If you’re looking to shed some pounds, you might think the key is counting calories and eating less, right? Well, not necessarily, says Terry Fairclough, a top personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme. He has heard countless opinions and questions about the best diets for weight loss. Should you count calories, eat low-fat, low-carb, or high-protein diets, fast, or eat small, regular meals throughout the day?
While a large calorie deficit can lead to weight loss, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lose fat – which is usually the goal. Under-eating is not the answer. Many people might want to drop weight fast by seriously limiting their calorie intake, but that might not produce the desired results.
Our bodies primarily run on glucose, a type of sugar derived from carbohydrates. When we eat, our bodies store glucose in our muscles and liver as glycogen, holding onto water in the process. When we’re short on glucose, our bodies use these glycogen stores for energy. So, when you cut calories, you primarily lose stored carbohydrate and water, not fat.
Surprisingly, extreme calorie deficits can actually make your body hold onto fat more stubbornly while it breaks down protein instead. Protein is crucial because it helps burn fat to fuel your muscles, even when you’re resting. That’s why it’s vital to consume a diet with a balance of fats, carbs, and proteins.
Some people think avoiding fat will help lose fat, but fat is actually a long-lasting and essential fuel source. Fat provides more energy than carbs or protein and is stored within muscle fibers, making it accessible during exercise. Limiting fat intake could leave you without the energy needed to burn the fat you want to lose.
Cutting too many calories can also lead to nutrient deficiencies, weakening key bodily systems like the immune, liver, and digestive systems, and slowing down metabolism. Under-eating can cause several health problems, including fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, anaemia, and even hormone-related conditions because we need protein and cholesterol to produce hormones and enzymes.
Stress from extreme calorie cutting can lead to increased cortisol levels, which initially causes weight loss but long-term stress and raised cortisol can lead to the body holding onto fat, particularly around the belly. It also suppresses the conversion of certain thyroid hormones, impacting metabolism, and reduces digestive efficiency, hindering nutrient absorption and overall health.
Not eating enough can also affect your sleep, releasing stress hormones that wake you up and further disrupt your liver function, immunity, and productivity, potentially leading to weight gain.
Some bodybuilders cycle their calorie intake to get leaner before a competition, but improper methods can make them ill. Continuous calorie cutting can push your body into a famine state, making it harder to lose weight as your body will start to store anything extra as fat.
The key is to eat the right number of calories along with the right balance of carbs, fats, and proteins, tailored to your body type, goal, activity level, height, weight, and age. Fairclough’s Your Body Programme helps determine specific calorie needs based on different body types. Eating the proper amount can keep your body healthy and your metabolism active.
Fairclough emphasizes eating plenty of lean proteins like beef, chicken, eggs, fish, pulses, legumes, tofu, and tempeh if you’re vegan. Combine these with healthy carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta, along with healthy fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, and olive oil.
Understanding your body’s specific needs can help you lose fat effectively while remaining healthy and nourished.