7 Signs You’re Not Eating Enough Calories

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, maintain your current weight, or gain more, calories matter. Yes, partially because they can affect your weight and fitness, but also because they have the very basic yet hugely important job of helping you stay alive. “Calories fuel the tissues of your body like your brain, heart, liver, and kidneys,” Rachele Pojednic, Ph.D., a research fellow at Harvard Medical School and professor at the Harvard Extension School, tells SELF. Consuming just enough won’t cut it, as your body and mind can suffer in plenty of ways without the proper nourishment.

Experts advise not dipping below 1,200 calories a day for women. Even then, that’s the bare minimum that may not get you all the nutrients you need. “With 1,200 calories, you’re probably meeting the majority of your resting metabolic requirements [to keep your body alive and functioning], but you’re going to feel pretty crappy,” says Pojednic. There aren’t many upsides to eating too few calories, not even long-lasting weight loss. “People think cutting calories is the best way to lose weight because it can be the fastest, but these types of diets are really unsustainable,” Brigitte Zeitlin, R.D., M.P.H., C.D.N., founder of the New York-based BZ Nutrition, tells SELF. Here, Pojednic and Zeitlin share seven ways your body might be telling you it needs more food.

1. You’re dragging all day long.

“Calories equal energy. When your calories are too low, your energy is too low,” says Zeitlin. That lack of spirit can show everywhere from the weight room to your morning meeting. “[Without enough calories], you don’t have the energy to fire up tissues like muscle, or regenerate them once you’ve moved around,” says Pojednic. That’s because your body is allocating the calories you take in to its most important task: supporting parts of your body like your brain and heart. If you don’t have much leftover, doing things that require tons of energy will seem harder and way less appealing.

Related: 8 Things You Should Know About Making Smoothies If You’re Trying To Lose Weight

2.

Your weight won’t budge.

If you’re aiming for long-lasting weight loss, drastically slashing your calories may not be the best way to go. (If you want to know more about intermittent fasting you can read about that here.) “Because your body is in survival mode trying to hold on to as many calories as it can instead of burning at its usual rate, your weight might plateau,” says Zeitlin. The good thing is that this process isn’t instantaneous, so don’t worry that you’ve messed up your metabolism for life because you haven’t been eating enough lately. “It takes a significant amount of time and a significant amount of weight loss to put your body into starvation mode,” says Pojednic. There’s no set amount of time or weight loss it takes to enter starvation mode; it’s an individual thing.

3. You’re constipated all the time.

There are two main reasons under-eating can lead to constipation. First, if you’re not eating enough, you may not be getting enough fiber, which is key for keeping your digestive system moving along. But when you don’t eat enough, you may also be dehydrated, says Zeitlin, who notes that your body often confuses thirst for hunger. If you’re ignoring hunger pangs, you might be accidentally be ignoring thirst cues as well. Fiber can only do its job in helping you go to the bathroom if you have enough water in your system.

Related: 8 Fiber-Rich Avocado Desserts You Can Prep In 30 Minutes Or Less

4. You’re constantly hungry.

Yes, it’s a no-brainer symptom, but it’s worth noting that you should not feel like you’re constantly hungry. Hunger means your body is sending you a signal. “The hormones that are most important for hunger generation and satiety are leptin, ghrelin, and cholecystokinin,” says Pojednic. “They change depending upon the amount of food you’re taking in, and they’re affected when you reduce your total food intake.” Together, they tell your brain when to eat and when you’re full. When you’re not eating enough, they don’t just shut up—they still stay active and prompt your brain to ask for more food, says Pojednic.

How Low is Too Low When it Comes to Calories?

A common question I get is: how low is too low when it comes to calories? 

After all, if the idea is that eating less calories than you burn = weight loss, then it makes sense that some may want to go as low as they can. 

But unfortunately going too low can not only backfire on your weight goals, but it can also have potentially serious effects on your health. 

Let’s take a look at what calories actually are and what the side effects of going too low can look like. 

What are calories?

Scientifically speaking, a calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C (1.8°F). 

In food terms, calories (kcals) refer to the amount of energy that your body gets from consuming foods or beverages. 

While it can be easy to only think about calories in terms of whether we will gain or lose weight, calories are essential for keeping our bodies functioning properly.  

And when it comes to what our bodies use calories for, there are three main categories: 

• Basal metabolic rate: Your BMR is essentially the number of calories your body needs to perform its most basic, life-sustaining functions. Even if you slept all day, your body still needs energy in order to support vital functions of your heart, lungs, brain, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. 
• Digestion: When we eat, foods have to be broken down into smaller nutrients in order to be absorbed and used by the body. And in order to do this, our bodies require energy. The energy needed for digestion is also referred to as the Thermic Effect of Food. 
• Physical activity: whether it’s running a marathon or walking to the fridge, your body requires energy to fuel any movement that you do throughout the day. 

Now, weight loss is more complex than just calories-in, calories-out, but generally speaking, consuming excess calories can help us gain weight, while eating fewer calories than we burn off can cause us to lose weight.  

Still, as you can see above, if weight loss is your goal, there’s still a certain number of calories that your body requires in order to perform its most basic and essential functions. 

And when we cut calories so drastically that we’re no longer meeting these needs, we can get into trouble. 

Potential side effects of cutting calories too drastically

So what are the potential side effects of consistently cutting your calories too drastically? 

Increased risk for nutritional deficiencies 

Food is more than just a source of calories. 

What we eat also provides our bodies with essential nutrients like proteins, fats, carbs, vitamins, and minerals — all of which are needed in certain amounts to keep our bodies working properly. 

While even individuals eating an optimal number of calories for their lifestyle and goals can still fall short of meeting 100% of their nutrient needs, the risk for deficiency becomes an even bigger concern when calories are greatly reduced.

Some potential side effects of not getting the nutrients you need include:

• Brittle hair and nails, possibly even hair loss
• Low energy levels
• Difficulty concentrating
• Weakened immune system
• Weakened bones
• Irregular heart rhythms and palpitations

Working with a dietitian and logging your intake in Lose It! are both good ways to help make sure that you’re meeting your micro- and macronutrient needs for the day. 

May slow down your metabolism

When you cut calories drastically, it’s a shock for your body. And one of the things it’ll do is go into a state called adaptive thermogenesis (sometimes referred to as “survival mode”). 

Basically what this means, is your body will try to slow down how many calories it’s burning to try to prevent weight loss.

While the state doesn’t last forever, studies have shown that even once calories are no longer restricted, your metabolism may still stay in a reduced state for a year or longer.

Another reason why your metabolism can slow down is that weight loss often involves loss of muscle. This can affect your metabolism as muscle tissue is “metabolically active” meaning that it burns calories.

To help out your metabolism, it’s important that you’re maintaining or even building muscle mass. And in order to build muscle, you need a combination of resistance exercise and enough calories to promote muscle growth. 

Curious about maintaining muscle while losing weight? Check out our article on protein pacing.

Can affect fertility

In women, drastic reductions in calories and overall inadequate calorie intake has been shown to negatively affect fertility. 

In particular, inadequate calories can lower levels of estrogen and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, which are essential for ovulation. 

Signs to look out for include irregularities in your menstrual cycle, or a lack of menstruation. 

However, fertility disturbances may not always be symptomatic, which is why it’s important to be keeping your healthcare team in the loop on any changes to your weight or calorie intake.

Can increase the risk for gallstones 

Gallstones are hard, pebble-like pieces of material that can form in your gallbladder.

While some are asymptomatic, gallstones can block bile movement in your gallbladder. As a result, you could experience severe abdominal pain and may even need surgery. 

While the incidence of gallstones due to weight loss is overall low, research has shown that individuals following a very-low calorie diet (800 calories/day or less) may be as much as 3 times more likely to have gallstones compared to individuals on a low calorie diet (1,200-1,500 calories/day). 

In one study, out of the individuals who did develop gallstones, more than 60% of them had to have their gallbladders removed.

Now, we don’t quite understand why this happens, but it appears that quick weight loss from severe calorie restriction impacts the salt and cholesterol contents of bile, as well as the emptying of bile from the gallbladder — both of which can lead to gallstone formation.  

So how do you find that “sweet spot” for weight loss?

This is where Lose It! can help as it takes your personal information (such as height, weight, and age), your physical activity, and your weight goals to calculate a good starting point. You can read more on how Lose It’s calculator works here. 

Essentially, to avoid going too low, you want to keep your calories between the amount needed for your BMR and the amount needed to maintain your current weight. 

The bottom line 

While lowering your calorie intake is an essential piece of losing weight, it’s important not to cut so low that your body no longer has the fuel it needs to function properly. 

As food is so much more than just calories, one of the most important pieces of losing weight is making sure that you’re still getting the nutrition that you need. 

Using your Lose It! app and working with a registered dietitian are both great ways to help you find and maintain the right nutrient balance for your personal needs and goals.

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Calorie deficit for weight loss – how to create and calculate, formula

The vast majority of diets are based on a calorie deficit. At first glance, everything is simple: spend more energy than you get, and the weight will go away. However, in practice, there are a lot of nuances in calorie restriction. Read about them in our material and follow the recommendations of a nutritionist to successfully lose weight!

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Lack of calories is an important condition for losing weight. Before you start limiting yourself in food, you should correctly calculate the calorie deficit in order to achieve the desired result without harm to health.

Calorie deficit: the essence of the method

The main condition for successful weight loss is to spend more energy than you get. In other words, to ensure a calorie deficit per day, week, month. The body will take the missing energy from its reserves, burning excess fat.

For example, if during the day you spent 2100 kcal, and received only 1800 with food, then the deficit will be 300 kcal. To get this amount of energy, the body needs to burn about 33 grams of fat. Not much, but in a week it will be more than 200 grams, and in a month you will lose all 900. Is it still not enough? Then increase your activity or reduce your diet to increase the calorie deficit and get rid of fat more actively.

By the way, calories burned are not only calories burned in the gym, but also spent on daily activities and on basal metabolism. Even when you sleep, your body burns calories, however, in a small amount, so, unfortunately, you won’t be able to lose much weight in your sleep. However, when calculating your calorie deficit online or on your own, consider these costs.

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Losing weight on calorie restriction does not involve giving up any foods. You can eat sausage and chocolates, just to fit into the daily norm, and the weight will still go away. It’s just that a chocolate and sausage diet will definitely not benefit health, so you should still make sure that the menu is balanced.

Why is a calorie deficit important for weight loss?

The answer is simple: because without a calorie deficit, you won’t be able to lose weight, and if you do, it won’t be for long. Our body is designed in such a way that it tries to spend the available energy and only in case of its shortage is taken for reserves on the hips or stomach. Reviews of those who lost weight on a calorie deficit testify to the effectiveness of the method. It also has other advantages.

• A calorie deficit is a reliable way to lose weight. If you spend more energy than you receive, this is guaranteed to lead to the use of fat reserves.
• You yourself choose a comfortable pace of weight loss. The system is very flexible: you can, for example, spend a working week in calorie deficit mode, and exceed the norm on weekends – the main thing is that you get less energy all the time than your body needs.
• You don’t have to choke on boiled cabbage, which you hate since childhood, and dream about cakes: you choose the menu yourself depending on your preferences. You just need not to go beyond the established calorie limits.
• You have the opportunity to eat a balanced diet, you do not need, as in many fashionable diets, to give up certain nutrients.
• Counting calories disciplines. You will not thoughtlessly put candy after candy into your mouth, but will begin to treat nutrition more consciously.
• No need to count calories all your life. Over time, you will easily learn to distinguish more high-calorie dishes from less high-calorie ones at a glance, and the need for painstaking calculations will disappear.
• A calorie deficit is a temporary measure. When you reduce the weight to the desired values ​​(or when you just get bored), you can switch to weight maintenance mode. If extra pounds appear, then you know what to do!

Is it possible to lose weight on a calorie deficit?

Let’s see how it works. The body needs energy to meet the needs of the basic metabolism and for daily activity. The incoming energy is spent for these purposes. If you get more calories than you need, then the excess is deposited for future use on the pope and on the sides. In case of a shortage of calories, the body spends its reserves.

There is an important nuance here. Under conditions of a calorie deficit, the body uses not only fat deposits, but also glycogen with muscles as reserves. Glycogen is the first to go into action – these are the reserves of carbohydrates that are stored in the muscles and liver. These stocks are limited, so they run out quickly. And then the body, in conditions of a lack of calories, is taken for fat. Or for muscles.

What does it depend on? The body will use muscle tissue for energy in two cases: if there is not enough protein in the diet and if you have reduced the calorie content of the menu too much. In such situations, fat remains in place, and muscles suffer. This option does not suit us, so it is worth taking care to provide the body with the correct calorie deficit, which involves burning fat.

You must have heard about those who failed to lose weight on calorie restriction. Why sometimes weight does not go away with a calorie deficit? There may be several reasons.

• Wrong calculation, in which in reality much more calories are consumed than the slimming girl herself thinks. Yes, it happens, so what.
• Deceleration of metabolism. Metabolism can slow down due to hormonal imbalances or be the result of strict diets that severely limit calorie intake.
• Plateau. If you have successfully lost weight, and suddenly the process has stopped, then this is completely normal. Weight loss is not a linear process, there may be stops and even rollbacks along the way. But if you are consistent, then everything will work out. By the way, if the weight has changed a lot, then the energy requirement has decreased, therefore, you need to recalculate the calorie deficit on the calculator.
• Poor nutrition. If, contrary to our warnings, you have chosen a chocolate and sausage diet, then after the initial weight loss, weight gain is possible, including due to protein deficiency.
• Edema. Fat goes away, but there is no liquid (for example, because you drink little), as a result, the weight remains the same, and you do not lose weight on a calorie deficit.
• Deceleration of peristalsis. If you suffer from constipation (and those who lose weight often suffer from them), then this inevitably leads to weight gain. Improve digestion through the use of fiber, and weight loss will not take long.

How many kg you lose on a calorie deficit is up to you. You can provide yourself with such a deficit until the numbers you need appear on the scales. After that, you can slightly increase calories to keep the weight stable.

Who is in a calorie deficit

Anyone who needs to lose weight! The only contraindication for such weight loss is a lack of body weight. If your BMI is already below normal, then calorie restriction is not recommended, in other cases you can lose weight this way.

The method is especially suitable for:

• people with a large weight;
• those who go in for sports;
• leading a sedentary lifestyle;
• those who seem to eat little, but do not lose weight;
• wishing to lose weight without harm to health;
• those who do not tolerate dietary restrictions and the ban on certain foods;
• those who have already lost weight on diets more than once, and then gained weight again.

Types of calorie deficit

Before you understand what kind of calorie deficit is right for you, let’s figure out what types of restrictions exist.

Moderate calorie deficit

In this case, the usual daily calorie intake is reduced by only 10-15%. If you usually consume 2000 kcal, then it is enough to remove one ice cream from the daily menu (200 – 250 kcal) to get a calorie deficit. In a word, this is an almost imperceptible restriction that will suit people with very little overweight and a small percentage of body fat (up to 25% for women, up to 16% for men).

The calculation of the calorie deficit in this case is possible without a calculator, but the calculations of what you eat must be taken carefully so that the data is accurate.

Average Calorie Deficit

This is the most popular weight loss option for women with 25-34% body fat and men with 16-25%. The calorie deficit formula is simple: multiply the standard value by 0.75 or 0.8 and you will get the number of calories that you need to consume during the day.

The lack of calories in this case, of course, is felt more strongly than in the previous version, but it is unlikely that you will experience much suffering. Yes, at first it will be sad to refuse products that “do not fit” into the daily diet, but in the future you will learn how to form a hearty and tasty menu.

Significant calorie deficit

How much calorie deficit do you need if you are significantly overweight? Equally significant – 25 – 30%. If you take all the same standard 2000 kcal, you will have to tighten the belt and limit yourself to a smaller amount – 1500 or even 1400 kcal.

In this case, the restrictions are felt more strongly, but still there is no question of complete hunger. It will be hard at first, but after a month of a calorie deficit, you will adapt to the restrictions, we promise.

How to calculate the calorie deficit for weight loss

You can calculate the calorie deficit for weight loss using a calculator or manually, especially since there is nothing complicated about it. The final figure depends on several factors: actual and desired body weight, as well as lifestyle. Those who work physically require more calories than those who sit at the computer all day. If you have an energy-intensive hobby or are simply used to walking, then your energy expenditure will be higher than that of those who spend most of their time driving or on the couch.

Step 1. Calculate the calorie deficit for weight loss. Basic metabolism

First you need to calculate how many calories you spend at rest. This value is called basal metabolism and is calculated individually based on height, weight, age, and the ratio of muscle to fat tissue. The last parameter can be found using the “smart scales”. If you want to get the most accurate results, we advise you to use them to find out what calorie deficit you need to lose weight.

If you don’t want to bother, you can use the Harris-Benedict formula for women to calculate the average:

BMR (basal metabolic rate) = 9.99 * weight in kg + 6.25 * height in cm – 4.92 * age in years – 161.

For example, if you are 30 years old, and you weigh 70 kg with a height of 158 cm, then the basic metabolism will be equal to 9.99 * 70 + 6.25 * 158 – 4.92 * 30 – 161, t .e. 699.3 + 987.5 – 147.6 – 161. In this case, BMR = 1378.2.

Not enough? Don’t worry, this is just the base value you need to calculate your calorie deficit for weight loss.

Step 2. Taking into account physical activity

The previous value is relevant if you sleep all day without getting out of bed. If you still get up sometimes, feel free to multiply the resulting value by 1.2 – this is the minimum coefficient of physical activity for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not train.

If you are generally sedentary, but you train several times a week, then the coefficient will be 1.375. With an active lifestyle and regular sports, the coefficient will be 1.46. Intensive regular sports activities combined with an active lifestyle increase the coefficient to 1.55. With daily physical work and training, the coefficient will be 1.64. If you walk additionally for several hours, then your coefficient is 1.72. Finally, professional athletes who stay in the gym multiply their basal metabolic rate by 1.9. As you can see, you can manage even without a calorie deficit calculator. But be honest with yourself: if you have gained weight, then it is unlikely that your lifestyle is so active.

Example. So, your basal metabolism is 1378.2 kcal. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, then your body needs 1653.84 kcal. And if the lifestyle is active, and even training regularly, then we multiply the base value by 1.55 and get 2136.21.

Step 3. Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss: Totally Free Calculation

So, the last step is to calculate how many calories you need to lose weight. Of course, you can contact a nutritionist for this purpose, but you can do the task yourself, saving time and money. Knowing how many calories you spend daily to maintain your existing weight, it is easy to find out what calorie deficit you need to lose weight.

If there is little excess weight (and excess fat), then a moderate deficit of 10-15% is sufficient. For more intense weight loss, choose an average deficit. And finally, if you need to lose a lot of weight, then your choice is a significant calorie deficit. Everything is simple! Here’s how to calculate the calorie deficit: you take the value obtained in the last step and subtract the desired percentage from it.

• If we are talking about the minimum deficit, then subtract 10% or multiply the result obtained in the last paragraph by 0.9. 2136.21*0.9=1923 kcal.
• For more intense weight loss, subtract 20% or multiply the result by 0.8. 2136.21*0.8=1709 kcal.
• Well, if there is a lot of excess weight, and you need to lose weight quickly, then reduce the calorie content by 30% (multiply the result by 0.7). 2136.21*0.7=1495 kcal.

Could it be even simpler? Calculate your calorie deficit online!

If you don’t want to bother with calculations, then just find a calculator online that calculates the calorie deficit for weight loss. Just pay attention that it takes into account such parameters as age, height, weight and activity.

How much you can eat on a calorie deficit: an alternative calculation

how many calories a girl of your height and weight needs. But if you constantly overeat, then you can try a different way of calculating. To do this, you will need to find out how many calories you consume in reality.

You will have to work hard and weigh each portion for a week and carefully calculate the calorie content of what you eat. At the same time, eat as usual, no more and no less. And at the end of the week, calculate the average calorie content of your daily diet. It can be much higher than your needs – not two, but all three thousand calories. It’s OK. Feel free to subtract 30% from the resulting figure and eat in this mode. Even if you eat more than the norms calculated in the previous paragraphs, you will still lose weight on a calorie deficit – at least you will lose weight up to some point. After that, you will still have to reduce the calorie content in accordance with the calculations.

Important! This method is only suitable if you constantly eat more than your norm, calculated in step 2. If you already eat less than recommended, and the weight is worth it, then it is most likely a slow metabolism. Unfortunately, starvation diets and severe calorie restriction cause the body to adapt to a low-calorie diet. In such a situation, there is a temptation to completely limit your menu, creating an even greater calorie deficit. But this is a dead end path. It is better to focus on physical activity: this will help to speed up the metabolism.

How to create a calorie deficit. Helpful Hints

• Online Calorie Deficit Calculation is just the first step to losing weight. Now you need to rearrange your menu so that your daily diet fits into the recommended calorie content. To do this, you will have to take into account every bite eaten, every sip, every crumb. Be careful when calculating so as not to make mistakes. You will definitely need a kitchen scale. In addition, it may be worth downloading a calorie tracking program.
• You don’t have to consume a fixed amount of calories every day. You can eat a little more one day, a little less the next, or somehow vary the calorie content throughout the week. The main thing is that the average daily amount of energy corresponds to that calculated taking into account the calorie deficit.
• Try to make a menu in advance, more or less evenly distributing calories throughout the day. Otherwise, you will have to regularly go without dinner, because the daily calorie limit has already been exhausted.
• If the process of losing weight has slowed down, do not rush to increase the calorie deficit, it is better to try to play with the values. For example, arrange a cheat meal, and on another day, unload.
• How to make a calorie deficit right? First of all, give up calories in “junk”, junk food. These are fast food, sweets, highly processed and refined foods.
• Most calories are found in fats, so the easiest way to reduce calories is to give up sauces, creams, fried foods. But be careful! Complete rejection of fats is harmful. Remember that at least 30 grams of fat per day is necessary.
• The more complex the dish, the more difficult it is to calculate its calorie content, therefore, when restricting calories, it is recommended to give preference to simple dishes. And it’s better to cook it yourself so that you know exactly how much oil and sugar you used.
• If you want to lose fat, not muscle, make sure you have enough protein in your diet. For every kilogram of weight, you need to eat at least 0.7 g of protein per day.
• Whichever calorie deficit you choose to lose weight, the smartest thing to do is cut calories from simple carbohydrates and saturated fats. You can safely neglect sweet drinks – they have a lot of calories, but there is no satiety.
• Don’t forget fiber! A sufficient amount of fiber in the diet is a normal digestion and cheerfulness.
• Reducing the calorie content of the menu is not at all difficult. Switch from sugar to a substitute, from fried chicken to baked chicken, from chocolate to gummies – and the number of calories in the diet will noticeably decrease. And if you still learn how to season salads not with mayonnaise, but with low-fat sour cream, then it will be even easier to lose weight. And, mind you, without sacrificing taste, since you can create a calorie deficit for weight loss with the help of small, barely noticeable changes in the recipe.
• To eat more, choose the right foods. Increasing the proportion of vegetables in your diet is a simple and effective solution.
• When planning a daily calorie deficit, save a little (100-200 kcal) for unexpected treats. Suddenly you will be treated to a candy, or do you want to eat ice cream on a walk? It will be a shame if you have to give up this joy just because you have already exhausted the daily limit.

Is it possible not to lose weight by consuming 1200 kcal?

	Everyone Lies… House, M.D.
	“Like all very obese people, he imagined he was not eating anything” G. Wells. The truth about Pycraft.

It is very common to hear about unsuccessful attempts of people to lose weight, and quite often that someone does not lose weight, despite the fact that they eat almost nothing. It would seem that this contradicts the basic laws of physics, chemistry and biology. What could be the reason?

There may be several reasons, and almost all of them are “fake”.

Water

Most often, the suspension of weight loss or even weight gain while maintaining an energy deficit occurs due to the advancing arrival of water, and, from the point of view of reducing the amount of fat, the process of losing weight continues. However, according to the scales, the process looks like the kilograms seem to “froze” near one figure, and sometimes the weight experiences a smooth or intermittent increase during the week, or even two or three weeks, despite the negative balance of calories.

• Water recovery after “weight loss” earlier.

The most common reason that most extreme dieters face, as well as carbohydrate-free diets, fasting days, saunas, diuretics or laxatives, etc. Any weight loss of more than one kilogram per week means that water has left the body (the figure for female non-athletes, for men and trained people the value is slightly higher). Further, almost regardless of the mode, the body will gradually return this water back. And if we take into account that “weight loss” could be 3-5 kg ​​per week, then for almost a month after that a person will gradually gain lost water, while continuing to lose weight “inside”, and weight will fluctuate slightly or grow. And only when the fat loss finally exceeds these returned “water” 2-4 kg, the weight can continue to confidently go down.

Not everyone who starts to lose weight will calmly endure this “month of stagnation”. At the same time, most of them abandon the regime, tk. they focus not on fat, but on weight, and believe that “the diet no longer works, because I don’t lose weight even at 1000 kcal per day. ” Some begin to believe that they “ruined their metabolism.” Read more about water and fat here, we will just give a picture-graph from there with typical beginner reactions to a highly restricted or no-carb diet:

• Delay due to power supply.

Many products can retain water for 1-3 days. Here is a brief list of the most common foods that cause water retention in some people:

• pickles and marinades
• high protein foods
• alcohol
• carbs after low carb diet

It should be noted that this effect is expressed differently in all people, and even in one person at different periods of life, the body can react differently to the same products. In any case, the main thing is not to draw any conclusions about weight earlier than 2-3 days after unusual foods or their unusual amount. Do not become “slaves of the scales”, otherwise you can turn into a person who, instead of losing weight, is squeezing extra grams of water out of himself (of course, unsuccessfully, because the more water is squeezed out, the more the body tries to restore the water-salt balance).

• Stress.

Adrenal hormones produced during stress tend to affect kidney function by causing water retention in the body. Therefore, stress caused by any reason can turn into extra pounds, which, as in previous cases, have nothing to do with losing weight, but can mislead anyone who measures weight loss by weighing. What’s more, losing weight in a large calorie deficit in itself is highly stressful, and is often accompanied by water retention, which is comparable in weight to fat loss.

At the same time, if a person one day decides to quit the diet and relax, then, allowing himself a normal calorie content, he gets out of stress, the level of cortisol in the blood decreases, and the body releases excess water. Imagine what a person who does not know this must think, who, over the past two weeks of self-torture, “lost” 300 grams (the rest of the fat loss is not visible behind the water that comes in stress), and then went to the bathhouse with friends, where he drank beer, ate chips, and the next morning I found minus 1300 on the scales? Of course, the conclusion will be: “a diet of 1000 kcal does not help, I don’t lose weight on it, but in the bath I lose one and a half kilos a day with any diet.”

Therefore, if you feel stressed and find a way to relieve it, you will benefit the body and, perhaps, quickly improve the figure on the scales. Moreover, stress hormones provoke other unpleasant long-term changes – an increase in visceral fat, a drop in muscle mass, so reducing stress is just the rare case when a noticeable sharp weight loss is actually associated with beneficial changes in the body.

• Menstruation.

Women also have another factor influencing weight fluctuations. They should keep in mind that the monthly cycle imposes its own fluctuations, and not be afraid that at the end of the cycle, with the right weight loss regimen, the weight can stand and even grow slightly.

In all these cases, there is only one advice: weight loss should be calculated not for a day, but for the whole last month. If the change in a month is more than 2 kg, then everything is in order. Even if the weight temporarily stands or goes up, you should not panic, but wait calmly, without making hasty conclusions and without changing the diet and movement, and only if the weight lasts on one mode for more than two to three weeks, start thinking about changing it. And do not try in such cases to “drive the water”, which is what 9 does.0% of beginners, in a fright that the weight is more than three days worth. This is a harmful self-deception, leading to subsequent weight retention and switching efforts from fighting fat to fighting weight. Keep counting calories honestly, and sooner or later weight will follow fat. The only exception to getting rid of excess water is that stress relief is actually good, and no amount of artificial dehydration will do any good.

But if for a month or more on the same regime your weight has not changed significantly, then, apparently, your calorie content is really equal to energy costs. If your calculations show otherwise, the error should be looked for among the following possible causes:

Incorrect calorie content of food

Even with the correct weight of foods, their calorie content may differ from the table. If the product is found once, this inaccuracy is not terrible, but with constant nutrition, an error of 10-30% can dramatically turn the entire energy balance upside down. And this applies not only to food from a restaurant or convenience foods from a culinary shop, where there are serious inaccuracies in the composition. The same meat in two identical packages can contain a different percentage of fat, and, accordingly, have up to 50% difference in calories. Buckwheat, rice and oatmeal can be cooked with different amounts of water, so the calorie content will differ by 2 times. Consider frying, drying out, and soaked-in oil: a fried potato can have a calorie content of 200 kcal/100g (slightly softened in a thick piece in a frying pan with a lid), or 500 (dried and soaked in oil until a transparent golden brown appearance). Zucchini can, depending on the method of preparation, change the calorie content by more than 10 times!

• Tip: Avoid foods with unknown ingredients. If you are counting calories, try to take individual products at a party and in a restaurant, rather than mixtures. Remember that the sauce (or oil) in a salad contains more calories than the vegetables in it, and may be almost invisible. Always count cereals by dry cereals. Correlate the real fat content of meat with the tabular calorie content. Check the numbers on the product packaging for reasonableness: for example, on the packaging of salted and dried fish, the raw calorie content is often indicated (the difference in calories is up to three times).

Dietary underreporting

However, the most common reason for reporting the wrong balance of calories, no matter how trite, is dishonest recording, “dietary underreporting”. A person, as researchers have known since the time of Freud, tends to forget or not do what is unpleasant for him. Large scientific studies show that, on average, the more overweight people are, the more they lie in their food diaries. For example, a typical small study found that out of ten overweight women who say they eat around 1200 kcal and are not losing weight, nine deceive their doctors and themselves by eating 1500-3300 kcal (most 2000-2500), and one in ten really eats 1200, but still loses weight.

What is most surprising, these 9 out of 10 women continued to lie in their diaries even when they were warned that their energy balance would be monitored further and it was impossible to hide the amount of food from the “double-labeled water” method!

If you think that good knowledge and understanding of the situation will guarantee you not to underestimate food, then you are only partly right. A study comparing the food diaries of licensed dietitians and less trained people paints something like this: on average, the average person lies in the diary for 430 kcal / day, and the average licensed dietitian lies only 220, which, of course, is commendable, but informs us the harsh truth spoken by Dr. House.

So the most important thing for food diaries and calorie counters is to be honest with yourself. As the famous physicist R. Feynman said, the main thing in the experiment is not to let yourself fool yourself! If your overweight does not decrease for the second month, remember the seeds from a girlfriend, a bun of “unknown composition”, a chocolate bar eaten while waiting in line, juice that was washed down with low-calorie bread, etc. Some simply do not write those days when failed to eat according to the plan, which significantly devalues ​​such a diary.

Invalid estimate of base energy costs.

Most formulas that estimate basal metabolic rate (basal metabolic rate) do not take into account muscle mass. And even those who take into account, can’t do anything about the fact that all people are different. A difference of 30% between people of the same height, weight and type of activity is not at all the limit. Fortunately, the biggest error in these formulas is, on the contrary, due to the underestimation of metabolism in well-trained people with large muscle mass and endurance-trained muscles. Here is an example from a real study, where we, for clarity, signed examples of people with different metabolisms:

As you can see, living people still do not fully fit into the formulas. But for most, the error in determining metabolism is not large enough to explain the possibility of maintaining weight when consuming 1000-1200 calories (recall that on the graph – resting metabolism, to which is added, at a minimum, a correction for physical activity and nutritional thermogenesis).

• Tip: If you don’t lose weight for two months on precisely measured calories, you may indeed have a lowered basal metabolic rate. But even if it is below average, then all the same your real energy consumption will exceed 1500 kcal. (If your height / weight is not too small). Of course, it is possible that you are seriously ill – you have a serious underweight, significant hormonal disorders, or something else that is worth checking with a doctor. But much more often a person is healthy, and the metabolic rate lies within the normal range, so it is worth looking for other reasons for weight gain. And remember that in any case, the movement increases the metabolic rate, helping you get rid of excess fat.

Incorrect assessment of physical activity.

This is more for beginners, but is common to everyone. In part, this is understandable: it is expensive and difficult to measure the real energy consumption (you need a pressure chamber or other sophisticated equipment), and even meters with a heart rate monitor do not always give the right result. Manufacturers of simulators sometimes inflate these numbers to make it more pleasant for a person, the same applies to some programs. And the tables on the Internet, from which you can find out that cleaning an apartment burns 450 kcal / hour – a huge amount. Here is a screenshot from a well-respected all-Russian publication on health (our comment is in red):

• Tip: if there is no meter with a heart rate monitor (at least for an hour to check), you should check the numbers yourself for reasonableness. For example, a person weighing 70 kg, running 3 km at almost any speed, burns about 200 kcal. Correlate your heat generation (and sweating) and heart rate/respiration rate while running with the desired load, and you will roughly understand whether your number is true. Know in advance that no load on the hands will make up even half of the energy consumption of the legs – running, climbing stairs, squats, intense dancing, cycling, etc.
  
  Also remember that some of your physical activity is already included in the exchange value when the type of physical activity is selected in the calculations.

Real health problems. Hypothyroidism

If you have a chronically low temperature, low blood pressure, frequent swelling, decreased appetite, you can go to the doctor and get your thyroid hormone levels checked. In such disorders, in fact, the basic metabolism is lower than normal. But be aware that at a young age this disease is quite rare, and you are unlikely to have it.

Conclusions

The vast majority of those who claim that they eat little, but at the same time get fat, either lie to themselves and others, or are conscientiously mistaken. You should not pay attention to the “strange” dynamics of weight, if it is less than two or three weeks, it is probably just water fluctuations. If the weight lasts longer, look for inaccuracies and errors in calorie counting. Consult other people. And do not try to fool the scales with a sauna, body wraps or a “fasting day”, such weight loss turns into an increase or “stagnation” on the scales in the coming days, regardless of the calorie content eaten in the next few days.