If you're like most people who want to lose weight, you want to lose it fast. So you may be tempted to make big changes in your diet to reduce the number of calories you consume. But what you may not know is that eating very few calories can actually make your weight loss efforts be for nothing.
It would make sense to stop eating when you are trying to lose weight, but it actually works in the opposite way. The most effective way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you expend, creating a calorie deficit. But if your calorie intake becomes too low, your body could go into starvation mode. "Your body will start to store fat because it thinks it is not going to get anything". When your body goes into starvation mode, your metabolism slows down, burning calories as slowly as possible to conserve its energy stores. This is why people who cut their calories too much may reach a phase where they stop losing weight.
Remember that calories are not your enemy. They are a vital part of a healthy and energetic life. Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to sustain proper function.
Eating too few calories can be the start of a vicious cycle that causes diet distress. When you cut your calories so low that your metabolism slows and you stop losing weight, you probably will become frustrated that your efforts are for nothing. This can lead you to overeat and gain weight.
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