Why Cutting Calories is a Misguided Weight Loss Practice

By Tim Butler, R.D., Chief Science Officer at FitNatic

To lose weight, you have to cut calories. This is a common belief among most people. Unfortunately, it’s also not true for most people.

I read and hear this advice every day, but if it’s true, then why is it so hard to lose weight? If it was as simple as cutting calories, more than two-thirds of American adults wouldn’t be overweight.

The fundamental flaw in the idea that calorie cutting equals weight loss ties in with the “more is better” theory. As in, “If I cut more calories, I’ll lose more weight.” However, way, way, way more often than not I find that people aren’t eating enough to lose body fat. And let me clarify the difference between losing weight and losing body fat before continuing.

When you consume less than what your body needs, you will lose weight in the form of muscle, water and fat. But, because you are stressing your body by not fueling properly, you are essentially telling your body to store more fat. Th net result is less muscle, the same if not more fat and less total body water (I’ll talk more about total body water in another post because there are too many misconceptions about it to overcome here).

When you consume closer to what you need (with the correct macro-nutrient distribution) your body is happy, not stressed. Your body fat will drop. Muscle will not.

Most of the clients I see that are trying to lose “weight” are eating around their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs to optimally function. This is the number of calories it takes for your heart to pump, your lungs to breathe and all of your organs and tissues to complete the tasks they need to.

In other words, if you were to lay in bed all day (24 hours) and didn’t move or even blink, you would need X calories to live (X = your BMR). What you also need to take into account is your activity, not just workouts, but how active and mobile you are when you’re not working out too. This can add a significant amount of calories to your daily needs, even on the days when you aren’t as active.

So before you cut another calorie on your “diet”, assess your needs. Most times people need to add calories to efficiently burn fat (wrap your head around that). There are some apps and various calculators you can use to figure it out. They may not be 100 percent accurate, but they can provide a good idea. If you really want to dial it in, visit a Registered Dietitian.

After all, we shouldn’t be chasing a number on a scale, but should instead be seeking a healthy and active lifestyle.

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