How cutting calories makes it even harder to lose weight

If you've been struggling with your weight loss - despite adhering to NHS guidelines that advise cutting 500 calories a day from your diet to shed roughly half a kilo per week - you're not alone.

According to experts from the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, cutting calories slows down your metabolism. Losing weight then becomes harder and eventually plateaus, according to the Telegraph.

Scientists from the Institute have programmed an online calculator that helps design a weight loss programme tailored to body shape, diet, age, height, weight, sex and physical activity levels, which can be used by people to calculate how much weight they would lose by making certain lifestyle changes.

According to the experts, eating around 100 fewer calories a day can help you lose 10lbs over the next three years, and up to five pounds in the first year (in contrast to cutting out 500 calories a day, which sees you dropping five pounds in six months).

"The contrast is that the old rule of thumb predicts twice as much weight loss after a year and it gets worse after that," said one of the online calculator's designers, Dr. Kevin Hall, speaking at a conference in Vancouver.

"People have used this rule of thumb to predict how much weight they should lose for decades now, and it turns out to be completely wrong.

"If you cut the calories in somebody's diet their metabolism starts to slow down, and it slows down more the more weight is lost, so eventually you'll reach a plateau."

According to Dr. Hall, the online calculator can help people get a realistic sense of what changes they need to make to their diets and physical activity levels to achieve their weight loss goals.

"If you've expected to lose twice as much weight after a year as you actually lose, I think that's horribly demotivating to people," he said.
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6 Fun Weight Loss Tricks

Mindless munching can end up in extra inches on your thighs, stomach, buttocks, arms and every place you store fat. Use the following 6 fun weight loss tricks to shed extra pounds in the most efficient way.

Re-think your cooking habits and define the changes you want in your look and health condition. Balance portions and take special care of calorie intake. Snack on vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits to get rid of the guilt of overeating and munching. Skim through this list of 6 fun weight loss tricks and start the transformation right here and right now!

1. Start Lunch with Raw Vegetables

If you want to control your appetite on a long term, it is highly recommended to use this simple slimming maneuver. Start your lunch with raw vegetables or a delicious salad in which you combine carrots, lettuce, celery and other ingredients. This is the secret to make sure you consume less from the calorie-rich main dishes.

2. Swap Meat Sandwich for Avocado Sandwich

Opt for easy-to-digest snacks to keep your metabolism and digestive system in top shape. Ditch sausage and other high-fat types of meat for avocado and other veggie wraps.

A similar low-calorie sandwich will do perfectly for lunch or breakfast. Make the most of the antioxidant-content of avocado and lose weight without actually noticing it.

3. Eat Quinoa Pasta

Incorporate quinoa into your cooking plan and enjoy the nutritive benefits of this tasty whole grain. Swap brown rice and other difficult-to-digest elements with this simple diet food you'll find at every grocery store. Look for recipes which require the use of quinoa. Team it up with veggies and coconut oil rather than olive oil or meat.

4. Eat Fruit Before Your Main Meal Not After

This is one of the common mistakes dieters make. Eating a fruit right after finishing a main meal can create a real obstacle for your digestive system. Different fruits are broken down very quickly, therefore if you have them as dessert, your digestive system will be too busy dealing with the nutrients from the main dish and the fruits will actually rot in your stomach before being digested. It sounds pretty scary! Therefore, have your fave fruit either 2 hours later or 30 minutes before having your lunch or dinner.

5. Ditch Cooked Fruit Spreads

Are you fond of delicious cooked fruit spreads? According to specialists, these ingredients can't do anything good for our organism and slimming project. In spite of leaving out artificial sugar and preserving ingredients, cooked fruits will make the spread more acidic. Fresh fruits should be your top diet options instead of spending a fortune on 'homemade' fruit spreads.

6. Sweeten Your Desserts and Food with Stevia

Use this magical herb to rule out the chance of consuming extra calories from artificial sweeteners. Add a delicious and sugary taste to your desserts and main dishes without making any dramatic changes in your blood sugar level. Control your appetite and purchase ingredients which help you achieve your weight loss goals.

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