Eating MORE + what happens to your hormones (is this the secret?)
Let’s be honest.
If your default strategy for losing weight has always been "eat less, sweat more," you are definitely not alone. It’s the classic all-or-nothing trap. You cut your calories, live on chicken breasts and sad little Tupperware salads, and white-knuckle your way through the day while that lovely thing called "food noise" screams at you from the back of your brain.
And what happens? You stall out, you feel fried, and your body stubbornly refuses to change.
Here is the plot twist most people aren't ready for: Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do for your metabolism and your physique is to eat more food. (Yes, really).
When you pair a slight caloric surplus (eating more) with proper strength training, you aren't just gaining weight—you are fundamentally shifting your internal endocrine environment. What does this mean?
This is what happens to your hormones when you eat more:
1. The Safety and Abundance Signal (Shutting Down the "Famine" Response)
If you chronically under-eat, your body doesn't look in the mirror and think, "Oh yay, we're getting lean!" It thinks, "Oh crap, we are in a famine."
When you stay in a constant calorie deficit, your body perceives it as a massive stress state. But when you provide an excess of food? That sends an immediate, evolutionary signal of abundance and safety. Your nervous system finally realizes it doesn't need to hoard every drop of energy or start using your hard-earned muscle tissue just to survive. (Don’t forget, less muscle = slower metabolism = easier to gain weight.)
The Hormonal Result: Chronic stress hormones like cortisol finally drop down from those high, wired-but-tired baselines, and your central nervous system can finally relax out of "fight-or-flight" mode.
2. Up-Regulating Your Thyroid (Revving the Engine)
Ever wonder why your energy tanks, your hands are always freezing, and your weight loss stalls out after months of low-cal dieting? Blame your thyroid.
When you eat more—especially when you get enough good carbs—you essentially text your brain saying, Hey, the pantry is fully stocked again!'
The Hormonal Result: Your thyroid hormone production (T3 and T4) optimizes. Your metabolism kicks back into gear, your core body temperature rises, and your body stops suppressing vital internal systems just to keep the lights on. (Bonus: you start naturally burning more energy (calories) through everyday movement, or NEAT).
3. Maximizing the Anabolic "Dream Team" (Insulin, Testosterone, & GH)
Insulin gets dragged through the mud in almost every diet culture conversation, but dude - it is an absolute powerhouse of a hormone!
To build muscle, your body needs raw materials and the right hormonal cocktail.
Insulin: When you eat a calorie surplus (especially with carbs), insulin isn’t ‘bad’ - it’s your best friend. It pushes protein straight into your muscle cells so they can actually repair and grow.
Testosterone & Growth Hormone: Eating enough calories and fat keeps your natural muscle-building hormones HAPPY. When you stay in a restrictcive defecit, your muscle buildig hormones TANK and your muscles won’t grow.
4. Fixing Your Broken Hunger Hormones (Leptin & Ghrelin)
If you feel like a bottomless pit or completely detached from your hunger cues, chronic dieting and extreme restriction is usually the culprit.
Long-term restriction spikes ghrelin (the hormone that screams “feed me!”) and tanks your leptin (the hormone that tells you “we’re full and happy”).
The Fix: Eating in a more controlled way helps improve your hunger cutes so you can finally trust your body to tell when you’re actually hungry, and when you’re full.
The Ultimate Takeaway
Here’s the deal - muscle is hard to build - and it takes a TON of calories to maintain. If your body thinks it’s in a famine, it will flat-out refuse to grow.
When you step out of the restriction trap and allow yourself to eat more, you send a clear message to your body ‘We are safe, we’ve got food to spare and it’s time to pack on some mucle.’
Ready to stop the yo-yo diets and change your strategy? Book a free consult with me and let me help you!