If you want to lose weight, you might think it’s all about counting calories and eating less, right? Well, not exactly, says Terry Fairclough, a top personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme.
As a personal trainer, I’ve heard many opinions and questions about the best diet for weight loss. Should we count calories? How many calories should we eat? Should we go for low fat, low carb, or high protein? Should we fast or eat small, regular meals?
While different diets might work for different people based on their body types, goals, and activity levels, one thing is clear: under-eating is not the solution.
Sometimes, people start dieting by drastically cutting calories to get that beach-ready body. Yes, you’ll lose weight, but it might not be the fat you’re losing. A strict calorie deficit can lead to a loss of water and stored carbohydrates, known as glycogen, not fat.
In our Western diet, many people eat more than they need. A slight calorie reduction might be necessary because of previous overeating. But cutting calories too much can make your body hold onto fat and start breaking down protein instead, which is not the goal.
When you eat, your body turns carbohydrates into glucose, which fuels your cells. Excess glucose is stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. When you cut calories, you lose this stored glycogen and water, not fat. Your body needs fat for exercise and staying active because it’s a long-lasting energy source. Fat provides twice as much energy as carbohydrates or protein.
Avoiding fats entirely for weight loss isn’t a good idea. Fat is stored in muscle fibers and used during exercise. Cutting calories too much can lead to nutrient deficiencies, affecting vital body systems like your immune and digestive systems. This can lead to health problems and a slower metabolism.
Problems from under-eating include fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, polycystic ovaries, depression, and fertility issues. Extreme calorie cutting stresses your body, causing it to release cortisol, a stress hormone. Initially, this might lead to weight loss, but chronic stress and high cortisol can slow your metabolism and cause fat gain, especially around your belly.
Under-eating can also affect your digestion and absorption of essential nutrients, impacting your health and weight loss efforts. Your sleep might suffer too. Low blood sugar triggers the release of adrenaline, another stress hormone, which can wake you up and disrupt your sleep. Poor sleep affects everything from liver function to exercise productivity.
In my experience, bodybuilders often restrict calories to get lean for competitions, then increase them later. However, doing this incorrectly can lead to illness.
If you keep cutting calories, eventually, your body’s basic functions might begin to fail. This can mess up your metabolism so much that losing weight feels impossible. Your body will store fat when it senses it’s constantly in famine mode.
The key is to eat the right number of calories, carbs, fats, and proteins for your body type, goals, activity level, height, weight, and age. At Your Body Programme, we help people figure out their specific calorie needs. Eating enough calories and including all three macronutrients—fats, carbs, and proteins—is crucial.
Healthy eating helps maintain your metabolism and overall health. So, eat plenty of lean proteins, healthy carbs like fruits, veggies, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and whole grains, and don’t forget healthy fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
Your body needs proper nourishment to be at its best. Increasing your calorie intake strategically can help you lose fat more effectively.