If you want to lose weight, you might think you should just count calories and eat less. But that’s not necessarily true, says Terry Fairclough, a top personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme.
As a personal trainer, I’ve heard all sorts of opinions on the best diet for weight loss. Should we count calories? How many should we eat? Should it be low fat, low carb, or high protein? What about fasting or eating small, regular meals?
While all these approaches can have their place depending on body type, goals, and activity levels, one thing you should avoid is under-eating. We’ve all heard of someone who drastically cuts calories to get in shape quickly. They might lose weight, but it won’t necessarily be the right kind of weight loss.
A calorie deficit can lead to weight loss but not fat loss, which is what many of us want. The Western diet is often larger than necessary, and many people overeat. But, fewer calories don’t always mean better results.
When you eat, your body turns carbohydrates into glucose, which is your cells’ main fuel. If you don’t need the glucose immediately, it’s stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, along with water. When you’re low on glucose, this glycogen converts back to glucose to give you energy. So, if you cut calories, you’re mainly losing water and glycogen (stored carbs), not fat.
If you stick to a low-calorie diet too long, your body starts holding onto fat and breaks down protein instead. That’s bad because protein helps burn calories even when you’re resting. It’s crucial to eat enough calories with all three macronutrients: fats, carbs, and protein.
Contrary to some beliefs, fat is essential for energy, providing more than double the calories than carbs or protein. During exercise, your body breaks down stored fat into fatty acids for energy. Without enough fat in your diet, you won’t have the energy to exercise and lose the fat you don’t want.
Cutting calories too much can also lead to nutrient deficiencies, affecting your immune system, liver, digestion, and overall health. You could face issues like fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, hormonal imbalances, and fertility problems.
Extreme calorie cutting stresses your body, causing it to release cortisol, a stress hormone. Initially, cortisol can help with weight loss, but long-term stress makes your body hold onto fat, especially around the belly, and slows down your metabolism. High cortisol levels also interfere with thyroid function and digestion, making it tough to lose weight.
Under-eating impacts sleep too. Low blood sugar at night releases adrenaline, waking you up. Poor sleep then affects everything from liver function to immunity and productivity, contributing to weight gain.
Even bodybuilders, who cycle calories to get lean, can become ill if they don’t manage it properly. Continuous calorie cutting can mess up your metabolism so badly that any slight increase in calorie intake leads to fat storage.
The key is to eat the right amount of calories, carbs, fats, and proteins for your body type, goals, activity level, height, weight, and age. I created Your Body Programme to help people figure out their specific calorie needs.
In summary, take care of your body by eating healthily to keep your metabolism working well. Increasing your calorie intake strategically can help with fat loss. Make sure to include plenty of lean proteins, healthy carbs from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil in your diet.
