Why Eating Too Few Calories ...

[admin]

Does Not Help You Lose Weight

What’s the best way to lose weight? Undoubtedly, the safest and most effective approach is to eat healthy and exercise; but some people want faster results and resort to unsafe practices such as diet pills and starvation diets. Neither approach works in the long run and both can have serious health consequences. To speed up weight loss further, some people adopt very low calorie diets that fail to provide adequate nutrition. Sure, they may be rewarded with weight loss initially, but inevitably they end up jeopardizing their overall health. What are the consequences of eating too few calories?

How Many is Too Few?

This, of course, depends on a person’s body weight and activity level. There are online calculators that can calculate with a fair degree of accuracy how many calories are needed to maintain weight based on weight and activity. This should always be the first step undertaken before starting a weight loss program. Once it’s known how many calories are needed to maintain weight, it’s a simple matter to determine how many calories are needed to lose weight at a reasonable rate – about a pound per week. This usually involves taking in or burning a total of five hundred extra calories each day. This is best done by cutting back two or three hundred calories per day and burning an extra two or three hundred calories through exercise.

By no means should calorie intake go below 1200 calories per day. Dropping below this level causes the body to hang onto body fat as a way to protect itself against perceived starvation. This can make it very difficult to lose more weight and could cause health problems.

Eating Too Few Calories Can Cause Health Problems

What are some of the medical problems seen in people eating too few calories? In women, one of the first signs may be irregular menstrual periods or even complete cessation of menses. This is frequently seen in people who have eating disorders such as anorexia where calories are severely restricted. When menses stop, the risk of bone loss climbs due to lack of estrogen and poor nutrition.

Other health risks associated with eating too few calories is anemia related to iron deficiency and decreased immunity due to low protein levels. This can increase the risk of colds and flu as well as more serious illnesses. Thyroid function can also be affected as the entire body tries to slow down to adapt to a starvation state. You may feel cold all the time with a decreased energy level and can experience mental symptoms such as depression.

The Bottom Line?

The reality is that eating too few calories not only increases the risk of serious health problems, it also doesn’t help with long term weight control. When calories are severely restricted, the body goes into conservation mode by holding onto fat. This is why slow, steady weight loss through a sensible diet and exercise plan is the safest and most effective way to reach ideal body weight.


By Dr. Kristie