Most of us have dieted at some point in our lives. Studies show that the rate of permanent weight loss with diets does not exceed 3-5%. So why is this so? Before we explain this, we need to explain the concept called 'basal metabolism'. Basal metabolism is the amount of energy in calories required for our organs to work during the day. The basal metabolic rate in young adult males is between 1000-1400 cal and 1200-1600 cal in men. Basal metabolism decreases with age. Genetic factors, body fat-muscle ratio, stress, sleep patterns are factors that affect basal metabolism.
Basal metabolic rate for men is calculated with the following formula: 66.5+(13.75xkg)+(5.03xheight)-(6.75xage). If you are wondering about your basal metabolic rate, you can easily calculate it with this formula or from the internet.
Let's say your basal metabolism is 1400 calories and you have spent 1000 calories with daily activities. The energy you spent that day was 2400 calories. If you got more than 2400 calories of energy from what you ate that day (let's say 3500 calories), the difference of 1100 calories is stored in your body as fat. The logic in diets is to try to stay under 2400 calories, that is, to restrict the calories we take from outside food. Thus, it is aimed to lose weight by forcing the body to use storage fats.
I wish it was this easy. When a person starts a diet, they lose weight very well at first. But it doesn't always go like this. Despite following her diet to the letter, her weight loss slows down or comes to a standstill after a certain period of time. This is because the body lowers the basal metabolic rate by saying "this person is starving, so I should switch to thrift mode, limit my spending" . In order to break this resistance, a person needs to follow a more strict diet or increase the calories burned by activities such as sports. This is not a sustainable situation. After a while, people get tired and cannot continue this situation any longer. A break from diets begins. Then, with the introduction of old eating habits, the lost weight is quickly regained (yo-yo syndrome).
Another misunderstood fact is that I gain weight, so my metabolism is slow. If you look at the formula above, you will see that the basal metabolic rate increases as the weight increases. So, if people with obesity problems have a faster metabolism, why can't they lose weight easily even though they diet? Because after a while after starting diets, the body enters the mode of frugality.
Here is the difference between bariatric surgery and diets. Gastric sleeve gastrectomy surgery takes you to the top in a fast and comfortable way by wearing a rocket on your back without getting tired. But it should not be forgotten that healthy nutrition and diets will always exist in our lives. Bariatric surgery is just a touch away. It's up to us to stay at that top for a long time.
