You Aren’t Big Boned and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves
American’s are bad about passing the buck and not owning up to the real culprits of their problems.
Example: My son gets bad grades because of bad teachers. Truth: My son doesn’t study.
We do the same thing when it comes to weight loss. It is always someone else’s fault, or out of your control. I have a slow metabolism, I’m big boned, I just can’t lose weight, these are all lies we tell ourselves. Here is why these are half-truths at best, and probably lies.
I Have A Slow Metabolism
Recent studies show that up to 35% of American’s could have slow metabolisms from a condition we don’t understand much about “Metabolic Syndrome”. While this is true that there is a 1/3 chance you have a slow metabolism, we do know how to increase it.
- Diets high in protein increase metabolism ₁
- Drinking water increases metabolism ₂
- Resistance Training increases metabolism ₃
So although it could be true that you have a slower metabolism, if I don’t see you doing the above three things, then you cannot complain.
I’m Big Boned
I used to hear this a lot as a kid. A lot of people would claim they are big boned, and that is why they have more fat than they need. Although it is true that 15% of Americans could be labeled “Big Boned”, 15% of Americans are also “Little Boned”. Claudette Lajam, M.D claims that being big boned may add a few pounds to the scale, but not 30 pounds.
Being big boned also wouldn’t effect your metabolism or body fat percentage.
I Just Can’t Lose Weight!
This is probably the most common excuse that I hear from clients. The answer is quite similar to “I have a slow metabolism”, I need to see that you are working out, drinking enough water, and eating the right food. The number one reason people aren’t losing weight is because they aren’t counting their calories and watching serving sizes. I find that many of my clients are eating 500-1000 calories more than they think due to not watching their serving sizes, or forgetting about snacks/sodas/etc.
The other reason you think you can’t lose weight is because you aren’t active enough. According to the CDC, only 23.5% of adults hit the recommended activity guidelines in aerobic and anaerobic activities.₄
Summary
Everyone can lose weight. It comes to eating less calories than your body needs each day. This can be done through exercise or through dieting, but works best when done together. Own up to your own deficiencies and get healthy!
Thank you for reading:
Dustin Holston
NASM Weight Loss Specialist/Personal Trainer
Level-1 Best Tasting Protein Review
1 (2004, October 23). In The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review.. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15466943
2 The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 88, Issue 12, 1 December 2003, Pages 6015–6019, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2003-030780
3 Strength training increases resting metabolic rate and norepinephrine levels in healthy 50- to 65-yr-old men. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8175496
4 Exercise or Physical Activity https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/exercise.htm