Why Low-Calorie Diets Don’t Work

 

Have you ever tried to lose weight by cutting calories? Did it work for a long time? Could you keep the weight off? My guess is that if you are reading this book, you are not alone. According to data from the UK, 1 in 124 obese women get results using this method, meaning the nutrition guidelines some professionals are following have a 99. A quick look at what happened to the contestants on the hit TV series "The Biggest Loser" should stop you from doing this method. The show is an example of why eating less and moving more is only a short term solution. There are a lot of reunion shows. Why are low calories diet flawed?

The results of a study on 14 contestants on the biggest loser show were frightening. The study showed that the initial results were short lived. Some of the factors were tested.

Weight

● Average weight before filming: 328 lb/ 148 kg

● Average weight after 30 weeks on the show: 199 lb/ 90 kg 

● Average weight six years after final: 290 lb/131 kg 

During filming, contestants lost a lot of weight, but struggled to maintain it over a long period of time. One of the 14 people who took part in the study kept their weight off. That's over a 98% fail rate.

Why is this happening?

The results show contestants Resting metabolic rate.

Resting Metabolic Rate

The amount of calories the body burns to stay alive is referred to as the RmR. In some places it is measured in BMR. The results below are shocking because the majority of your metabolism is done by RmR.

● Average RMR before filming: 2,607 kcal burned / day. 

● Average RMR after 30 weeks on the show: 1,996 kcal burned / day. 

● Average RMR six years after final weigh-in: 1,903 kcal burned / day. 

Even though contestants put around 70% of their initial weight back on, their RmR did not return to its pre- filming levels. It was 700 calories lower a day. contestants would need to eat 700 less calories than they did on the show to lose the same amount of weight. The original diet has 1200 - 1500 calories with 90 minutes of exercise six days a week. This would be impossible. The contestants stayed low even though they put the weight back on.

Metabolic adaptation

The basal metabolism rate and resting metabolism rate were mentioned earlier.

Roughly 70% of your metabolism is related to how much energy your body uses to live without action. The body will burn less calories if you sit in a caloric deficit.

Your metabolism slows down. During times of famine, this is an important reaction. The body does not want to use its stored energy. This is not beneficial when the aim is to lose weight. You will only see results at the beginning of your diet and exercise regimen, as your body's metabolism adjusts for the lack of food.

Once it adjusts, your results become stagnant and often times people give up and all the weight comes back on. if you're lucky, your RMR/BMR will increase with weight gain, ensuring you only end up putting back on what you lost, but constant yo-yo dieting can lead to a lower metabolism, which means you will be unable to lose weight and could even be the heaviest you've ever been! if eating too little leads to this, you're probably wondering if not eating at all over a period of time would be any better, right?

Intermittent fasting vs Low calorie diets

fasting does not induce the hormone changes that fasting does. they are the key to weight loss and your salvation. Remember how we need the help of hormones such as glucagon and HGH to help the liver and fat cells to break down stored energy? they are triggered by low blood sugar levels, as we now know. During the fasted period, this is accomplished. During this window, other hormones that I haven't mentioned for simplicity's sake are also stimulated to reduce metabolism disruptions associated with low calorie diets. low calorie diets still include eating, and our blood sugar levels will rise as we eat, which triggers. know, insulin is a storage hormone. even if you are consuming little calories, your lowered metabolism and this little guy equals stored fat. HGH isn't turned off by elevated blood sugar levels and insulin, which reduces your ability to maintain muscle mass.

Summary

● Low calorie dieting could ruin your metabolism making maintainable weight loss near impossible 

● Maintainable weight loss relies heavily on hormone adaptation 

● Fasting stimulates key hormones for metabolism retention, muscle preservation, and fat burning