Is this a Myth?

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kiela64
kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
A dietician I spoke with told me I shouldn't eat under 1600cal because if I ate 1400 for a while and switched to 1600, instead of continuing to lose more slowly I would gain weight.

This doesn't make sense to me from what I've read, it doesn't follow CICO, unless you lose enough to make 1600cal/day over your bmr or tdee or something. In which case that would just mean you'd need to readjust your calorie intake which would happen at that point anyway? idgi...

I'm not against eating 1600cal/day, for other reasons like satiety or nutrition or energy level, but I don't want to panic if I have a day at 1200 or 1300 if I don't need to. If you know of proof for either pov, I'd be happy to read it. Thanks :)

Replies

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    It's alarming that even people who make money with it seem to largely have no clue. You're right, if 1400 is a deficit of more than 199, 1600 is at worst maintenance.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    Does anyone have any articles or studies/other info that points to this? She's very insistent that this is the case, gaining weight if you increase your calories in a deficit, which doesn't fit with things I've read here. It stresses me out, because she is a professional so I'd like to do more research, if anyone knows something! Thanks :)
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    Ask her for research based on her claims? As a professional, she should be able to provide resources for you or at least where to find them.

    Other than that, someone else might have to help with the articles. I personally never bothered because CICO has worked for me, and it works for others. Which in my opinion, shows more than any "controlled study" can.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    kae612 wrote: »
    A dietician I spoke with told me I shouldn't eat under 1600cal because if I ate 1400 for a while and switched to 1600, instead of continuing to lose more slowly I would gain weight.

    It's true if you burned....say.....1500 calories in a day which is unlikely.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited September 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • OsricTheKnight
    OsricTheKnight Posts: 340 Member
    kae612 wrote: »
    Does anyone have any articles or studies/other info that points to this? She's very insistent that this is the case, gaining weight if you increase your calories in a deficit, which doesn't fit with things I've read here. It stresses me out, because she is a professional so I'd like to do more research, if anyone knows something! Thanks :)

    Find another advisor.

    Osric
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Just totally false. Be careful with doctors and their weight loss 'advice' - these people aren't nutritionists and they are actually very limited in their knowledge of weight loss and diet. When my Doctor told me I was overweight, he shrugged his shoulders and said "Cut out all carbs". I didn't listen to him and continued eating my carbs but had a calorie deficit - I've dropped 30 lbs. Tempted to visit my doctor with a nice big jacket potato lunch!
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited September 2015
    kae612 wrote: »
    Does anyone have any articles or studies/other info that points to this? She's very insistent that this is the case, gaining weight if you increase your calories in a deficit, which doesn't fit with things I've read here. It stresses me out, because she is a professional so I'd like to do more research, if anyone knows something! Thanks :)
    A study that says increasing calories while staying in a deficit will cause fat gain. I think it's safe to say that no one in the universe has such a study.

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    This is absurd.
    Let's go back to basics here -
    Calorie deficit for weight loss
    Maintenance calories to maintain
    Surplus for weight gain.

    Let's say I'm eating 1,500 at a deficit. Let's say my maintenance is 2000. If I ate 1700, I would not gain. Because I'm still at a deficit .
    It always comes down to cico.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    No, it's not a myth. It's just absolutely not true.

    So what she is telling you is that even if your maintenance point was say 2000 calories, and you are eating 1400 calories to lose weight, if you happen to eat 1600 calories, even though it is still below maintenance you will gain weight?

    See how ridiculous that sounds?
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited September 2015
    PinkPixiexox wrote: »
    Just totally false. Be careful with doctors and their weight loss 'advice' - these people aren't nutritionists and they are actually very limited in their knowledge of weight loss and diet. When my Doctor told me I was overweight, he shrugged his shoulders and said "Cut out all carbs". I didn't listen to him and continued eating my carbs but had a calorie deficit - I've dropped 30 lbs. Tempted to visit my doctor with a nice big jacket potato lunch!

    In the OP's case, this is not a doctor giving her that advice, it is a Dietician (hopefully a Registered Dietician rather than a nutritionist) who should be on top of all recent information.

    I agree, any medical professional who makes a claim should be able to provide material (at the very least citations so you can look it up yourself) to back it up, especially when it goes against conventional wisdom.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    PinkPixiexox wrote: »
    Just totally false. Be careful with doctors and their weight loss 'advice' - these people aren't nutritionists and they are actually very limited in their knowledge of weight loss and diet. When my Doctor told me I was overweight, he shrugged his shoulders and said "Cut out all carbs". I didn't listen to him and continued eating my carbs but had a calorie deficit - I've dropped 30 lbs. Tempted to visit my doctor with a nice big jacket potato lunch!

    In the OP's case, this is not a doctor giving her that advice, it is a Dietician (hopefully a Registered Dietician rather than a nutritionist.

    I agree, any medical professional who makes a claim should be able to provide material (at the very least citations so you can look it up yourself) to back it up, especially when it goes against conventional wisdom.

    Lol! Hopefully NOT a Registered Dietician if they are that clueless.

  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited September 2015
    jeffpettis wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    PinkPixiexox wrote: »
    Just totally false. Be careful with doctors and their weight loss 'advice' - these people aren't nutritionists and they are actually very limited in their knowledge of weight loss and diet. When my Doctor told me I was overweight, he shrugged his shoulders and said "Cut out all carbs". I didn't listen to him and continued eating my carbs but had a calorie deficit - I've dropped 30 lbs. Tempted to visit my doctor with a nice big jacket potato lunch!

    In the OP's case, this is not a doctor giving her that advice, it is a Dietician (hopefully a Registered Dietician rather than a nutritionist.

    I agree, any medical professional who makes a claim should be able to provide material (at the very least citations so you can look it up yourself) to back it up, especially when it goes against conventional wisdom.

    Lol! Hopefully NOT a Registered Dietician if they are that clueless.

    Good point. I would expect something like this from a nutritionist, not a RD (which makes it worse if it IS a RD that the OP is seeing)

  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    PinkPixiexox wrote: »
    Just totally false. Be careful with doctors and their weight loss 'advice' - these people aren't nutritionists and they are actually very limited in their knowledge of weight loss and diet. When my Doctor told me I was overweight, he shrugged his shoulders and said "Cut out all carbs". I didn't listen to him and continued eating my carbs but had a calorie deficit - I've dropped 30 lbs. Tempted to visit my doctor with a nice big jacket potato lunch!

    In the OP's case, this is not a doctor giving her that advice, it is a Dietician (hopefully a Registered Dietician rather than a nutritionist) who should be on top of all recent information.

    I agree, any medical professional who makes a claim should be able to provide material (at the very least citations so you can look it up yourself) to back it up, especially when it goes against conventional wisdom.

    Eeeeek, sorry - that's me not reading the original post properly!!! :blush:
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    jeffpettis wrote: »
    No, it's not a myth. It's just absolutely not true.

    So what she is telling you is that even if your maintenance point was say 2000 calories, and you are eating 1400 calories to lose weight, if you happen to eat 1600 calories, even though it is still below maintenance you will gain weight?

    See how ridiculous that sounds?

    Yeah, it sounded so absurd. I agree with others I should have asked her to back it up, but I was just so stunned I didn't.

    Thanks everyone!
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,253 Member
    kae612 wrote: »
    Does anyone have any articles or studies/other info that points to this? She's very insistent that this is the case, gaining weight if you increase your calories in a deficit, which doesn't fit with things I've read here. It stresses me out, because she is a professional so I'd like to do more research, if anyone knows something! Thanks :)

    The onus is on her to prove her claim first, not to disprove what has not been proven.

    As a general rule: If they attempt to throw credentials, then they cannot explain it. If they cannot explain it, then they do not understand it.

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited September 2015
    By that logic, no one would be able to maintain. Its faulty logic otherwise.

    Lets assume eating at a deficit leads to weight loss. If we are also to believe that eating at a smaller deficit leads to weight gain, then people must either a) eat at a deficit and lose weight til they waste away or b) regain weight if you increase your calories. Maintenance would never happen.
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