For most of us when thinking about weight loss or the dreaded belly fat, the first thing that comes to mind is reducing our food intake. There is no doubt that this works which is the reason you will see big brands and food experts talking about different diet solutions that will help you cut your food intake or calorie intake in half.
However, with these calorie-cutting strategies, you will see that the less you eat the more you carve. If you look at some of the most famous and effective diets for weight loss you will see that they will either help cut some food elements completely that can lead to deficiency and later diseases, you will also see that some diets will help you eat less but the overall impact in long run will be disastrous.
A simple example is the keto diet which is claimed to be the best diet for weight loss. It is a high protein diet that will help you cut your carb intake to a minimum. However, eventually, you see a major effect on the mood and body.
You will start by noticing that you are not very productive and you find it impossible to focus on things. The major impact on mood and thinking is because your brain requires direct carbs to function properly so when you cut that supply it gets difficult for the brain to function.
You will not only feel confused and angry in situations but you will also feel frustrated. This is the reason you will see that people lose a lot of weight when they are on diet but once you leave it, you will instantly gain back the weight and become even fatter.
With the help of this article, we will look at some of the most important reasons you will see relapse after a strict diet. We will also mention how you can easily reduce the chance of relapse and what if you don’t end up controlling your appetite.
Why Do Most People Gain Weight?
It is a common misconception that you will only gain weight if you eat a lot. Experts say that there are so many other reasons that will make you gain a few pounds but most people will never know about them or even if they detect the issue they feel exercise and diet will help them control these issues as well. Some of the main reasons behind weight gain include:
- A side effect of medications, especially a medical treatment that retains water i.e. Using birth control or hormone-based medication.
- Insomnia or not sleeping enough because lack of sleep slows down the metabolism and you will end up gaining weight
- Use of alcohol or smoking means your immunity will reduce and this also increases appetite so you will end up eating a lot more than the requirement of your body
- Medical conditions related to hormonal dysfunction usually impact the metabolism and as a result, you will end up gaining weight
- Chronic pains have a side effect that you will find it hard to move. Eventually, you will notice that your body movement gets very restricted and with no movement, your chances of burning calories reduce and so you will gain weight.
- Thyroid impacts the metabolism which means if your thyroid is not working properly, you will either gain or lose weight.
Why Do Most People Gain Weight After Intense Diet?
It is very common for people to start an intense diet, get the desired results, and eventually when they become satisfied they leave the diet process.
So as they start to eat regularly, they end up gaining weight more rapidly. Eventually, they realize that they are back to their old weight and when they continue to eat like before. Experts say that our body has two modes.
One is normal where no matter what you eat, your body will get to extract the normal amount of calories and rest will be extracted from the body. On the contrary, when you starve yourself, you are technically entering survival mode.
The body becomes extremely alert and no matter what you eat, it slows down the metabolism trying to extract the maximum amount of calories. Eventually, when you start to eat normally again, your body realizes that this starvation mode might happen again, and if it doesn’t have enough calories it might have to suffer.
To deal with this issue, the body tries to hold a maximum number of calories and eventually you end up gaining weight. This also happens when you crave things after you stop eating for a very long time. Your body craves the sugar rush and you end up binge eating everything that you might have deprived yourself of while you were on a strict diet.
How to Lose Weight While Staying Healthy?
Losing weight doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself. A good balance of food intake and excretion helps you eat according to your needs. To lose weight you need to either reduce your food intake or increase the exertion by exercise.
No matter what you choose or how you want to do it, you will have to make sure you are taking all dietary elements. Most people who complain that they feel hungry all the time are more or less linked with bad food distribution. They are technically consuming more calories without eating too much which is the reason they feel hungry.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, harsh and strict diets have a very long impact not only on your body but also on your physical and mental well-being. You will notice that this doesn’t just impact the weight and the way your body looks, in general, you will also notice that after a severe diet you will feel weak.
This means you will lose strength and endurance so even slightest in the long run your bone density will reduce causing damage to your health. Women who rely on strict diet plans eventually see the impact on their skin, hair, and bone.
There are studies claiming that women who stay on diet are at high risk of injury even at less intense strikes. Moreover, it can cause fertility-related issues, osteoporosis, and anemia as well.
To stay healthy mentally and physically, it is very important to not only focus on the quality of food you eat but also on the dietary elements that you choose. When you select the food you need to focus on quality and a well-balanced diet more than on the quantity.
