What Is The Metabolic Confusion Diet and Is It Healthy?
In a nutshell, the metabolic confusion diet is based on the notion that, by following an alternating cycle of weekly or monthly calorie intake, you can “trick” your metabolism and make it burn more fat. But does it really work? Is it really safe and sustainable long term?
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In simple terms, this is how the Metabolic confusion (MC) diet works: Some days of the week, you’re allowed up to 2,000 calories, while the other days you must keep it under 1,200. There is no restriction on what you can eat, only the amount of calories you consume per day. While this “fad diet” did show some weight loss results in those who participated in a few small studies, the bottom line is that it still needs a lot more study, testing and positive conclusive evidence backed up by science in order to be recognized and accepted as “fully healthy and effective” for the general public.
Additionally, the name of the diet itself is pretty misleading, as it is impossible to actually confuse your metabolism. The fact is, everyone’s metabolism is somewhat different, and most health and dietary experts agree in unison that it’s best to work with what you’ve got, instead of going against it.
An Important Note Regarding The MC Diet
Despite this, if you still wish to go ahead and take up the MC diet, it would be wise to be a bit cautious in order to minimize any risk to your health and wellbeing. The main reason you need to be careful with any new diet, especially fad diets like MC, is that you may be taking certain medications or supplements, or have certain dietary restrictions and/or health conditions that are incompatible with the diet. Worse still, it may even cause you harm.
With that being said, let’s get to the skinny of both sides of the argument, after which you’ll be able to make a more well informed decision.
Listed below are some of the positive and negative aspects regarding the controversial metabolic confusion diet.
Advantage #1: It Allows Room For Some Flexibility
One of the primary advantages of the MC diet is that it doesn’t force you to buy or prepare pre – portioned meals, and you don’t need to stick to a fixed and boring workout plan either. According to those who have tried this diet, the limited freedom and optionality the MC diet allows makes it easier to follow and stick to than a typical run of the mill diet program that’s overly restrictive.
On top of that, many people who follow the Metabolic Confusion Diet have found that they don’t feel the urge to stuff themselves on high-calorie days, which, in its own right, helps with keeping the weight off.
Advantage #2: Enhanced Metabolic Rate
Your metabolic rate is the rate at which your metabolism burns calories, which inevitably leads to weight loss. Because the Metabolic Confusion Diet keeps your metabolism on edge, your metabolic rate never settles in one place and becomes flexible, depending on the day and how many calories you take in. This Metabolic flexibility means your body is geared and ready to burn and store carbohydrates when needed, as well as managing the storage and release of fat from fat stores. This can ultimately improve insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing the overall risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Disadvantage #1: Potentially Restrictive
Although the daily calorie restriction with the MC diet isn’t as restrictive as other diets, it may not be sufficient or safe for everyone.Depending on your height and weight, 1,200 calories on your low calorie days may not be enough for you to sustain a healthy weight loss, depending on your height and
weight. Furthermore, in that same regard, 2,000 calories may be too few calories during the high-calorie days as well. Because the Metabolic Confusion Diet doesn’t take major things like preexisting health concerns, exercise levels, or muscle-to-fat ratio into account, the 1,200/2,000 calorie restriction is not suitable for everyone.
Disadvantage #2: Unsustainable And Unbalanced In The Long Term
The MC diet may not restrict what foods you eat, but it only focuses on limiting your calorie intake. It totally neglects other important nutritional qualities, such as sufficient protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and so on. Plus, the calorie restriction will leave you feeling hungry and wanting to eat more, which is completely counterproductive. Because of this, many people find that following restrictive diet protocols like the MC is unsustainable in the long run.
Final Thoughts
In the grand scheme of things, there is no such thing as “one diet fits all.” The greater likelihood is that, in conjunction with daily exercise, you’ll find other tried and true diets to be way more beneficial and effective in maintaining satiety, good health and weight loss in the long term, such as the top ranking Mediterranean diet that focuses on more protein and natural foods, and less carbs per meal.
Therefore, as previously mentioned, it’s highly advised to consult with your primary doctor and / or a professional dietician first, in order to determine whether or not this newfangled diet is truly safe and healthy for you.
