Expert: Jerry Ryan, Ph.D. - 4/18/2007

Question
QUESTION: hey i was wondering how much pounds can i lose by june 27? also i hear people say i should eat 1400 calories but i barely eat that and I'm gaining weight why is that? for example i get up at 1pm eat something at about 3pm then i eat dinner at like  
8 or 9pm then i go to sleep at about 5am but i don't exercise so why am i gaining so much weight?
ANSWER: By simply cutting your calories and eating only twice a day, your body thinks that there is no food available and that it is being starved.  As a result, your body is hanging on to every piece of food that it gets.  Without exercise, your body doesn't burn off what it's convinced that it should keep -- extra fat to use for energy when there's no food.

You can try starting an exercise program or try eating smaller amounts more frequently like every three hours or so.  That method lets your body know that there really is food available and it is used by models worldwide.  Drinking lots of water will help flush out some stored fat as well.

Thank for your question, Nicole.  I hope that my answer gave you some light on the situation.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: what if i was to eat 750-800 calories a day and work out six times a week will a be able to lose 40 pounds by then?

Answer
It's practically impossible to get all the nutrients that you need on such a low calorie intake.  I think that there is a better way.  You can try a diet of 1200 calories but it needs to be broken down into small mini-meals throughout the whole day.  The method would be your three regular meals at around 300 calories and the smaller 'snacks' at around 100 calories.  Try to eat something every three hours or so because it keeps your metabolism running.

Add weight-lifting exercises to your workout to tone your muscles because muscle burns more calories than fat does, even while you're asleep. In addition, a weight-lifting workout burns calories for longer after the workout than a cardio workout does.

Thanks for your follow-up question, Nicole.  I hope that you find my answer helpful.  The information is part of an 8-week class that I teach online called 'The Answer Is Right Under Your Nose.'  You can check it out at www.JerryRyanPhD.com.