If you're like most women, you've probably tried (and failed) to lose weight by cutting out entire food groups or severely restricting your calorie intake. And while it's true that undereating can lead to short-term weight loss, it's not a sustainable or healthy way to lose weight in the long run.
There are a lot of myths out there about the best way to lose weight. Unfortunately, many of these myths are perpetuated by well-meaning friends and family members who simply don't know any better. Today, we're going to set the record straight about one of the biggest weight loss myths out there: that cutting calories is the best way to lose weight.
There are a few reasons why cutting calories doesn't work long-term. First, when you cut calories in an extreme way, your body goes into what's known as "starvation mode." In starvation mode, your body starts conserving energy and burning fewer calories because it thinks food is scarce.
Unfortunately, our bodies don't quite understand that we (mostly) have access to food for the most part whenever we want. We can head over to a grocery store, grab something from an area restaurant, or maybe you've even found yourself building on your meal prep skills! Regardless of where you get the food you're consuming, it is usually safe to assume you didn't have to go outside and forage for it or hunt it yourself (unless you're into that sort of thing).
Our brain is still under the assumption that we have to work hard to get our food, and when we starve our body, our internal systems go into panic mode and start to hoard as many precious nutrients as they can to make sure we have enough energy to get to our next meal. Our brain thinks we're still hunter-gatherers.
Second, when you cut calories, you also tend to lose muscle mass. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, so when you lose muscle mass, you end up burning fewer calories even at rest.
Undereating in a massive caloric deficit can lead to other problems like fatigue, irritability, and cravings. When you're constantly hungry, it's hard to stick to your diet and you're more likely to give in to unhealthy cravings. Plus, being tired all the time makes it harder to stick to an exercise routine, which is essential for long-term weight loss and keeping the muscles happy and healthy.
So, if cutting calories isn't the answer, then what is? The key to sustainable weight loss is developing healthy eating habits that you can stick with for the long term. This means eating a balanced diet of whole foods and avoiding processed foods, sugary drinks, and excessive amounts of saturated and unhealthy fats. It also means making sure you're getting enough protein to preserve muscle mass and enough healthy carbs to fuel your body and maintain stable blood sugar levels.
The bottom line is this: if you want to lose weight and keep it off, a massive calorie cut is not the answer long-term. Sustainable weight loss comes from developing healthy eating habits that you can stick with. If you need help developing a healthy eating plan that works for you, reach out to us to chat with a certified nutrition coach today. Our in-house nutrition coach can help you create a plan that fits your unique needs and lifestyle, and more importantly, is one that you will find sustainable for the long term.
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