In a recent YouTube video for The Kahm Clinic, nutritionist Elaina Efird, RDN, CD, CEDRD, CSSD explains that many people need to stop trying to lose five or ten pounds. Here’s why: If you’re already an appropriate size and just trying to lose five to ten pounds for the purpose of aesthetics, your desire to lose weight is going to cause you more harm than good down the road. 

In today’s blog post, we look at a meta-analysis (a summary of various research studies) that shows that, when you diet but are already at an appropriate weight or size for your body type, your body overcompensates by ultimately gaining back more fat. Before we dive in, it’s important to note that the people studied were already at a healthy weight with body fat levels between 10 and 30 percent. Additionally, they were physically active (one study even looked at Army Rangers) and only dieting because they wanted their bodies to look better. 

A Semi-Starvation Diet and Your Body’s Reaction

Many of the individuals in this meta-analysis practiced a semi-starvation diet, meaning they restricted caloric intake to well below where it should be. For instance, in the study of Army Rangers, the participants were at field training and didn’t have enough access to food. Most of these people did lose weight, including both lean mass (including muscles, collagen, and connective tissues) and fat. 

These studies then followed the individuals as they resumed diets that appropriately met their caloric needs. What they found was that the bodies always restored the lost lean mass — which makes sense! Our bodies need lean mass for multiple reasons, including immunity and longevity. Additionally, these individuals gained back more fat than they had prior to the dieting efforts. 

In many of these studies, they tracked the participants for multiple diet cycles (up to 10) of losing weight and then gaining it back. Each time, they noted an upward trajectory of body fat. So here’s what happened: The individuals would diet, lose a bit of weight (that elusive five or ten pounds!), and then gain back both lean mass and body fat. Ultimately, despite their efforts to lose a few pounds, they ended up with a higher percent body fat (or “fatter”) than they had at the start. 

Researchers are still looking into why this happens, using the term fat overshoot to explain the common occurrence. There are multiple reasons why your body responds to calorie deficits and inappropriate weight loss in this way, including the fact that hormones are impacted by calorically restricted diets. 

The Takeaway: Proper Weight Management

Given the results of this meta-analysis, it makes sense that Efird discourages her clients from obsessing over losing five or ten pounds just for the purposes of aesthetics. It’s not worth the long-term effects!

Instead, love your body just as it is, which we know is easier said than done. Remember that it’s okay if you don’t look like you did 10 years ago. You’re not 10 years younger anymore! Focus on preparing for a happier, healthier, older self. One way to do so? Don’t go on a calorically restricted diet! Fuel your body with nutritious foods and exercise regularly. If your body is staying at a particular weight — even if it’s higher than what you want aesthetically — trust that it knows what it’s doing. Be confident in your choices and appreciate that you’re on the right track. 

To talk to a professional about how to improve your relationship with food, please reach out to our staff or schedule an appointment at The Kahm Clinic.

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