It's a common notion that in order to shed the extra kilos, we need to cut down on the food that we are consuming. Often people who try dieting, start with cutting down their food intake. But is it safe and effective? In an interview with HT lifestyle, Dr Rituja Ugalmugle, Internal Medicine, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central explained otherwise - “When you significantly reduce your calorie intake, your body may enter starvation mode, a survival mechanism that evolved to conserve energy during times of food scarcity. This mode slows down your metabolism to preserve fat stores, making it harder to lose weight and, in some cases, leading to weight gain as the body becomes more efficient at storing the energy it does receive.” Here’s why eating less can have reverse effects on weight loss:

Muscle loss:

Eating too few calories can also result in muscle loss. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, so losing muscle mass can lower your overall metabolic rate. This reduction in metabolism means you burn fewer calories throughout the day, making weight loss more difficult and weight gain more likely.

Essential nutrient deficiency:

Restrictive diets often lack essential nutrients, which can disrupt normal bodily functions. Nutrient deficiencies can lead to hormonal imbalances, particularly in hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, such as ghrelin and leptin. Imbalances in these hormones can increase feelings of hunger and cause overeating or cravings, further contributing to weight gain.

Increased Cortisol production:

Strict dieting can be mentally and emotionally stressful. This stress increases the production of cortisol, a hormone linked to weight gain, particularly in the abdominal area. High cortisol levels can prompt the body to store fat, particularly visceral fat.

Adaptive thermogenesis:

Adaptive thermogenesis is a process where the body reduces its energy expenditure more than expected based on calorie intake. This is another protective mechanism against starvation, but it can alleviate weight loss efforts.

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