Professor Claudio Nieto: Why We Gain Weight

Professor Claudio Nieto delves into a subject that catches everyone’s attention: why do we gain weight?

His approach to the topic begins with the evolution of early humans.

By understanding these concepts, you will not only learn about your body but also about weight gain.

In today’s post, we’ll dive deeper into why we gain weight from an evolutionary perspective.

I want you to understand the reasons behind your physiology and metabolism that cause your body to store more fat in certain circumstances.

This is one chapter in a series where we will explore fat loss and lay the groundwork to understand future episodes.

It’s essential to deeply understand how your body works and how your context can influence your journey.

The Brain and Calories

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Let’s start by discussing your brain. Although it accounts for only about 2% of your body weight, it consumes roughly 20% of the body’s calories, equivalent to a fifth.

But, your brain doesn’t think that today we can easily get a lot of food at home, in the fridge, and in the cabinets.

For most of our evolution as Homo sapiens, food was not plentiful.

Our brain evolved in an environment with scarce food, meaning the ability to store fat was vital for survival.

The Mindset Behind Weight Gain

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If we didn’t have extra energy for when there was no food, we might not have lived.

That’s why it’s easy for us to gain weight today.

Our body is made to keep energy, and today we can easily get food that tastes good without having to move a lot.

Evolution led us to develop larger, more sophisticated brains that consume a lot of calories due to their complexity and efficiency.

How We Conserve Calories

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However, this development also made us more prone to gaining weight since we need to store energy to fuel our brains during times of scarcity.

The way we store this fat is influenced by hormones and differs between men and women.

Men tend to store fat around the abdomen, near the viscera, which can be harmful to long-term health.

In contrast, women, due to hormones like estrogen, tend to store fat in the hips and buttocks, which is less harmful and can be helpful during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Weight Loss

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When women get older and some body changes happen, they might get more fat in different places, which can be bad for the heart.

Knowing how our body works is key to know why we have fat and how to lose it.

Very strict diets and special pills are not the answer because they make our body act in ways that can stop our efforts.

A part of your brain is important for feeling hungry and using energy.

Weight Gain and Rebound Effect

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If you lose weight too fast, your body will act to make you feel more hungry and use less energy.

This can make you gain back weight and even more.

It’s important to know that your body just wants to live and doesn’t care about how you look or feel.

When your brain feels like losing weight is bad, it acts in ways that can be hard to deal with.

The Human Body

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So, in summary, extreme diets are not the solution to lose fat healthily and sustainably.

Instead, it’s important to understand your body’s physiology and work towards a balanced and realistic approach to weight loss.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with friends, family, or training partners.

I am Claudio Nieto. I look forward to future episodes where we’ll explore more about fat loss and how to approach this process effectively and safely. See you soon!