Trying to lose weight can be frustrating, especially when you’re eating less, exercising regularly and doing everything by the book, yet the weighing scale refuses to cooperate. For some people, the problem may not be a lack of effort at all. It could be that they’re cutting calories too aggressively.
According to Chennai-based fitness coach Raj Ganpath, excessive undereating can actually make weight loss harder over time. In a recent Instagram video, the founder of the Slow Burn Method, co-founder and head coach at Quad Fitness, and author of Simple, Not Easy explained why eating too little can sometimes push the body in the opposite direction.
“Stop ‘earning’ your calories because excessive undereating is actually making you gain weight. And there are three reasons for this.”
3 reasons excessive undereating may backfire
1. Excessive calorie deficit can lead to overeating
Raj says one of the biggest problems with very low-calorie diets is that they can trigger intense hunger and cravings.
When people drastically cut their intake to levels such as 800, 900 or 1,000 calories a day, the body starts responding to what it sees as a shortage of energy and nutrients. Over time, those cravings can build up and eventually lead to overeating.
The tricky part, according to Raj, is that people often remember the days when they barely ate but forget the occasions when they may have overcompensated.
“When you eat very few calories, like 800, 900, 1,000 calories, and create a huge calorie deficit, you are excessively undereating, and you’re depriving your body of energy and nutrients. So, your body starts craving it. So, invariably, you are going to overeat, and you’re going to overeat excessively. But here’s the deal. You remember the undereating, but you don’t remember the extent of the overeating. And so, you’re confused. You’re wondering why you’re not losing weight even though you’re hardly eating.”
2. Less movement
The second issue is much more subtle.
According to Raj, when the body isn’t getting enough fuel, it naturally starts trying to conserve energy. Most people do not notice it happening, but it can show up in small ways throughout the day.
You may sit more. Walk less. Fidget less. Even simple movements can become less frequent.
Your workouts might remain exactly the same, but your overall daily activity could quietly decline.
“When you eat very little food, your body goes into energy conservation mode. And it does that by making you move less. Even without your knowledge, your exercise might be the same, but throughout the day, you’re moving less, you’re moving your hands and legs less, you’re sitting more, you’re walking less. All of this is very subtle, but your body is doing this in an effort to protect you.”
3. Drop in basal metabolic rate
Raj says prolonged undereating can also affect basal metabolic rate, commonly known as BMR.
BMR refers to the number of calories the body burns at rest to keep essential functions running. When calorie intake remains very low and daily movement decreases, the body adapts.
As a result, the number of calories burned at rest can gradually fall as well.
According to Raj, this can make it harder to maintain a calorie deficit while making it easier to slip into a calorie surplus.
“When you slash calories, when you move less, when you deprive your body, your basal metabolic rate drops. Why? Because your BMR adapts to your movement and fueling. When both of these things are very low, your BMR also drops, which means it becomes very hard for you to create a calorie deficit and very easy for you to create a calorie surplus. That’s why when you overeat, you end up gaining weight very quickly.”
For Raj, the takeaway is fairly straightforward.
“So always remember, while calorie restriction is necessary for weight loss, excessive undereating leading to extreme calorie restriction is counterproductive. What you need in the short term and long term is smart, mindful eating.”
In other words, eating less can help with weight loss. But eating far too little may end up creating a completely different problem.
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