Once you see, learn and know this, you cannot unsee or not know it.
if you get value and insight from it – I request you be of service and send it to someone you know who it may be of help to.
I am going to share something with you most people aren’t aware of and once you see, learn and understand this, you cannot unsee or not know it.
It’s incredibly HELPFUL to know, understand and be intentional and aware of.
Especially if you do not want to gain weight or are looking to lose weight.
This is how sneaky weight gain can be.
Oftentimes, we will gain weight over a period of time, unbeknownst to us along the way and arrive at a place where we are asking ourselves….how did this happen?
“I eat reasonably healthy.”
It can be this innocent my friends:
As little as an additional 95 extra calories beyond what your body’s natural – maintenance / baseline level calorie intake is a day.
Knowledge and the Sneaky Truth
It takes 3,500 additional calories over your baseline / maintenance to gain 1 pound.
That sounds like a lot. And it is.
Let me show how you easy it actually can be to blindly hit this and keep exceeding it.
Let’s say a person gained 20lbs…
20 (lbs gained) x 3500 (calories it takes to gain 1 pound) = 70,000 additional calories (over their body’s maintenance calories) over a time period.
That sounds like a lot of calories right?
Let’s bring in a time period.
Let’s say this was gained over a 2 year period.
2 years is 365 days x 2 = 730 days.
70,000 additional calories / 730 days = +95 additional calories over your baseline a day.
It can be THAT sneaky.
That small.
That’s very important to understand.
How do I know my baseline maintenance calories?
I use TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)
Enter some data and it gives you your baseline maintenance calories.
Eat above that often, you’ll gain weight over time.
Eat below that often, you’ll lose weight over time.
It’s that simple.
The same math works in the reverse.
A consistent caloric deficit of as little as -100 calorie daily below your baseline / maintenance calories would lead you to the consistent weight loss you’re looking for over a period of time.
This however…is not often the answer people want.
People want weight / fat loss to be fast.
Off now.
As fast as possible, and oftentimes will cut corners and take the fastest route to achieve that.
While this may work short term – it often actually works against you long term in most cases.
Quick fat loss / weight loss can be done.
AND
It does NOT develop the mindset, the habits, the consistency and behaviors to sustain that over time.
So it is often gained back, leading to a vicious cycle and massive frustration.
If you don’t want to track your food – or have negative experiences with that I get it.
It can be this simple, done over time.
How do I make this work in a consistent way?
Now, if you’re thinking, “How do I make this work in a lasting way?”
It’s all about consistent, simple habits on repeat over time.
Here are a few guiding principles:
- Prioritize protein: Aim for about your body weight in grams of protein per day. No meal should have less than 30–50g of protein.
- Pack in fruits and veggies: Get at least 3–5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
- Balance all your meals: Build plates that have protein, some healthy fat, veggies, and a quality carb, no extremes, just even, satisfying meals.
- Limit added sugars and alcohol: Not by being rigid, but by being mindful, they add up fast.
- Stay consistent: Small daily choices compound over months. Commit to a consistent journey (marathon) not a sprint.
These principles help you build a lifestyle where you’re in control, no sneaky gains, and no short cuts or crash diets needed.
What will you implement right away?
Let me know if I can help you further,
Loving you
Coach Shawn