How long does it take your body to adjust?

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aniracace
aniracace Posts: 39 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Skippity hay it's gonna be a great day today. Call me Cassiel.

I know everyone's body is different; I'm looking for anecdotal stories about how long it took your body to adjust to the newly discounted calorie rate.

A little background.

I used to eat 1,900 calories a day (I think). That's how much, according to online calculators, I need to eat to maintain 160 pounds. I aim to lose a couple vanity pounds, so I did some math and arrived at a daily goal of 1,400 pounds. The same amount mfp calculated for me.

So how long will it take me to get used to eating 1,400 calories? For those of who cut 500 calories out of your diet, how long did it take your body to adjust? Did you do anything special to alleviate any discomfort or did you just bite the bullet and endure it?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    aim for 0.5lb per week for vanity pounds.

    do some strength training and ensure you're getting adequate protein to retain muscle.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,107 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    aim for 0.5lb per week for vanity pounds.

    do some strength training and ensure you're getting adequate protein to retain muscle.

    ^^This OP if you're looking to lose vanity pounds, 1lb per week is probably a bit too aggressive for you, 0.5lbs per week is a 250 calorie deficit and coupled with some strength training and accurate logging you will lose the weight just fine without feeling too hungry.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Your body doesn't really adjust to a too low calorie intake, you can do it for a short while, until you just can't.

    A reasonable calorie deficit doesn't take any adjustment period.

    You can't safely and easily lose a pound per week, so a 500 calorie deficit is too much. Cut it in half, and there will be no discomfort. It will take patience, but weightloss takes the time it takes.
  • 100_PROOF_
    100_PROOF_ Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I also take it very slow when I'm down to the wire. I have 7 to lose now and that will take me about 20 weeks to achieve because slow and steady wins the race!
    I think when you take the gradual approach, it's easier to adjust to. Maybe try to take it slow and it won't be an aggravating adjustment.
    For me I must make changes gradually otherwise I burn out too fast .
  • aniracace
    aniracace Posts: 39 Member
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    @kommodevaran

    You can't? Safely and easily lose a pound per week I mean. Huh. I've always thought that was the average weight loss that's to be expected.

    Well then. I'll go ahead and change my goals to 1/2 pound a week; now that I think about it, that will be much better because then I could eat more.
  • aniracace
    aniracace Posts: 39 Member
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    @tinkerbellang83

    Do bodyweight exercises count as strength training?
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    5738_Cassiel wrote: »
    @kommodevaran

    You can't? Safely and easily lose a pound per week I mean. Huh. I've always thought that was the average weight loss that's to be expected.

    Well then. I'll go ahead and change my goals to 1/2 pound a week; now that I think about it, that will be much better because then I could eat more.

    It all depends on your starting point. I started losing weight when I was borderline type two obese. I was able to maintain a 1000 calorie deficit with some effort but not as much suffering as many might expect, because I had a lot of fat stores for my body to burn off. Having lost down to the overweight BMI, I’m now at 500. I’ll switch that closer to 250 when I get closer to my goal in the normal range, where you are now, because I just won’t have the fat stores to maintain that big deficit. Does that make sense?
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    5738_Cassiel wrote: »
    @tinkerbellang83

    Do bodyweight exercises count as strength training?

    Yup! I started bodyweightworkouts a few months ago and I love them. Just make sure to make modifications as you progress to make the exercises more difficult.

  • aniracace
    aniracace Posts: 39 Member
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    MegaMooseEsq wrote: »
    5738_Cassiel wrote: »
    @kommodevaran

    You can't? Safely and easily lose a pound per week I mean. Huh. I've always thought that was the average weight loss that's to be expected.

    Well then. I'll go ahead and change my goals to 1/2 pound a week; now that I think about it, that will be much better because then I could eat more.

    It all depends on your starting point. I started losing weight when I was borderline type two obese. I was able to maintain a 1000 calorie deficit with some effort but not as much suffering as many might expect, because I had a lot of fat stores for my body to burn off. Having lost down to the overweight BMI, I’m now at 500. I’ll switch that closer to 250 when I get closer to my goal in the normal range, where you are now, because I just won’t have the fat stores to maintain that big deficit. Does that make sense?

    Oh I see now. Yeah that makes perfect sense!
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    5738_Cassiel wrote: »
    @kommodevaran

    You can't? Safely and easily lose a pound per week I mean. Huh. I've always thought that was the average weight loss that's to be expected.

    Well then. I'll go ahead and change my goals to 1/2 pound a week; now that I think about it, that will be much better because then I could eat more.

    If you have 100 pounds to lose, you could safely lose 2 pounds a week. With less weight to lose (and you have only 10 pounds), the amount that's safe and sustainable drops. So for you, yes, half a pound a week.

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