Careless Dieting Might Make You Sick

People all over the country—both men and women—try to lose weight fast by eating less. It's true that to drop pounds you have to burn more calories than you take in. Eating less and exercising more can help you accomplish this. But, when it comes to eating less, you don't want to overdo it.

Researchers have found that if you cut your daily calorie intake by 30% or more, you may be damaging your immune system. For example if you eat 2500 calories a day and you reduce you calories to 1750 a day, you might be doing some unexpected harm.

Technically 1750 calories a day is safe. It won't drop your energy levels or cause you to starve. But the sudden drop in calories might make you more prone to illness. The cells in your immune system that "remember" how to fight off diseases are called B cells. A 30% reduction in calories causes a dramatic decline in B cell numbers. That mean that bugs you'd normally be able to fight off might gain a hold and you might spend more time being sick.

So, if you want to lose weight, what should you do?

Instead of dramatically reducing your caloric intake all at once, consider scaling back gradually, giving your body time to adjust to fewer calories before making further reductions.

For example, if you eat 2500 calories a day, start with a 10% reduction. Eat like that for a few weeks and then try to reduce a little more. This method has other advantages, too. By taking it in small steps, you'll be more likely to build good habits and stick with your new eating plan. And that means you'll have a better chance of permanently losing weight rather than gaining it back a few months later like most people do.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace