When it comes to dieting, research shows the majority of people will regain some—if not most—of the weight they’ve lost. While there are many reasons why this weight regain may happen, some popular claims online are that it’s because dieting permanently wrecks your metabolism. But while it’s true that dieting slows your metabolism, it also improves your metabolism in many positive ways. When we talk about metabolism, we’re typically referring to your metabolic rate. This is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Of course, the more activity we do, the more calories we burn. In order to lose weight through dieting, you need to consume fewer calories than you’re using. This forces the body to use its energy stores—such as fat—to meet the shortfall. Your metabolic rate will also change as a result. The loss of lean tissue (muscle) when you diet—which burns around 15 to 25 calories per kilogram each …