If I'm obese, can i lower calorie intake even more?

CryptoMH

So I know that the "safe" way to do it is 1-2 lbs per week. So if I'm burning 2700 calories a day, and I consume 1700 a day, then theoretically I should lose 2lb per week.

But what if for a month or two I dip down to 1200 calories a day? What happens? If I'm already obese (probably 30-35% bodyfat) then do I lose more?

My macros are 50 protein / 30 carbs /20 fats. Eating about .50-.75g of protein per lb of bodyweight. Lifting heavy. Doing a Push/Pull/Legs split routine.

How bad will eating 1200 calories a day be? Is it a waste of time? Will I just stall? Does my metabolism just say "um no!"

Talk to me.

quiksylver296

You lose weight. Fat and muscle weight.

But the problem comes when you freak out and binge after a week or two because you've been eating so low. You'll likely lose more weight in the long run if you stick to a higher calorie allowance. At least, that's what I've experienced.

stanmann571

CryptoMH wrote: »

So I know that the "safe" way to do it is 1-2 lbs per week. So if I'm burning 2700 calories a day, and I consume 1700 a day, then theoretically I should lose 2lb per week.

But what if for a month or two I dip down to 1200 calories a day? What happens? If I'm already obese (probably 30-35% bodyfat) then do I lose more?

My macros are 50 protein / 30 carbs /20 fats. Eating about .50-.75g of protein per lb of bodyweight. Lifting heavy. Doing a Push/Pull/Legs split routine.

How bad will eating 1200 calories a day be? Is it a waste of time? Will I just stall? Talk to me.

If you NET 1200 or gross 1200?

With a heavy lifting routine. Probably not a good idea.

You didn't mention your current weight.

You won't "stall" your weightloss, but you will probably start losing more LBM.

concordancia

You will likely get hungrier, and therefore subject to overeat and undo the deficit.

You will likely lose more muscle than you would at a slower rate.

It is possible to damage your heart and liver by losing too fast.

When we undereat, we also tend to unconsciously slow down in certain ways to conserve energy. For example, if you tend to jitter, you might jitter less. People do not seem to go back to those little habits once they start eating more.

not_a_runner

If you dropped to 1200 cals, you'd lose about 3 lbs per week and probably have a really difficult time trying to keep up a heavy lifting routine.

(Also, for males it is not recommended to go below 1500 cals.)

In the past I've lost 3 lbs per week (as a 5'1'' female, though I was eating above 1200 cals..) and was "fine", but eventually resulted in a binging problem and gaining all the weight back.

RachelElser

Going to low sounds dangerous, unless being watched over by a doctor or nutritionist. I know you want to do it all RIGHT NOW (I'm the same way!) but safe and slower is better then fast and unstable.

stanmann571

quiksylver296 wrote: »

You lose weight. Fat and muscle weight.

But the problem comes when you freak out and binge after a week or two because you've been eating so low. You'll likely lose more weight in the long run if you stick to a higher calorie allowance. At least, that's what I've experienced.

AND!!! You may be so Hangry, that you don't even log your binge, or at least you will fail to log it accurately.

That was my experience.

not_a_runner wrote: »

If you dropped to 1200 cals, you'd lose about 3 lbs per week and probably have a really difficult time trying to keep up a heavy lifting routine.

(Also, for males it is not recommended to go below 1500 cals.)

In the past I've lost 3 lbs per week (as a 5'1'' female, though I was eating above 1200 cals..) and was "fine", but eventually resulted in a binging problem and gaining all the weight back.

It's certainly possible to run a 1500 cal a day deficit and still feed your training effectively, but you still have to get enough calories to feed your life.

mulecanter

You have your answer from above. The trick is calorie deficit while not triggering a hunger freakout binge. The tortoise always wins the race.

RoxieDawn

But why the hurry? For all the reasons rapid weight loss is unhealthy I have to concur with the above posts.

Since you are getting ample protein in your diet, strength training and if you were to keep your deficit on the less aggressive side your potential for keeping your muscle is much greater. Eating way below BMR is never a good idea, your lifting will go to crap plus side effects you could potentially have are not fun. The things you do during weight loss will help you immensely when you get near goal and head into maintenance that's why in your words there is a 'safe' way to lose.

kommodevaran

I would think about the meanings of "can". You are allowed to do whatever you want. Technically, you'll lose more, the less you eat. If you eat 1200 calories every day, for weeks and months, at some point you'll stop being obese. You can eat half your calories in protein, and workout for hours every day if you like. Your metabolism is not going to say a thing.

But ask yourself this, too: can you eat 1700 calories per day, in the form of a balanced and nutritious diet, for weeks and months? And be moderately active most days for the rest of your life? If you can, why don't you? If you can't, what makes you think you can stick to your other plan?

cwolfman13

CryptoMH wrote: »

So I know that the "safe" way to do it is 1-2 lbs per week. So if I'm burning 2700 calories a day, and I consume 1700 a day, then theoretically I should lose 2lb per week.

But what if for a month or two I dip down to 1200 calories a day? What happens? If I'm already obese (probably 30-35% bodyfat) then do I lose more?

My macros are 50 protein / 30 carbs /20 fats. Eating about .50-.75g of protein per lb of bodyweight. Lifting heavy. Doing a Push/Pull/Legs split routine.

How bad will eating 1200 calories a day be? Is it a waste of time? Will I just stall? Does my metabolism just say "um no!"

Talk to me.

You're male...I wouldn't go less that 1500 without medical supervision...that is the bare minimum for a male before you're in VLCD territory.

Also, if you're obese you're probably burning more than 2700 calories a day anyway...I burn 2800-3000 and I'm relatively lean.

try2again

kommodevaran wrote: »

But ask yourself this, too: can you eat 1700 calories per day, in the form of a balanced and nutritious diet, for weeks and months? And be moderately active most days for the rest of your life? If you can, why don't you? If you can't, what makes you think you can stick to your other plan?

This. The question becomes, "Can I make it harder than it needs to be?" Sure, if that's what you really want

JMcGee2018

It's usually considered safe to lose about 1% of your body fat a week. If you're 200 pounds, that's 2 pounds a week. If you're 300 pounds, however, you could increase your deficit and lose 3 pounds a week and still not be losing an unhealthy amount of weight a week. That said, extreme deficits run a higher risk of causing binges or leaving people feeling fatigued or hangry, so it all depends on how you personally would feel at a lower CI.

jennifer_417

Your metabolism won't up and quit, but you might. Sure, it sounds great to lose weight faster, but there's no point in making the process more difficult than it needs to be. A lot of people burn out and quit because they try to go too hard.

fr33sia12

The odd day here and there of 1200 calories won't hurt. I've had 1211 today as I'm just not hungry. But yesterday I was very hungry and ate over 1600. Why not keep your calories at what they are now, if you eat under on some days that's fine, just don't keep aiming for 1200 everyday.

AndrewCoste

Agreed with all these points.

darrenbeckworth

You didn't put the weight on super quick; why do you need to lose the weight super quick? Developing a routine that you can maintain is the only way you can look for long term success.

raymax4

CryptoMH wrote: »

So I know that the "safe" way to do it is 1-2 lbs per week. So if I'm burning 2700 calories a day, and I consume 1700 a day, then theoretically I should lose 2lb per week.

But what if for a month or two I dip down to 1200 calories a day? What happens? If I'm already obese (probably 30-35% bodyfat) then do I lose more?

My macros are 50 protein / 30 carbs /20 fats. Eating about .50-.75g of protein per lb of bodyweight. Lifting heavy. Doing a Push/Pull/Legs split routine.

How bad will eating 1200 calories a day be? Is it a waste of time? Will I just stall? Does my metabolism just say "um no!"

Talk to me.

Trying to loose more than 2 bs a week can cause serious health risk to you.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/losing-weight-too-fast

AnnPT77

I lost too fast, briefly, on 1200 net, by accident (what MFP estimated for me was too low). I corrected quickly once I realized, but got fatigued and weak anyway. It took several weeks to recover normal strength and energy.

Undereating is a bad idea. I don't recommend it.

1BlueAurora

I ate 1200 and reached my goal weight in six months. I also lost muscle mass, despite lifting weights in a BodyPump class. And I started to lose my hair. Sure, you can do it. I wish I hadn't.