We took into account prices, subscription discounts, and other factors that determine the product’s overall value.

Our Picks for the Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss in 2025:

• Best Overall Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey
• Best Affordable Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Jacked Factory Authentic Iso 
• Best Plant-Based Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Ka’Chava 
• Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss on Amazon: Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate
• Best Meal Replacement Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Huel Black Edition
• Best Clean Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Promix Grass-Fed Whey
• Best Casein Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Legion Athletics Casein+
• Best Unflavored Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Naked Grass-Fed Whey
• Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain: Sports Research Whey Protein

Best Overall Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey

Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

4.9

• Price per serving: $2.00 per serving
• Protein per serving: 28 grams
• Protein type: Whey protein isolate
• Number of servings: 30
• Calories per serving: 120 to 150
• Flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cinnamon French Toast, French Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Mocha, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie, Strawberry, Unflavored, Vanilla Peanut Butter
• Third-party tested: Yes, by independent labs

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I chose Transparent Labs as the best protein powder for weight loss because it has a very high ratio of protein to the total number of calories: 28 grams to 130 calories. This helps you maximize protein consumption during a caloric deficit, which helps prevent you from losing muscle while you’re losing weight. It’s also third-party tested, Informed Choice certified, and completely artificial ingredient-free. And it comes in 15 flavor options.

I’ve tried a number of different flavors from Transparent Labs and Chocolate Peanut Butter is by far my favorite, followed closely by Mocha. I found they mixed easily in both a blender and a conventional shaker bottle. Whenever I’m trying to cut weight, I find this delicious protein powder helps curb my sweet tooth and tide me over between meals.

While I didn’t personally experience this, some customer reviews mention it can be challenging to get in contact with Transparent Labs’ customer service team.

Best Affordable Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Jacked Factory Authentic Iso

Jacked Factory Authentic ISO Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate Powder

4.0

• Protein type: Whey isolate
• Number of servings: 30
• Cost per serving: $1.20 to $1.33
• Calories per serving: 110 to 130
• Protein per serving: 25 grams, depending on the flavor
• Flavors: Cookies & Cream, Unflavored (if you buy from Amazon)
• Third-party tested: No

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Jacked Factory Authentic Iso is the cheapest option on our list and, one of the best whey protein options, with certain flavors, like Cookies & Cream and Peanut Butter, costing just $1.05 per serving as of this writing. And while this protein powder may be cheap, it has the nutrient profile you need for weight loss and tastes great, too, according to testers.

Jacked Factory Authentic Iso has 25 grams of protein per serving, 2 grams of carbohydrates, and just 0.5 grams of fat, which is the least amount of fat of any powder on our list. If you’re looking to lose weight, this macronutrient profile will help keep you on the right track. However, something to keep in mind: This protein powder is sweetened with sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener—studies link these sweeteners to increased cancer risk. Additionally, unlike most brands on our list, Jacked Factory doesn’t do third-party testing on its products. This means there isn’t a guarantee the ingredients are pure and match the ingredient label.

Kessler tried Jacked Factory Authentic Iso and was impressed. “This is the only protein powder I’ve tried that didn’t settle at all,” he says. “I found it a bit too sweet, but if you’re looking for a powder that tastes like dessert, you should opt for this one.”

Best Plant-Based Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Ka’Chava

Ka’Chava

3.8

• Price per serving: $4.66
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Chocolate: 240 calories, 25g carbohydrates, 7g fat
• Certifications: Third-party tested, vegan
• Sweeteners: Monk fruit extract
• Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut Acai, Chai, Matcha

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If you’re looking for one of the best vegan protein powders that also works with a weight loss diet, Ka’Chava is a great choice. This vegan protein powder is marketed as a “whole-body meal,” which means it’s designed as a meal replacement rather than an addition to a meal or snack, like the other protein powders on our list. That’s why the calorie, carbohydrate, and fat counts (240, 25 grams, and 7 grams, respectively), are higher. The carb count is high for those on a low-carb diet, so that’s something to look out for. However, it packs in 25 grams of plant protein, derived from a combination of peas, brown rice, and quinoa, which will help preserve muscle while on a weight loss diet. 

Tester Zoe Ettinger, a C.N.C.-in-training, uses this protein powder often. “I’m a big fan of Ka’Chava. It tastes delicious mixed in a smoothie with some frozen blueberries,” she says. “I also like that it also has adaptogens, probiotics, greens, and probiotics. I notice a difference in how good I feel when I take Ka’Chava regularly,” she says.

One thing to note about Ka’Chava is that it is the most expensive option on our list at $79.99 for a 15-serving bag. While the price reflects the fact that this protein powder is intended as a meal replacement, it’s still a big investment. 

Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss on Amazon: Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

• Price per serving: $1.75
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Vanilla: 130 calories, 2g carbohydrates, 2.5g fat
• Certifications: Non-GMO, gluten-free
• Sweeteners: Sucralose, acesulfame potassium
• Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Strawberry Milkshake, Unflavored

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I chose Nutricost as the best protein powder for weight loss available on Amazon because its calorie and macronutrient profile is ideal for shedding pounds. Nutricost has a high protein content per serving, which is important for weight loss as protein can help enhance satiety and preserve muscle mass while in a deficit. With minimal fat and carbohydrates, this protein ensures you get the maximum protein intake without the added calories, making it an ideal choice for those looking to lose weight efficiently.

The taste and mixability of this protein are also top-notch. I tested the Vanilla flavor; it blended excellently in both milk and water and had an authentic vanilla taste profile. Despite using artificial sweeteners, which often make products sickly sweet, I found the sweetness level to be on point. However, if you’re trying to avoid artificial sweeteners, choose Promix or Transparent Labs, which use natural sweeteners.

Best Meal Replacement Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Huel Black Edition

Huel Black Edition

4.0

• Price per serving: $2.50
• Protein per serving: 40g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Chocolate: 400 calories, 24g carbohydrates, 17g fat
• Certifications: Third-party tested, non-GMO, vegan
• Sweeteners: Coconut sugar, steviol glycosides
• Flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Banana, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Caramel, Cookies & Cream, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Roll, Unflavored & Unsweetened

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Huel is our favorite meal replacement for weight loss because it has a great protein-to-carb ratio. Huel has 40 grams of protein per serving, the most of any protein powder on our list, and 24 grams of carbs. While this might be more carbs than ideal for those on a keto diet, it’s a solid portion for most. Carbs are an essential nutrient and according to experts, you can consume 100 to 150 grams a day and still lose weight.

Kessler tried Huel in Chocolate and Vanilla. “The Chocolate flavor was great, probably because it uses real cocoa powder, which gave it an authentic chocolate flavor,” he says. “The Vanilla wasn’t as good—it didn’t really taste like vanilla and had an artificial aftertaste.” He notes that it doesn’t mix very well, but says it made him feel great. “Other similar products, like Transparent Labs Mass Gainer, give me an upset stomach. But I felt great after taking Huel Black Edition,” he says.

Best Clean Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Promix Grass-Fed Whey

Promix Grass-Fed Whey

4.0

• Price per serving: $1.63
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Vanilla: 135 calories, 7g carbohydrates, 1.5g fat
• Certifications: Third-party tested, gluten-free, artificial ingredient-free
• Sweeteners: Coconut sugar
• Flavors: Raw Chocolate, Vanilla, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Unflavored, One Ingredient Whey

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Promix is our favorite clean protein powder because it’s third-party tested and results are easily viewable on Promix’s website. Those results show this product is tested for heavy metals and verified gluten-free. And beyond these positive results, this protein powder has one of the most simple formulas on our list. Vanilla, for example, has just four ingredients, and Promix doesn’t use any artificial ingredients.

This protein powder, like others on our list, has a solid protein-to-carb ratio for weight loss (25 grams to 7 grams, respectively). A 2020 study found consuming a higher portion of protein versus carbs helped participants lose weight and prevented them from gaining the weight back.

I tried the Vanilla flavor of this protein powder. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it wasn’t quite sweet enough for my taste. And I wish it mixed a little better—there were some clumps after mixing. 

One thing to note about Promix is that while it has been third-party tested, it hasn’t been third-party tested for sport specifically. This means it hasn’t been tested for substances banned in athletic competitions. So if you’re an athlete planning to compete, opt for a powder that’s Informed Sport Certified or NSF Certified for Sport.

Best Casein Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Legion Athletics Casein+

Legion Athletics Casein+

• Price per serving: $1.99
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Dutch Chocolate: 110 calories, 3g carbohydrates, 0.5g fat
• Certifications: Non-GMO, artificial ingredient free
• Sweeteners: Stevia leaf extract
• Flavors: Dutch Chocolate, Cinnamon Cereal, French Vanilla, Strawberry

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One of my favorite casein protein powders is Casein+ from Legion Athletics. I chose Casein+ because it’s all-natural, meaning it’s free from artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors, and it’s third-party tested by Labdoor for purity and potency. This product provides 25 grams of protein per serving and only contains 110 calories, regardless of the flavor you choose. This protein-to-calorie ratio is ideal for weight loss.

Along with whey, casein is a type of protein found in milk and is characterized by its slow digestion and absorption. This prolonged digestion makes it an ideal option for people looking to manage hunger levels and maintain a consistent supply of amino acids over an extended timeframe—such as during sleep or when going a long time between meals. By providing a steady stream of protein to the muscles, casein helps mitigate the risk of muscle breakdown that often accompanies calorie restriction. As a result, incorporating a casein protein powder into your diet can be a strategic move to help support your weight loss goals.

Tester Brandon Lunsford, C.P.T., tried the Dutch Chocolate flavor, saying it reminded him of a dark chocolate bar that isn’t too rich or too sweet. The only downside is that casein protein has a different consistency than whey. It’s generally thicker and often takes longer to dissolve. Lunsford noticed this during his testing, saying the product had a “slightly chalky aftertaste.”

Best Unflavored Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Naked Grass-Fed Whey

Naked Grass-Fed Whey

4.5

• Price per serving: $1.25
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Unflavored: 120 calories, 3g carbohydrates, 2g fat
• Certifications: Non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, artificial ingredient-free
• Sweeteners: Coconut sugar is used for flavored options
• Flavors: Unflavored, Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate

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Naked Whey’s Unflavored protein stands out for its simplicity and purity; its single-ingredient formula consists of whey protein concentrate sourced for grass-fed cows. This simplicity aligns with the brand’s commitment to transparency, priding itself on avoiding additives, fillers, or artificial ingredients in its products.

With its neutral taste profile, this protein powder is very versatile, letting you integrate the protein powder seamlessly into your favorite recipes or smoothies without altering the flavor profile. Kessler tried the Unflavored version and says it “has a very slight vanilla taste to it.” He also detected a note of earthiness, but says “It would be really good mixed into a smoothie.” However, he mentions the two-scoop serving size can feel like a lot, so he recommends using extra liquid when blending it.

If you’re someone who prefers a flavored protein powder, you’ll be happy to know Naked also offers five flavored options, including Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Double Chocolate. Naked only uses coconut sugar to sweeten its protein supplements, which isn’t nearly as sweet as artificial sweeteners like sucralose or acesulfame potassium.

Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain: Sports Research Whey Protein

Sports Research Whey Protein

4.7

• Price per serving: $1.36 per serving (25 servings); $1.06/serving (60 servings)
• Protein per serving: 25 grams
• Nutrition facts: 140 calories, 25 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs, 3.5 grams of fat
• Protein source: Whey protein isolate
• Sweeteners: Stevia, sucralose
• Flavors: Dutch Chocolate, Creamy Vanilla
• Subscription: Monthly, subscribe and save 10 percent

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We chose Sports Research as our best protein powder for weight loss and muscle gain because it has a solid protein-to-calorie ratio (25 grams to 140 calories), is Informed Sport Certified, is fairly priced at $1.20 per serving, and tastes great, according to testers.

From a nutritional standpoint, Sports Research stacks up well against many of its competitors. The per-serving content for protein (25 grams), calories (140), and carbs (2 grams) compares favorably with most of the choices on our list, although the fat per serving (3.5 grams for Vanilla and 4 grams for Dutch Chocolate) is on the high side. Other ingredients include vitamin D, which has been linked to muscle health in recent research.

Tester Cory Kessler, C.N.C., C.P.T., tried the Creamy Vanilla flavor. “When I mixed it with milk it almost tasted like vanilla ice cream,” he says. “But when I mixed it with water it diluted the flavor, and all I could taste was the sweetness,” he warns. He also notes that it mixed very well, and “wasn’t gritty or clumpy at all.”

What Does Protein Powder Do for Weight Loss?

Whether from powder or whole food sources, protein aids weight loss mainly by:

• Enhancing satiety: In less clinical terms, satiety simply means feeling full. Research has found that the potential benefits of a high-protein diet include increasing your body’s secretion of certain hormones that promote a feeling of fullness, which could in turn help you better regulate your appetite.
• Preserving fat-free muscle mass: Eating more protein could have positive effects not just on body weight but also on body composition. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue.

Protein powder can be an effective tool in helping you achieve your weight loss goals. Drinking a protein powder shake or smoothie provides a quick, easy way to consume high amounts of protein with a limited amount of calories, fat, and carbohydrates. One of the main benefits of protein powder is that it’s often extremely lean, with a very high ratio of protein to total number of calories. This makes protein powder an efficient way to hit your daily protein target while adhering to your calorie guidelines.

How to Choose the Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss for You

Protein Content and Quality

Choose a protein powder with a significant amount of protein, typically around 25 grams per serving. If you have weight loss goals, a whey, soy, or pea protein isolate is likely your best bet since they are ultra-filtered to remove excess carbohydrates and fats.

Calories per Serving

When you have weight loss goals, it’s best to choose a protein powder with a moderate calorie count per serving, e.g., 100 to 160 calories. You should also ensure the majority of those calories come from protein, as this will best support your weight loss progress. Remember, protein is four calories per gram, so you can expect a supplement that has 25 grams of protein to have around 110 to 120 calories if it’s extremely lean.

Ingredient Quality

It’s important to check the ingredients list of the supplement to ensure the product is free from added sugars or unnecessary fillers. Although these ingredients may contribute to the flavor, sweetness, and creaminess of the supplement, they often come with added calories. It’s generally best to select protein powders with minimal ingredients.

Occasionally, protein powders contain ingredients such as creatine, probiotics, or branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). While these aren’t necessary, it’s important to assess whether these added ingredients align with your health and fitness goals, and whether it’s worth choosing a protein powder that offers these options.

Taste and Mixability

Regardless of your goals, choose a protein powder with a flavor and consistency you enjoy. I know this seems obvious, but if you dislike the taste, then you’re far less likely to use the protein powder on a consistent basis, if at all.

Third-Party Testing

As a certified nutrition coach, I advise my clients to choose a protein powder that’s been third-party tested for quality, purity, and safety, especially when I’m working with athletes. This ensures your supplement is free from contaminants, including banned substances, and is deemed safe for consumption. Third-party testing also holds supplement companies accountable, providing assurance that the ingredients in the product align with the information provided on the supplement facts label.

What to Avoid in a Protein Powder for Weight Loss

Whenever you’re purchasing a dietary supplement, you should look for one that aligns with your specific health and fitness goals. With weight loss in mind, it’s typically recommended to avoid products with added sugars, or excessive amounts of carbohydrates and fats. Some consumers may also choose to avoid products with artificial additives, such as sweeteners, flavors, and colors, which are routinely found in protein powder supplements. If you’re looking for an all-natural protein powder with minimal ingredients, consider Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey or protein powders from Naked Nutrition.

Final Thoughts: Is Protein Powder for Weight Loss Worth It?

As a certified nutrition coach, I think it’s important to emphasize that a protein powder isn’t a necessity for weight loss success. However, due to its convenience and effectiveness, it does offer some notable benefits when used as part of a holistic approach to weight loss that includes resistance training, quality sleep, and healthy lifestyle habits. Consuming a high-protein diet, especially during a weight-loss phase, helps manage hunger levels and improves muscle preservation. If a protein powder can help you hit your daily protein targets while still maintaining a calorie deficit, then I think it’s worth incorporating into your regular routine.

Protein Powder for Weight Loss FAQs

The post The Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss, According to a Certified Nutrition Coach appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In a past article, The Right Way To Lose Fat: What To Eat, we addressed the nutrition component of sensible fat loss. A lot was presented such as low carb/high protein, high carb/low fat, micronutrient values, and glycemic levels, but all signs pointed to creating a caloric deficit to optimally burn body fat.

This article will highlight how exercise should be implemented to maximize fat-burning potential. That stated, please heed the following statement (imagine me yelling it to you through a megaphone with the volume maxed-out):

80% of the Battle Against Body Fat Is Diet

Exercise itself does not burn a significant number of calories, relatively speaking. Not to discount its value, but if you rely solely on exercise and pay zero attention to your dietary habits (READ: you eat like crap), you will not make it far. As I always say, “A good forty-minute workout can be ruined by five minutes of bad eating.” Amen.

Let’s take a look at the estimated caloric expenditure of several exercises/activities. There are a gazillion “calories burned from exercise” calculators all over the Inter-web (there…I just gave you access to three of them). Are they accurate? I don’t know.

Remember, they are only estimates, but they will at the least get you close. Using my body weight (190 pounds) as an example, here are the estimates of three different calculators:

Running/working at 5 miles per hour pace for 30 minutes: Calories burned = 344, 364, and 345.

Running/working at 10 miles per hour pace for 30 minutes: Calories burned = 713, 775, and 689.

Two points can be gleaned from the above:

1. Estimates vary
2. Greater effort burns more calories

I would like to emphasize that second point with my megaphone again:

Greater Effort Burns More Calories

Other exercises/activities and the estimated calories burned in 30 minutes (150 pound person):

• Dancing (casual) = 197
• Dancing (gettin’ down!) = 274
• Walking @ three miles per hour = 150
• Walking @ 4.5 miles per hour = 233
• Rollerblading (casual) = 270
• Rollerblading (fast) = 319
• Martial Arts = 401
• Frisbee = 206

Some of the most disheartening moments I often see are well-intended but misguided people who make a bee line to the treadmill to “do their cardio.” It usually goes like this:

• Ear buds in.
• iPod tethered to the arm.
• Maury Povich tuned in on the tube.
• Treadmill set to three miles per hour.
• The plodding away begins.
• 45 minutes elapses and a whopping 270 calories are incinerated.
• Whew, what a session!

Now it’s time to get back to the crib and inhale a three-ounce bag of nacho cheese tortilla chips and deposit approximately 450 calories back to the tank.

If the significance of bad eating and relatively low value of exercise is not evident by now, let’s look at some more depressing factoids.

Go to one of my favorite web sites, calorieking.com. Type in your favorite “cheat” food and portion size (those nacho cheese tortilla chips are sounding quite delicious right now). The web site offers examples on how to burn the number of calories in the food choice entered.

To expunge the 450 calorie tortilla chips would require any one of these:

• 125 minutes of walking.
• 51 minutes of jogging.
• 37 minutes of swimming.
• 69 minutes of cycling.

Is it worth eating poorly knowing it will take some major effort to counter it with exercise? I know the phrase has been beaten to death, but it surely applies: “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet.”

All right, time to cut to the quick. If you want to maximize the exercise component in the attempt to shed body fat, do this: Choose exercise modes that are physically demanding.

Yes, they’re more discomforting, but they use more energy. In place of a low-effort, 45-minute treadmill walk, do 20 minutes of high effort intervals. Try a circuit training workout, do a half-hour boot camp, run hills, whatever – just WORK HARDER.

Will you be out of the “fat burning zone” by working harder? Yes, but you’ll be depleting your glycogen stores with the higher-effort training.

You could even add a lower carbohydrate diet. The glycogen depletion forces your body to tap stored adipose fat and use it as energy, both in workouts and post-workout during recovery.

Regarding the infamous fat burning zone, it was once thought that you had to “go slow” to solely burn fat. Going faster would shift to glycogen. True, but understand these facts:

• We possess an almost unlimited supply of energy in the form of stored fat. Marathoners fatigue due to glycogen depletion, not fat.
• If you want to get into the purest fat burning zone, take a nap. Sleeping is purely aerobic (unless you have violent nightmares – those will require immediate energy).
• As previously noted, you will burn more fat post-workout during the recovery process if you engage in high-effort training, all other factors being equal.

Last but not least, STRENGTH TRAIN. Yes gals, that means you, too. Possessing more muscle means possessing less fat. The process of building strength and more muscle is intense. Intense workouts deplete glycogen. And as you know, depleted glycogen can lead to fat being used as energy.

I’ll end with this tidbit of info:

• Yummy = a 12-ounce cola and 3 pieces of pepperoni pizza.
• Ugh = a 90-minute jog to burn them off.

Now that you know how to train for fat loss, learn how to eat for fat loss, too.

The post The Right Way to Lose Fat: How to Exercise appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

“He who has a ‘why’ can bear almost any ‘how.'”

– Nietzsche

Back in the 1800s, Nietzsche understood how pivotal the question of ‘why’ is to the human experience.

“He who has a ‘why’ can bear almost any ‘how.'”

– Nietzsche

Back in the 1800s, Nietzsche understood how pivotal the question of ‘why’ is to the human experience.

These days though, in the age of instantaneous and abundant information, asking ‘why’ is a lost art. For many, doing the work of digging deep and asking ‘why’ is just not nearly as convenient or comfortable as asking ‘how to.’

This is especially true when it comes to fitness—we never seem to tire of the same old ‘how to’ merry go round. Day after day, year after year, your newsstand and your news feed reads like the greatest hits of some of the most played out questions on the planet:

• How to lose 10 pounds fast!
• How to tone your arms!
• How to lose that stubborn belly fat!
• How to burn more calories with exercise!
• How to get better results in less time!
• How to get bigger/faster/stronger!

As if we all haven’t seen these regurgitated queries a thousand times. But there’s always a new sucker who’s captivated by the allure of the quick fix promise of looking and feeling fabulous in five easy steps.

The ‘how to’ movement in fitness is everywhere you look. Fitness influencers show you the steps to your goals backed up by their snazzy before and after pictures. Fitness ‘experts’ show you ‘how to’ in their newest, most efficient workouts.

Supplement manufacturers and marketers promise the genie in the bottle that will solve your chronic weight problem. And fitness entrepreneurs can’t wait to reveal their latest fads and gizmos that will surely lead to your imminent bliss.

Here’s a newsflash: It’s all bullshit without a ‘why.‘

Sort Out Your Motivation

Whether or not we’ll ever tire of the same old story is anyone’s guess. But one thing for sure is that ‘how to’ is both perpetually popular and profitable. ‘How to’ brings people in the door because it’s comforting, easily digestible, and provides straightforward answers (with colorful photos!).

‘How to’ undoubtedly makes business sense, but unfortunately for those of us on the continuum of health and wellness, there aren’t one size fits all answers. Especially when it comes to your fitness—outlining the subsequent steps to achieving a goal without doing the work of ‘why’ is an effort in sheer futility. Achieving a state of sustained health and wellness requires the ability to be introspective and accountable to our own shortcomings.

Photograph by Bev Childress of Fort Worth, Texas

Don’t get me wrong, ‘how to’ is important. You wouldn’t drive across the country without a map or a GPS. But ‘how to’ is putting the cart before the horse. ‘How to’ will get you somewhere, but it doesn’t solve the root of your problems, it merely informs direction. You can’t expect to know where you’re going unless you know where you’re at (and what got you there). Just ask a recovering addict.

In addiction recovery, there may be 12 ‘how to’ steps, but the real work is about ‘why’—the willingness to look within, find acceptance, and make amends. Peace of mind in recovery is only obtained by leaning into the pain of your problem and wrestling with ‘why.’

It is what informs purpose, passion, and persistence. It’s solving the problem in reverse. You don’t move forward unless you first look backward. In fitness, the parallel is those that are running towards something versus those that are running from something. The former has a ‘why,’ the latter is just looking for a way out.

Some might argue that spending too much time ruminating on ‘why’ is actually a hindrance and life doesn’t happen in the rearview mirror. Fair enough—sometimes you just have to jump. When you’re drowning, you don’t need to figure out what got you in that mess, you need a life preserver and a plan! But it’s also true that if you don’t want your predicament to happen again, the work of looking back is essential.

The Iron-Clad ‘Why’

As we’ve seen time and time again in fitness, ‘how to’ is appealing to many in the short-term. But ‘how to’ doesn’t work when it comes to sustainability. Despite the massive growth in the fitness business in the past two decades, the fitness movement has made no collective impact in combating the root causes of the obesity pandemic.

Millions of people start exercise programs every year, but more than half of them quit within six months. The reason people start exercise programs is because of ‘how to’ questions. The reason they quit is that they don’t have a strong enough ‘why.’ Personally, in my 20+ years in and around fitness, I’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands of people lose weight. But I’ve seen no one keep that weight off without an iron-clad ‘why.’

Truthfully, in any successful endeavor, you need a bit of both ‘why’ and ‘how to.’ You also need a bit of ‘what if?’—as in, “What if I never try?” or “What are the stakes of not changing?” But jumping in without a ‘why’ is a sure-fire way to end up lost and/or right back where you started. Especially after a defeat like weight gain, injury, or failure to reach a goal, you must face yourself before facing your next opponent.

The Work Starts With ‘Why’

We are living in a time of epidemic proportions from addiction to obesity to a declining life expectancy (due in a large part to rising suicide rates). A lack of ‘why’ is driving much of this emptiness.

There’s nothing wrong with following a fitness influencer, joining a gym, or hiring a trainer—they just may show you something useful. But real answers to the most important questions in life don’t come in convenient packages with instructions; they come from within. The work starts with ‘why.’

The post ‘How To’ Is Pointless Without ‘Why’ appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

”Anything you avoid in life will come back, over and over again, until you’re willing to face it–to look deeply into its true nature.” – Adyashanti

”Anything you avoid in life will come back, over and over again, until you’re willing to face it–to look deeply into its true nature.” – Adyashanti

I’ve been a personal trainer for some 18 years and while fitness trends have changed and every client has a different goal, one thing I can tell you is that fitness training can be very personal. Maybe that’s why they call the process of working with an exercise professional “personal training.”

Whether people are looking to lose weight, gain weight, or get in shape for their next life event, those endeavors are all (at least in part) emotional journeys. Unfortunately, many hire a coach and seek out these intentions without really addressing the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ in their goals. Case in point, the typical ambition of losing weight.

I was once asked in an interview my success rate as a trainer for helping people lose weight, as in, a lot of weight. I had to ponder the question for a moment. The question was then posed again, this time more specifically: “Have you ever worked with someone who has lost 75 or 100 pounds and kept it off?”

After thinking long and hard, I had to admit that my answer was no. While I have helped hundreds, if not thousands of people over the years in reaching their goals (like getting faster, stronger, and healthier), truthfully my success rate for helping really heavy people lose weight and keep it off is slim to none.

The interview got me thinking about my experience as an on-camera trainer for the television series “I Used To Be Fat” which aired on MTV. The program was a documentary style reality show that focused on the epidemic of childhood obesity, specifically for teenage kids. A handful of young adults were chosen from around the country to work with trainers in an effort to help them lose weight. The young man I was paired with was coordinated, skilled, and strong. With an athletic foundation and willingness to hit the gym hard, my ‘kid’ lost 40 pounds in 50 days.

In the typical and dramatic reality TV fashion, we trained for hours on end every day. I had this young man burning tons of calories while heavily restricting his caloric intake. As a weight loss strategy, it worked brilliantly as it always does. But the deeply personal considerations of food addiction, food toxicity, and past emotional trauma were never broached. The underlying causes of obesity were never addressed and the novelties of diet and exercise ultimately wore off. As the program became unsustainable, inevitably, the weight returned. To many fighting the battle of the bulge, it’s a familiar story.

The Problem with Personal Training

When I started a career as a trainer in 2001, the majority of my clients were looking to get faster, stronger, or more physically functional. Back then, a typical client would approach me and say something like, “I have a race coming up this summer and I want to get in better shape.” In such a scenario I would think to myself, “Great! You’re in the right place!”

Somewhere along the line a focus on fitness also became synonymous with looking a certain way. Granted, training for the aesthetic is nothing new. Bodybuilding and getting toned up for that beach vacation have been fitness mainstays for decades. But in recent years, changing the shape of our bodies has seemingly been synonymous with exercise. Weight loss and/or weight management has become the primary if not the sole focus for many in their approach to fitness.

As the obesity epidemic became a national crisis and The Biggest Loser a cultural phenomenon, many got the message that hiring a trainer and/or joining a gym was step number one in losing weight and changing their body. But there are inherent problems with the focus on the physical form through fitness. First, ask a bodybuilder and most will tell you that how you look is largely a function of how, when, and what you eat (and less an issue of how and when you train). Secondly, a major part of how, when, and what you eat is a function of your genetic and emotional construct. These variables aren’t really addressed in the gym.

Fitness Doesn’t Equal Slimness

While fitness can equal functionally capable and physically proficient body, it does not necessarily equal a slim, toned, or shredded body. Losing weight may simply be a question of calories—keeping it off is a question of deeply personal issues, both scientific and emotional. In short, success in the arena of weight management requires a personal approach that addresses a mixture of physiology, nutrition, environment, and in large part, psychology.

This fact presents an obvious disconnect in the common approach to the fitness goals of weight loss and achieving the body you’ve always desired. In the same way you wouldn’t go to a math teacher to learn English, you shouldn’t necessarily go to a trainer to address issues that are deeply intimate and intrinsic. Likely, your trainer is not a miracle worker, shrink, healer, nor the any of the following:

• Your trainer is not a doctor.
• Your trainer is not a registered dietician.
• Your trainer is not a psychologist.
• Your trainer is not a physical or emotional therapist.
• Your trainer is not a weight loss specialist.
• Your trainer is not a “health” coach, whatever that means.

Hiring a trainer might not help you from being fat, but that said, a good trainer can help you get really fit. Optimally and hopefully, all trainers have studied (or at least passed a test on) exercise physiology, anatomy, exercise science, and biomechanics. The best coaches are also learned in behavioral science and the art of communication. That means your trainer should be adept at teaching, coaching, and communicating to you ways in which your body can move more economically and efficiently. Simply put, the right trainer will help you to:

• Increase flexibility
• Build endurance
• Maximize strength
• Optimize physical functionality
• Develop a physical skill set/craft such as Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, etc.
• Improve health

You will notice that missing from the list are issues of a personal nature, like getting the body you’ve always coveted.

Weight Loss Isn’t a Magical Process

Joining a gym, starting an exercise regimen, and hiring a trainer are noble pursuits and there are many valid reasons to do so. However, while enlisting in the help of a trainer may be a great personal investment, doing so won’t necessarily solve your personal problems. Hiring a trainer might help you get faster or stronger, but likely won’t magically melt inches off your waistline, cure your issues with food cravings, or help save your marriage for that matter. When it comes to the “personal” part of your goals and desires, ultimately, you are your own best personal trainer.

The post Is Personal Training Too Personal? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Beachbody’s Insanity program is sold with the promise: “I’ll get you a year’s worth of results in just 60 days!” The Jenny Craig diet promotes that you can: “lose up to 16 pounds in just 4 weeks!” Every globo-gym is running a 45-day weight loss challenge, and most trainers are peddling a variation of the industry’s most effective sales pitch: “in X amount of time with me, you will look like Y.” Whether the emphasis is on pounds lost, muscle gained, or some combination of the two, everyone is approaching fitness from the “look better naked” point of view. Is there any other way?

People often claim that the fitness industry is broken, but what does that mean? As of 2015, the wellness industry has an estimated global worth of $3.7 trillion, with the nutrition and fitness sectors accounting for $648 billion and $542 billion, respectively. Sounds fairly successful, but that is only if success is measured in dollars.

The cumulative societal outcomes have not kept pace with those expenditures. Junk food still has a stranglehold on the American diet. The U.S. fast food market grew from $6 billion dollars in 1970 to $200 billion in 2015. The results of our convenience-oriented culture have been a net negative for community health. As of 2014, 37.9% of the U.S. population was obese, and over 70% are overweight. We’ve all felt the financial consequences, whether in our insurance premiums, or in the massive direct costs to those most unhealthy. Obese adults spend 42% more on healthcare costs than those at a healthy weight.

These trends are what lead people to the determination that health and fitness professionals are failing. Still, that is an oversimplified analysis. The reality is that the fitness industry does not operate as one seamless unit. Like most economic activities, the field is littered with all manner of competencies and moral compasses. In fact, the sentiment that this industry is broken is usually expressed by ethical, knowledgeable fitness practitioners who are frustrated by the dominance of competitors who operate on models that don’t work, long-term, for the customer. There is no shortage of great wellness advice, but these voices can’t compete with the broad appeal of instant gratification that consumers crave.

Short Term Goals, Short Term Success

As we’ve seen, the ramifications of poor health are not reserved to aesthetics. There are far deeper considerations that don’t get as much emphasis in popular health and fitness narratives. Yet, sales figures indicate a customer base that is most concerned with immediacy and image. The customer is always right, thus powerful health and fitness brands will continue to work at this angle.

In my experience, the lifespan of goals centered around losing weight expediently is short. Typically, someone that has not worked out consistently or paid attention to their nutrition will zealously jump into their new regimen. Early on, everything is new, fresh, and exciting, but that soon wears off and is replaced with a sense of drudgery. Counting calories, starvation, and extreme exercise often prove to be too great a contrast from their previous lifestyle, and the steady stream of positive results slows to a crawl.

A few hearty souls will soldier on, but even that usually means only a more gradual return to their old habits. It is a result of their narrow focus.

“I got to my goal weight, so now what? I lost 20lbs in two months. Does this mean I’m done? I mean, I did it, right? Can’t I start to eat like I used to, as long as I keep exercising?”

Even those who keep working out often feel a loss of purpose. Eventually, life gets busy and people make small concessions that, over time, become large lifestyle patterns, landing them right where they started.

It Was Never About the Scale

These patterns will not change until our understanding of health and fitness does. As long as education continues to devalue health and physical literacy, the burden of responsibility will rest upon the individual to navigate these murky waters. So what other reasons might there be to work out and eat better?

The most impressive physical transformation I’ve ever seen was a woman we’ll call Jane. Jane struggled with weight for years. That struggle contributed to depression and—her words— “self-loathing.” She began with modest dietary changes, but no workouts other than walks. For her, it was important to move one variable at a time. Eventually, she worked had eliminated all added sugars. She lost 90lb in a year. After not seeing her for a few months, I was amazed. She glowed. Her personality was radiant again. Her world held tremendous possibility.

When I asked Jane how her life had changed, she immediately went to the thousands of daily interactions most wouldn’t consider. She talked about how much she used to hate flying; walking onto the cramped aircraft, seeing her seat and assuming those around her were cursing their poor luck, feeling uncomfortable and unable to not invade other’s space. She talked about the breathing machine she had used every night for years, and how her sleep apnea had dissolved, leaving her free to sleep regularly. She talked about her knees and how much they used to ache; how she wouldn’t walk the beautiful trails she loved for lack of energy and fear of falling. She talked about her relationships, how she assumed other people were judging her, because she was judging herself.

She lost weight, but the changes in her life were never about the number on the scale. They were about the improvements in her life.

We Need a Better Measure of Health

Health is the most important thing in all our lives, but we usually don’t do anything until it’s too late. It gradually slips away and becomes the new norm. Take the time to deeply explore which quality of life measures are most intrinsically motivating to you. What would you do, if you had energy and zest on nights and weekends? Perhaps you want to be able to get on the floor and play with your kids and grandkids or chase them around the playground. Maybe you want to be able to still play basketball against your son when he’s in college.

How empowering would it be to work your way off blood pressure medicine? Would you love to feel more confident in the presence you portray in work meetings? Do you want to travel in your 60s, 70s, and 80s? You’ll need the confidence that you can navigate planes, walk cities, climb monuments, and continue to relish life with that retirement money you spent years accruing. How about just maintaining independence late in life?

Quality of life measures are rooted in deeper purpose. Having kids makes life very busy. Many cite this as their reason for not exercising and eating well, but it is the best reason to exercise and eat well. Without your health—the ability to move well, to feel energized, to avoid debilitating sickness—you are severely limited. Fitness and nutrition are essential for cognitive development, emotional development, and general wellbeing. But don’t think your kids are going to just adopt these lifestyles on their own. A recent Harvard study indicates that more than 57% of today’s youth will be obese by the time they are 35. This is the cultural norm. If it is important to you that your child thrives and is fulfilled, then it will be your model that inspires them, not warnings to “do as I say, but not as I do.”

The desire to lose weight and look like a Greek god or goddess is a fine starting point, but eventually we need to dig deeper. Expediency is never the answer in fitness. Long-term lifestyle habits must be the emphasis. With an understanding that each change is meant for a lifetime, we’ll need a more patient approach that really gets to the details of why fitness matters. Let’s shift the conversation from the scale and the six-pack to quality of life measures.

The post How Much Does Happiness Weigh? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

There are a whole lot of people who struggle with anxiety about stepping on the scale. It could come as a bit of dread or panic at a doctor’s visit or for the weigh-in for a meet. These principles don’t just apply to weight loss, either, and they’re useful for anyone who experiences anxiety around their measures of fitness success. But this article comes with some terms and conditions:

• If you want to stop stressing out over the tools that help you get to your goals, read on.
• If, as you read this, you feel the urge to skip your next meal, stop reading.
• If you feel sudden awareness of and shame over your body shape, whatever it is, stop reading.
• If you feel the sudden urge to go out and dramatically change your diet and behavior, to ‘fix yourself,’ stop reading.

Eating disorders are serious, and they go well beyond the scope of this article. If you feel compelled to binge eat, purge, starve, or otherwise hurt yourself for any reason, I urge you to call the National Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-800-931-2237 or see a professional.

The Demon in the Bathroom

Let’s face it: scales suck. And not just because they bring you unwelcome news.

Common household scales aren’t that accurate, often showing pounds of difference from one scale to another. Even when they’re accurate, they measure one precise thing: the amount of mass gravity is pulling down onto the scale’s surface. Even fancy bioimpedance scales are pretty terrible.

On top of that, our culture has loaded the scale with destructive messages. Cartoons show bloated caricatures breaking the scale with cautious steps. Fitness magazines show models standing triumphantly on their scales, measuring tape loosely draped around their obviously-lean waist. If that number doesn’t read what it should (whatever that is), our social messages push you to change:

“You’re not okay. You don’t measure up. You need to be the way we want you, or you’re a failure. Buy my pill to ‘fix’ you.”

This messaging is killing people. Anorexics are almost five times as likely to die in a given time frame than the general population, and bulimics have a 70% greater risk, not counting the variety of other disorders. Although it’s not the only cause, negative self-image and stigma plays a part in causing these disorders. And for many people, the scale features prominently in their history of attempts—and failures—at weight loss.

Just Break It

Can we get rid of the scale altogether? Should we? There was a brief explosion of national attention toward “Smash the Scale” events in 2013, and some health professionals have made careers out of demonizing the scale and diets in general, so people are definitely asking the question.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Although it is a complex issue, obesity is still harmful in the long term. Fad diets are harmful, certainly, and there is good evidence that fad diets and constant weight shifting are worse than obesity, but it is possible to change your eating habits in a healthy way. With rare exceptions, you are not doomed to your current body.

I have nothing against scale-smashing parties since for many, they aren’t really about the scale. It’s symbolic of the internal work the smasher has put in trying to break down their own feelings of low self-worth and anxiety. However, after the scale is annihilated in a shower of springs and twisted plastic, cold, objective reality is still waiting. We’re still the same weight. We still see ourselves in the mirror and in the eyes of those around us. We’re still at a higher risk for a variety of diseases and early death, and many us still want to do something about it.

What if we could build a healthy relationship with the tools that inform us of the facts of life, instead of ignore those facts? What would that relationship look like?

None of these steps say “panic.”

4DX: Common Sense, Uncommon Execution

For perspective, the scale is not the only measure of performance we stress out over. It could be the weight on the barbell, our race time, or quarterly sales figures. Any measure of success could be a useful tool to drive effective decisions—or the path to becoming an anxious wreck.

The ‘wrong’ way is a trap that’s easy to fall into. Picture this: you’re assigned a goal and given a deadline to achieve it. In the case of losing body fat, maybe it’s your next doctor’s visit. You do something, you put in effort, but you get caught up in the whirlwind of life, and halfway to the deadline, you step on the scale. No change. Now you’re sweating a little bit. You start measuring every week, then every day, thinking that by keeping it in your attention, you’ll remember to do “the right things,” but the act of keeping it in your attention feels like staring down an oncoming train, and you begin to dread stepping on the scale each day. Your habits falter, your stress rises, and you’re nowhere closer to your goal. Bad juju.

In The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX), a highly successful program for solving the question of ‘how to get shit done,’ the authors describe this as a ‘lag measure’ problem. ‘Lag measures’ are measures of things as they are: scale weight, a waist measurement, a body fat percentage, you name it. The problem is that while you’re taking the measurement, there’s nothing you can do about it. The behaviors and circumstances that got you there are already in the past.

A more positive approach involves a change of mindset. Instead of looking for what the scale says about you, start thinking about the scale as the answer to certain questions:

• Is your plan working?
• Do you need to change that plan?
• How quickly are you getting to your goal?

You: The Science Experiment

Every time you try to change your habits, you’re essentially making a bet:

• “If I do X, I bet Y will happen.”
• “If I only eat only ‘clean’ foods, my WOD times will improve.”
• “If I cut 15g of carbohydrate and 5g of fat per day, I will continue to lose 1lb a week.”
• “If I cut my soda intake from 10 to 3 and go for a 1 mile walk a day, my waist will get smaller.”

Change, then, is like a science experiment. You mix several chemicals together and check the result. Each weigh-in is that check, and as long as you actually followed through on the bet and stuck to the plan, any result, ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ is useful! Even if you don’t lose weight, you now know that change didn’t work. When you really buy in to this approach, the scale isn’t even measuring you at all. It’s a given that it it tells you nothing about your beauty, value, or success, but I’d argue that it’s not even really about your weight. The scale measures the success of a changed variable, a change you chose to make, and that process can be discarded or replaced in favor of a newer, better process that will bring you closer to your goals.

Indirectly, it can even provide useful information if you don’t stick to the plan. Between ‘big’ measurements (usually 1 week for the scale), life sometimes gets in the way and you break from the plan. Shit happens, everyone moves on. However, if you take multiple measurements in a row and something always gets in the way, life is trying to tell you something: the plan is not appropriate right now. And that’s okay. You’re not pinned down to a specific diet, and no plan will be successful if you can’t do it. Look at the available options, reassess your resources (including knowledge, time, and social support), and either adjust the program or ditch it for a plan that’s right for you.

Moving Forward: The Lead Measure

In 4DX, the authors push the importance of shifting your day-to-day thoughts from outcomes (‘lag’ measures) to processes (‘lead’ measures). If the lag measure is the Y in our bet above, the lead is the X: “What do I need to do in order to make Y happen?” From there, each decision begins to make sense:

If you didn’t follow the plan and it worked, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but don’t get cocky either. For an example, let’s say you started tracking macros and didn’t hit your targets, yet you measure 1 pound lighter the following week. Maybe the act of measuring itself inspired small changes in what you ate. Maybe you were retaining less water. Maybe Mercury was in retrograde. Who knows? Not you, and that’s the problem. Following the plan more closely will give you a useful metric to compare.

If you followed the plan and it worked, keep doing it. You might make small tweaks or adjustments to keep things moving along or to make the plan easier to follow in the next cycle, but don’t overcomplicate things. If it works, it works.

If you didn’t follow the plan and you don’t see results, first decide if you can follow the plan. The question here is not whether or not you could follow the plan under different circumstances. The question is whether we can do the plan right now. It doesn’t have to be sustainable forever: sometimes, the ‘hard routine’ is required for a while before we can settle into a sustainable ‘maintenance’ routine. All that matters is that we consistently have the available resources to get it done for as long as we need to. If you can’t follow the plan, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Can the plan be adjusted or scaled down until it’s more doable? Do you need to switch plans entirely? This is where a coach or advisor might help in making an effective switch.

This same problem occurs when you follow the plan diligently and it still doesn’t work. I usually recommend holding on for two measuring cycles (often two weeks, for a diet) to establish a trend, but if metrics don’t move in the right way after two cycles, you have to make a change to see success, and picking the right ‘new bet’ may take outside help. Still, you’ve made great forward steps:

• You developed habits toward following a diet and committing to your health.
• You now have information about what you eat and what hasn’t worked.
• You have a starting template you might choose to branch out from, instead of having to start from scratch.

It’s About the Trend

The third point of our healthy mindset is that the individual day’s measurement is irrelevant: only the trend counts. This is especially true in measuring tools like the scale, which have a pretty wide margin of error.

This is a graph of measurements for a three-month diet, a month of maintenance, and slow (intentional) regain I went through in 2016. Note the occasionally daily drops and peaks of 4+ pounds. This is not uncommon in my trainees, and these changes can be even greater for some. There are many reasons for this.

• Eat a salty or very carb-heavy meal at night and you’ll retain more water during a morning reading.
• Food sitting in the digestive system makes night measurements heavier than day measurements.
• A full trip to the bathroom can drop half a pound.
• Some medications and supplements cause greater water retention and scale-weight gain.
• Sometimes, magical things happen in the gut and you’re just heavier one day than the next.

In other words, don’t sweat it. Putting too much emphasis on today’s measurement can be an emotional rollercoaster, especially when we’ve falsely tied our self-worth into the numbers on the scale. If possible, the solution here is to focus on the trend:

• If you can, take multiple measurements a week and graph them out. Most diet apps make this possible, or just a spreadsheet. This will allow you to see trends and get perspective.
• If you take the above approach, make diet decisions based off the same point each week.
• Include a set point before a change ‘counts.’ This frees you from the highs of lows of constantly ‘winning’ and ‘losing’ in the face of random variation. In my own cutting phase, I didn’t mentally ‘count’ a new weight until every measurement for 5 days was under that value. It was still moving the way I wanted, but by the time I ‘accepted’ it, the new weight was no big deal since I’d been there for a week or more.

Beware the Red Squares

A healthy scale relationship is about decisions, so I used the decision tree above to show it. But if you read it, you probably noticed a few red squares. These are points where things can often go sideways, bringing on stress, anxiety, and worse.

First, if you are trying to change weight and have no plan, stop measuring until you do. If you don’t have a plan that you can apply those scale measurements to in order to make future decisions, no good comes from measuring. There is an addictive quality to the scale. When it reads closer to what we want, we get a little positive-feelz hit of success. When it reads worse, it validates our toxic model of ourselves as failures. Either way, we feed an emotional need. Unfortunately, like a parched desert traveler stumbling on a well, we may not realize the water is poisoned until it’s too late.

Second, it is possible to poison this well from the very start. What does it mean for the plan to ‘work?’ Why did we select the goal we did? The answers here aren’t always good. Sometimes, we can get to them through reflection and inner work. Sometimes we need professional help to get to the heart of it. Either way, a critical look at our motives is essential.

Finally, one thing I think we’ve all dealt with is the endless struggle. Every week, something comes up and the dieter can’t follow their program, and they stress over it. But they’ll get it next week, they promise! Another variation of this is the diet-hopper, switching from one diet to another and another until they find one that ‘works.’ Both approaches are rarely effective. Why keep up the pretense and stress of dieting without any sign of success after months and years of hammering our heads into the wall?

This may be the sign of a medical condition that needs treatment, but often, it’s a case of chasing two rabbits. We want the moral satisfaction and reward of trying, but we either lack the resources to actually make the change, or have conflicting desires, some of them unconscious, over our current body and lifestyle. If you’ve been dieting for months on end with no result, it may be time to get those outside resources—admit you need help to win the war—or look into whether it’s worth it to you to make the change. It may not be. And that’s okay.

Failure Is Just a Data Point

Whenever we start talking about scale anxiety, disordered eating, or anything in that hairy space, you can always expect some internet troll to come out, chin held high, “Why don’t you just do it? Do more, eat less, right? The scale’s just a fact. You can’t be afraid of reality!”

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. If you can’t understand, I can almost guarantee you’ve faced a similar situation in your past. For me, it was the Physical Strength Test (PST), an introductory test for those who want to be US Navy SEALs. It includes a swim, run, pull ups, push ups, and sit ups. I trained hard for it. I was a great runner, fit, and a decent swimmer, but decent was not good enough to get selected. Between my swim time and my strength deficit (I was 160 pounds at the time and struggled with ruck work, among other things), I wasn’t selected, and I had to fight the uphill battle for a lateral transfer from the fleet.

I did a PST every month, and although my scores were getting better, every attempt felt like a defeat. I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t working hard enough. Late hours on ship and a busy family life meant I couldn’t train and would never get better, or so I worried. Occasionally I’d swim five seconds slower than the previous month, and the whole month prior would feel like a waste. I started dreading the PST and every training session in the pool. I started finding reasons to substitute swim days for runs or the obstacle course, things I was good at. One day, I had to sit with the realization that I’d failed. I had the resources, the skill, and the talent to get the work done, and I’d sabotaged myself.

It’s easy to look in hindsight and see it now, just as it can be easy to look at someone else who’s suffering through it and fail to understand why they can’t see the ‘obvious.’ No one has the right to judge anyone in this game, and even if you did somehow have perfect mastery of your feelings and goals, your judgment won’t help anyone. Respect everyone, wherever they are on their journey, and strive to do your best to develop a healthy relationship with the tools you need to win. It’s the best any of us can do.

You might also like:

• How I Faced My Fears And Overcame My Eating Disorder
• From Diet To Disorder: When Food Control Goes Too Far

The post Don’t Sweat the Demon Scale appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It’s time for the article that should hopefully shape the rest of your weight loss journey for the better. Let’s first start out with a fact: your metabolism, or your body’s ability to burn calories, has a ceiling. We can increase the number of calories we burn in a day with activity, but there are limits. If we run three miles versus sitting on a couch, we will burn more calories. However, if we run six miles versus three miles, we see the increase of calories burned at this distance is less than the 0 to 3 mile option.

This is reasonable, right? The law of diminishing returns provides a good assessment: when the cost to create something is greater than the benefit received from creating it. This theory applies to weight loss in a very important way. We all know the person (or may likely be the person ourselves) who has killed himself on the treadmill three times a week for several weeks only to see our weight go nowhere, or even gain weight. What the heck is going on here?

Outsmart Your Brain

When our bodies receive the stimulus of “create the energy necessary to run three miles” it does so. But our bodies are brilliant—they innately understand that performing this task over and over again is going to be stressful and that stress can interfere with our ability to survive. This is how our brains work. The job of your brain is to keep us alive and it doesn’t care whether or not we lose 15 pounds.

Our bodies get smart. They learn how to create that same activity with less energy each time. Our bodies learn, and when they learn, we get better at preserving calories. You can see why this not ideal. So now what? What do we do about it?

The only road to creating a fit, lean body long term is to increase the number of calories burned (un-preserve them) via the proper type of activities and reduce the number of calories consumed in a manner that doesn’t tell the body to preserve calories.

Doing this is a delicate dance, and usually requires some trial and error. Finding a good coach can save you a lot of time and headache (yes, I’m a coach but no I’m not saying this purely as a plug for what I do) because there are a lot of subtle details.

That being said, let me give you a light-year head start:

1. Learn how to strengthen your body with resistance training. A strong body, one with regularly used muscle mass, is a calorie using body — it’s also a more capable, healthy, and aesthetically appealing one.
2. Take the time to understand your relationship with what you consume, both food and drink. Do you drink alcohol every night? Do you eat chips from the bag vs. portion them out? Do you consume sufficient protein? (There really isn’t such a thing as too much.)
3. Learn about your body and mind’s relationship to consuming. Is it a stress relief? Is your life organized around food in a way that is sabotaging your weight loss efforts?

These are just a few of the questions that should be answered. My most successful weight loss clients have learned how to organize and reorient the forces in their lives so they no longer interfere with their goals. And when that happens a whole new world awaits you.

The post The Cold, Hard Truth About Weight Loss appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

You’ve probably heard you need to go low carb to lose fat. Chances are other people have told you to go low fat. Right now, the ketogenic diet (a high fat, moderate protein, zero carb diet) is having a burst in popularity. All of these diets manipulate macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbs) to help you lose weight.

Low carb zealots claim that managing insulin is the key to fat loss. While the low fat crowd points out that fat is the most calorie dense macronutrient, so it should be kept to a minimum.

In recent times, the low carb group has been the most vocal. Their argument is largely based on the Insulin Hypothesis by Kevin Hall, Ph.D which states, “Diets high in carbohydrate are particularly fattening due to their propensity to elevate insulin secretion. Insulin directs the partitioning of energy toward storage as fat.”

The Role of Caloric Deficit

Back in the 1980s and 90s fat was the bad guy. So, for well over 30 years, people have been blaming individual macronutrients for the increasing fat gain we see all around us.

Despite this fascination with macronutrient ratios, recent research suggests that, from a body composition standpoint, macronutrient ratio has much less impact than we thought, that is if calories are controlled. Of much more importance than the ratio of macronutrients you consume is that you are in a calorie deficit. If you cannot achieve a calorie deficit, you will not lose fat no matter what clever macronutrient ratio you have in place.

To be honest, any differences reported in the scientific literature on varying macronutrient ratios for fat loss are of minimal impact. Picking a plan that puts you in a calorie deficit and that you can stick to is the real key.

If you are more likely to follow a higher carb diet then you will have more successful fat loss because it is a diet you can maintain. Likewise, if you prefer a higher fat intake then results will be better on a high fat diet (assuming the same calorie deficit is maintained) because you are more likely to adhere to it.

Eric Helms does a phenomenal job in his books, Muscle and Strength Pyramids, of highlighting the hierarchies of needs that exist within both training and nutrition. When it comes to fat loss, calories are king.

Consume fewer calories than you burn and you will lose fat. With that said, manipulating macronutrients to optimal levels does provide some benefits. These benefits are both physiological and psychological.

Protein, Your Fat Loss Hero

Protein can provide both physiological and psychological benefits.

Firstly, physiologically consuming relatively high protein is beneficial for fat loss. Protein provides a metabolic advantage when compared to carbs and fat.

This advantage is due to the thermic effect of protein. The amount of energy burnt by the body to digest food is known as the Thermic Effect of Feeding (TEF). Protein has a higher TEF than carbs or fats. Roughly 20% of the calories from protein are used for digestion. For carbs it is between 5-10% and fats are only 2-3%.

Secondly, protein is also the most satiating of the macronutrients. As a result, you feel fuller when eating high amounts of protein. From a psychological standpoint, it is much easier to stick to a diet if you are not constantly hungry. Willpower is not taxed to the same degree if you are generally quite full from your food as opposed to counting every second until you can eat again on less filling diet plans.

Carbs or Fats – Which Is the Devil?

When protein intake is matched, low carb diets show no metabolic advantage over higher carb diets and in many studies. Overfeeding studies have shown that people tend to gain more fat following a high fat versus a high carb diet in spite of the fact that fat utilization (burning) increases with high fat diets.

How can this be?

It most likely boils down to energy balance. As previously mentioned, carbs have a slightly higher TEF than fats. As a result, more energy is burnt through digestion on the high carb diets, as compared to high fat diets. This creates a bigger calorie deficit and, low and behold, more fat is lost. This goes a long way to debunking the insulin hypothesis.

In research funded by ketogenic (low carb) proponents it was actually found that although insulin levels did go down and fat oxidation increased on a low carb diet, this did not result in more fat loss.

Shockingly, the study stated that it took participants 28 days to lose the same amount of fat on the low carb diet as it took them to achieve in 15 days on the high carb diet. Furthermore, the participants lost muscle in the low carb group. That is not good news for low carb diets.

So, once you’ve created a calorie deficit and set protein intake to be moderately high, the ratio of fats and carbs is not extremely significant.

There is a slight trend to lower fat and higher carb intakes being beneficial for fat loss. Another benefit of keeping carbohydrates higher than fat is that energy will be higher and the fuel for high intensity exercise (muscle glycogen) is more readily available.

As such, you can train harder. Training harder means you can burn more calories and create a bigger calorie deficit, which will lead to greater fat loss.

Setting Your Protein Intake

It appears that anything between 2.3 and 3.1g per kg of lean body mass is adequate for protein intake. This is enough to retain muscle while dieting.

It also provides high levels of satiety without reducing the total number of available calories for carbs and fat enough to negatively affect energy levels. Going above this level has not been found to be more anabolic. Thus, it is unlikely to help you build muscle, highly unlikely in a substantial calorie deficit, anyway.

If your fat loss plateaus and you do not want to reduce food intake or increase energy expenditure, then you could consider increasing protein to the upper end of the range 3.1g per kg (some research shows benefits of going as high as 3.4g).

Eating this much protein could enhance fat loss because of the increased TEF. It is important to note this won’t suddenly fast track your fat loss, but may slightly increase it. The research is not conclusive at this stage and protein intake at this level has only been associated with greater fat loss due to the higher thermic effects.

Association does not equate to a guarantee of efficacy. Neither does it imply causation. Nonetheless, there is a correlation. If you are looking for every available marginal gain then high protein intakes could help your fat loss efforts.

How Often Should You Eat?

My general recommendations for eating frequency for fat loss and muscle gain are the same. I suggest you eat 4-6 meals a day based on your schedule and preference.

Intermittent fasting (IF) protocols where you go for extended periods of time (e.g., 16 hours) without eating can be effective for fat loss. In these situations, meals per day drops to 2 or 3. IF for fat loss is a whole other article though, so I’ll save that for another time.

Spreading your calorie (and importantly protein) intake over multiple meals through the day is advised because it spikes protein synthesis repeatedly through the day. This allows for peaks and troughs in MPS which has been found to be optimal when compared to trying to keep MPS constantly elevated through more frequent meals.

Eating 4-6 meals is also superior to very infrequent meal plans because there is an upper limit to how much protein synthesis can be stimulated in one sitting, regardless of protein content of that meal.

Eating more protein will not push MPS past this threshold. Given MPS remains elevated for about three hours after a meal, it makes sense to consume another meal roughly three hours later. Based on most people’s waking hours, that translates to 4 or 5 meals per day.

Fine Tune Your Carbohydrate and Fat Intake

Given that the ratio of fats and carbs is of lesser importance than protein intake, personal preference should be the key determinant of your intake. With that said, here is some further information to help guide your choices.

Consumption of dietary fat is important for regular hormonal function, especially testosterone production. It should never be eliminated from the diet. There is not so much an optimal fat intake, but a minimum for normal hormonal function.

There is some solid scientific backing for arguments saying that fat intake should be between 20-30% of total calories to optimize testosterone production. I generally suggest that clients eat 1g/kg of fats when dieting. This is an easy number to remember and will support their needs. Once protein and fats are set then carbs make up the rest of your total calories.

Carbs, like fats, have a positive impact on hormones. They are also the dominant source of energy for the central nervous systems (CNS) and high intensity athletic activities (e.g., lifting weights).

They help to fuel gruelling training and aid in recovery. Approximately 80% of your weight training is fueled by glycogen stores (stored carbohydrate). Low glycogen will impair your training and recovery.

Eating sufficient carbs allows you to train at a higher intensity, train with higher volumes, and recover quicker. They also have anti-catabolic and anabolic effects. As such, carbs are a huge advantage to hard-training individuals.

Remember, the most important things that need to be in place in order to lose weight are that you are in a calorie deficit and that you can stick to the plan. The above guidelines are just that, a guide. Adjust them to suit you. These are simply my preference, and I often tweak them to suit the needs of different clients.

Macronutrient Individualization

Consider the following variables when setting your macro ratio when you eat low carb or low fat:

• What are your energy levels like?
• How is your motivation?
• What is the status of your mood?
• What is your appetite like?
• How is your digestion?
• What is your current performance like?

Also factor in:

• Previous dieting experiences (both successes and failures)
• Food preferences
• Your sleep (Carbs before bed can help to improve sleep. Lack of sleep makes you more likely to crave carbs.)
• Stress levels
• Social flexibility
• Current body fat (In general the fatter you are, the less well you tolerate carbs.)
• Training frequency and volume (The more training you do, the more carbs you’ll need.)

Nutrient Timing

It matters. Just not as much as total calories or macronutrients. With that said, in a deficit you should bias your carbs to be peri-workout to support training performance, recovery, and glycogen replenishment.

Carbs post-workout will also help to reduce cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone which is actually quite useful during training because it helps to release fatty acids for energy. However, chronically high levels are not desirable. Consequently, bringing levels down immediately after training should be a priority.

Some may say we are all special snowflakes and respond differently to different diets, but in reality, we just aren’t that different. Because of this there are general guidelines you can use to set-up your fat loss plan.

Use these to get started, but then adjust as needed based on your results. Do not be handcuffed to these recommendations. If they are not working then you should tweak them to find something that does.

References:

1. Antonio J, Ellerbroek A, Silver T, Orris S, Scheiner M, Gonzalez, Peacock. A high protein diet (3.4 g/kg/d) combined with a heavy resistance training program improves body composition in healthy trained men and women–a follow-up investigation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2015; 12:3.

2. Cornier MA, Donahoo WT, Pereira R, Gurevich I, Westergren R, Enerback S, Eckel PJ, Goalstone ML, Hill JO, Eckel RH, Draznin B. Insulin sensitivity determines the effectiveness of dietary macronutrient composition on weight loss in obese women. Obes Res. 2005;13(4):703–709.

3. Dansinger ML, Gleason JA, Griffith JL, Selker HP, Schaefer EJ. Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone diets for weight loss and heart disease risk reduction: a randomized trial. 2005 Jan 5;293(1):43.

4. Feinman RD, Fine EJ. Thermodynamics and metabolic advantage of weight loss diets. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2003 Sep;1(3):209-19.

5. Feinman RD, Fine EJ. “A calorie is a calorie” violates the second law of thermodynamics. Nutr J. 2004 Jul 28;3:9.

6. Fine EJ, Feinman RD. Thermodynamics of weight loss diets. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2004 Dec 8;1(1):15.

7. Frank et al. Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. N Engl J Med 2009; 360: 859–873.

8. Helms, ER, Aragon, AA, Fitschen, PJ. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. JISSN. 2014.

9. Horton TJ, Drougas H, Brachey A, Reed GW, Peters JC, Hill JO. Fat and carbohydrate overfeeding in humans: different effects on energy storage. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Jul;62(1):19-29.

10. Ludwig DS, Majzoub JA, Al-Zahrani A, Dallal GE, Blanco I, Roberts SB. High glycemic index foods, overeating, and obesity. Pediatrics 1999;103(3), e26-e26.

11. McClain A, et al. Adherence to a low‐fat vs. low‐carbohydrate diet differs by insulin resistance status. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 2013;15(1), 87-90.

The post Individualizing Macronutrient Ratios for Fat Loss appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

P-synephrine is an alkaloid found in a wide variety of citrus fruits such as oranges, mandarins, and grapefruits. Because of its chemical similarities to ephedrine, a nervous system stimulant, it has become a popular food supplement and is included in many weight loss products despite very little existing research that proves its effectiveness.

This study determined to examine the effects of p-synephrine on energy metabolism and the rate of fat and carbohydrate oxidation during rest and exercise. In a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, experimental study, 18 subjects underwent two experimental trials. The first group consumed a dose of p-synephrine, whilst a control group took a placebo. An hour after ingesting the substance, energy expenditure and arterial tension were measured before and after physical activity on a static bike.

It was found that acute p-synephrine ingestion had no effect on energy expenditure, heart rate, or arterial pressure. However, the p-synephrine did increase the rate of fat oxidation at low and moderate intensities.

So wait a minute. Weight loss pills do work a fat-burning miracle after all?

Not exactly. The data suggested that p-synephrine supplements could be useful to increase fat oxidation by 7 g (0.07kg) per hour of exercise. The maximum rate found for fat oxidation during exercise was 0.7 g/min. That would suggest that in a very best-case scenario, an individual could burn 42 g of fat after an hour of exercise at that level of intensity with p-synephrine. But that is really hauling your ass in a workout by their measure, and the data merely suggests that p-synephrine was behind that and not different individual differences in metabolism between the study’s subjects.

The researchers themselves remained convinced that there was no case for the substance increasing fat loss without exercise, especially not for more extreme weight loss goals. As one of the lead researchers commented:

“[This] should be the aim: to lose a kilo [of fat] per month. It’s less attention-catching than miracle diet slogans, but scientifically speaking, effective change would be at that rate. The rate of loss could increase with p-synephrine, but always [when] combining the substance with exercise.”¹

The authors also highlighted the need for further study to determine the long term effects of p-synephrine in the future.

References:

1. Jorge Gutiérrez-Hellín y Juan Del Coso. ‘Acute p-synephrine ingestion increases fat oxidation rate during exercise’. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (2016).

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Now it’s time to start thinking about getting back to your fighting weight. How will you approach the extra pounds you put on during the off-season?

Smart Periodization

You shouldn’t focus on your body composition when you are close to race day. Your mind should be on one thing: maximizing your performance. But there are other times in the training calendar that lend themselves to weight loss, particularly lower intensity periods.

Take advantage of low-intensity training blocks to get back on track after the off-season.

The traditional base period focuses on high volumes at lower intensities, with the primary goal of building endurance and improving your fat-burning abilities. Long, easy miles are the name of the game. With less emphasis on intensity or recovery, you can focus on fueling in ways that will optimize the fat-burning nature of these base periods.

Even in the midst of more intense training blocks, you will have days when intensity is not as high. You can take advantage of these lulls in your week by fueling well around your intense interval sessions, then dropping the calories on your easy days. When reducing calories, make sure you meet your protein needs so you continue to recover and improve.

Taking advantage of these windows of opportunity in your training is key to staying on-point next season. If you want to step it up a notch, try adding these next few things to the mix.

4 Ways to Get Back to Fighting Weight: 1. Fasted Morning Cardio

An oldie, but a goodie. Fasted morning cardio has been shown to boost fat oxidation during the workout by up to 20 percent. However, it does not do much for you throughout the rest of the day (there’s no after-burn effect). If you play it right and throw in intervals later in the day, you can snag all the benefits. Just make sure you eat properly and that these workouts make sense in your overall training plan.

How should fasted cardio look? Don’t go all type-A endurance athlete on me and overdo it. Thirty to sixty minutes of simple aerobic work will suffice. Make sure you are well hydrated and get a meal afterwards.

4 Ways to Get Back to Fighting Weight: 2. The Twelve-Hour Rule

The twelve-hour rule is nothing more than a break for your gut. Much like your heart, your gut is working hard most of the day to process everything you have to eat. Allow twelve hours between your last evening meal and breakfast to help your digestion catch up. This window also ensures a well-fasted state for your morning cardio. Does it have to be twelve hours? Not necessarily. It’s more about the habit.

4 Ways to Get Back to Fighting Weight: 3. Our Friend Caffeine

Caffeine not only boosts endurance performance, but studies have also shown a connection with increased weight loss. This is probably due to increased thermogenesis and fat oxidation. It’s worth adding caffeine to your fasted cardio, and let’s be honest – most of you drink a cup of coffee in the morning anyways.

Don’t be afraid to drink caffeine prior to other workouts. Its benefits are not limited to the morning. If the goal of a given workout is to build endurance and lose some weight, throw caffeine in the mix.

4 Ways to Get Back to Fighting Weight: 4. Eat Spicy and Get Cold

Want to further boost your metabolism? Get cold and eat foods that contain capsaicin. Both have been shown to increase the activity of your brown adipose tissue (BAT). Unlike normal white adipose tissue (WAT), BAT is metabolically active and can generate heat by burning the WAT typically found on our stomach, butt, hips, and legs. Keep it basic – just get outside and exercise in the cold weather a little bit. It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Tackle Your Body Comp Early

As you plan your upcoming season, mix and match some of these concepts as you tackle your body composition. Get on top of it early and you will be able to focus more time on making performance gains. Here’s to your best season yet.

More Like This:

• The 3 Pillars of Fat Loss
• The Best Research on Body Fat, Losing Fat, and Eating Fat
• Safe and Sane Fat Loss Advice From People Who Care About You
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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The relationship between weight gain or loss and body image is complex and not well understood. On one hand, having a self-identity tied too closely to a flawed body image can contribute to disordered eating. An anorexic both believes she is fat and expects she will only be worthy of love if she maintains an unrealistic and unhealthy thinness. On the other hand, valuing one’s personal appearance can help motivate healthier diet and exercise choices.

Understanding the effect of a particular weight loss intervention on body image is potentially useful, both in devising more sustainable interventions and in avoiding unhealthy or counterproductive approaches.

The Dimensions of Body Image

As Hai-Lun Chao at Chung-Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan, found, however, little data exists on the relationship between specific weight loss interventions and body image.

• Out of 149 studies on weight loss identified by a literature search, only 25 included a body image evaluation.
• Nine of those failed to include a treatment comparator group.
• Ultimately, only seven studies directly examined the effect of a weight loss intervention on body image for both a treatment and a comparator group.

Among these seven studies, there were a variety of different weight loss interventions, as well as a variety of body image assessment methods. The number of study participants varied, as did the BMI range considered. For these reasons, the authors of the meta-analysis discussed here warned that firm conclusions are difficult.

Nonetheless, they did identify several trends as worthy of further investigation. Body image has two dimensions, evaluative and investment.

• The evaluative dimension measures the individual’s assessment of their appearance – whether they are satisfied or not satisfied with their body, and whether their image reflects objective measures. An overweight person who perceives themselves as skinny and a thin person who perceives themselves as fat are both suffering from an inaccurate body image evaluation.
• The investment dimension of body image determines the extent to which the person’s self-worth is tied to his or her body image. An overly strong investment in body image can drive dysfunctional pursuit of unrealistic perfection, while a weak investment can leave the person without motivation to make positive changes.

Continued Research Is Needed

More research is needed to see how specific interventions affect these two dimensions. It does appear, though, that interventions focused on exercise or self-regulation of eating tended to improve the individual’s investment in their body image. For example, exercise might cause a person to focus on what the body can do, rather than appearance alone.

Few studies consider both the physical and psychological effects of weight loss intervention. There is enough data to make it clear that the two aspects are inextricable from each other, though. The author suggests further research should consider which weight loss interventions are associated with improved body image.

What You Really Need to Know

In summary, body image matters. If someone loses weight, but their body image doesn’t improve, they are less likely to maintain their new lifestyle. But not all weight loss interventions are created equal – some improve body image more than others.

Related articles:

• The Modern Male and Body Image: It’s Okay to Talk About It
• Tips for Cultivating a Positive Body Image For Your Female Clients
• The Real “Ideal” Body Type Is Up to You
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1. Chao, H­L, “Body Image Change in Obese and Overweight Persons Enrolled in Weight Loss Intervention Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta­Analysis,” (2015) PLoS ONE 10(5): e0124036. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124036.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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And placeboes are not limited to substances. They could also be equipment (e.g., compression shorts) or an activity (e.g., a warm-up routine). So, what if we could tell ourselves that something we are already doing can improve our performance?

Testing Our Perceptions

Researchers Alia Crum and Ellen Langer set out to test how we perceive our activities and how it can change the outcomes. Specifically, they wanted to test the effect on weight loss.

Crum and Langer looked at hotel housekeepers, who are generally very active throughout the day. However, 67% of maids reported they didn’t get any exercise at all. Measurements of the housekeepers’ body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and BMI indicated outcomes similar to their perceptions, as they tended to be overweight and out-of-shape.

Your new weight-loss routine.

What if we could change their perceptions?

The researchers divided the 84 housekeepers into two groups. One group was told how much their daily activities counted as exercise (specifically, how many calories were burned for each type of activity they did). The other group received no information and served as the control group.

The maids were then measured one month later. Those who were told their work counted as exercise lost body fat, bodyweight, and had better waist-to-hip ratios. Indicators of blood pressure were also improved.

The housekeepers who were informed of their daily energy levels showed significant health improvements.

Critique

The results of this study are quite impressive. Housekeepers lost about three pounds and had a reduction in body-fat percentage. One potential issue is that the housekeepers might have acted differently after being told their activities counted as exercise. They might have done things more rigorously and this change in behavior could account for the difference.

This broadens the definition of the placebo greatly. Langer’s earlier work with Larry Perlmuter focused on increasing the perception of control in nursing home residents. By giving these residents a plant to care for or choices over their breakfast, they increased life span. Just the simple act of changing people’s perceptions seemed to help them live longer. If true, the placebo effect can be very powerful.

How Can I Apply This to Me?

In the earlier article on the placebo effect, we discussed how taking supplements might have positive effects even if they don’t work. The direct application from Langer’s work is to change your perception of what you do throughout the day. If you are at a desk, you can think about how many calories your brain takes to focus on the day’s work. It is estimated your brain burns about 20% of your daily calories. If you are active at work, you can think about how all those extra calories burned can lead to getting leaner. In general, think about how many calories are burned by your regular daily activities.

“The direct application from Langer’s work is to change your perception of what you do throughout the day.”

A less direct application might be how you perceive recovery. Many people have a difficult time taking a day off from the gym. Thinking about how your muscles and joints are recovering on your days off might make for super recovery.

Summary

In both of my articles on placebos, we can see the placebo effect can improve our endurance, strength, and possibly even weight loss. Our perceptions of our activities and the substances we take affect our outcome. These effects seem quite powerful and are often surprising.

Personally, I want to try taking new Super Amino Necisstous (and the new formula, Super Amino Impecunious), which might increase my strength by twenty percent.

In the next article, we will cover the nocebo effect (I did not make that name up). In the meantime, if you have questions about the placebo effect, post them to the comments below.

Check out these related articles:

• The Placebo Effect and Athletic Performance
• Are the Benefits of Aerobic Exercise in Your Head?
• Chore Training – How to Move More and Have a Really Clean House
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1. Crum, Alia J., and Ellen J. Langer. “Mind-Set Matters Exercise and the Placebo Effect.” Psychological Science 18, no. 2 (February 1, 2007): 165–71. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01867.x

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

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