Eat More to Lose Weight (Is It Achievable or Not?)

In this state, the body slows down metabolism or basal metabolic rate (how many calories your body burns daily at rest) and switches energy sources from exclusively glycogen (stored glucose) and body fat to muscle tissue [2].

This is called muscle catabolism, and it’s far from the best way to lose weight.

You should avoid this condition since muscles are highly metabolically active, being among the body’s highest energy consumers, so the less muscle you have, the less energy expenditure occurs.

That’s not the only downside of muscle catabolism, as muscle tissue is responsible for a toned look, mobility, and strength.

On top of that, a prolonged strict low-calorie diet eventually increases the stress hormone cortisol in the body, making weight loss an even more challenging task and carrying a lot of potential unwanted health issues [3].

That’s why sometimes you need to eat more calories to lose weight.

To prevent muscle loss and keep a healthy metabolic rate, you need to eat enough calories to feed the muscle tissue.

But even more important than the amount of food is the type of food you provide your body with.

Eating foods that increase metabolism and contain enough protein will give your muscles their building blocks and also keep you satiated longer [4].

A similar goes for foods rich in complex carbs and fiber as they will keep you less hungry, prevent carb cravings, and utilize more energy necessary for their slow digestion.

“High protein foods can also help with weight loss by decreasing hunger and promoting a sense of fullness. High protein diets are extremely effective in weight loss because they preserve muscle mass and prevent decreased metabolism.”

- Brittany Dunn, MS & Certified Sports Dietitian

This way, more calories will come from healthy foods rich in those macros - veggies, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and lean proteins.

It will make your diet comprised of less calorie-dense foods and more volume-dense food that will quickly fill up your plate and belly at the same time.

Eating more will also alleviate the feelings of deprivation, making weight loss look like a less laborious task.

It will positively affect your willpower (as we only have a limited amount daily) and likely prevent you from binge eating episodes.

Nevertheless, this diet, combined with weight lifting to burn fat, should preserve your muscles and keep your metabolic rate relatively high while on a slight calorie deficit, prompting your body to burn calories from fat, preferably.

However, this still doesn’t mean you could be in a caloric surplus and lose weight. No.

It just means that eating enough is crucial to support your metabolism (primarily muscles), but you should still ensure that you eat healthily and that your calorie intake stays slightly lower to burn a certain amount of fat reserves each day.

A considerable role in how many calories we will burn in a day plays a process called ‘Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (or NEAT), and it’s a thing many people tend to overlook.

It’s the energy burned on activities other than breathing, exercise, digesting, or eating and involves small movements throughout the day, like chores and any kind of manual labor.

What links this process with eating more is one research that showed when participants were provided with extremely low calories, their NEAT score dropped [5].

On the contrary, participants who consumed too many calories daily had a better NEAT score.

These results can be associated with more energy production that may provide you with conscious efforts to move more.

However, this phenomenon is not universal, as many people tend to gain weight when the NEAT score doesn’t compensate for increased calorie intake.

But if you aren’t moving enough (besides workout activity) because you feel less energized on a calorie deficit, you should consider eating more, as it could be one of the signs of undereating.

To gain weight, it's crucial to eat foods with fewer calories but adequate nutrition. Consuming nutrient-dense foods rich in proteins, good fats, and complex carbohydrates can support healthy weight gain while providing essential nutrients.

Additionally, incorporating resistance training exercises into your fitness routine can help build muscle mass and contribute to a healthy weight gain journey. Remember, consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalized guidance and support.

Losing weight and being hungry always come in a package, and it’s normal to some degree.

However, if food is the first thing that comes to your mind when you wake up, or you think about food constantly, and it drives your self-control on the verge of breaking, you are most likely not giving your body enough to function properly.

Joel Evan, an integrative health practitioner, says the easiest way to know if you’re eating enough between meals is to gauge your hunger.

If you’re still hungry within 3-4 hours of eating a meal, you probably didn't eat enough and should prioritize protein as your macronutrient.

Try to beef up your meals gradually and see if anything changes.

3. Feeling Irritable and ‘Hangry’

Being constantly hungry will eventually affect your mood and put you in a survival state, making you a bit more aggressive.

In the modern world, it means - mood swings, a shorter temper, and less patience.

To avoid it, you might want to start eating slightly more calories to reach your threshold.

Other negative effects of not eating enough food, especially for longer, include headaches, loss of menstrual cycle, hair loss, and brittle fingernails.

Losing weight faster could become more manageable if you eat healthily, exclude processed foods, and include weight training, to avoid the trap of slow metabolism.

Fewer calories will lead to losing weight, but as we’ve explained, in certain situations, you should eat more to lose weight.

If your diet is a quality mixture of balanced macros - healthy fats, complex carbs, and proteins - you will acquire highly metabolically active lean body mass.

Furthermore, a healthy diet (fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats) will provide you with vitamins and minerals crucial for proper body functioning and energy production.

But try not to drink your calories and aim for zero-sugar alternatives if you can’t batch sugary drinks for good.

Lastly, you should consider natural fat-burning supplements which combine herbs and certain nutrients to significantly increase thermogenesis and reduce your cravings without compromising your health.