Consuming too few Calories

Generally speaking, eating more calories than your body needs will cause you to gain weight, mostly in the form of body fat. Eating fewer calories than your body requires leads to weight loss. However, restricting calories too much may harm your health. Below are a few of the ways cutting too many calories from your diet can negatively impact your health.

• It can lower your Metabolism: Several studies show that low-calorie diets can decrease the number of calories the body burns by as much as 23%. To prevent your weight loss diet from affecting your metabolism, make sure that you never eat fewer calories than are required to sustain your BMR.

• Fatigue and Nutrient Deficiencies: Regularly eating fewer calories than your body requires can cause fatigue and make it more challenging for you to meet your daily nutrient needs. To prevent fatigue and nutrient deficiencies, ensure you eat a variety of whole, minimally processed foods.
• Bone Weakness: Eating too few calories can reduce estrogen and testosterone levels. Low levels of these two reproductive hormones are thought to reduce bone formation and increase bone breakdown, resulting in weaker bones.
• Lower Immunity:  Calorie restriction, especially when combined with strenuous physical activity, may lower your immune defenses. This applies to viruses like the common cold and appears to be especially true when it’s combined with a high level of physical activity.

If you are trying to lose weight, make sure you do it in a healthy sustainable way!