Metabolic Meltdown: Risks of Extreme Dieting
By Cameron Baker

Spring is fading quickly, and soon the months of summer will be upon us. The few months of hot sun, days at the beach, and dark golden tans is a time that some anticipate all year long, while others dread the thought of putting their bodies on display in bathing suits and small clothing. More and more often, these individuals find themselves searching for quick and easy ways to shed unwanted pounds, and by any means necessary, to prepare for the leisure months. This inherent need for fast, and sometimes extreme, weight loss is leading many to experiment with various dieting trends, severely restrict their already low caloric intake, or even pursue the dangerous practices of various eating disorders – all in hopes of fitting into a bikini, or showing off a seemingly healthy physique. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the true path to weight loss – not only are these people putting themselves at risk for potential health problems, but these extreme methods can produce the very opposite of the desired effect of body shaping and weight loss in the long run.

Although the thought of restricting daily caloric intake or abstaining from eating altogether can sound logical if your primary objective is weight loss, science tells us that rather than helping us to reach our target weight more quickly, severely restricting calories actually prevents our bodies from burning unwanted fat stores effectively. Unfortunately, this means that weight loss and, more importantly, fat loss slows down. In fact, most crash diets that claim to burn only fat actually tend to burn away metabolically active muscle tissue and can hinder long-term weight loss. The same applies when skipping meals. When you eat a meal, overall metabolism is increased due to the energy required for digestion and absorption of the meal. Skipping a meal will have an inverse effect, lowering metabolism, which remains low until the next time you ingest any food.

Quite simply, the body goes into “starvation mode.” This mechanism, which is thought to have evolved as a defense against actual starvation, means the body becomes especially efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from any ingested food and drink. It does this by protecting its fat stores and instead using lean tissue (muscle) to provide it with some of the calories it needs to function. This directly leads to a loss of muscle tissue, which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body requires fewer calories to function, and weight loss inevitably slows down. Of course, this is the perfect solution if you're actually in a famine situation, but if you're trying to lose fat, it's going to do little to help you drop those unwanted pounds. In fact, when caloric levels are returned to normal, weight gain will be more rapid and, due to the metabolic slowing, will typically return as fat – you may even wind up heavier than before you started dieting. The loss of lean muscle will have an effect on your ability to maintain weight loss in the long term, unless muscle is regained through resistance training and exercise.

The most effective solution to this increasingly common dilemma is the implementation of a sound exercise program consisting of both resistance training and cardiovascular exercise, and healthy (but not extreme) eating habits. This means a diet consisting of primarily lean proteins, low glycemic carbohydrates, and an adequate supply of fruits, vegetables, and water. A sound diet keeps your metabolism elevated at all times with 5 to 6 small meals a day. A truly healthy “diet” is realistic and permanent, not brief and severe, and allows for the occasional piece of cake or cheeseburger, but permits sweets and junk foods high in saturated fats on a much less regular basis and in smaller quantities. The bottom line is that it’s best to make healthy, positive, long-term changes rather than continually punishing yourself physiologically and mentally. The appropriate objective should be to consume as many calories as you can while still losing body fat and maintaining or gaining lean muscle. If your calories are already below normal, don’t restrict them further. Instead, stick with your current amount and focus on becoming stronger and more active, so you can gradually increase your calories to a normal healthy level. If your calorie intake is already in a healthy range, decrease it only slightly, and only if necessary. A reduction of about 250-500 calories a day is more likely to protect your lean muscle and less likely to trigger a slow-down in your metabolism.