122 Counting Calories Not Working for Weight Loss? Try This Instead with Brian Keane

The Case:  

• Eleanor has trouble losing weight and has discovered that it is not a thyroid issue. 
• She follows a strict Paleo / AIP clean diet plan but can’t seem to shed the pounds
• When she does slip on the diet, any weight she has lost comes back with more.

 The Investigation 

Far too often we focus on following a specific (often strict) plan or we think the only way to lose weight is by counting calories. But weight loss requires a much more holistic approach. To discuss this approach further, I invited Brian Keane on the show. 

He’s a personal trainer, certified strength and conditioning coach, and a sports nutritionist. He’s also the host of the Brian Keane Podcast and is the author of two best-selling books, ‘The Fitness Mindset’ and ‘Rewire Your Mindset’.

 The Importance of Custom Diet Plans 

Brian has seen a lot of people struggle with their weight loss and he chalks it up to the idea that a diet or eating plan is a one size fits all. 

So many people try to make a nutrition plan fit into their schedule or their lifestyle. This makes following the plan challenging and unsustainable. On the other hand, a custom plan is created for your goals and takes into consideration your body, your lifestyle, and your schedule. It also needs to include foods you enjoy to ensure you will continue to follow it. 

 Tracking Fat Loss vs. Weight Loss 

Brian points out that many people he’s worked with in the past have been tracking the wrong thing - they focus on the numbers on a scale. It’s so common to aim at lowering the numbers on a scale but for many, a better goal might be to reduce the amount of fat on the body. For someone who is 50-100 pounds overweight, Brian says that weight tracked in pounds on a scale might be the right metric. This can be done using photos or simply how your clothes are fitting. 

It’s important that people track the correct thing - this will allow them to find the right holistic nutrition plan. 

 Weight Loss Challenges 

When someone is checking the scale every day or even every hour, it can create a fixation or even a bit of an addiction. Checking the scale gives you that instant feedback which can deliver a little hit of dopamine. This is why people fall into that cycle of checking the scale too often. It becomes a challenge when you see the weight fluctuate as it can be frustrating. But, there are many things that can cause this fluctuation - especially if you are dealing with IBS, thyroid issues, or a hormonal imbalance. Even the amount of sodium you’ve eaten or water you’ve drunk in the day can shift that scale number. 

And, because exercise can add muscle, the scale may go up even as the body loses fat. 

This is why Brian feels it's better to focus on other metrics and not just the numbers on the scale. How your clothes fit or even your measurements are going to be a better indicator.

 What is the Holistic Approach to Weight Loss?  

Taking a holistic approach to weight loss means that you’re not just focused on the calories in vs calories out. A holistic approach means that you are looking for a sustainable routine that includes the right (for you) nutrition and fitness routine. 

As a personal trainer and sports nutritionist, Brian encourages anyone looking to lose fat to include resistance or strength training. Adding this to the plan boosts the metabolism which continues well after the workout session. He also says that we can’t forget about how important sleep is for weight loss. This is because it’s during our sleep that we are able to down regulate our nervous system which allows all of our other systems to function optimally - including balancing our hormones and managing hunger and food cravings which can lead to self-sabotage.

The holistic approach is based on three pillars:

• Nutrition
• Training (exercise)
• Sleep

If there were a fourth pillar it might be mindset because how you think about the process can make a huge difference. This is part of why Brian suggests replacing weight loss goals based on the numbers on the scale with goals related to your motivations like feeling better, looking better in your clothes or feeling sexy without clothes. 

 Does Weight Training Make Women Bulky? 

One of the biggest reasons women avoid adding weight training or strength training into their holistic weight loss plan is a fear of getting big and bulky. They’re afraid that they’ll end up with bulging muscles. 

Brain says there are ways to avoid gaining big muscles. He also points out that it is not as common for women to really bulk up the way men do because they don’t have the testosterone levels that lead to that kind of muscle bulk. 

He generally recommends a low calorie nutrition plan that contains nutrient dense foods including complex carbs, healthy fats, complete protein sources, and plenty of fruits and vegetables (although each individual is going to have a different plan as was previously discussed on the podcast). He would also encourage a training element that boosts the metabolism (weight training, strength training and resistance training do this) so that you are burning calories while you rest. 

 Mystery Solved 

As we learn in this episode, weight loss is really a full body approach. It’s so much more than calories in and calories out!  

Eleanor’s diet was super clean so we knew we needed to look at which types of foods worked best for her. After doing some experimenting, we discovered that her body actually did better with less fats and more carbs. This was the opposite to how she’d been eating.  We kept her caloric intake the same but we could see that we needed to change up the ratios. 

 Conclusion 

Eleanor was nervous about eating carbs but I explained that including clean carbs (mostly grain-free) in the right proportion would actually benefit her weight loss goals.

We also addressed her emotional connections to food by working on her limiting beliefs around weight loss and food.

Stress management was another piece of the puzzle so we connected her mind and body with a few simple techniques. 

 Next Steps  

In addition, we also looked at her gut because Eleanor mentioned that her weight gain had been predominantly around the belly. She also noted experiencing bloating. We did a stool test and found an overgrowth of yeast as well as a few different types of bacteria in her gut. 

To address this, I create a custom protocol with some antimicrobial botanicals, digestive enzymes and some hydrochloric acid. We did this protocol for six weeks. 

At first, she did feel a little bit more bloated but a detox reaction is not uncommon. This extra bloating only lasted three to four days and then the bloating reduced and she felt much better. 

 Happy Ending 

Six weeks into the shift in food ratios, the gut cleanse, and all of our emotional work, Eleanor had lost 8 pounds. After years of struggling, she was thrilled to see the weight coming off (and stay off). 

We continued to work on the foods and emotional connections, and we supported her liver to improve how it processed toxins. Two months later, this additional support resulted in another 5 pound weight loss. 

Eleanor couldn’t be happier with the progress and is feeling optimistic and excited to continue on her journey. 

 Eliminating Health Mysteries 

For Eleanor, we were able to ...