If you’re looking to lose weight, you might think counting calories and eating less is the way to go. But that’s not always true, according to Terry Fairclough, a top personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme.
As a personal trainer, I’ve come across all sorts of opinions on what the best diet is for losing weight. Should we count calories? Should we try a low-fat, low-carb, or high-protein diet? Should we fast or eat small, regular meals three times a day?
While these approaches might work depending on your body type, goals, and activity levels, one thing you absolutely shouldn’t do is under-eat.
We’ve all seen someone cut their calories drastically to get “beach body ready,” and sure, they lose weight. But that’s not the whole story. A calorie deficit might make you lose weight, but not necessarily fat. And it’s fat loss most people are after.
In reality, many of us in the Western world eat more than we need to. So yes, a slight calorie deficit might be required because we’ve been overeating. But simply eating less isn’t the solution.
When we eat, our body turns carbohydrates into glucose, a sugar that fuels our cells. Our muscles and liver store unused glucose as glycogen. For each glucose molecule, there are 2-3 water molecules attached. When you cut calories, you’re mainly losing glycogen and water—not fat.
Striving for fat loss instead of weight loss is crucial because a long-term calorie deficit can lead your body to cling to fat and break down protein instead. Protein helps burn fat by fueling muscle, even when you’re at rest. So, it’s important to consume enough calories that include fats, carbs, and protein.
For those thinking they should avoid fats to lose fat, here’s a reality check: Fat is a crucial energy source. It provides over twice the energy compared to carbs or protein. Fat is also stored within our muscle fibers and used during exercise. Without enough fat, you won’t have the energy to burn unwanted fat.
Restricting calories can also lead to nutrient deficiencies, impacting your immune, liver, and digestive systems and slowing your metabolism. Health issues such as fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, hormone-related conditions, and fertility issues can arise from under-eating.
Extreme calorie restriction stresses the body, raising levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. In the short term, cortisol can cause weight loss, but long-term stress leads to your body holding onto fat. High cortisol levels slow your metabolism, increase belly fat, and disrupt thyroid function.
Not eating enough also affects digestion, meaning you won’t absorb the nutrients you need for good health and effective workouts. Your sleep can suffer too, impacting liver function, immunity, productivity, and ultimately causing weight gain.
Even bodybuilders who meticulously restrict calories to get lean often increase their intake again post-competition to avoid illness. There’s a point where cutting calories further is harmful, causing your body to conserve fat like it’s in famine mode. This makes losing weight feel impossible as any calorie intake above your restricted limit is stored as fat.
The key is to find the right balance of calories, carbs, fats, and protein for your body type, goals, activity level, and other factors. The Your Body Programme helps individuals determine their specific calorie needs based on these factors.
Eating plenty of lean proteins, healthy carbs, and good fats ensures you stay nourished and keep your metabolism running efficiently. This approach can help you lose fat while feeling healthy and energized. So, avoid restrictive diets and instead focus on a balanced intake suited to your body’s needs.
