For many, going on a strict diet is the last resort when it comes to losing weight. But what if those diets don't work or even make you gain weight? You might feel overwhelmed by the frustration and bewilderment. The question that many people ask themselves is, "Why am I gaining weight when I'm eating less?" If you want to break the cycle of weight gain after dieting and achieve long-term health, you need to understand the science behind it.
Cutting calories drastically or cutting out whole food groups is one way to lose weight quickly on a restrictive diet. But there's usually a price to pay for this rapid weight loss. Calorie restriction triggers the body's "fight or flight" response, which helps us stay alive in the face of danger. The body starts to conserve energy, which slows down the metabolic rate and makes it harder to lose weight.
Nutritional deficits and metabolic imbalances are common outcomes of severely limiting food intake. Exacerbating the problem is the psychological toll of constantly feeling deprived, which can lead to binge eating episodes.
Metabolic adaptation is a major contributor to the re-emergence of excess body fat following a diet. Our metabolic rate decreases in response to a sustained reduction in caloric intake below that which is required by our bodies. This means that as time goes on, our bodies get better at utilizing the calories we do take in, which makes losing weight a more daunting task.
Also, even if we eat moderately when we go back to our regular eating habits after a diet, we may still gain weight because our metabolism is still down. This is commonly known as "metabolic damage," though the name might be deceiving. Metabolic adaptation to prolonged calorie restriction is a more accurate description than permanent damage.
Hormones are fundamental in controlling metabolism, food intake, and fat storage. In an effort to keep our energy levels stable, our hormones undergo changes when we cut back on calories. The hunger hormone ghrelin rises and the satiety hormone leptin falls. It can be quite challenging to maintain a restrictive diet over the long term when you're experiencing increased hunger and cravings due to a hormonal imbalance.
In addition, cortisol levels can be disrupted by chronic dieting stress, which impacts metabolism and fat storage. Efforts to manage weight are further complicated by the fact that elevated cortisol levels are associated with the accumulation of abdominal fat.