If you want to lose weight, you might think you should just count calories and eat 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 all sorts of ideas and questions about the best diet for weight loss. Should we count calories? What’s the right amount of calories to eat? Should we focus on low fat, low carb, or high protein diets? Should we try fasting or eating small, regular meals three times a day?
Here’s the thing: while different diets can be useful depending on your body type, goals, and activity level, you shouldn’t focus solely on undereating. We all know someone who drastically cuts calories to get ready for the beach. They might lose weight, but that’s not necessarily the best approach.
A large calorie deficit might result in weight loss, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to fat loss, which is what most of us actually want. Many people end up needing a slight calorie deficit because they were overeating to begin with. However, many believe that eating very little is the only way to lose weight, and that’s just not true.
When we eat, our body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which fuels our cells. If we don’t need immediate energy, our muscles and liver store glucose as glycogen, which includes water molecules. When we cut calories drastically, we end up losing this stored glucose and water, not fat.
If we maintain a long-term calorie deficit, our body panics and holds onto fat, breaking down protein instead. Protein is crucial because it helps burn fat even when we’re at rest. That’s why it’s important to eat enough calories and include fats, carbs, and proteins in our diet.
For those avoiding fat to lose weight, it’s essential to know that fat is a key energy source, offering more energy than carbs or protein. It’s stored in our muscles and is more easily accessed during exercise. Cutting fat can leave you without the energy needed for workouts, making it harder to lose the fat you want to shed.
Cutting calories drastically can also lead to nutrient deficiencies, impacting every system in the body, especially the immune, liver, and digestive systems. This can lead to health issues like fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, and hormone-related problems. Further, it puts stress on the body, increasing cortisol levels. While short-term stress might cause weight loss, long-term stress leads to the body holding onto fat.
When the body is stressed, it breaks down protein for energy, slowing metabolism and potentially leading to fat gain around the belly. This stress also reduces digestive function and can impact sleep, immune function, and metabolic rate.
Extreme calorie deficits can cause the body to enter “famine mode,” storing any extra calories as fat. Therefore, it’s crucial to consume the right number of calories and a balanced amount of macronutrients based on your specific needs.
At Your Body Programme, we help people understand their caloric and nutritional needs. Our program has shown that eating more can actually help you lose fat. Focus on consuming lean proteins, healthy carbs from fruits and vegetables, and good fats like those found in avocados and nuts.
Eating a balanced diet is key to maintaining a healthy metabolism and achieving weight and fat loss goals. So, make sure your body is well-nourished and functioning optimally.
