By fitlifemonthly 
If you’re trying to lose weight, you might think counting calories and eating less is the way to go. However, that’s not necessarily true, according to Terry Fairclough, a personal trainer and co-founder of Your Body Programme. As a fitness expert, Terry has heard countless opinions and questions about the best diet for weight loss. People wonder whether they should count calories, follow a low-fat, low-carb, or high-protein diet, fast, or eat small, frequent meals.
While all these methods have their place depending on your body type, goals, and activity levels, one thing is clear: starving yourself is never the solution. Many people start cutting calories drastically to lose weight quickly, but this approach doesn’t necessarily lead to fat loss. Instead, it might result in losing muscle and water.
In the Western diet, portion sizes are often much larger than needed, so a slight calorie deficit might indeed be necessary for those who have been overeating. However, extreme under-eating can backfire in several ways. When you drastically cut calories, your body first uses stored carbohydrates and water, not fat. Over time, your body may cling to fat and begin breaking down muscle protein, which is detrimental in many ways.
Proteins are crucial because they help maintain muscle mass that in turn boosts metabolism. Additionally, your body needs fats, proteins, and carbs—each plays a critical role, with fats being a long-lasting energy source. Cutting out fats can rob your body of necessary fuel, leading to energy deficits during workouts.
Restricting calories and essential nutrients can also result in nutrient deficiencies, impacting overall health and metabolic rate. Severe calorie restriction can lead to various health issues such as fatigue, malnutrition, osteoporosis, and hormonal imbalances, among others.
Moreover, such extreme measures stress the body, raising cortisol levels—a hormone that, in the short term, might cause weight loss but leads to fat storage in the long run. High cortisol levels slow down metabolism and can contribute to weight gain around the belly area. They can also disrupt digestive functions and sleep, both of which are important for overall health and weight management.
Rather than cutting calories drastically, it’s essential to eat the correct number of calories and balance your intake of carbs, fats, and proteins according to your body type, goals, and lifestyle. To help with this, the Your Body Programme offers a calculator to determine your individual needs.
In summary, increasing your calorie intake properly—while focusing on lean proteins, healthy carbs, and fats—can effectively help with fat loss. Include foods like beef, chicken, eggs, pulses, legumes, tofu, fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and nuts in your diet. This balanced approach keeps you nourished and your metabolism active, leading to sustainable weight loss.