When you decide to take care of your body weight, you may hear something scary, metabolic damage. Many people say that you can have metabolic damage because of your diet. The reason is you burn fewer calories than you suppose to do based on your weight and activity levels. It looks like a calorie deficit that lasts too long and damages your metabolism for weeks or even years.
The first time I heard of metabolic damage was when I had trouble gaining muscle. I followed my training program and my diet, but I stalled. I talked about this problem with a gym member and his answer was: “You have metabolic damage. You have to change everything, you f * cked up”. This guy stressed me out, it was crazy.
This theory of metabolic damage is a lie. Some people fail to lose weight or gain weight and create excuses. The problem is that people talk about it so much that it seems like a scientific theory, but it’s a fake theory.
Unmasked metabolic damage
Go further. Several studies show that you may have a decrease in metabolism due to a long period of a low-calorie diet. This decline is around 5 to 15%. Changes in energy expenditure resulting from altered body weight is a study that shows it.
And to have a metabolism reduction of more than 10%, there are two things to do. First of all, you have to reduce your body weight by about 10%. Second, you need a low-calorie diet with little protein and no workout. Unfortunately, the second fact is a huge mistake.
You know what? We’re lucky. The body is so amazing that when you have a drop in your metabolic rate, you can reverse it. It’s simple, increase your calories with a high protein diet and follow a training program. Read this study to find out more, effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
Metabolic damage is not the right term. It’s a decrease in your metabolism rate instead of damage. The word damage means you are destroying your metabolism, but it’s not. You can restore it with good nutrition. I’m sure a marketing department has created this term to scare people and make more sales. But it’s a fake theory and now that you know it, you can have results.
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-Steph