Are you tired all the time?
Are you hungry all the time?
Is your sleep poor?
Are you feeling more stressed out than usual?
These are some of the NEGATIVE ADAPTATIONS of being in a calorie deficit. These tend to occur when an individual is pushing a calorie deficit for much longer than their body can tolerate.
To put it simply when we push one pathway too much, the body with begin to fight back.
If we are in a calorie surplus for too long, our body will begin to increase in body fat. It's a fact and it happens with anyone who stays in a calorie surplus for more than 3 weeks.
The aggressiveness of a calorie deficit should be based on where the individuals' body fat % is at the moment.
If you're someone who is 25%-30% body fat (not by your own opinion but by a form of testing that will ensure some feedback is given), then a more aggressive calorie deficit will serve you well to ensure that fat loss occurs.
However, if you're someone who is 10-15% body fat, you don't need to diet as hard as someone who has double the body fat that you do, purely because you're body will recognise that it doesn't have much fat to burn as energy.
What happens if a calorie deficit is pushed too hard for too long is the following:
1. Leptin decreases (our satiety hormone)
2. Ghrelin increases (our hunger hormone)
3. Thyroid hormone decrease
When it gets to this point, the following occurs:
• Energy levels decrease
• Quality of sleep decreases
• Stress levels increase
• Mood changes (more susceptable to getting angry)
• Libido decreases (sexual desire)
• Hunger increases
• Rate of fat loss decreases
This is why having Diet Breaks and Refeeds are so important.
Have a read of one of my past posts about Diet Breaks and Refeeds to understand them better.
Yours in Health,
Coach Anthony Kassis