If you’re trying to lose weight, you might think counting calories and eating less is the way to go. However, Terry Fairclough, a top personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme, says that’s not necessarily true. As someone with experience in personal training, I’ve heard many different opinions on the best diets for weight loss. Should we track calories? Opt for low-fat, low-carb, or high-protein diets? Should we fast or eat small, regular meals? While these methods can be useful depending on your body type, goals, and activity levels, one thing is clear: under-eating is not the answer.
We all know someone who starts counting calories aggressively to get “beach body ready,” thinking the weight will just fall off. While a calorie deficit can indeed lead to weight loss, it doesn’t necessarily mean losing fat, which is what most people really want. The Western diet often leads to overeating, so many people may benefit from a slight calorie deficit. However, the belief that under-eating is the only way to lose weight is a misconception.
When you eat, your body converts carbohydrates into glucose, the main energy source for your cells. If your body doesn’t need to use this glucose immediately, it stores it as glycogen in your muscles and liver, each glucose molecule with two to three water molecules. When you cut calories, you’re mainly losing stored carbohydrates and water—not fat. On a long-term calorie deficit, the body can hold onto fat while breaking down protein instead, slowing down your metabolism.
Eating enough calories that include all three macronutrients—fats, carbs, and protein—is crucial. Fat, for example, is a significant, long-lasting energy source, storing energy in muscles for use during exercise. If you cut out fat, you won’t have the energy you need to burn it effectively. Furthermore, restricting calories and nutrients can lead to deficiencies, affecting systems like the immune, liver, and digestive systems, and slowing down metabolism.
Health problems from under-eating can include fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, depression, and hormonal issues. Extreme calorie deficits cause stress on the body, increasing cortisol levels, which can initially cause weight loss. But over time, chronic cortisol increases can lead to fat retention, particularly around the belly, slow metabolism, and even thyroid issues. Stress also affects digestion because during high-stress times, energy is rerouted to muscles rather than the digestive system.
Not eating enough may prevent you from digesting essential nutrients, affecting your health and weight loss results. Sleep might also suffer since low blood sugar can increase adrenaline, disturbing sleep and impacting areas like liver detoxification and immunity, potentially leading to weight gain.
Bodybuilders, for instance, may restrict calories to achieve leanness but often cycle out afterwards. Done incorrectly, this can cause health issues. Cutting calories eventually reaches a limit where it hurts metabolism, making it challenging to lose weight as the body conserves fat.
The key is to consume the right amount of calories, carbs, fat, and protein based on your body type, goals, activity level, and personal measurements. The Your Body Programme (YBP) can help assess your calorie needs, tailored to your specific body type.
Ultimately, it’s about nourishing your body to keep metabolism active. My approach, which doesn’t restrict calories, has shown that sometimes eating more can help lose fat. Focus on lean proteins, healthy carbs, and fats. Opt for foods like lean beef, chicken, eggs, fish, pulses, legumes, and tofu for protein, while getting your carbs and fats from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils.
Terry Fairclough is not only a co-founder of Your Body Programme but also a Personal Trainer and Nutritional Therapist. He trains hard to maintain his physique, demonstrating that eating right and training go hand in hand for optimal health.
