Why eating fewer calories does not cause you to lose weight

 I hear from so many people who want to lose weight fast!  Looking for the quick pill or overnight magic or perfect diet! So you may are tempted to make drastic changes in your diet by dramatically reducing the number of calories you consume. But what you may not know is that eating too few calories can actually backfire and sabotage your weight-loss efforts and even cause you to gain weight….yep, I said it……GAIN!!

CALORIES ARE IMPORTANT

The most effective way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn, thus creating a calorie deficit. But if your calorie intake dips too low, your body could go into “starvation” (insert my client’s eye rolling here) mode. "Your body will start to store fat because it thinks it is not going to get anything, so it needs to conserve it for back up.

When your body goes into starvation mode, your metabolism slows almost to a halt, burning calories as slowly as possible to conserve its energy stores. This is why people who cut their calories too much may reach a plateau and stop losing weight.

Eating too few calories can be the start of a vicious cycle that causes your body distress. When you cut your calories so low that your metabolism slows and you stop losing weight, you then think, well screw it, nothing is working so I will just eat what I want because I will never lose weight anyways and then you many even gain more weight.

It is so hard on your body to continually cut calories.

In addition to hindering your weight-loss, eating too few calories can also harm your health. When your body goes into starvation mode, you are increase the risk for the following:

·       Abnormally low blood pressure and slow heart rate

·       Heart rhythm abnormalities

·       Electrolyte imbalances, especially potassium deficiency

·       Hair loss

·       Brittle fingernails

·       Loss of menstrual periods in women

·       Soft hair growth over entire body

·       Dizziness

·       Trouble concentrating

·       Fatigue

·       Anemia

·       Swelling in your joints

·       Brittle bones

·       Depression

Calories are your friend

Remember that calories are not your enemy. They are a fuel for your body to facilitate not only normal every day activity, but also, those killer workouts that you put it through. Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to sustain proper function. This is why fad diets that force you to cut out too many calories leave you feeling lethargic, shaky, and ready to give up.

In my site, I have healthy, nutritious recipes for just that, fueling your body! Give your body the balance it needs to be strong, healthy and life lasting!