Diet culture exists for a variety of reasons, and the purpose of someone's diet should be focused on the results they are pursuing. Performance nutrition walks a fine line of what diets should be avoided, and what diet one should direct their focus towards. While this post discusses just two types of dieting, it is important to note that diets can form for many other reasons, some of which will be discussed at a later time.
Dieting for weight loss- this will never stop being relevant. It seems as though anywhere you look you can find someone dieting for weight loss. What's one main contributor to weight loss? If you're thinking about caloric deficit, we're thinking the same thing. It's as simple as that-calories in are less than calories out. But is it that simple? Unfortunately, not quite.
I like to use the term quality over quantity. By this I mean that even if you're maintaining a significant caloric deficit, if you're simply eating foods that are bad for you it'll be much harder to see that weight loss, if at all. Another important aspect to remember is that not everyone loses weight at the same rate. While calorie counting might be helpful, there are many other influential factors to notice such as heart rate, hormones, sleep and more. Dieting is highly individualized.
With a brief overview of what a caloric deficit is pertaining to weight loss, it is important to recognize a caloric deficit pertaining to sports and performance nutrition. While it is not uncommon for individuals to lose weight when they're in such a strict and taxing workout routine, it is most important that these individuals are getting enough to eat. An athlete who is restricting calories is likely sacrificing some recovery, and in turn, some performance aspects.
Ensuring a competitive athlete is consuming enough calories to replace what they used throughout their day can pose a great challenge. Highly active individuals might feel like they are overeating, once they start consuming enough to replace the energy that they burn. This concerns many people thinking that they won't lose weight, or maybe they will even gain it. However, that is not the case. To put it simply, eating a sufficient amount allows muscle synthesis to take place which otherwise would not occur in the state of a caloric deficit. Muscles help the body burn fat more effectively, so with proper athlete fueling one has the potential for fat loss, increased muscle strength and power which ultimately can benefit performance.
Calories provide us with energy to perform. When an individual is planning to begin a certain diet or change in routine, they should consider their ultimate goal. Dieting for weight loss and dieting for performance should look very different. Caloric deficits in individuals training to perform will provide the body with a lower level of energy availability. That being said, a caloric deficit in any case can get tricky.
While being in a state where calories in is less than calories out can be rewarding, it can also be very dangerous. Many times, individuals start restricting which often leads to more restriction and sometimes into a downward spiral. This eventually can lead to a major caloric deficit that is not healthy in any way and something that anyone dieting should keep in mind.