Many women come to us with a common issue: their bodies no longer respond to diet and exercise as they did in their younger years. Women in their 40s often find that weight loss strategies that worked in their 20s and 30s are no longer effective. This includes everything from low-carb and vegan diets to various fasting methods. Unfortunately, these extreme dieting measures can often backfire, negatively affecting metabolism, mental health, hormones, and sexual health.
Strength coach and Women of Wellness Winner, Tricia Yap, who has coached hundreds of women in Hong Kong since co-founding Bikini Fit in 2012, understands these challenges deeply. Many of our female coaches at Limitless have faced similar struggles, from nervous system dysregulation stalling fat loss to weight gain upon perimenopause. This is why we prioritize a more empathetic and knowledgeable approach. We recognize that the number on the scale becomes less significant than feeling comfortable and healthy in your body.
Tricia Yap at The Menopause Festival Hong Kong
Our commitment is rooted in personal experiences, science-backed evidence, and direct feedback from our clients. At Limitless, we are dedicated to helping women recover from harmful dieting practices, aiming to foster a healthy relationship with food and their bodies for sustainable well-being. Be sure to scroll down for tips on rebuilding after diet extremes.
First, Let’s Understanding Metabolic Slowdown and the Toll of Crash Dieting
Crash dieting often involves severe caloric restriction, which not only deprives the body of essential nutrients but also triggers a notable slowdown in metabolic rate. This process, known as “metabolic adaptation,” occurs as the body shifts into survival mode, conserving energy in preparation for perceived scarcity. Research shows that such dietary restrictions can lead to a prolonged decrease in basal metabolic rate, complicating efforts to lose weight and facilitating easier weight gain.
Prolonged restrictive eating can lead to a condition where your metabolism becomes highly efficient at operating on fewer calories, which can significantly slow it down and make healthy fat loss more difficult. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that extreme calorie restriction drastically reduces levels of the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), essential for maintaining metabolic rate. This research demonstrated that a very low-calorie diet could decrease T3 levels by up to 66%, while a more balanced diet caused a lesser reduction, about 40%.
Moreover, restrictive dieting can also adversely affect mental health. According to the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, such diets can heighten stress, anxiety, and body image distortion, significantly impacting overall life satisfaction. At Limitless, we focus on the importance of mental health alongside physical fitness, providing supportive care and balanced nutrition to help women recover from the negative impacts of extreme dieting.
Rebuilding After Diet Extremes
Here’s how we help women restore trust in their bodies:
- In-depth Understanding: We adopt a Functional Medicine approach to delve deeply into the root causes of weight retention. Often, the challenge isn’t merely about excessive eating; it’s about understanding why the body feels compelled to hold onto fat, viewing it as a protective mechanism against perceived threats.
- Phasic Application: We implement plans that balance long-term health goals with short-term achievements. Our bodies naturally resist abrupt changes (a phenomenon known as homeostasis), and sudden shifts can activate a stress response. By gradually introducing changes, we nurture the body’s trust, bolstering confidence and self-belief even during challenging periods. This method includes making incremental nutritional changes, progressing through training routines, and designing habits that fits into your lifestyle.
- Strength Training: Essential for increasing muscle mass, which in turn boosts metabolism, strength training also significantly enhances mental health through the release of endorphins. Research underscores the importance of muscle health not just for fitness but as a critical indicator of longevity.
- Habits, Routines, and Rituals: We focus on creating harmony among your lifestyle practices. It’s not about perfection in every action but about establishing a sustainable, meaningful, and healthy process. View habits, routines, and rituals as reliable tools that gradually make maintaining health feel effortless. Our Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, Emily Tan, shares 7 ways you can design new health habits that fit with your existing habits.
- Community Support: At Limitless, we believe in the power of community and Small Group Personal Training. Sharing experiences and strategies provides vital support and motivation, driving personal growth and resilience.
For more insights and practical tips on maintaining a healthy metabolism and enhancing mental well-being, subscribe to our newsletter – where we celebrate health without extremes.