EP 93 Fear of eating more when trying to lose weight - Chase Smith Story from obese to fitness coach

0:02  
So welcome to fit Metro fitness podcast. Today's episode, I have a guest that Chase Smith was a health fitness coach himself and he had quite an amazing story about his own own health fitness journey, he was reading almost 400 pounds, lost over 100 pounds or, I don't know, accurate numbers. So let's say tell a little bit more about his journey. But first of all, welcome to Pitt Metro fitness podcast that Chase and says the Greek introduction, who you are, where you're living, what you're doing, and then let's get into conversation.

0:46  
Awesome. Thanks so much for having me, I really appreciate you know, being able to come on here and, and you know, spread this message to your guests and such and little about me, you know, I'll try to keep it as short as I can. I feel like you know, the story keep expanding more and more, but I'm Chase I grew up in Virginia, my entire life Nam and garden Rapids, Michigan, and a little kind of a keeping the long story short, basically, I you know, as you mentioned, I was near 400 pounds, I talked with my weight my entire life, tried all the diets tried them, you know, you name it. I've probably tried to keto intermittent fasting, Atkins, low fat, low carb, you know, nutritious system, I think when I was trying diet, since I was like, probably 12 or 13 years old, basically. And every year would try to lose weight, and never would succeed. Because it was just, it was too restrictive for me. And also had a very unhealthy relationship with food struggle with binge eating, and things like that. And up until 2019, then a friend and coworker at the time, she challenged me to a weight loss challenge, and she was just like, I want to lose weight, you want to lose weight, like let's, let's do this together and hold each other accountable. And, honestly, to be honestly, like, I really thought was just gonna be like another just, you know, fad diet kind of thing. And I started with intermittent fasting. And I thought that was the way it is, that was the thing I had to do that that time and, but quickly realized, like, what the extra accountability of having her helped me with this, and we were both doing it together, we were able to hold each other accountable throughout this process. And you know, I did the intermittent fasting pretty early on, realized it wasn't necessary, started learning more about nutrition and what to involved with weight loss and a calorie deficit and all these things I started learning, like the basic principles of it all, and actually met up with a coach in April of that year. And I did not start working with him until later that year, but even before that, he started helping me out with a lot of that stuff. And by the end of the year, I lost 100 pounds and was feeling amazing, just like a whole new life a whole different your perspective on life, basically. And, you know, since then, I've you know, had many ups and downs, you know, I, I definitely won't say that, you know, this journey has been 100%, you know, rainbows, unicorns kind of thing. It's definitely had its challenges here and there. But, you know, we've worked through them all, and continuing to work through them as well. And, you know, I've gone through different phases of, you know, different fat loss than meat maintenance. And you know, I've had some struggles even with like some ngd. And throughout the past couple years as well that have kind of relapsed, and come up. So work through those, you know, I've worked with a binge eating coach for a little bit of time. Currently going to therapy and things and working through all the all the things basically, you know, I think it's a, I think it's just important to note that, you know, as great as it's been, and as much progress as I've made, you know, we're also human, and we still have the struggles here and there as well. And then most recently, probably the like, the latest thing in my fitness journey has been I've gotten into powerlifting. I started doing that last year in July, and I just had my first competition bout a month ago. And just you know, that's kind of my new thing right now. And I guess also, I should have mentioned I was a nurse, right? I am an artist, still working as a nurse right now but have been in our since 2015. Worked in Psych Mental Health Nursing and emergency nursing, and left my nursing career about a year ago, and now do full time coaching.

4:03  
Oh, nice. This that's such a good. How old are you now? 2929 Okay, so it was like you were 25 when you started this game of when was the big realization that now or was it was it like, kind of accident with the challenge, but you said when you started or was there something already like when you told yourself that now it's enough that now you have done everything? And what made you start like what was

4:33  
it my friend that challenged me honestly, she's she was just like, you know, she want to lose weight herself as well. She had a lot of weight to lose, I had a lot of weight to lose, and we are both and she came to me about it. She was you know, she's like, I know you want to lose weight. I want to lose weight. I want to make that the challenge. Like we're just gonna make it kind of fun. Like, you know, every month we'll see who's lost the most amount of weight and, you know, the other person has to like, you know, buy movie tickets or you know, dinner or something like that, you know, for a person sometimes like fun challenge, the challenge and last super long just because I had a whole lot more weight to lose than she did. And so obviously, I was losing a much faster rate, and I didn't want her to think, you know, like, you're failing the challenge, right? Like, I want to hurt her, like, she was still losing a lot of weight as well. So we did the challenges for like the sake of like not getting hurt, making her feel like she was losing, quote, unquote. But that's how it basically started. And from there, like, once we started, like, seeing that momentum and seeing the results and such it was like, wow, this is actually working. And we started, you know, just having an extra accountability there, you know, you know, she was I kind of compare, like, her accountability was like, you know, an accountability coach, basically, you know, someone like, you know, when you have that hard day, you can go, I could go to her like, hey, like, I skip the gym that day, I'm struggling or, you know, hey, you know, I'm struggling with my food, this, you know, this week, and we're about to bounce each other, or bounce ideas off each other and keep each other growing.

5:51  
Yeah. This is this is it's such an important thing. Like, did you ever in the past, had somebody like this kind of accountability meeting, you said that you tried many things? Did you try that kind of accountability already before? Or was this kind of first experience that you had, like, even it was not technically some goats, but basically some goats who will who was keeping you accountable?

6:17  
I would say it was probably the first time having some real accountability. I mean, I had tried things in the past, you know, my, my mom would do, she just tried to lose weight in the past as well. And she is currently now losing weight and doing great herself. But like, years before, like this, for 2018 There have been years like we both like, Hey, we're gonna get healthier, you know, Sullivan, back home and such and, but I feel like just like, when it comes to family, it's hard to like, hold each other accountable. Because like, right, like, you love each other. And I feel like that's not where that's not where, like, you know, like you should, I feel like family loves gonna come before holding each other accountable when it comes to your health goals. And so, right, it was kind of harder in that sense. But I would say this time in 2019 was the first time I really had that external accountability outside of family and someone else that was going through this as well.

7:04  
Yeah. No, it was it's, it's, it's, it's like I could not imagine to give advice for my wife or, or like you said that with mum, my mum also, or my dad, who unfortunately passed away. But you know, I could I know that even I'm able to maybe help so many other people. But if my mum is asking something, you know, it's not, maybe she's trying to get something but it's still, it's, it's, you have totally different relationship than those who you love the most. And it's kind of same if my wife is telling it actually, often, if she's trying to tell me something, give me an advice. I'm, I'm like, I'm not just it's like, maybe all husbands or men are like that, they are just listening, they don't care. And then somebody else is giving you exactly the same advice. And then it's coming from a person who you actually respect in that area. Whatever, if it's, if it's a fitness, if it's a business wise, whatever, it will just be exactly the same advice your wife told you like a week ago and you were like, I don't care. And then somebody else who you respect in that area is giving you exactly the same advice and then you're like now yes, now let's go let's do this. So this is it's so hard to kind of even you know, deep in your side but maybe there's some idea but also on the other hand, like especially if it comes to dieting or whatever if it's a business, you should probably not always take the advice from people who doesn't know what they are talking what they are doing. And but if it's kind of accountability, like you said that if you have a friend like what is your if it's a daily check in or weekly check in that you are like that, you know, I'm doing this I'm taking care I went to chin I hit my step goal today I did that is the great that is the best accountability you can have even from closure once like it's a good example like how I do like now my I recently started my own own fabulous space for four to five weeks and my wife was like that sees She's actually doing it with me. So now we are not we are both doing exactly the same thing and kind of supporting each others with the same things and obviously we are doing probably a little bit different things I said that I'm I'm creating rules for myself. And those are my rules. You don't need to you can use those same examples or create your own rules, how you want to but what we are helping each other is to keep accountable that we are actually telling and doing those things will be promised to ourself and these kinds of accountability. It's so important I think that if your family member or loved ones are with you and supporting you with your goals because if you for example if you try to lose weight and your spouse is next to us snacking all the time or getting like that and asking you that do you want the more chocolate or cookies or, or snacks and I'm going to get something for my Self? And it's, it's, it's so hard if you are, if you don't have that kind of support from your spouse.

10:07  
Yeah, you have to have that support system that DNA No. But also, I will say, I always like to add this because I have a couple of clients that, you know, thankfully, a lot of my clients have that support system in their house, you know, their, you know, their spouse or significant other, but there are some that don't, right, like, and I feel like that's where, like, you have to, at some point, you have to take some ownership for yourself, right? Like, you can't necessarily put the blame on the significant other or the spouse, because I've talked to some clients in the past and like, yeah, my husband, you know, he comes home, and he, you know, he's ordering pizza out, and then then, you know, then he says, he's asking me to eat pizza, or he's asking me to order takeout with him, we want to go to eat all the time. And I'm like, at some point, you have to do what's gonna make you happy, like, what is gonna help you reach your goals, because nobody is going to want this bad enough than you. Like, even me as your coach, like, I may want it bad for you. But if you don't want it bad for yourself, you're not going to change. And so you have to start taking that own ownership and accountability for yourself. And being okay with maybe having some of those type of conversations and letting your significant other know, like how they can best support you. And if that is, you know, through nutrition or, you know, working out or things like that, if they're gonna be on board and support you fantastic. But if they're not, you could use that as an excuse to not do it. But at the end of the day, it's only hurting yourself. Yeah. So you have to take that ownership for yourself and say, You know what, maybe my significant other isn't going to support me through this, but I want this bad enough. So I'm gonna go ahead and do this anyways. And regardless of what they're gonna say, and, and yes, it can be more difficult, because, you know, you know, if they're ordering pizza, and they're bringing pizza in the house, and you want pizza, like, you may have to say, you know, no, sometimes, or maybe you have one slice and stop at that, like, you're gonna have to make these tough decisions. And at the end of the day, you know, find, and then if you don't have the internal accountability, like somebody in your house, I would also encourage people to find that external accountability and support systems, you know, lean out to I mean, thankfully, you know, we live in a day and age now where like, communications at the highest it can be, you know, like social media and such, like, posts on social media, if you want to find a Facebook group, find a friend or coworkers, somebody you can reach out to and find that support system, it doesn't always have to come from a spouse.

12:26  
No, absolutely not. And it's always like, all what you said, or if you are someone who is able to hire a coach or somebody who is like really telling you like, what to do, keeping you accountable. And also going like little bit deeper on why why you are actually doing those things. So you understand why where those your behaviors are coming from? And and then solving those underlying issues kind of first, before going to those methods, what do you suppose to be doing to get to that next level or creating that better, healthier lifestyle? What you are actually looking for? So what what is like you said that that was? That was the starting point. And then you you started to see kind of some kind of results, and you talked like that it was it was kind of losing weight, and you had a competition about like, with your friend who is losing losing more weight? And what what kind of like, what do you think now about that kind of race to do keep yourself accountable? Like if you are matsing trying to compare like how much you are losing weight? And and what was it was that was 2019. So now you are you have a little bit more experience. If you look back, what do you think about that kind of thing?

13:47  
I I guess it's kind of twofold. Like I like it, because I mean, I'll just be honest, like that's what got me started and all this. And I I don't know if I would be where I'm at today, if we wouldn't have if she wouldn't have approached me for that challenge. That being said, but I also know, I think that's why once I think it was great to fire up that momentum and get that rolling. But at some point, it was like, alright, obviously, this is not a fair challenge, right? Like I'm losing much faster than she is. So that's why we eventually just kind of like did a challenge. And we didn't really make a big deal of it. It wasn't like we're like we're stopping the challenge on this day. It was more just like we just want to phase out because we were both doing so great. That was like, I like to say like that was like the match that lit the fire on everything else. Right. Like that's what got everything started in building that momentum. We're both seeing wins. Great. Now, we don't need that challenge necessarily anymore. Like the challenge introduced all of this to us. So now we're able to use this extra accountability that we have, instead of using like the challenge as the as the motivator. That makes sense. Yeah,

14:49  
yeah, no, absolutely. Absolutely. Because I was just thinking like, it's usually you know, if you are starting like that to compete with somebody who is who is Who is going to lose most weight and then how it how it's going to make you feel like and obviously, like, I never had to be honest, I don't have that's why I'm asking you and I want to hear learning how it feels. And, of course, then was what usually almost always happens at some point that you at some point, it's going to that your progress is going to be slower, you might not see scale going down. And if that is everything, what you are comparing is that you compare to your friend or family member or somebody else in online, you will always find somebody who is doing better, who is doing faster. And then then when you are starting to show, it's kind of that faster way that now I'm losing in the beginning, you lost I don't know how much you lost. But let's say you lose five pounds per week, in a beginning in the beginning or pound per day, whatever. And then at some point, it's going to be like that, now I'm losing what I'm doing wrong, I'm losing only two pounds per week. And then at some point, it's then our losing only one pound per week. And how you are overcoming that kind of like that now your progress is getting slower. And posting, it often leads that you are starting to use methods with certain not anymore unsustainable, and that just eating even less, or doing more workouts which are leading that you are your energy levels are getting low and you it's not going to be sustainable, it's going to be a matter of time before you've been Did you have any that kind of experience when you were doing that in the beginning? Or was it just the straightforward, you were making progress and celebrating your wins?

16:40  
No, I mean, I definitely had the times when like I you know, the things slowed down, or I will say I had pretty consistent like me personally had a lot of consistent results. For the first like, good while I mean, I would say I didn't really start hitting a quote unquote, like plateau until like, maybe around like July or August was when I started really noticing starting to slow down a lot. But like, again, like it all kind of goes back to like, and I want to just preface this because other people are listening. You know, obviously, I was almost 400 pounds, so I had a lot of weight to lose. And so I and I was and I was being super consistent in the very beginning. And so that's why I was able to pretty much lose consistently until, you know, July or August when things are slowing down. And that's what I ended up actually hiring my my first coach was in August, once things did slow down. It was like, hey, like, what am I doing wrong, you know, at least I started to think I was doing something wrong. And it wasn't necessarily that I was doing something, well, I was wrong, because I was under eating a lot more at less than I probably should have. And that's why you know, towards the beginning of the summer, he had told me he was like, you know, eventually you're going to start increasing your calories back up. And you know, you can't stay at this low amount of calories forever. And so it it was hard to start to see progress slow down. But that's when I started just educating myself and also you know, learning more from the coach as well about like the importance of going through this entire process and respecting the journey that it was going to take and not realizing that like you can't make all this progress overnight and you can't make all this progress at once I guess you have to go through these phases. And sure, you could probably keep pushing harder and harder and eventually get to your goal but like at some point you are going to crash and burn right? So you have to learn to respect that journey and take it in chunks as you go along. But that's I mean that's like you know, I will say no once I started working calories up you know for a while I was starting to see some still some great progress like you know I think something where you know a lot of people are very skeptical the very beginning and you know, I know when he first told me like you got to increase your calories I was like Are you crazy like I'm seeing great results I don't want my calories and as I started to I started to see better results and it's also because it increases compliance right like after you've been on solo calories for so long like your compliance is gonna start slipping and you're not going to be feeling as great but as we were working calories back up you know and we got close to two we probably didn't hit true maintenance by the end of the year but we were definitely you know, I was probably eating anywhere like 14 1600 calories in the very beginning you know as somebody who's 40 pounds that's why I lost so quickly and by the end of the year we were close to like 20 to 50 2500 calories

19:31  
well yeah but this is this is something like what I what I what I do also a lot and I had like a couple podcast episodes with my clients who we went through this this phase and I just remember a quick story like it's kind of similar to yours like I had Lucas Lucas was also young young men and and started like exactly the same like you and I think it was more or less timeline was even even the same like started in the beginning of the year. I made a until summer everything was going perfectly and then coming coming. Coming to me we started to work together it was in situation eating, eating, like you said more or less same amount and you 1000 3400 calories. And there was no almost no progress, no results. Obviously, workouts were not going well. And then when we started to work together like exactly like you that that starting to add actually calories, and then it goes to bursting. One thing what I told like to him that, like you don't want to believe me, but now at this point was he was at the same time he was the working really hard. I don't know how much you worked out. But he was in situation that having having like a four or five, six workouts per week, obviously not making any progress in workouts, and at the same time eating very little, not seeing any progress. And obviously how you are feeling you are so frustrated because you work so hard, but don't see any results. And then when I thought what we are going to do that we are actually going to raise your calories, reduce your workouts, and he was lated Holy shit, man. Now you got me scared? Like, what do you have learned through all your life like that you want to lose weight, you have to do more workouts, you have to eat less. And that's how things are working. But that magic is that when it's when it's going very few are doing like our bodies are so good at adapting on everything like it's either workouts, or either either nutrition, like the amount of calories you are eating, and then how to get out of it. Like if you can't imagine to reduce your calories more or do more workouts or when it's not sustainably possible, then you actually how to get out like you said, you go on opposite direction. And that is the scariest part to go like that. Now you are starting to eat more and like you said in your example and like it was semi Lucas like if what actually started to happen, like, I know, did you gain some weight in the beginning when you started to eat more?

22:09  
Um, no, I'd be like, like, I mean, like I when I was first reading I was I was still seeing great results of my maintenance was probably I mean, my maintenance level now is you know, 30 you want 100 calories and so like, you know, I had a good ways to work up before I was

22:25  
so absolutely but it's it's it's still like that, that what is like if that maintenance let's say that it would be it should be 253 1000 that you are eating 1000 3400 You are not seeing any any progress obviously even you raise your calories but in the beginning usually even you are eating when you are eating so they will end in a short time you are raising your calories let's say to 300 calories per week you might your scale rate might actually go up and and then even when you keep and that is the point where most people are usually like that they are panicking like you are like it's it's when you go or what happens often for those people who are like kind of dieters for life and then always what happens they go out for one week and or overeat on weekend or eat bit more than usually and then scale is going up and then they panic and they all even lower calories and then that's you're never given a chance to your body to actually add up and that was the Lucas thing we started it's it really needs a trust for that process and keep going no matter what because it's not that you are not you are still in a calorie deficit if you if you are working your calories up it takes some time and it was like you said in your case and it was in Lucas there were so many other other but it says the reminded me from from your story was that Lucas and and when when we started to actually work out less stress, less stress to your body at the same time adding more calories he started to actually lose weight. And he was like holy shit man, I can't believe you I can't believe what just what is just happening that I'm actually starting to see progress when I'm eating more and working out less in that point. And this is this is kind of that reverse dieting and and kind of understanding that fat well it's not always straightforward just eating less moving more that you have to include at least in some point those kinds of maintenance breaks diet breaks or adding more calories to that your metabolism is not adapting it makes in long term that all your journey so much easier. So was it how did you how did you then how how long you were in maintenance when you hit that your first weight loss plateau?

24:50  
Um, I want to I'm trying remember exactly what it was. I want to say it was roughly maybe four or five, six months. ish, you know, I still had a good bit of weight to lose. So like it was we didn't have to go as long it maintenance for me. You know, it's a little different scenario than somebody who's, you know, already pretty low. But and then we started another deficit then afterwards.

25:14  
Yeah, of course this is this is actually it's I don't know, but you but for me I get so often Christmas late that that I'm eating very little calories and now I need to raise my calories that I raise my calories for a week or two unrelated week or longer it's, it's you need you need, you don't want to hear it. But you need to hear that it takes unfortunately a lot longer. Because usually it's it's not it's different for each person. But I would say that it takes at least a couple of months like, like, depending how long you have been eating very little calories, and what kind of progress you have had. But it takes it's not done in a week or two, unfortunately, that it takes a little bit longer. But then when you are going through that process, and it's not that you are still in a deficit, it doesn't mean that you are going to gain some weight. And I think that is the biggest scare. What would people have at this point is that when they start to eat more, they are going to gain all lost weight back. And that's that's the kind of holding them back to eating more. And then they keep going and and doing the same things would make them lose weight. And you're never actually you are scared to eat more. Did you have that kind of fear or worry? Or I'm sure you had. So the little bit of fear you had?

26:44  
Yeah, so I mean, definitely in the very beginning, like when I was told to start increasing calories, I was very skeptical. You know, obviously, it's like you said, like, we're so used to eat less move more kind of mentality. And when someone's telling you, you need to eat more. It's like, You're crazy. Like there's, I don't need to do that. Like, that doesn't make any sense. But I think what helped us like, like you said, like, you know, a lot a lot, not everybody, but some people who started to increase calories and working out last year actually start to see some better results even. And I think that's what helped me kind of, like motivate me a little more like, alright, I should trust this process because it's working. Right. But yes, I was definitely very skeptical to eat more. But I also knew, I mean, I had to have this like tough conversation with my coach where he basically told me, he was like, we can keep going down the same route, you're going to cutting calories lower and lower and lower, but it's not going to be sustainable. But if you actually want to work these calories up to what, you know, healthier level and find your true maintenance, then you're going to be able to sustain this long term.

27:42  
Yeah, exactly. And this is, this is the hardest part to understand because you are usually you are in so hurry that it is you don't want to take because you have especially like you said that you have still had to lose. And it's it's in your mind, you are telling that No way, I'm going to eat more. And because it's I'm going back where I was, and that's I'm not I'm refusing to do it. But then if you if you like you said, if you keep going to pet eating less and less, moving more time to do more, it's it's going to at some point, it's not going to work anymore. And it's only a matter of time before you can do it. And this is I think that's the that's the hardest part. And the people who are in this point, I think I had a Sylvia who said that the best advice would seek and only say that don't try to do this alone. Like this is the this is the hardest part like you have so many questions you have so many are insecurities during this process that did somebody who knows what they are doing and and get some help. Because it's, it's it's going to be and like you said that how it's actually what is motivating you what is the reason why you should be doing it is that when you start eating more, it's not only that you are not going to gain fat, what is actually happening like you said, you are going to actually start seeing better results in your workouts. And then when you are giving like it's the I think how could I say it like the simplest way when I try to explain it to my clients is that if you want to for example, you want to build muscle get stronger at the same time and you do and muscle to be able to get stronger or build it needs more energy. But at the same time if you think signals what you are telling to your body, you are not giving that energy so you don't keep even tense even you work so hard. So what is what is happening it's causing then your body is under stress, you are under stress. And when you are actually giving them that more energy to your body but still you are still in a calorie deficit you still eat less than your body needs. But at the same time your body starts to use this energy you are seeing more energy in your workouts. You are seeing progress you are maybe able to build some muscle mass and plus that you are more active not necessarily He is the step account, but all kinds of like, when you are talking, when you are moving, how you are using your facial impresses stop like that they are increasing and at the same time when you are eating more, and at the same time, you probably are needing that more energy, that energy going out is going to increase at the same time when you give feet your body. And this is going through this process. That's, that's so hard for for to do it alone. Yeah, so good. Yeah, no, go ahead.