The woman’s weight decreased by 65 kg while eating donuts. Is calorie restriction the winning formula for her weight loss?

A video from Realistic Fitness Coach Coles, an Instagram user who gives fitness advice and shares tips for weight loss, is currently gaining attention for claiming that “you don’t have to give up your favorite foods to see results.” You don’t have to stop consuming substances.” In the trending video, Coles claims, “If you keep telling yourself you can’t eat food you love, you’ll never be successful in your weight loss journey.”

He said, “If you are a normal person like me, okay, and you just want to start the weight loss journey, then keto is not the solution for you, okay? Non-vegetarian food is not the solution for you. Vegetarianism is not the solution for you. Why? Because these are diets that tell you you can’t eat the food you like. If bacon is your favorite food and you love to eat bacon and you’re like, ‘I’m going to go vegetarian for weight loss’, then babe, you’re going to miss that bacon and you’re going to be thinking about it all the time and so “Eventually you’ll stop being a vegetarian.”

The Instagram influencer revealed how she loves an old-fashioned donut but decided to go on a carnivore diet and as a result, she can’t eat an old-fashioned donut. She remembered that she lost her mind and ate 12 donuts from the Old Fashioned, when she really had to due to a calorie deficit.

Coles shared, “I did it. I lost 65 pounds by eating a donut every Saturday morning because you don’t have to give up the foods you love to be successful on your journey.”

What is calorie deficit?

For starters, a calorie deficit is when we consume fewer calories than we need to maintain our current body weight. To create a calorie deficit, we can either eat fewer calories – by choosing low-calorie foods or reducing portion sizes or by increasing our activity levels – burning more calories through exercise or daily activity. For.

This is a basic principle for weight loss because, to lose weight, the body must burn more calories than it takes in. For example, if our body needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain our weight, but we only consume 1,800 calories, we will create a calorie deficit. 200 calorie deficit.

Over time, this reduction can lead to weight loss as our body begins to use stored fat for energy, however, permanent weight loss usually involves a moderate calorie deficit, ensuring That we still get enough nutrients and energy. Calorie deficit is important for weight loss but many people forget that weight loss is effective when we burn more calories than we consume.

Therefore, keeping track of our nutrient intake throughout the day can be of great help in losing fat, but being in extreme calorie deficit can worsen health conditions and completely break down the body’s metabolism. Instead we should focus on nutritious food.

Nutrition isn’t about counting calories; It’s about micros and macros. For example, vitamin deficiencies and metabolic or hormonal disorders like PCOD and thyroid cannot be managed if we blindly follow the concept of calorie counting.

Weight loss is driven by energy balance, calories in versus calories out and if we eat more than we burn, this will lead to weight gain over time. Balancing energy expenditure and energy intake is the most important factor for lasting weight loss, but there are several techniques for burning calories without dieting.

Health study on not giving up your favorite food:

1. A preliminary study – Cognitive restraint, inhibition, and appetite: An examination of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire in a young adult female sample. – Published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders in 1991, highlighted how strict cognitive restraint (a form of self-imposed restriction) often leads to disinhibition, or ultimately the breakdown of dietary control, as a result of frustration with deprivation Is.
2. A study named ‘Dietary restraint and negative affect as predictors of food intake in obese and non-obese individuals.‘, published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology in 2001, examined the psychological effects of restrictive diets and showed that food restriction often causes negative emotions that contribute to increased food intake and decreased diet adherence over time.
3. A search – Flexible versus rigid dietary strategies: associations with diet and binge eating behavior in non-obese women. – Published in Appetite in 2002, found that rigid diets, including strict abstinence from favorite foods, were associated with higher rates of binge eating and depression, while flexible diets that allowed occasional eating were more sustainable. Additionally, other studies published in the journal Appetite indicate that when people restrict themselves from foods they enjoy, they may have stronger cravings for those foods, sometimes referred to as the “forbidden food effect.” ” Known as. This can increase cravings, making it harder to resist food over time and eventually lead to binge eating as self-control decreases.
4. According to a 2006 study – Moderate eating and food cravings – Published in Appetite, restrained eaters experience increased cravings and dietary restrictions increase cravings for “forbidden foods”, leading to frustration and potential diet failure. Other researchers have identified that strict dieting can promote an “all or nothing” mentality, resulting in individuals feeling as if their diet has failed if they miss even a small item. This mindset, as shown in studies in The Journal of Behavioral Medicine, can lead people to give up completely after a slight lapse, often resulting in a complete return to previous eating patterns. .
5. A 2014 study – Effects of dieting and non-dietary interventions: A review of behavioral mechanisms and psychological effects. – published in the Journal of Obesity, covered the negative effects of restrictive diets, including disappointment and subsequent “yo-yo” diet patterns, and suggested a more balanced approach to long-term adherence. Other studies in the journal Obesity Reviews showed that flexible dieting, which includes occasionally enjoying favorite foods, can lead to better psychological well-being, fewer episodes of overeating, and better weight management. This is because this approach encourages balance, allowing dietary satisfaction without the feeling of deprivation, which can prevent frustration that leads to diet abandonment.
6. A search – Self-compassion promotes healthy eating – Published in Health Psychology in 2015, examined the role of self-compassion in dieting and found that people who allowed themselves occasional indulgences (rather than strict restrictions) had less depression and improved diet adherence. reported improvement. According to another study in Health Psychology, self-compassion — allowing yourself the occasional indulgence — may promote better long-term adherence to healthy eating by reducing the guilt and frustration that often accompanies restrictive diets. This is because when people are more flexible with their eating habits and allow themselves to indulge occasionally, they are more likely to stick to a balanced, sustainable diet.

As far as dietary restraint and emotional eating are concerned, research from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition highlights how diets that restrict favorite foods can increase stress and negative emotions, leading to emotional Eating habits are encouraged. This behavior often leads to a rebound effect where individuals abandon dieting and revert to previous eating habits to satisfy emotional needs.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you may have about a medical condition.