Calorie Deficit Ba Talaga Yan?: Signs That Your Calorie Deficit Isn’t Working
Joanna Marie O. Santos
July 11, 2023
If you have been trying to lose weight for a while now, you might have enough understanding of the term ‘calorie deficit’ and what it means in dieting. Following a diet with a deficit in calories is a very common method recommended by healthcare professionals in order to shed some pounds. However, if you have been wanting to diet and don't know where to start, there are a few things you should know about utilizing this dieting method.
A calorie deficit is a dieting technique that requires a good amount of balance between knowing what not to eat, and knowing what you should eat. However, a lot of people who are desperate to lose weight often put focus only on the things that they should not eat and fail to prioritize what should be placed on their plate. In this article, we will shed light on the signs you should look out for to know if your calorie-deficit diet is not working, as well as a few tips and tricks to get you on track to start a healthy diet plan.
When Your Calorie Deficit Isn’t It
Moms, we know how busy and hectic everyday life can get. Just preparing your kid’s breakfast already takes longer than we would like it to, which makes it even harder to save time for ourselves and plan our own healthy meals. Calorie deficit might sound like a very straightforward technique, but eating less will just sabotage your weight loss journey in the long run. Below are some signs you should be aware of to know if you should be adjusting your calorie-deficit diet plan.
Constant Fatigue/Low Energy
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The most common sign to look out for to know if your calorie-deficit diet is working or not is if you have constantly low energy levels that may begin to hinder your daily activities. If you have noticed that you feel sluggish every time and that you can’t seem to have the energy to keep up with your kids anymore, it is a sign that you are providing very little food for your body. Little food will produce very little energy, causing you to feel constantly fatigued.
Irritability/Shortened Temper
As a result of an extremely calorie-deficient diet, a person may feel quickly triggered by the smallest things around them. This is a result of our bodies working extra hard in order to work get the necessary energy levels to push through the day. If you have been noticing that you tend to snap quickly when dealing with your children, partner, or the people you interact with, it can be a warning sign for you to know that you are eating too little.
Anxiety/Depression/Mood Swings
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Tied to a low-calorie diet, anxiety, depression, and mood swings are often a cause of our bodies trying very hard to access our stored energy due to the lack of food intake necessary for sustenance. These emotions are also linked to feelings of irritability and having a short temper.
Always Hungry
People who follow a low-calorie diet are prone to feeling constantly hungry. This is probably because most people who follow a calorie-deficit diet often focus on reducing their food intake, instead of figuring out what they should eat instead. A calorie-deficit diet might sound straightforward, but this diet requires more than just significantly reducing the amount of food that we eat and eating less than what we burn.
Hair Loss Or Damaged Hair
An uncommon but possible result of a calorie-deficit diet is the development of Telogen effluvium or TE for short. TE is a disorder where the patient suffers from an extreme increase in hair shedding compared to the usual amount of 50-100 hair strands per day. This sign may be a result of the combination of nutrition deficiency and the stress that one might experience while undergoing a calorie-deficient diet.
Tips And Tricks To Lose Weight Properly
While having a low-calorie diet may have immediate effects on one’s weight, it is definitely not a long-term solution for those who want to lose weight and keep the weight off. A calorie deficit diet is not necessarily harmful, especially if done properly and not practiced in excess. Below are some tips and tricks you can follow in order to lose weight properly.
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- Only reduce your normal calorie intake by 500 calories per day.
- Eliminate sugary beverages.
- Chew slowly and eat mindfully.
- Drink two glasses of water before each meal.
- Focus on protein for every meal.
- Reduce the amount of processed food that you eat.
The Right Way To Lose Weight Is To Gain Health
Recognizing signs that your calorie-deficit diet isn’t working is the first step in the right direction for achieving successful and effective weight loss. Observing proper dieting methods is also important so that not only will you be able to shed the extra weight, but you will also be able to keep it off and improve your health at the same time. Above everything else, know that weight is just a number on the scale and it does not necessarily mean that you need to lose weight and fix in a very tight weight bracket that many women keep trying to follow.
