You Won't Get Below 15% Body Fat Until You Fix This

About this video

• Video Title: You Won't Get Below 15% Body Fat Until You Fix This
• Channel: Jeremy Ethier
• Speakers: Jeremy Ethier
• Duration: 00:10:00

Overview

This video explains how the hypothalamus in the brain, an ancient survival mechanism, actively works to keep you at a higher body fat percentage. It details the three primary "weapons" the hypothalamus uses: hunger, cravings, and metabolic slowdown. The video offers strategies to outsmart these mechanisms through dietary choices (protein, high-volume foods) and exercise (walking, strength training) to achieve sustainable fat loss.

Key takeaways

• Hypothalamus's Role: The hypothalamus controls hunger, cravings, and calorie expenditure. It evolved to preserve fat stores for survival, and this ancient wiring still influences modern behavior, aiming to keep you fatter.
• Weapon 1: Hunger: Dieting increases hunger signals from the hypothalamus. Consuming adequate protein (around 30g per meal) and high-volume, low-calorie foods (rich in water, fiber, and bulk) can help manage hunger.
• Weapon 2: Cravings: The hypothalamus can trigger cravings, often influenced by environmental cues and factors like sleep deprivation and stress. Reducing exposure to trigger foods and managing sleep and stress are key to combating cravings.
• Weapon 3: Metabolic Slowdown: As you lose fat, the hypothalamus reduces your metabolism by decreasing non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Regular movement, especially walking and tracking steps, helps counteract this.
• Exercise Strategy: Combining consistent walking (aiming for 8-10,000 steps daily) with strength training (2-3 full-body workouts per week) is crucial. Strength training signals the body to preserve muscle, making fat the primary energy source and preventing metabolic slowdown.
• Sustainable Fat Loss: Rapid fat loss can trigger a more aggressive response from the hypothalamus. Aiming for a gradual loss of 0.5 to 1.5 lbs per week is more sustainable and less likely to cause extreme hunger or metabolic slowdown.