When you go on a diet, i.e. a calorie-restricted diet or a low-carb or low-fat diet, you will inevitably:
- Lose muscle tissue and water stored in the muscles – muscle burns 70 times more calories than fat so when you lose weight, you lose muscle and fat – when you put the weight back on, it is just fat and this burns 70 times fewer calories than muscle so you need fewer calories to maintain the same weight
- Store body fat – because your brain thinks you are starving
- Lower your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) – because you don’t need as many calories to survive
- Create irregular hormonal responses that drive our feeding behaviour
- When you return to normal eating, you will gain more weight
You can still lose weight but do it the healthy way:
- Reduce or control your portion sizes
- Cut out processed foods
- Avoid added sugar
- Avoid dairy, wheat and gluten – try it for 5 weeks to give your body a chance to eliminate these possible allergen foods
- Cut out or cut down on your alcohol
- Chew your food thoroughly and take time with your meals – don’t rush your food. You may find you will feel fuller more quickly
- Eat wholesome, organic (if possible) one-ingredient foods and make your recipes rather than relying on supermarket recipes