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The lack of calories forces the body to save resources. Therefore, nutritionists do not recommend cutting the calorie content of your diet too much. Restrictive low-calorie diets cause unwanted hormonal adaptations that can result in hormonal disorders that can only be corrected with medical help.
What happens to the hormonal background on a low-calorie diet
Evolutionarily, we have a powerful survival mechanism. In the case of hunger, the body is more likely to slow down the metabolism and disable functions that are not important for survival, than to sacrifice the systems on which your life really depends. So, he sees the nervous, immune and reproductive systems as less important. Agree, a dying organism is not interested in reproduction, it will not build muscles, but rather fall into hibernation, trying to spend as little energy as possible. And certainly he will try his best to maintain the available percentage of fat, and if necessary, even increase it, so as not to die of hunger or cold.
These are metaphors, but the reality is that nervous system disorders occur after just a few days of dieting. If you have ever lost weight on a low-calorie diet, you may have noticed a deterioration in mood, blunted emotional reactions, inhibition, drowsiness, an unconscious reduction in motor activity.
Next, the level of leptin, a hormone that regulates hunger, decreases. Therefore, it is impossible to sit on strict diets for a long time and therefore after them the weight grows up. People can’t control their appetites. Adding fuel to the fire is a decrease in dopamine – dopamine), the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure, whose level drops after leptin. Forbidden food on a diet with such a hormonal situation seems something incredible. It becomes harder to control yourself.
Changes in the nervous system lead to a violation of the repair and construction of cells-the level of thyroid hormones responsible for the rate of metabolism decreases.
Following the thyroid gland, the reproductive system is disrupted – the levels of testosterone in men and estrogen in women fall. This is manifested by a decrease in libido and the cessation of menstruation in women.
In addition, a strict diet increases the level of cortisol-the stress hormone that causes fluid retention and the breakdown of muscle tissue. Therefore, nutritionists recommend switching to a proper diet without stress, as well as controlling stress during weight loss.
How to determine a violation of the hormonal background
The best way to determine the state of the metabolism and endocrine system is to consult a doctor, and then take tests for blood biochemistry and hormones.
Conclusions about the state of metabolism can be made based on subjective indicators: well-being, temperature, physiological manifestations.
- If you feel bad on a diet – you want to sleep, get tired quickly, do not feel any joy, do not think clearly, feel a lack of physical strength, then you are somewhere in the first stage and have the opportunity to stop mocking yourself before it is too late.
- If the body temperature has dropped by 0.5 degrees, then this indicates a 10% slowdown in metabolism. Losing weight often has a temperature of 35.5 degrees, at which the metabolism slows down by 20%. Temperatures below 35 degrees are fatal.
- If the libido level has decreased, the menstrual cycle has been disrupted, or menstruation has stopped altogether, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor. The absence of menstruation leads to premature menopause, infertility and other serious diseases.
What to do to maintain or restore the hormonal background?
To maintain the hormonal background, you do not need to cut your diet too much. And since the body reacts to any reduction in calories, it is necessary to take breaks in the diet to restore it. Breaking down weight loss into cycles is especially important for people who are overweight. One cycle with a deficit of 10-20% is 6-8 weeks, followed by a break at the maintenance level of calories for 1-2 weeks.
The calorie deficit on the diet should not be lower than the level of available energy. Nutritionist Lyle McDonald defines “available energy” as the difference between the consumption and expenditure of calories in a workout. These are the calories that go to maintain biological processes.
Let’s say you eat 1,700 calories and consume 400 calories in a workout. The available energy is 1,300 calories. If it is too little, the body slows down the metabolism and turns off some functions.
The calculation of available energy is based on your dry body weight-your weight without fat. That is, you take away the percentage of fat from your weight and get a dry weight.
For example, with a weight of 60 kg and 25% fat, the dry weight is 45 kg.
The range of available energy ranges from 20 to 30 calories. For the calculation, it is necessary to multiply 20-30 kcal by the dry weight.
For example, 30 x 45 = 1350 kcal.
So many calories should remain in the body in reserve. Add to this the number of calories burned during training and get a caloric intake for this day.
For example, 1350 + 400 = 1750 kcal.
When calculating the available energy, women need to stick to the upper range. Already at 25 kcal per kilogram of dry weight, the activity of thyroid hormones decreases.
Thanks to one study with the participation of female athletes, it was found out that with the available energy of 30 kcal per kilogram of dry weight, it is possible to maintain the cycle during the diet. According to Lyle McDonald, it is possible to restore the menstrual cycle by increasing its level to 31 kcal due to nutrition or reducing training activity.
Hormonal disorders are easier to prevent than to restore. Do not torment yourself with diets and hunger strikes, eat right and exercise, and most importantly, be attentive to yourself and your health.