Dieting can be a tricky and frustrating process. Maybe you feel like you’ve been on your weight loss journey for too long without making any progress. You’re working out, you’ve cut out sweets, you’re counting calories like a maniac, and still, the number on the scale has hardly moved. If you feel stuck you shouldn’t give up—but you may need to make a change in the way you’re going about things. In fact, it’s possible you’re making one common mistake that many dieters fall victim to time and time again: not eating enough.
You read that right: you could actually be eating too little to lose weight. To learn more about how restriction could be holding you back from your weight loss goals and ruining your metabolism, we spoke to registered dietitian Anne Murray, MS, RDN. Find all of her expert insight and advice below!
Not eating enough
If you're trying to lose weight, you may think the best way to do that as quickly as possible is to cut back drastically on the amount of food you're eating. After all, the less calories the better, right? As it turns out, that's not the case at all. In fact, experts agree that one of the worst weight loss mistakes you can make is to follow a very restrictive diet and eat too little. This can have serious ramifications on your overall health, possibly even resulting in a slower metabolism and, ultimately, weight gain.
If you want to maintain a good metabolism (which is an essential part of healthy weight loss), it's crucial that you eat enough every day. "If you are constantly undereating, you are in turn slowing your metabolism down," Murray warns. "Your body has to adjust to your daily calorie intake and if you are under-fueling for long periods of time, it can take a long time to get your metabolism back up to speed."
Another major risk to consider is that of over-eating. Sure, if you're trying to follow a restrictive 1000-calorie diet (hint: never do this!) the idea is that eating so little will lead to faster weight loss, but many times, it will actually just result in bingeing later on, causing weight gain instead. "When you starve yourself during the day, you are more likely to eat lots at night, because your body is craving fuel," Murray explains. "It is better to eat those calories throughout the day to fuel your body and balance blood sugar, rather than eating excessively late at night to make up for the restriction earlier in the day."
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Eat balanced meals instead
Instead of following crash-diets and extremely calorie restrictions, the healthiest and most sustainable way to lose weight is always to prioritize a well-balanced diet that can provide you with all the nutrients your body needs to thrive. "When you are building a balanced meal include a protein, carbohydrate, fat and fiber," Murray reminds us. "An example of a healthy meal could look like a salmon and brown rice bowl with avocado and broccoli. This meal has all 4 components of a balanced diet!" If you nourish yourself with well-rounded meals like this on a regular basis, limit your intake of processed foods, and stick to a great workout routine, you'll be well on your way to your weight loss goals—no restriction necessary!
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