Tell me why? Only serious replies please.

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Replies

  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,326 Member
    So what is the point of the forums? Yes, I could of just googled it but I put on the forums on a fitness site. I was hoping people would share information. But the forums do what they always do... get derailed and trolled for the most part.

    I am not trying to be snarky... honest. But if you knew this then you would probably been better off just researching it. Most of the people here are just trying to lose weight and have little more scientific knowledge of the process than you. You would think you would trust your trainer's suggestion, but since you don't, it means you doubt his knowledge.

    Do what you feel is best for you. All you will get are conflicting views. Good luck. :)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I should have left it alone. Derail. Sorry.

    I'm not really sure what you are trying to say. Certainly calories are relevant inside the body as well. Calories are a measurement of energy, but "nutrition" encompasses much more than just the energy part. However, when we are talking about weight loss/gain, the energy balance (calories in vs. out) is what determines that.

    The composition of the food that makes up calories in will affect the variable calories out. So while the equation technically makes sense, it cannot be used reliably because you dont have complete control over the second variable.

    Are you talking about thermic effects? If so, they're basically negligible, and totally negligible if you match macronutrient content.

    I beg to differ on the "reliably" part. That's funny :laugh:
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    But why even hit 1000? Even the HCG people hit 500. Come on, you can't let those HCG dieters show you up. I say go for 250/.day. You got this!

    :laugh:
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member


    I don't want a flood of responses that tell me to eat more or to eat TDEE - 20%. I want to legitly know, with back up, what the problem is with me netting less then 1000 calories while trying to lose weight.
    REALLY?! You are asking for advice, but only the advice you want to hear, right?! OK gotcha. SOrry I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear. If you like you can look at the before pic of my side by side shot, and see why 1000 calories over time is an idiotic idea. You will stall at some point, and how much lower can you really go from there. Not to mention how easily you WILL gain it back. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/929824-its-been-over-a-year-since-my-hot-affair-began
  • JennaBlu
    JennaBlu Posts: 24 Member
    I didn't realize that I was netting under what I should be consuming until I started this app...this may be why I have been stuck around the weight I am at even though I am watching what I am eating and working out at least 5 days a week...(Zumba and Jillian's DVDs) You may drop fast but then your body is like woah...! I would be careful.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Before everybody jumps all over her, go back and really read what she wrote.

    She doesn't EAT 1,000 calories a day, she NETs 1,000 a day a few days a week.

    She EATS 1800 calories a day approximately.

    She wants to do this for a short term to reduce BF.

    She eats a nutritious diet for those 1800 calories.

    I know most of the MFP community lives to eat rather than eats to live but before you condemn her for her question take a moment to really think about what she ask!

    Beautifully put! Most people did not even read the post - just jumped on the bandwagon and ran with their little (scary little) tidbit of skewered knowledge.....

    I eat according to the TDEE - 20% - if I keep track of my calories on MFP, I often NET around a 1000 calories - but I EAT between 1600 and 1900 cals of food per day....I'm healthy and slowly but surely losing the last 10 lbs of bf while keeping as much muscle as possible.....
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    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.

    And as soon as you eat more or work out less, you will gain it back because you will have ruined your metabolism by eating so few calories, and you will have made your body get used to functioning on such low net calories.

    Once you change your lifestyle, the weight will come back on. So, you either always net 1000 calories after ruining your metabolism or because you "ain't doing it for life," you'll gain it back. I learned the hardway with calorie cutting. Took me a LONG time to correct it.

    Why not just lose it in a more healthy way that allows you to retain the weight loss? Hell...net even 1200-1300. You will still be getting in all your nutritions (if you eat healthy), and you will have enough energy. I used to eat at net 700-800 calories because I have such high calorie burns, and I never realized how crappy I really felt. I started upping my calories over the last year, and I now eat around 2300 calories a day and net 1500-1800 (depending on the work out for the day). I haven't gained any weight upping my calories intake and decreasing my calorie burn over the last YEAR (I now lift instead of focusing on cardio). Had I simply went from eating net 800 calories to eating net 1800, my body would have freaked out and I would have gained weight instead of metabolism endurance/health. The point is: it is either a lifestyle change or a change that will take you years to fix. You can't just hit it then quit it like that. You will have consequences.

    I knew eating a VLCD ruins your metabolism but does eating a regular calorie diet but netting low ruining your metabolism? This is more or less my question. I just wanted the mfp to share any articles they have found in regards to the topic. Thanks for sharing your experience.

    For the record, I don't plan on quiting lifting or quit watching what I eat - EVER so that part is for life. The cut or low netting is the only thing that will change in 5 weeks.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    Before everybody jumps all over her, go back and really read what she wrote.

    She doesn't EAT 1,000 calories a day, she NETs 1,000 a day a few days a week.

    She EATS 1800 calories a day approximately.

    She wants to do this for a short term to reduce BF.

    She eats a nutritious diet for those 1800 calories.

    I know most of the MFP community lives to eat rather than eats to live but before you condemn her for her question take a moment to really think about what she ask!

    Beautifully put! Most people did not even read the post - just jumped on the bandwagon and ran with their little (scary little) tidbit of skewered knowledge.....

    I eat according to the TDEE - 20% - if I keep track of my calories on MFP, I often NET around a 1000 calories - but I EAT between 1600 and 1900 cals of food per day....I'm healthy and slowly but surely losing the last 10 lbs of bf while keeping as much muscle as possible.....

    Thank you. Now if MFP could share some research in regard to the effects of the low netting, I'd be set!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    You keep saying you're doing a "bodybuilder cut", and if they do it, then it should be fine. From what I understand, their extreme cuts are very limited in time frame, and often what they do to their bodies is not particularly healthy (hello gorging on candy just before a show). Also, they alternate their cuts with bulks, which can help the body recover, but at 40% bf, I'm assuming you'd be skipping the bulk. Even though you may be increasing your calories, you'd still be in a deficit, and it may not allow for as much of a recovery as bodybuilders achieve during a bulk.

    That said, when you eat a constant amount regardless of workout that you've done, you often end up "netting too low". Now, it sounds like you're varying what you're eating each day, but you won't consistently be netting less than 1000 by design (I think you said only 4 out of 7 days). 1800 is not a small number of calories, and you may be over estimating your burns. So, I say start there. If before the end of the five weeks you're finding you're dragging *kitten* and can't keep up with your schedule or are angry/irritable all the time, try bumping up the calories. If it works for you great, but beware of small gains you might see when upping your calories again (as your glycogen stores are replenished). Those should be relatively short term though.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    I have worked with an amazing body builder nutritionist in the past and ended up feeling sadly betrayed. Beware that a body builder might not know what someone with a weight problem goes through. People who have never had a weight problem have different body responses to food.
    Your calories seem way to low to me. Unless you are super human and unlike most who extreme diet, you will gain it back. Calories in and calories out is not true. You might learn something from this BBC documentary

    10 Things You Need to know about Weight loss---

    http://www.4shared.com/video/b0q_qDEj/10_things_you_need_to_know_abo.htm

    Thanks for the link. I will be looking at later.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    Thanks for all the serious replies and to the people who have shared their experiences. I appreciate your concern over the extreme dieting. I am not an advocate for it. I do not have an eating disorder. I will close monitor my stats and take in to account all of your warnings if I decide to proceed with this.

    I agree with all of you that said healthy weight loss should be slow and sustainable. I also agree with all of you that said it there is no rush and take it slow. I have lost my first 35 pounds doing it this way and during that time I have learned life skills that will help me keep it off. Lifting and maintaining a healthly for life diet are part of my life goals.

    I just wanted to maximize my results while I have a trainer to drive me and push me to the limits is all. I just want to know if anyone had any articles or links to research done on netting low.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Before everybody jumps all over her, go back and really read what she wrote.

    She doesn't EAT 1,000 calories a day, she NETs 1,000 a day a few days a week.

    She EATS 1800 calories a day approximately.

    She wants to do this for a short term to reduce BF.

    She eats a nutritious diet for those 1800 calories.

    I know most of the MFP community lives to eat rather than eats to live but before you condemn her for her question take a moment to really think about what she ask!

    Beautifully put! Most people did not even read the post - just jumped on the bandwagon and ran with their little (scary little) tidbit of skewered knowledge.....

    I eat according to the TDEE - 20% - if I keep track of my calories on MFP, I often NET around a 1000 calories - but I EAT between 1600 and 1900 cals of food per day....I'm healthy and slowly but surely losing the last 10 lbs of bf while keeping as much muscle as possible.....

    Thank you. Now if MFP could share some research in regard to the effects of the low netting, I'd be set!

    You keep asking for research but most are just going to google search and read through the studies, articles, etc. Try googling and finding your own answers on the loads of articles, peer reviewed studies, blogs, etc.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    We are trying to rapidly bring down my 40% BF.

    Why? Did you rapidly get to 40% BF somehow?

    Change takes time. Permanent change takes time and and a lifestyle that you can live with long term. You left that out of your numbered list.

    I just saw you posted something about 5 weeks. Whats going on in 5 weeks?

    ETA: Okay, I saw you had your trainer for just another 5 weeks. You should be fine. Just keep doing what you are doing, it looks like you are more than 1/2 way past your goal. Keep it up!
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member

    Thank you. Now if MFP could share some research in regard to the effects of the low netting, I'd be set!

    Read this:

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=415

    It's not specifically about "low netting" as opposed to why dieting (all dieting in reality but the effects are more severe the steeper the deficit) creates issues for long term weight maintenance.
  • pluckabee
    pluckabee Posts: 346 Member
    I should have left it alone. Derail. Sorry.

    I'm not really sure what you are trying to say. Certainly calories are relevant inside the body as well. Calories are a measurement of energy, but "nutrition" encompasses much more than just the energy part. However, when we are talking about weight loss/gain, the energy balance (calories in vs. out) is what determines that.

    The composition of the food that makes up calories in will affect the variable calories out. So while the equation technically makes sense, it cannot be used reliably because you dont have complete control over the second variable.

    Are you talking about thermic effects? If so, they're basically negligible, and totally negligible if you match macronutrient content.

    I beg to differ on the "reliably" part. That's funny :laugh:

    Im not talking about the thermic effects, I'm talking about the metabolic effects. I should have also said that both the composition and the amount of calories you input will affect output.

    And by reliably I mean I can eat X calories and workout to burn Y calories and add my BMR which is Z calories and figure out exactly how much weight I will lose/gain. You can't do this.

    You can reliably use it to lose or gain some weight, but you cant reliably determine exactly how much because the variables change inside your body and thus out of your control.

    See this guys experiment

    http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-didnt-get-fat/

    If you could reliably (under the terms I just gave) use that formula he should have put on a lot more weight than he did.

    EDIT apologies for jacking your thread OP
  • As long as you eat your BMR then it doesn't matter what you NET. You can NET negative calories if you really feel the need to. (Though I wouldn't recommend it)

    What is important is FUELING YOUR WORKOUTS. If you don't eat enough, you won't lose fat, you'll lose muscle.

    Since you are eating about 1800 calories a day (MORE than your BMR) you are JUST fine.

    Don't let people who have no idea what they are talking about other than knowing that they have to eat food.

    Just make sure that you always consume at least your BMR so that your body doesn't begin to shut down.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    You can reliably use it to lose or gain some weight, but you cant reliably determine exactly how much because the variables change inside your body and thus out of your control.

    See this guys experiment

    http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-didnt-get-fat/

    If you could reliably (under the terms I just gave) use that formula he should have put on a lot more weight than he did.

    lol at your use of the word "experiment"
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    You can reliably use it to lose or gain some weight, but you cant reliably determine exactly how much because the variables change inside your body and thus out of your control.

    See this guys experiment

    http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-didnt-get-fat/

    If you could reliably (under the terms I just gave) use that formula he should have put on a lot more weight than he did.

    lol at your use of the word "experiment"

    Well a good follow up would have been do do another 21 days with a high carb diet. Then compare the results and see if he gains significantly more weight. Maybe his intestines are short and just move what he eats out of his bowels at such a rapid pace he cant absorb all the cals? :tongue:
  • pluckabee
    pluckabee Posts: 346 Member
    You can reliably use it to lose or gain some weight, but you cant reliably determine exactly how much because the variables change inside your body and thus out of your control.

    See this guys experiment

    http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-didnt-get-fat/

    If you could reliably (under the terms I just gave) use that formula he should have put on a lot more weight than he did.

    lol at your use of the word "experiment"

    Well a good follow up would have been do do another 21 days with a high carb diet. Then compare the results and see if he gains significantly more weight. Maybe his intestines are short and just move what he eats out of his bowels at such a rapid pace he cant absorb all the cals? :tongue:

    He is actually planning on doing that! So it will be really interesting to compare results.

    It still stands that in this situation, for this guy, the equation did not work accurately for him which suggest there is a limitation somewhere.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    Before everybody jumps all over her, go back and really read what she wrote.

    She doesn't EAT 1,000 calories a day, she NETs 1,000 a day a few days a week.

    She EATS 1800 calories a day approximately.

    She wants to do this for a short term to reduce BF.

    She eats a nutritious diet for those 1800 calories.

    I know most of the MFP community lives to eat rather than eats to live but before you condemn her for her question take a moment to really think about what she ask!

    Beautifully put! Most people did not even read the post - just jumped on the bandwagon and ran with their little (scary little) tidbit of skewered knowledge.....

    I eat according to the TDEE - 20% - if I keep track of my calories on MFP, I often NET around a 1000 calories - but I EAT between 1600 and 1900 cals of food per day....I'm healthy and slowly but surely losing the last 10 lbs of bf while keeping as much muscle as possible.....

    Thank you. Now if MFP could share some research in regard to the effects of the low netting, I'd be set!

    You keep asking for research but most are just going to google search and read through the studies, articles, etc. Try googling and finding your own answers on the loads of articles, peer reviewed studies, blogs, etc.

    Correct I could've used google. I guess I should've.

    I guess I was wrong when I thought people on a fitness forum would care to have a discussion about "Netting low calories" and provide a reason or research on how or why they came to that conclusion.
  • michelle7673
    michelle7673 Posts: 370 Member
    Thanks for all the serious replies and to the people who have shared their experiences. I appreciate your concern over the extreme dieting. I am not an advocate for it. I do not have an eating disorder. I will close monitor my stats and take in to account all of your warnings if I decide to proceed with this.

    I agree with all of you that said healthy weight loss should be slow and sustainable. I also agree with all of you that said it there is no rush and take it slow. I have lost my first 35 pounds doing it this way and during that time I have learned life skills that will help me keep it off. Lifting and maintaining a healthly for life diet are part of my life goals.

    I just wanted to maximize my results while I have a trainer to drive me and push me to the limits is all. I just want to know if anyone had any articles or links to research done on netting low.

    Are you doing strength work with the trainer? I am assuming that the cardio isn't the point of having the trainer (though I may be wrong about that).

    If you are looking to maximize the trainer's help, it would seem more logical to me to eat at a moderate deficit, if not closer to maintenance, because that would maximize your ability to maintain or even build a little muscle (and yes, as to building I am talking strictly of newb gains, before anyone jumps on me)...in other words, use this as a bulk, not a cut.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member

    Thank you. Now if MFP could share some research in regard to the effects of the low netting, I'd be set!

    Read this:

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=415

    It's not specifically about "low netting" as opposed to why dieting (all dieting in reality but the effects are more severe the steeper the deficit) creates issues for long term weight maintenance.

    Thanks I'll take a look at it.
  • Buddhasmiracle
    Buddhasmiracle Posts: 925 Member
    This is the best explanation of "starvation mode" I've read:

    http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#starvationmode


    The other problems with very low calorie diets are:

    Adherence (it's hard to stick with).
    Muscle loss
    Low energy, just feeling crappy.
    Poor performance in sports and/or lifting
    Hair loss, brittle nails.
    Food is yummy


    Also, "a calorie is a calorie" in regards to weight loss. Not energy. I have WAY more energy if I include carbs in my diet.

    Thanks for the article. I will read it as soon as I get a chance.

    If you read it now, it would answer your question.
  • Cobb_66
    Cobb_66 Posts: 65 Member
    I took a quick peek at you diary and it looks like you are on the type of diet/ training regime that body builders or bikini competitors are on when training for a competition.
    The short answer to your question then, is that what you're doing is not healthy in the long run. You said that this is temporary. And that is good. However if you go on a higher deficit than you already are with that amount of exercise, the minute you stop and eat regularly / maintain a more realistic exercise schedule, know that you WILL gain weight back.

    The plan you appear to be on is super effective for super quick results and could totally be used before a bikini- wearing vacation or a body building competition (if that is what you're into), but is not even used by professionals on a regular basis. It is a temporary few-months program intended to get you in the BEST form you can get to, and it will yield impressive results. However even body builders gain mass back on their off season.

    As for why a deficit is dangerous... Not eating your minimum caloric intake can cause a few problems. a) you will be hungry. And if you are exercising to the extent I see you are on less than 1000 a day, you are risking passing out, simply because you are NOT getting enough energy into your body. Put it like this: you may have a fantastic car in top shape, but without gas, it's going to stall.
    b) I would worry for the shape of your muscles. Your body needs fuel. The reason eating less than maintenance allows you to use fat is because when you run out of calories (the fuel for your body), your body will essentially break down the fat first to create fuel, and thus, you lose fat. So looking at this we would assume the least amount of calories the better, right? Except that your necessary amount of calories is the amount of fuel needed for your basic bodily functions - heart beat, breathing, digestion, etc.

    So, let's imagine a scenario where one is eating far less than their required functioning calories, and are on a vigorous exercise routine. For simplicity's sake, we'll say that this person needs 1200 calories to function at a basic level (those necessary processes of the body to survive), and is burning (simply to have a number) an extra 1000 calories during their exercising. BUT, this person is only eating 1000 calories. That is only 1000 of the 2200 they are using throughout their day. While there is still fat on this person, the 1000 consumed calories would be burned off by the 1000 calories burned during exercise, and then to keep the body simply FUNCTIONING, another 1200 calories would have to come from breaking down fat. While this seems like a wicked fast fix, it isn't. Because at a deficit that large, the body will panic and believe it is starving. When the body decide's it's starving, every single calorie this person eats will be stored as fat for "emergency stores" in case the body continues to starve. It is our body's way of ensuring that should we be unable to provide the necessary energy, we won't die.

    As for what that person will be burning... they still have 1200 calories that the body NEEDS. Essentially after exercising, the body will be running then on ZERO calories. Now, by not eating enough calories, this person will not have enough energy and protein to REPAIR the damaged muscle caused by their vigorous exercise routine (that soreness after working out is caused by tearing in muscle fibers, and MUST be repaired via sleep and fuel, including lots of protein). not properly repairing muscle fibers after weight training is a good way to potentially cause muscle atrophy. Basically, by eating far below your needed calories, you may risk not only keeping the fat or gaining more, but also LOSING the muscle you are working so hard to gain.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    Thanks for all the serious replies and to the people who have shared their experiences. I appreciate your concern over the extreme dieting. I am not an advocate for it. I do not have an eating disorder. I will close monitor my stats and take in to account all of your warnings if I decide to proceed with this.

    I agree with all of you that said healthy weight loss should be slow and sustainable. I also agree with all of you that said it there is no rush and take it slow. I have lost my first 35 pounds doing it this way and during that time I have learned life skills that will help me keep it off. Lifting and maintaining a healthly for life diet are part of my life goals.

    I just wanted to maximize my results while I have a trainer to drive me and push me to the limits is all. I just want to know if anyone had any articles or links to research done on netting low.

    Are you doing strength work with the trainer? I am assuming that the cardio isn't the point of having the trainer (though I may be wrong about that).

    If you are looking to maximize the trainer's help, it would seem more logical to me to eat at a moderate deficit, if not closer to maintenance, because that would maximize your ability to maintain or even build a little muscle (and yes, as to building I am talking strictly of newb gains, before anyone jumps on me)...in other words, use this as a bulk, not a cut.

    I have thought about that. Well I just started the cut on Monday so next Monday I will have her test my %BF and lean mass. If I have lost any lean mass maybe I will tell her I want to try that instead.

    This probably is the best idea on this thread although technically still did not answer my question. LOL. Thanks for the help.
  • michelle7673
    michelle7673 Posts: 370 Member
    Thanks for all the serious replies and to the people who have shared their experiences. I appreciate your concern over the extreme dieting. I am not an advocate for it. I do not have an eating disorder. I will close monitor my stats and take in to account all of your warnings if I decide to proceed with this.

    I agree with all of you that said healthy weight loss should be slow and sustainable. I also agree with all of you that said it there is no rush and take it slow. I have lost my first 35 pounds doing it this way and during that time I have learned life skills that will help me keep it off. Lifting and maintaining a healthly for life diet are part of my life goals.

    I just wanted to maximize my results while I have a trainer to drive me and push me to the limits is all. I just want to know if anyone had any articles or links to research done on netting low.

    Are you doing strength work with the trainer? I am assuming that the cardio isn't the point of having the trainer (though I may be wrong about that).

    If you are looking to maximize the trainer's help, it would seem more logical to me to eat at a moderate deficit, if not closer to maintenance, because that would maximize your ability to maintain or even build a little muscle (and yes, as to building I am talking strictly of newb gains, before anyone jumps on me)...in other words, use this as a bulk, not a cut.

    I have thought about that. Well I just started the cut on Monday so next Monday I will have her test my %BF and lean mass. If I have lost any lean mass maybe I will tell her I want to try that instead.

    This probably is the best idea on this thread although technically still did not answer my question. LOL. Thanks for the help.

    LOL -- you're welcome.
    If you're asking me -- will you die? Nah. I am sure that I did this for years as a competitive lightweight rower. But I am pretty sure that is why it's so easy for me to gain and hard to lose. That's just anecdotal but it's my experience.
    I suspect that trainers like to put people on these super-hard-core regimes because they want to show max impact over six or twelve weeks or whatever. It's good advertising. But it's not the best use of twelve expensive weeks for everyone. Teaching great form and feel for muscle engagement, designing a longer-term program, and building some strength and habits probably is the most bang for buck for most people. But it's tough to capture that in pictures :)
  • no matter how well educated a trainer is, they are also salespeople. And Ive had plenty of trainers. My guess would be your's is limiting your intake so much so you have quick weight loss - at first, and thus credit her service. Think about it, if she put you at say a 1500/1700 cal diet, it would take a bit longer to drop the lbs-you would steadily lose a pound a week while also gaining muscle. But 1000 cals is quick-youd probably lose 5lbs in a week of muscle, fat, water. SO its really not about what is best for your body, its a way for her to keep your businessbc youd be getting "results". BTW- I have a male friend who needs to drop about 20lbs to get back his athletic 6pack lean build. He hired a local trainer who told him he was clinically obese and horrifically out of shape & needed to see him 3-4x/week. Literally used scare tactics to get his money. And all that training that was supposed to transform his body has left my friend looking the same.

    The problem w 1000 cal diets, and trust me Ive done them, is they arent sustainable esp with a fitness program. I have never been a binger or someone who eats junk (minus PMS pizza day 1 day month :), but when I restricted myself to 1200 I was dreaming of gross stuff like taco bell, pizza, anything terrible and id fluctuate between STARVING and stuffed when Id have to shove food in my mouth out of fear of passing out.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    This is the best explanation of "starvation mode" I've read:

    http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#starvationmode


    The other problems with very low calorie diets are:

    Adherence (it's hard to stick with).
    Muscle loss
    Low energy, just feeling crappy.
    Poor performance in sports and/or lifting
    Hair loss, brittle nails.
    Food is yummy


    Also, "a calorie is a calorie" in regards to weight loss. Not energy. I have WAY more energy if I include carbs in my diet.

    Thanks for the article. I will read it as soon as I get a chance.

    If you read it now, it would answer your question.

    I just read most of the article. It doesn't acount for a very important part of the equation. Most metabolism damage is done from dieters because they lose muscle mass and fat. If you strength train and retain your muscle your metabolism won't be as damaged from the loss. IMO people who have have lost a lot of weight should try to rebuild (or bulk) afterwards to gain muscle and there for metabolism.

    All in all, it was a decent article and thanks for the post. I do agree that dieting or restricting calories (even a safe rate) does slow your metabolism. The only way to repair it is to build muscle.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    Thanks for all the serious replies and to the people who have shared their experiences. I appreciate your concern over the extreme dieting. I am not an advocate for it. I do not have an eating disorder. I will close monitor my stats and take in to account all of your warnings if I decide to proceed with this.

    I agree with all of you that said healthy weight loss should be slow and sustainable. I also agree with all of you that said it there is no rush and take it slow. I have lost my first 35 pounds doing it this way and during that time I have learned life skills that will help me keep it off. Lifting and maintaining a healthly for life diet are part of my life goals.

    I just wanted to maximize my results while I have a trainer to drive me and push me to the limits is all. I just want to know if anyone had any articles or links to research done on netting low.

    Are you doing strength work with the trainer? I am assuming that the cardio isn't the point of having the trainer (though I may be wrong about that).

    If you are looking to maximize the trainer's help, it would seem more logical to me to eat at a moderate deficit, if not closer to maintenance, because that would maximize your ability to maintain or even build a little muscle (and yes, as to building I am talking strictly of newb gains, before anyone jumps on me)...in other words, use this as a bulk, not a cut.

    I have thought about that. Well I just started the cut on Monday so next Monday I will have her test my %BF and lean mass. If I have lost any lean mass maybe I will tell her I want to try that instead.

    This probably is the best idea on this thread although technically still did not answer my question. LOL. Thanks for the help.

    LOL -- you're welcome.
    If you're asking me -- will you die? Nah. I am sure that I did this for years as a competitive lightweight rower. But I am pretty sure that is why it's so easy for me to gain and hard to lose. That's just anecdotal but it's my experience.
    I suspect that trainers like to put people on these super-hard-core regimes because they want to show max impact over six or twelve weeks or whatever. It's good advertising. But it's not the best use of twelve expensive weeks for everyone. Teaching great form and feel for muscle engagement, designing a longer-term program, and building some strength and habits probably is the most bang for buck for most people. But it's tough to capture that in pictures :)

    See based on your experience is exactly why I asked the question. I want to know if there is research that supports your experience because I don't want to have that same experience.

    Your response is so intelligent that I think you've sold me. I see my trainer Thursday night. I will talk to her about the bulk instead.

    I am a little nervous though. I have to get over my scale OCD because watching the scale go up (or stay the same) instead of down..... will be tough for a gal that still wants to lose weight.
  • pendii
    pendii Posts: 26 Member
    Netting is a little different than only eating 1000 calories. There are some problems with those four things you listed though. The way our bodies process food is far too complex to reduce everything to "a calorie is a calorie no matter what" ways of thinking. Where your calories come from does matter. I have worked as a nutrition educator for the past nine years. How far below 1000 were looking at going?

    You should be careful. At a certain point, your internal organs won't be able to function properly and can be irreversibly damaged over time if you sustain calorie levels that are too low,

    The thing is, the smaller you get, the longer it takes to take a pound off. This is normal. I know if it frustrating if you see the scale stall out for a little bit. Fitness isn't always reflected on the scale though. It is possible to get smaller and gain weight. Body composition determines health more than a number.