Most people spend the majority of their life in a semi-starved state with short periods of unintentional overfeeding mixed in.
This is what you call yo-yo dieting – constant efforts to lose weight followed by unwanted weight gain/regain.
If this sounds like you let me propose a different strategy – one that has nothing to do with trying to lose weight, yet typically leads to that reality anyways…
Eat to fuel your body and mind for optimum performance.
Get out of the weight loss mentality where everything you do is for that singular purpose, and instead start exercising and eating with performance in mind.
Is the nutrition choice you’re about to make going to make you feel lethargic, hangry, and deprived? Or is it going to help you set personal bests in the gym, give you better energy, and an improved mood?
Are you thinking about what this choice is going to do to the scale tomorrow? Or are you considering whether you’re fueling right for a great run in the morning?
Fit people tend to eat more than the average person, not less. They eat to perform their best in the gym and in life and their body changes to accommodate that goal.
Perpetually starving yourself accomplishes neither weight loss nor improved performance. You need sufficient calories to build muscle, get stronger, run faster, or run longer. And you need sufficient calories to stay consistent and adherent with your eating so you don’t feel restricted and deprived and fall into the yo-yo dieting trap.
Intentional weight loss doesn’t work for most people. When long-term weight loss does happen it tends to be a side effect of other goals.
So if you’re struggling with your weight, feel miserable, and you can’t stick to your plan for more than a few days, weeks, or even months – then try eating for performance and see what the side effect ends up being. You might be pleasantly surprised.