By fitlifemonthly 
Trying to lose weight? You might think you need to count calories and eat less, but that’s not always the case, says Terry Fairclough, a top personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme.
I’ve heard so many opinions on the best diet for weight loss. Should we count calories? Go low fat or low carb? High protein? Fast? Eat small meals regularly? While all these strategies can have their place depending on your body type, goals, and activity level, one thing is for sure: you shouldn’t under-eat.
We all know someone who drastically cuts calories to get beach-ready, losing weight quickly. But it’s not that simple. Sure, cutting calories can lead to weight loss, but it often doesn’t result in fat loss, which is what most people want.
The Western diet tends to be larger than necessary, so yes, some people do need a slight calorie deficit because they overeat. But under-eating isn’t the answer to weight loss.
When you eat, your body turns carbs into glucose, which fuels your cells. If you don’t use that glucose, it gets stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Each glucose molecule holds onto water. When you cut calories, the first thing your body loses is this glycogen and water, not fat.
A long-term calorie deficit makes your body hold onto fat and use protein instead. Protein is essential because it helps burn fat to fuel muscles even at rest. So, eating enough calories with fats, carbs, and protein is crucial.
Contrary to popular belief, you need fat in your diet. It’s the body’s most efficient fuel source, providing more than twice the energy of carbs or protein. Fat is stored within muscle fibers and can be accessed during exercise. Cutting out fat leaves you without the energy needed to burn excess fat.
Cutting calories also risks nutrient deficiencies, impacting your immune system, liver, and digestion, which slows down metabolism. Health problems from under-eating include fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, hormone issues, and fertility problems.
Extreme calorie cutting stresses your body, causing it to release cortisol, a hormone that breaks down energy stores. Long-term, high cortisol makes your body hold onto fat, especially around the middle, and slows metabolism.
Under-eating hampers your ability to digest and utilize essential nutrients, affecting your workout results and overall health. Poor sleep, caused by blood sugar drops, can also lead to weight gain and health problems.
Bodybuilders often restrict calories to get lean but increase them after competitions. Doing this incorrectly can lead to health issues. Constantly cutting calories tells your body it’s in famine mode, storing any extra calories as fat.
Bottom line: Eat the right amount of calories, carbs, fat, and protein for your body type, goals, activity level, height, weight, and age. My program helps people figure out their specific needs, proving that increasing calories can help lose fat.
Make sure to include lean proteins like beef, chicken, eggs, fish, pulses, tofu, and tempeh, along with healthy carbs from fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta. Include healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, and olive oil.
You only have one body, so keep it healthy and nourished for an optimal metabolism.