Contrary to logic, several studies and health professionals indicate that diets that are too strict make you fat, instead of losing weight.
It happened to me. I noticed that I was gaining weight, so I decided to go on a super strict diet, of just 800 calories a day, which I carefully wrote down… Imagine my surprise when, Quite the opposite of what I thought, instead of losing weight, I gained weight! I thought that what was happening to me did not make any sense, so I began to investigate it.
I soon discovered that my case was not the only one: hundreds of people had gone through similar experiences. What causes this strange behavior of our body? There are various explanations. There is something that scientists called “the North American paradox” and it is a study published in the 90s that indicated that…
Between 1980 and 1990, Americans ate 4% fewer calories and 11% less fat than before. As for foods without fat, in ten years their consumption rose from 19% to 76%. Despite this, during the same period, obesity in the US increased by 31%.
What’s happening? According to several specialists, it is something similar to the yo-yo effect (that you gain weight when you lose weight when you stop the diet) but it occurs during the time in which you restrict your calorie intake too much, because the body simply by receiving less food, it stores more fatAlso, we are hungry!
Most diets require cutting out a lot of calories, but on a biological level, your body begins to think that it’s actually starving. As a result, you feel compelled to eat in large quantities when you have the opportunity or when your «willpower» has worn thin. Also, because your body is in a «stressed state,» it stores more fat than normal, Jamie Mendell, a certified trainer at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, explains in Women’s Health Magazine.
On the other hand, if you are one of those who skip meals to lose weight, beware, because you can get a belly! A recent study conducted by the Ohio State University (USA) revealed that mice subjected to very strict diets lost weight but gained more weight in their midsection (the equivalent of a human belly) compared to animals on the same diet but able to snack all day. The researchers say these results can be applied to humans.
Many professionals are not convinced. Nancy Melo, a nutritionist with more than 20 years of clinical experience, told Vibra.FM that she had never seen such a case in her office. Keep in mind that the response to a diet depends on the daily activity of each person, as well as their age and metabolism.
Has something like this happened to you? Have you ever gone on a strict diet and instead of losing weight, you gained weight? Tell us in the comments of your social networks!