When it comes to dieting and weight loss, many of us look at calories first. We often plan out how we can take in as few calories as possible. Unfortunately, this may work in the short term, but in the long term, it does damage to your metabolism.
Meal planning itself is a great way to track and monitor what you are consuming, but for healthy weight loss and a strong, swift metabolism, it’s crucial not to overdo your calorie counting. We checked in with health expert Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD and registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, to learn more about the critical mistake of over-restricting calories and what this error could mean for your metabolism over time.
The Danger of Over-restricting Calories
Jotting down what you ate in a week and planning for your upcoming meals is a great step towards healthy weight loss, but overanalyzing your diet can lead to devoiding yourself of essential nutrients.
"Each person has a unique metabolism, the rate at which they burn calories, and for most individuals this is around 2000 calories per day," Best explains. This means for your body to perform it's regular functions at optimal level, it requires a certain amount of calories.
Put simply, when you go over this number it leads to weight gain and when you consume less than this number it leads to weight loss. This weight loss is short lived, however, because the body will adjust to only receiving a smaller amount of calories.
Therefore, Best says, "it will slow down the amount of calories it needs in order to conserve energy and avoid starvation." This, she stresses, "essentially means you are slowing down your metabolism."
Overall, when restricting ends, you will see rapid weight gain as you begin eating what was a normal amount of calories before, because as Best notes, "the body is now storing the excess as fat more efficiently."
Remember to seek the help of a doctor and health and weight loss professional when planning to lose weight so that you are receiving all necessary nutrients for your body in your diet! Over-restricting calories is a *crucial but preventable* dieting mistake.
