Tell me why? Only serious replies please.
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OP you say your trainer is a pro-bodybuilder, now assuming you meant that term literally then do you know for a 10000% fact that he/she is not using steroids? Because if they are, and its very very likely they are, then its a whole different set of rules for them and you when dieting.0
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You're setting forth a scenario, asking for people's educated opinions and then telling them specifically what you want them to tell you, which is that what you're doing is fine.
So, sure, what you're doing is fine. :flowerforyou:
Not true. I want to know what the harm is to NET under 1000 calories on my workout days with evidence. Is that so hard?
A physician or a registered dietician would be a better person to ask about this than a forum on a fitness website. I'm not trying to be snarky here but we don't have all the answers and while internet research can be helpful, a lot of it is also wrong. If you're seriously thinking about doing this, and it seems that you are, please discuss this restriction of calories with your doctor. Good luck.0 -
I'm sorry but EATING only 1000 calories is harmful whereas NETTING 1000 calories is completely different.
The reason you are told not to EAT below 1200 is because there are basic nutrients you need every day, that you can only get from food, and it is incredibly difficult to get all that while eating below that. It has nothing to do with the energy requirement. If your body is functioning correctly (which admittedly a lot of peoples bodies are not doing at the moment) you will make up your energy needs from your fat cells, that is what they are there for.
If she is training hard and netting 1000 calories she could still be eating quite a lot more than that0 -
Short term - say 6-12 weeks max - should be ok.
Long term - not a good idea.0 -
You'll be hungry, grumpy, likely to binge and won't be able to think straight. Sorry, I don't have peer-reviewed research to hand to back that up, but I wouldn't get through more than one day eating that little.I want to legitly know, with back up, what the problem is with me netting less then 1000 calories while trying to lose weight.
But like all things, you need to find what works for you, and I'm sure you can work with your trainer on a long-term plan.0 -
Something tell me that no matter what advice you get from us, you're going to do whatever your educated, certified & professional body-building trainer says.
Good luck.
THIS. What a strange post.0 -
I actually checked your diary.
You're eating over 1700 calories every day and getting your depletion from cardio.
1) you're probably way overestimating you calorie burn, unless you're spending 2-3 hours a day doing it. Even then, meh.
2) you've said it is temporary to get your body fat percent down. Your body fat percent is in obese territory, and you can sustain on a TDEE-30-40% for a short time just fine. It would be VERY different if you were cutting the last percent before a competition.
3) I wouldn't do this for long. Putting aside all that starvation mode crap and all the other crap people believe, if you keep eating at a severe deficit, you're going to start losing a lot of muscle with that fat. And you're going to get really, really tired. You won't feel very good.
4) The whole point of this is to find the sweet spot where you're still losing and not depriving yourself. Whether you get the deficit through exercise or food, doesn't matter. If you can burn body fat and eat more than you are, or burn body fat and do less cardio than you are, then why wouldn't you?0 -
"Starvation mode" is a myth...but that doesn't mean that netting super low calories is healthy. It's not healthy in the least. Enjoy your hair falling out though...should be fun.0
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So how "temporary" is this cutting phase?
My knee-jerk reaction is to say this isn't sustainable, eat a 20% deficit, blah blah blah. I certainly wouldn't recommend your idea long-term, but if it is truly temporary, you may be ok. The shorter amount of time you do this, the better, in my opinion.
If you are netting that low, you may indeed get some kind of adaptive thermogenesis, but it should be temporary until you are netting higher. I don't buy into the "metabolic damage" idea.
Please be careful. I regard the 20% deficit as the best advice there is for weight loss. I'm sure you've heard the reasons why, so I won't bore you.0 -
Wait.
Your bf% is 40 and you are netting 1000 calories per day? If that is the case: crack on. I don't see an issue.0 -
My works outs have been burning about 1000 calories at least 4 times a week.
Then I'd say your TDEE is a lot higher than 1800-1900 if your BMR is around 1400 and you're regularly burning 1000 a day in exercise alone.0 -
the most annoying part of this thread is the use of 'legitly' as a word!
^ this0 -
3. A calorie is a calorie (in regards to energy not nutrition)
A calorie is not a calorie even when it comes to energy.
You eat 300 calories of vegetable or 300 calories of sugar (for example, pasta, or cereal, or bread)
300 calories of cereal get converted into sugar almost instantly. Your body can only use up so much of it, and the rest must be stored as fat. Burning fat is not as easy as burning energy that is glucose in your bloodstream. To start burning fat reserves you need at least 20 minutes of intense cardio (or a certain amount of deficit). It is not a simple process, and your body resists doing it if it does not have to.
Your vegetable calories will be released gradually, giving you more chance to use the energy as it becomes available. (Fruit has complex and simple carbs, so you get instant energy and gradual energy after).
It will also take longer to digest and leave your stomach, thus keeping it fuller longer and your blood sugar more stable.
When you get a massive spike in glucose, such as from processed carbs that our bodies have not adapted to evolutionary, many people's bodies release too much insulin to compensate, and subsequently their glucose levels drop even lower than before they ate. That causes a natural urge to eat more quick energy for that fix, and want for more carbs, and this can become a cycle.
Also, some of the fiber in fruits and veggies does not get digested. So you are actually getting less energy than the entire plant contains. Not the case with simple carbs.
So "calorie is a calorie" is not a correct statement for practical purposes.
Hope this helps.0 -
I switched to the TDEE methods several months ago. If you use the spreadsheet, you can track lean body mass. When you lose weight you will lose both lean body mass & fat mass no matter what. What you WANT to do is lose more Fat mass than LEAN mass. I can attest to the fact that the TDEE method works. I have lost some lean body mass, but much more fat mass. Your lean body mass is what drives your BMR, if you lose lean body mass (i.e. the muscle) then you BMR slows down. That is physiology NOT bro-science!!! Everyone's body works according to that physiologic rule! Lose muscle mass & your BMR will slow, no way around it. If you have been following all your measurements over the course of months/years, download the Excel spreadsheet from the "In place of a roadmap" thread & plug in your numbers going back in time; that way you can see the changes in your lean body mass, which have already occurred. I wouldn't endorse eating a net 1000 calories ever (I'm a physician), but if you're going to try, at least follow your numbers, so you can see your changes in lean body mass. If you start dropping precipitously, then "get out"! I don't think it will take long to see that 1000 calories isn't healthy!
Yes I have done the TDEE method and it does work. My trainer recommended a cut. I just thought if I ate more BMR but netted lower. I would still get my nutrients from food. My body could still use the calories I eat for brain fuction and etc then use fat for the burn but maybe I am missing something.0 -
To all the people who say that eating under 1200, whatever number of calories is dangerous... what makes 1200 calories the 'magic' number that works for all body types? Couldn't it be dangerous for a huge man to eat less than 1600 or whatever? I'm not disputing that you need to eat enough calories to sustain your body, but I'm so tired of seeing the "at least 1200 calories for everyone!" argument tossed around.0
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3) I wouldn't do this for long. Putting aside all that starvation mode crap and all the other crap people believe, if you keep eating at a severe deficit, you're going to start losing a lot of muscle with that fat. And you're going to get really, really tired. You won't feel very good.
^^This. Especially as you get older, you don't want to be dropping muscle, you will need all the LBM that you can get as you get closer to menopause. I wish I had known that when I was younger.0 -
My works outs have been burning about 1000 calories at least 4 times a week.
Then I'd say your TDEE is a lot higher than 1800-1900 if your BMR is around 1400 and you're regularly burning 1000 a day in exercise alone.
Yes I agree. I use a combination of MFP and TDEE. I just started this cut. The way I calculated my TDEE prior to the cut was as lightly active (desk job) and then eating back at least half of my exercise calories. I prefer to track my scheduled exercises.0 -
Yes I have done the TDEE method and it does work. My trainer recommended a cut. I just thought if I ate more BMR but netted lower. I would still get my nutrients from food. My body could still use the calories I eat for brain fuction and etc then use fat for the burn but maybe I am missing something.
can i ask what the mad rush is then? according to your ticker you dont have that much left to lose? so why not stick with TDEE -15/20%, and enjoy your food and your workouts?0 -
Wait.
Your bf% is 40 and you are netting 1000 calories per day? If that is the case: crack on. I don't see an issue.
^ And this. You are netting 1000 but eating closer to 1800? And you are at a bf% of 40? I think you are safe. Reevaluate when you lose more pounds/BF. You will eventually need less of a deficit but for now I see no issue...0 -
To all the people who say that eating under 1200, whatever number of calories is dangerous... what makes 1200 calories the 'magic' number that works for all body types? Couldn't it be dangerous for a huge man to eat less than 1600 or whatever? I'm not disputing that you need to eat enough calories to sustain your body, but I'm so tired of seeing the "at least 1200 calories for everyone!" argument tossed around.
1200 is the general "no one should ever go below this" number because it's about right for a very small woman who is mostly sedentary. In other words, it's about the lowest anyone should ever be. Yes, 1200 is horribly inapprorpiate for a 300-lb guy.0 -
To all the people who say that eating under 1200, whatever number of calories is dangerous... what makes 1200 calories the 'magic' number that works for all body types? Couldn't it be dangerous for a huge man to eat less than 1600 or whatever? I'm not disputing that you need to eat enough calories to sustain your body, but I'm so tired of seeing the "at least 1200 calories for everyone!" argument tossed around.
1200 is a standard set by medical and sports professionals as the minimum number of calories whereby you can get all of the required nutrition. I believe the minimum for a man is 1800.0 -
Wait.
Your bf% is 40 and you are netting 1000 calories per day? If that is the case: crack on. I don't see an issue.
Yes my bf% is 40 and I am netting 1000 calories a day. Just started monday. This is a temporary cut phase to lower my % body fat.0 -
I don't have scientific proof other than my own story. I was working out 12+ hours a week and an RD put me on 1200 calorie a day diet. Some days I would eat up to 1500 calories but almost always netted less than 1,000 calories a day. I don't have specific because at the time I didn't realize what I was doing was harming my body. In about 4 months I lost 50 pounds and tons of inches and felt great. And then the weight started to creep back up. I was exhausted all the time. I couldn't figure out that eating still at a caloric deficit I was actually gaining weight. I messed up my metabolism so bad from undereating that it pretty much slowed to almost a stop. I went to several doctors, no one could help me. They all assumed I was eating more than I thought I was. I knew I wasn't but I was the fat girl going to the doctor complaining I couldn't lose weight.
6 years later - still heavy. Gained back all I lost and can't figure out why I can't get rid of it. In the last year I've realized what I did to my metabolism and am trying to correct it. So if you don't want to be in the same situation as me, I would suggest eating more. You want to fuel your body and keep your metabolism burning at a high level.0 -
Why even chance it? According to your ticker, you only have 18 lbs to go. If you want to maintain that weight loss for the long haul, why take the risk? Do you have a deadline for losing weight? While the verdict may still be out whether netting so low is bad (and I don't think it is short-term, like a week or two), there is absolutely no risk losing more slowly and having a smaller deficit.
Now, I get it if you have 100 lbs to lose, or even 50. But 18?0 -
I am actually serious people. I like food too. I eat more then 1000 calories everyday. I NET LESS then 1000. I aint doing it for life. I am doing it as temporary cut. Like cycling between cuts and bulks.
It is my understanding (but not from experience) that people who are properly cutting and bulking have specific macros for both (not just eating less food sometimes and more other times) and bulking is eating at or over your TDEE. Is that what you are doing?
If you eat less than your BMR your body will not have the energy to run everything it needs to run and will eventually have to slow down or shut off areas it can't maintain do to lack of fuel. I have read that for obese people it's OK to drop below BMR sometimes, though.
Do research on BMR and what your body requires for the bare minimum functions and what happens when you don't give it proper fuel. Do research on when and why your body uses fat for fuel vs muscle mass for fuel. I always highly suggest doing your own research.
Will do. I just thought the MFP community might be able to share some links!0 -
Wait.
Your bf% is 40 and you are netting 1000 calories per day? If that is the case: crack on. I don't see an issue.
Yes my bf% is 40 and I am netting 1000 calories a day. Just started monday. This is a temporary cut phase to lower my % body fat.
IF it is temporary, then you should be OK. I wouldn't suggest it long term - or more than 2-3 weeks.0 -
wow, you guys are really being tough on her for asking a question. I haven't seen a response from her yet that indicates she isn't open to an honest discussion. I think a lot of you are making some unfair assumptions about the OP.
OP - I pretty much agree with your 4 bullets from your first post with a little qualification. There really isn't anything magical about 1200 calories. If I eat 1100 calories am I going to die?! For me personally, 1200 would be very unhealthy. The only thing about 1200 calories that has some thread of validity is from a nutritional standpoint, it gives you enough calories that you can get a decent nutritional value from the diet. Technically, you can go below 1200 calories TEMPORARILY as long as you are really paying attention to nutritional needs. If you stick with it for a week or more, your body will adapt and the weight loss will start to slow (not stop).
I think what it really boils down to is "CAN you" vs "SHOULD you". Low calorie, temporary diets are meant for people that might have 5 lbs to lose before a competition or event. Your bodybuilder trainer would be a perfect candidate to cut those last few pounds a couple of weeks before a competition. You, on the other hand, are 40% BF. You have a lot of weight to lose. A low calorie, temporary diet isn't really intended for your demographic. You would be much better served by a steady, controlled weight loss that is sustainable over time and changes your habits.
Can you do it - yes, just be careful. Should you do it - probably not.0 -
To all the people who say that eating under 1200, whatever number of calories is dangerous... what makes 1200 calories the 'magic' number that works for all body types? Couldn't it be dangerous for a huge man to eat less than 1600 or whatever? I'm not disputing that you need to eat enough calories to sustain your body, but I'm so tired of seeing the "at least 1200 calories for everyone!" argument tossed around.
Can you get .82 grams of protein per Lb of body mass, 0.35 - 0.4 grams of dietary fat, and all of your vitamins and minerals through your food eating less than 1200 calories? Please....go shovel your **** elsewhere.0 -
300 calories of cereal get converted into sugar almost instantly. Your body can only use up so much of it, and the rest must be stored as fat. Burning fat is not as easy as burning energy that is glucose in your bloodstream. To start burning fat reserves you need at least 20 minutes of intense cardio (or a certain amount of deficit). It is not a simple process, and your body resists doing it if it does not have to.
Your vegetable calories will be released gradually, giving you more chance to use the energy as it becomes available.
So if I eat 300 calories of sugar a day and nothing else, I will get fat?0 -
Wait.
Your bf% is 40 and you are netting 1000 calories per day? If that is the case: crack on. I don't see an issue.
Yes my bf% is 40 and I am netting 1000 calories a day. Just started monday. This is a temporary cut phase to lower my % body fat.
Then you should be fine.
I don't consider your approach to actually be that aggressive in the context of your stats.0
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