EVERYTHING I WISH I KNEW ABOUT PROTEIN, CALORIES, HORMONES & INSULIN RESISTANCE 👀⁣ ⁣ (This is the most nuanced way I could possibly summarize everything I’ve been sharing on stories. Watch til the end to understand why the answer is MUSCLE, not restricting calories further even though yes — calories matter!)⁣ ⁣ ✨✨✨✨⁣ ⁣ I used to think that I couldn’t lose body fat and gain muscle because I had a hormone imbalance or because I was insulin resistant. ⁣ ⁣ And I wish I knew that my body isn’t broken, even if I have or had those issues! In fact, I can still use the same laws of science that apply to everyone else, to achieve a healthier body composition.⁣ ⁣ Why? Because in a purely literal sense, a calorie really is just a calorie, no matter where it comes from.⁣ ⁣ That’s not to say that an *excess* (balance is key🔑) of processed foods can’t contribute to gut overgrowths & inflammation... or that getting most of your calories from hyper-palatable, processed foods can’t mess with your reward centers and blood sugar regulation, making us crave more of them, which is especially tough if you’ve always used food to cope like me.⁣ ⁣ But at the end of the day, insulin resistance or hormone issues like PCOS do not *technically* have an effect on the equation of calories in, calories out. 😳⁣ ⁣ (Protein is a tiny exception here because it DOES have a thermic effect, meaning your body uses energy to process it - and in the lens of building muscle and reversing insulin resistance long term, a calorie that comes from protein is a LOT more satiating and valuable in terms of your goals!)💪🏼⁣ ⁣ Now, here’s the nuance. Hormones like insulin or ghrelin for example DO make you hungrier. They make your cravings sometimes unbearable! ⁣ ⁣ Hormones like estrogen or cortisol matter too, but not because they change your ability to process calories. Rather, they change WHERE your body stores fat or loses it from, and can absolutely affect your mental health or even thyroid function when they’re out of balance.⁣ ⁣ CONTINUED IN COMMENTS 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼