Calorie deficit... for how long??

andresconejo

Hi
Ive been restricting my calories since november, ive lost 30lbs but started using MFP like a month ago and i noticedi use to eat around 900 calories a day and right now im not wanting to loose any pounds i just want to maintain... the thing is, im worried, since ive been eating so low calories since like 10months will this slow down my metabolism? or how long will that take to happen?

shadow2soul

Yes you probably have slowed your metabolism down. The time it takes for metabolic slow down will vary from person to person.

I would slowly increase your calories. Probably by like 100 per week or so. It is also normal for people to gain a few pounds when they switch from a modest deficit to maintaining, so don't be surprised if by switching from a large deficit to maintaining you gain a little bit of the weight back.

andresconejo

Ok but how do i know if ive slowed my metabolism down?

cingle87

If you have been eating only 900 calories for the past ten months, then unfortuantly you have already slowed it down. Your body has got use to eating next to nothing so it has to store and much as it can and not use as much for fuel. My suggestion is to slowly increase your net calories up by 100 calories per week to you TDEE, this will give your body time to adjust to the increase in calories and wont be as big of a shock to it.

shadow2soul

Only true way to know would be if you had it tested by a doctor before you started and if you had it tested now, but giving the fact that you have been doing this for 10 months than it's a pretty safe bet that you slowed your metabolism.

cingle87

Have it checked by a doctor, he will only be able to tell you what it is now and how it compares to the "norm"

recover_healthy_fit

YUP. You will. Happened to me...And it's hard to burn off....

recover_healthy_fit

If you have been eating only 900 calories for the past ten months, then unfortuantly you have already slowed it down. Your body has got use to eating next to nothing so it has to store and much as it can and not use as much for fuel. My suggestion is to slowly increase your net calories up by 100 calories per week to you TDEE, this will give your body time to adjust to the increase in calories and wont be as big of a shock to it.

I need to do this....

andresconejo

Shamee
Thanks guys!

cingle87

its never to late to sort it out, work out what you TDEE is and then slowly work up from 900 calories. just dont try and do it all at once! remember it took you months to slow it down, its best you take month to speed it up again.

Graelwyn75

You are a male and was only eating 900 a day ?
No offence, but not a very sensible course of action, unless you did not mind losing a load of lean body mass as well as fat.
Unless you really want to spend the rest of your life eating low, and doing further damage, I suggest you slowly increase by 100 a week until you are at the correct, recommended level for your age, height, activity and weight, wait out the temporary gain you will get from this, or fling away the scale for 4 weeks, and start some form of weight training, if you haven't already.

andresconejo

Yes i didn´t knew what iw as doing until like 2 months ago
I'll start this week by consuming 1000 cals to see what happens