Why Dieting (Almost) Always Fails

Not only is dieting miserable and exasperating, but nearly everyone fails at it. Why? Oftentimes, people cut too many calories, causing their metabolism to slow down. Their bodies then hang on to fat in an effort to protect them from starving. Additionally, they feel very hungry, making it harder to resist tempting and unhealthy food choices. 

You Need More Than 1,200 Calories

There’s this “magic” number floating around when it comes to weight management and dieting: 1,200 calories. So many people believe that they must eat 1,200 calories or less in order to lose weight. However, that’s simply not true. In fact, “I have never seen anyone successful [in reaching their health goals by] eating 1,200 calories or less,” nutritionist Elaina Efird explains in a recent YouTube video. 

One common argument that she sees is from people who are short or smaller in nature believing that they do need to consume 1,200 calories or less to reach their goal weight. So with that thought in mind, she shared three case studies:

• The first example focuses on a female individual who is 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and 109 pounds. Her resting metabolic rate (RMR) is 1,459 calories per day. Because she leads an active lifestyle, we needed to add 25 percent of her RMR (365 calories) to account for her movement throughout the day as well as 450 calories to account for exercise, bringing her total daily caloric burn to 2,274 calories — over 1,000 calories more than 1,200 calories! 

• In the second example, the female individual is 5 feet tall and 107 pounds with an RMR of 1,420 calories per day. While she doesn’t exercise, we still needed to add about 20 percent of her RMR (284 calories) to cover general daily movement, making her total caloric burn each day around 1,704 calories. Given her current height and weight, this client didn’t need to lose weight, but when she came to see Elaina, she was struggling with hunger, cravings, energy, and sleep. To address these issues, we increased her daily calorie intake to 1,700 to 1,900 — and it worked! Now, she better regulates her hunger and recognizes when she’s full; she no longer craves carbohydrates and sweets because her body is adequately fueled; her energy is more sustained, and her sleep is more consistent and better quality. 

• For the third example, this female individual, who is trying to lose weight, is 4 feet, 11.5 inches tall, and 190 pounds with an RMR of 1,580 calories per day. We suggested that she eat a total of 1,800 to 1,900 calories per day (remember: these are calories while dieting!), and she saw changes in her body composition, including maintaining muscle and losing fat. 

Healthy Weight Management

At The Kahm Clinic, we use our Metabolic Testing and Body Composition Analysis machines to determine how many daily calories our clients need to reach their individual goals. By using these results in our approach, we can get a slowed metabolism back up to speed and correct problems related to hunger, cravings, energy, sleep, and more. “I am a firm believer that everyone needs different amounts of food and that each body is unique,” Elaina shares on YouTube. “That’s something that we pride ourselves on here at The Kahm Clinic. We can see the Metabolic Test results to show you exactly what your body needs.”

Correcting a slowed metabolism takes time — at least two to three months — and many clients gain weight (increasing both muscle and fat) as they get it back to normal. That’s why we keep our focus on better health, not just the number on the scale. 

To talk to a professional about how to make healthy nutrition choices, please reach out to our staff or schedule an appointment at The Kahm Clinic.

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