You may have noticed that when you start your weight loss journey, during the initial phase you lose weight quickly and the weighing scale may show huge changes in a very short period. But as you progress on your journey the same weighing scale starts becoming adamant and the rate at which you were losing weight decreases.
This may proceed to a point that your weight loss halts completely and that you may hit a plateau. If you have attempted dieting multiple times you may have also noticed that you are not progressing with weight loss and in fact, you end up regaining more weight with each progressive dieting attempt.
Such a situation can get very frustrating and this is quite understandable. But, instead of getting anxious about it let us try to understand why this happens and what you can do in such cases?
Metabolic adaptation – What is it?
Metabolic adaptation is the response of your body to your weight loss efforts. The body uses this as a mechanism of survival. It is because of metabolic adaptation that you do not lose weight further or may regain more weight when you attempt dieting multiple times. It is also referred to as adaptive thermogenesis. Some people may even think that their metabolism is broken, but that’s not true.
Metabolic adaptation is not a clear-cut concept and is often not very well understood in the scientific community as most seem to think it is. Many have said that metabolic adaptation is just an illusion, and is also frequently and inaccurately referred to as metabolic damage. This phrase is most often used in the fitness community as a way to describe the changes that take place within the metabolism when an individual consumes very less calories for a very long time.
How does Metabolic Adaptation happen in the Body?
We all know that a negative energy balance will result in weight loss if sustained over time. Although the energy balance concept, i.e. energy intake vs. energy expenditure seems very simple in reality this is not so.
There are many physiological as well as behavioural changes that occur with calorie restriction that make weight loss progressively more difficult to sustain. This makes it important for us to understand that energy balance is dynamic in nature and that these series of “metabolic adaptations” can affect body mass loss and body mass regain over time. Let us see how this happens.
As you go on a calorie deficit to lose weight your body recognizes this net decrease in calories and in response decreases each component of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Now, your TDEE consists of the 3 main components resting metabolic rate (RMR), thermic effect of food (TEF), and physical activity-induced thermogenesis all of which decrease with weight loss.
The loss of lean body mass consisting of metabolically active tissues and organs (e.g., skeletal muscle, heart, liver, and kidneys) results in decreased RMR; the reduction in food intake invariably results in the decreased thermic effect of food; and the reduction in body weight results in decreased energy cost of movement and, thus, decreased physical activity-induced thermogenesis.
The endocrine system also plays a significant role in metabolic adaptation. There is a down‐regulation of several hormones like leptin, insulin, testosterone, and thyroid hormones involved in regulating metabolic rate during a caloric deficit with subsequent increases in cortisol and ghrelin. As a result, the brain receives signals that the body is in a state of low energy and the metabolic adaptations that occur are aimed at preserving body fat and reversing the effects of weight loss.
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Who can get affected?
Metabolic adaptation can happen to anybody who intentionally or unintentionally is on a large calorie deficit for prolonged period.
The majority of the time it is the beginners who are affected by metabolic adaptation. If you are new to the fitness lifestyle you are very much vulnerable to falling into traps of fad diets and dietary myths. In addition, social media and the advertising industry have negative effects on many.
This is due to a lack of proper knowledge on weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. This results in the consumption of very low calories as certain foods or entire food groups get cut out from the diet. This is unhealthy for various reasons. In general, the body will get adapted to the low-calorie levels and will down-regulate your metabolism to counteract the effects.
Metabolic adaptation is also noticed in professional bodybuilders, fitness competitors, and members of the fitness community who follow very strict dieting phases to prepare for competitions and photoshoots
How can you combat metabolic adaptation?
A Gradual Reduction in Calories
Beginning a dieting phase by gradually reducing calories instead of initially cutting calories drastically can prolong metabolic adaptation from occurring. This method also promotes sustainability in terms of continuing to decrease calories as the body adapts without reaching a calorie restriction that is too severe too quickly.
Realistic Goals
You should also remember to set realistic goals when on a weight loss journey to not let your body adapt. Goals like “losing 5 kgs in a month” may not be achievable and you may subject yourself to a larger calorie deficit to meet your goals thus leading to metabolic adaptation. Focus on a healthy weight loss rate rather than faster weight loss.
Refeeding
Another strategy is incorporating refeeding days into your diet. Refeeding combats the adaptation process by tricking the brain into believing that you are well-nourished without actually gaining body fat thereby keeping your metabolism up during an energy deficit. Refeeds may even promote sustainability during a dieting phase by giving individuals one or two days a week to look forward to a day of increased food intake. But one must remember that this is not a free pass for overeating.
You need to understand that the human body is complex and that it gets adjusted to different types of conditions you subject it to, be it physical or emotional. Hence you need to plan your diets and workouts strategically so that you get maximum benefits from the same without getting adapted. It is advisable to enrol yourself under a certified nutrition and fitness expert who can design your diets and your workouts to avoid metabolic adaptations.
Have you ever suffered from metabolic adaptation? Let us know in the comments section below.
Author: Dr Pooja Nilgar (Content writer and editor)
References
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- Casanova, N., Beaulieu, K., Finlayson, G. and Hopkins, M., 2019. Metabolic adaptations during negative energy balance and their potential impact on appetite and food intake. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(3), pp.279-289.
- LaHaie, B., 2017. Flexible Dieting and Metabolic Adaptation During Weight Loss: A Comprehensive Review.
- Martínez-Gómez, M.G. and Roberts, B.M., 2021. Metabolic Adaptations to Weight Loss: A Brief Review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
- Martins, C., Roekenes, J., Salamati, S., Gower, B.A. and Hunter, G.R., 2020. Metabolic adaptation is an illusion, only present when participants are in negative energy balance. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 112(5), pp.1212-1218.
- Magkos, F., 2020. On adaptive thermogenesis: just another weight-loss tale?. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 112(5), pp.1157-1159.
