If you’re trying to lose weight, you might think counting calories and eating less is the way to go. But it’s not always that simple, according to Terry Fairclough, a personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme. Many people debate the best diet for weight loss, asking questions like whether to count calories, eat low fat, low carb, high protein, or consider fasting or eating small regular meals.
While cutting calories might lead to weight loss, it doesn’t necessarily result in fat loss, which is the goal for most people. Drastically reducing calories might make the weight drop, but it often leads to losing stored carbohydrates and water—not fat. Also, a long-term calorie deficit might prompt your body to hold onto fat and break down protein instead.
Protein is crucial as it helps burn fat, especially while resting, so you need enough calories that include fats, carbs, and protein. Fat, despite being misunderstood, is an essential energy source, providing more than twice the energy of carbohydrates or protein. It’s stored in muscles and used during exercise.
Restricting calories and macronutrients can lead to nutritional deficiencies, affecting every system in your body, including your metabolism, immune system, liver, and digestion. Health issues from under-eating include fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, and even fertility issues because we need protein and cholesterol for hormone production.
Extreme calorie cuts can stress the body, releasing cortisol—a stress hormone that initially causes weight loss. However, in the long term, high cortisol levels can lead to fat gain and slow metabolism, especially causing increased belly fat. Stress also hinders digestion, affecting how your body absorbs essential nutrients, impacting weight loss and workout results. Poor sleep, due to low blood sugar, further complicates things, affecting liver detoxification and overall health.
Bodybuilders sometimes cut calories strictly to get lean, but if done incorrectly, it can lead to illness. Continually cutting calories pushes your body into famine mode, making it store fat, complicating weight loss even more.
The key is to consume the right amount of calories, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins specific to your body type, goals, activity level, and other personal factors. Terry Fairclough’s Your Body Programme can help determine these needs for better health and weight management. Eating correctly, with enough lean proteins, healthy carbs, and essential fats, supports weight loss without drastically cutting calories.
This approach shows that increasing caloric intake, when done healthily, can promote fat loss. Emphasize nutritious foods like lean meats, poultry, eggs, seafood, and plant-based proteins, alongside fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. By focusing on overall nutrition, you can keep your metabolism active while maintaining good health.
