How Dieting Can Damage Your Metabolism

Metabolism is the rate at which your body uses up energy or burns calories. One’s metabolism, or metabolic rate, is mostly based on genetics. However, the more muscle mass you have, the higher it will be. This is because muscle mass needs more calories to sustain itself than fat. Knowing your metabolic rate is important when trying to understand your weight. If you eat more calories a day than your body needs, you will gain weight. This goes for losing weight as well, by eating fewer calories than the “maintenance” level, you will lose weight. The equation, calories in vs. calories out, is crucial for weight loss, as scientifically, the only way to lose weight is by being in a calorie deficit. This means eating fewer calories than your body burns per day. However, eating too few calories for prolonged periods of time can have detrimental effects on your metabolism. This is because over time, your body adjusts to the limited calories and starts to break down muscle mass for energy. As mentioned earlier, the more muscle mass, the higher your metabolic rate is. Losing muscle mass is a negative side-effect of losing weight, but it can be limited by doing something called “diet breaks”. Diet breaks function as such: 1-2 weeks per several weeks, a dieter pauses their caloric deficit and eats at “maintenance”. It is scientifically proven by the Minimizing Adaptive Thermogenesis And Deactivating Obesity Rebound (MATADOR) study that diet breaks do not ruin your metabolism as much as a consistent caloric deficit does. However, this method takes longer.

In the MATADOR study, scientists studied two different groups of dieters. Both groups were in a caloric deficit of 30% from maintenance calories, however, the main difference was time, due to the diet breaks. The first group took 16 weeks to lose the same amount of weight as the second group had for 30 weeks. The first group was in a steady 30% caloric deficit and the other took a 2-week diet break every 2 weeks. This significant difference is noticeable, but what is important is the dieter’s metabolic health at the beginning vs the end. The metabolic rate of those in group two was closer to their starting rate, which will help them keep the weight off longer.

Diets consist of many different types, but one in particular has gained popularity. Keto, which is a low carb-high fat and moderate protein diet has been highlighted in recent years, and is working wonders due to the effect of ketosis. Ketosis is when the body, instead of burning carbohydrates, burns fat and goes into “fat-burning mode”. This is when the body uses fat to expend energy and helps you “lose weight fast!” Ketosis is proven to be true and can be tested by at-home kits, but this method of weight loss is not sustainable for long periods of time and should be avoided. If keto has helped a dieter lose weight, that is because this person was in a calorie deficit. However, since carbohydrates are a substantial portion of an average person’s diet, cutting them out will most likely make you lose weight fast, including muscle mass. The issue with this is, it has been proven to not be sustainable and will damage your metabolism significantly. The metabolic rate should be a priority to a person wanting to lose, maintain, or gain weight.

Overall, metabolism is essential in weight and should be noted. Diets ruin metabolism, and restoring one’s metabolism takes time (which is different for everyone), so it should be the priority to keep the rate as high and in a safe range as possible. One common mistake is to enter a large calorie deficit and ruin your metabolic rate. In order to avoid that, people should calculate their BMR (basal metabolic rate). This is the amount of calories someone burns at rest, with no movement. From there you have to add calories in order to account for daily movements, such as walking to the bathroom, brushing your teeth, etc. Then, exercise should be accounted for. It isn’t until this number is calculated that a caloric deficit should be placed.

Works Cited:

Efird, E. (2020). Nutritionists & Metabolic Testing in Burlington, Vermont. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.thekahmclinic.com/

Muir, A. (2021, January 20). Diet Breaks for Long Term Weight Loss. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://idealnutrition.com.au/diet-breaks-for-long-term-weight-loss/

Publishing, H. (2015, July). Does Metabolism Matter in Weight Loss? Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/does-metabolism-matter-in-weight-loss

Lyden, K., & Melanson, E. (2020, August 25). Metabolism. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.research.colostate.edu/healthyagingcenter/aging-basics/metabolism/