If you’re aiming to lose weight, you might think that counting calories and eating less is the way to go. However, according to Terry Fairclough, a well-known personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme, this isn’t always the best approach.
As a personal trainer, I’ve heard many different ideas and questions about the best diet for weight loss. People often wonder if they should be counting calories, following a low-fat diet, restricting carbs, eating more protein, fasting, or having small, regular meals throughout the day. While all these methods might have their place depending on your body type, goals, and activity level, one thing is clear: under-eating is never the answer.
We’ve all seen someone who drastically cuts calories to get in shape quickly. While this might result in immediate weight loss, it’s not always the best kind of weight loss. A calorie deficit can indeed help you lose weight, but it often leads to losing stored carbohydrates and water rather than fat, which is what most people are aiming to shed.
In today’s world, many people consume more food than necessary, so a slight reduction in calories might be beneficial. However, many believe that the only way to lose weight is by significantly lowering their calorie intake, which isn’t true.
When you eat, your body breaks down carbs into glucose, which fuels your cells. If the body doesn’t use all this glucose for energy, it’s stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Each glycogen molecule holds onto water molecules. When you cut calories, you lose glycogen and water, not fat. And although reducing calorie intake might initially lead to weight loss, a prolonged deficit causes your body to hold onto fat and break down muscle protein instead.
Protein is crucial because it helps maintain muscle and burn more fat. That’s why it’s important to consume enough calories that include a balance of fats, carbs, and protein. Contrary to popular belief, fat is a vital and long-lasting energy source, stored within muscle fibers for use during exercise. Cutting out fat completely can leave you without the energy needed to burn the fat you want to lose.
Additionally, skimping on calories and nutrients can lead to deficiencies, affecting every system in your body, especially your immune, liver, and digestive systems. This can slow down your metabolism and lead to numerous health problems, including fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, hormonal imbalances, and fertility issues.
Extreme calorie cutting also causes stress, leading the body to release cortisol, a hormone that initially helps with weight loss. However, long-term stress results in the body holding onto fat, slowing the metabolism, and even blocking thyroid function. All of this can contribute to weight gain, especially around the belly.
Undernourishment can also impede digestion and absorption of the essential nutrients needed for good health and effective training. Lack of proper nutrition can even disrupt sleep, leading to further health and weight issues.
Even bodybuilders who temporarily restrict calories to achieve a lean physique often face health problems if they don’t manage their diet correctly post-competition. Constantly cutting calories can put your body into a starvation mode, making it tough to lose weight because any slight increase in calories will be stored as fat.
The key takeaway is to consume the right number of calories, carbs, fats, and protein tailored to your body type, goal, activity level, height, weight, and age. At Your Body Programme, we’ve developed tools to help people determine their specific calorie needs based on their unique body types.
It’s essential to nourish your body correctly to keep your metabolism working efficiently. My program has consistently shown that increasing the right type of calories helps in losing fat. Eat plenty of lean proteins from sources like lean beef, chicken, eggs, and fish, or plant-based options like tofu and tempeh if you’re vegan. Include healthy carbs from fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and whole grains, along with beneficial fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oils.
By understanding and following these principles, you’ll help your body function optimally, making weight loss and fat loss more achievable and sustainable.
