The 500 calorie deficit myth
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:flowerforyou:Ok then, what's the moral of the story............500 calorie deficits are a myth, starvation makes you binge, so don't diet, stay fat....good, thanks.
Guess we're all doomed no matter what we do. *deletes MFP account and crams mouth full of calories*
Stupidest thing I've ever read here on MFP. And trust me, I've seen a lot of stupid things here :laugh:
I know. I was referring to the blog in the OP, not you, sorry. (love the gif by the way :laugh: )0 -
I believe the 500 calorie method works as a large picture. We all know there are fluctuation circumstances and not all loss is fat. We all know that as we lose we have to adjust our calories. Calories in has to be adjusted as the body becomes more efficient. The 500 calorie method is a solid method if we have solid knowledge to to tweak the details as we go. Long term dieters should have rest periods eating at maintenance to remind the body we don't intend to eat a deficit forever forcing the body to adapt to that deficit. An excellent resource to see on the most basic level the adjustments required to continue loss as your weight goes down is http://www.losertown.org/eats/cal.php
The premiss of weight loss is simple. Calories in vs calories out. Implementing the process is the difficult part.0 -
So a study that utilized a 1600 calorie deficit is the basis for why a 500 calorie deficit is bad? Are people really this dumb? (don't answer that)
And if a calorie deficit is so bad, and doesn't work - then what does? Hint: nothing.
*screaming internally*0 -
If your GP recommended you to eat 1000 calories per day *while breastfeeding* then that GP should sued for malpractice. But I can pretty much guarantee that your GP did not recommend that. Your GP recommended that you eat fewer calories to lose weight (which is sane), not eat as few calories as humanly possible without actually keeling over on a daily basis. I'm willing to bet that you injected the "more is better" attitude into that and decided that if 1800-2000 calories a day is good for weight loss that 1000 calories a day is better.this is my second child and breastfeeding is like second nature to me. yes, my GP( practitioner) recomended fewer calories to loose weight because my bmi is 32 and was finding it hard to loose,( low metabolism, thyroid issues) my kids are happy and my baby is a healthy and big and continues putting weight on.
This is why i say listen to your body, if a person of heatlhy Bmi needs to loose a few lbs, then make healthier changes.
You should probably be getting 1000 calories *just from fats* while you're breastfeeding (well, more like 600, probably).
Please consider that the health of your baby and setting it up for healthy brain development now and for the rest of its life is vastly more important than you shedding a few pounds *right now*. Can't it wait a few more months?!0 -
You have to pay for that information......they have pay pal.So a study that utilized a 1600 calorie deficit is the basis for why a 500 calorie deficit is bad? Are people really this dumb? (don't answer that)
And if a calorie deficit is so bad, and doesn't work - then what does? Hint: nothing.
*screaming internally*0 -
I didn't read the article or wade through the responses to see if this had been said already, but there are too many successful people who have lost loads of pounds for an article to tell me it's a myth.0
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TL;DR
Accurate logging and measuring shows that it worked for me. The math was 100% correct.0 -
In...
...for LOLz...
...as I prepare for a cut at 500-700+ daily deficit in about a month.0 -
If your GP recommended you to eat 1000 calories per day *while breastfeeding* then that GP should sued for malpractice. But I can pretty much guarantee that your GP did not recommend that. Your GP recommended that you eat fewer calories to lose weight (which is sane), not eat as few calories as humanly possible without actually keeling over on a daily basis. I'm willing to bet that you injected the "more is better" attitude into that and decided that if 1800-2000 calories a day is good for weight loss that 1000 calories a day is better.this is my second child and breastfeeding is like second nature to me. yes, my GP( practitioner) recomended fewer calories to loose weight because my bmi is 32 and was finding it hard to loose,( low metabolism, thyroid issues) my kids are happy and my baby is a healthy and big and continues putting weight on.
This is why i say listen to your body, if a person of heatlhy Bmi needs to loose a few lbs, then make healthier changes.
You should probably be getting 1000 calories *just from fats* while you're breastfeeding (well, more like 600, probably).
Please consider that the health of your baby and setting it up for healthy brain development now and for the rest of its life is vastly more important than you shedding a few pounds *right now*. Can't it wait a few more months?!
chances are that she went to her GP saying she is eating 1200 cals and is not losing at all. The GP will have taken all her measurements and figured she is not counting properly and thus said eat a 1000 then and assumes that in reality it'll be much higher, but slightly less then before and she'll have a small deficit and actually lose.0 -
I did not read everyone's reply to your initial post, so I'm not sure if someone explained the Key's Starvation Experiment adequately. The experiment relates directly to restrictive eaters, primarily in regards to anorexia. The results of this experiment prove that undernourishment itself is enough to put someone in the mentality of restrictive eating. In other words, these men were not comparing their bodies to supermodels. They began to restrict willingly. However, when they were given the opportunity to re-feed themselves, they went into binge-mode (exactly what their bodies needed; being physicality vs mentality though).
The initial blog post may be manipulating the study's results to boast their opinions, but I encourage everyone who is interested to do some more research on the Key's study. It truly is fascinating.... if you are into that kind of thing.0 -
I am using the 20% deficit method. This gives me 1325-1350 macros.. After I have weight loss of 3-5 pounds I adjust my setting.
When I reach my fat loss % goal, I’ll be eating my TDEE around 1580s.
I am in week 3 of my new settings and I’m beginning to move off my plateau. So hopefully I understand and have my my settings accurate for weight loss and body fat % loss. To do this and maintain my lean mass through this journey I am eating my BMR…..
right?0 -
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such a ridiculous post and still so many comments.
you must be really enjoying this.
typical of MFP anyway :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn:
I wouldnt say this is a ridiculious post as its better to ask the question right? I now understand that maybe I shouldnt take the artical so litteral (parts of it are right and parts are wrong we are all here to help each other understand right?
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such a ridiculous post and still so many comments.
you must be really enjoying this.
typical of MFP anyway :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn:
I wouldnt say this is a ridiculious post as its better to ask the question right? I now understand that maybe I shouldnt take the artical so litteral (parts of it are right and parts are wrong we are all here to help each other understand right?
Just so there is no misunderstanding...
...this is *not* why I'm here.0 -
It's excellent that you're able to take the constructive criticism and learn how to read more critically. And it's good that you're striving to understand how things really work. I want to strongly encourage you to continue to pursue that general course. It will take you much farther in life than you would go without it!such a ridiculous post and still so many comments.
you must be really enjoying this.
typical of MFP anyway :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn:
I wouldnt say this is a ridiculious post as its better to ask the question right? I now understand that maybe I shouldnt take the artical so litteral (parts of it are right and parts are wrong we are all here to help each other understand right?0 -
But... but... I thought we were all here for the same reason! :huh:such a ridiculous post and still so many comments.
you must be really enjoying this.
typical of MFP anyway :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn:
I wouldnt say this is a ridiculious post as its better to ask the question right? I now understand that maybe I shouldnt take the artical so litteral (parts of it are right and parts are wrong we are all here to help each other understand right?
Just so there is no misunderstanding...
...this is *not* why I'm here.0 -
such a ridiculous post and still so many comments.
you must be really enjoying this.
typical of MFP anyway :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn:
I wouldnt say this is a ridiculious post as its better to ask the question right? I now understand that maybe I shouldnt take the artical so litteral (parts of it are right and parts are wrong we are all here to help each other understand right?
Lol. That is not why I'm here. I'm here for cat gifs and snark. This thread mostly delivers.0 -
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...we are all here to help each other understand right?
No.
I am here to manage my fitness.0 -
I noticed she said in the article that the participants were on 500 calorie deficits.
But then the next day I read an article by the BBC on how the volunteers in the study were conscientious objectors, and that article said they were on over 1,000 calorie deficits.
So, that just undermines her WHOLE article.0 -
...we are all here to help each other understand right?
I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick *kitten*... and I'm all out of bubblegum.
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The men in this experiment were already at a healthy weight which is why the results don't really work when applied to over weight or obese people
im not sure if i have understood correctly but if i am at a healthy weight but am just trying to loose a stuborn 5kg then does that mean that 500 deficit wont work for me and its a matter of eating healthier foods??
If a 500 calorie deficit is above your BMR and you get enough protein (and fats and carbs, but particulary protein) AND do some form of weight-bearing exercise, you should be totally fine. Well, if your goal is healthy. Trying to become underweight is a different story in terms of what goes on.
thanks - so i may be doing this wrong in that case.. i do strength training 3 time a week my weight is 62kg im 170 cm my BMR is 1400 and TDEE is 1800 and i aim to eat 1200 calories a day... should i up my calories my 100?
a 20% cut off your TDEE is a 360 calorie deficit..if you only have 5 pounds to lose this would seem more ideal ….you are currently in a 600 per day deficit?
Yes currently 600 deficit but in saying that I stick to that 4 days out of the 7 sooo not really a 600 deficit and is probally closer to a 350 deficit i keep an excel sheet with my averages and weekly counts and weigh ins with more details on it so i actually kow if i have eaten to much sodium then it explains the scales jumping up. im getting there slowly but I look up to the trainer that posted this blog and wanted more info on it hence why i posted it here... its great to hear everyones opinions and i am certainly going to begin reading more books about nutrition! 0 -
Myth?
Maybe for a small %.
Not me.
The 500 cal deficit worked for me.
Lost 34 # in about 10 months.
Reached my goal over 2 years ago.
I now weigh 1 # more than my goal weight.
I guess the article is a myth.
:laugh:0 -
IDC what this study shows. I know from experience that eating at a 500 calorie deficit has worked for me. However now that I am closer to goal, and my body wants to hold onto what little fat stores I have left, I am now only eating at a 250 calorie/day deficit (1/2lb/week loss). I did it with the use of my bodymedia, which tells me exactly what I burn every day, and when I eat 500 cal's less than that, I lose 1lb/week. I typically try to leave 100-200 calories left over, in case of underlogging, most days....or some days. I lost 65lb's prior to MFP, doing the "Curves approach," which basically has you eating at a deficit as well, but instead of counting calories, they have a ton of pre-planned meals and snacks for you to choose from, which "coincidentally" happen to have you eating at a deficit. The first 65lb's came off in the first year. This second year, I can't tell you how much I've lost, honestly. I know it could have been a more rapid loss, but I'm not trying to go for a fast weight loss, just a permanent one. Point is, I've been at this for 2 years now, so the probability of me regaining all my weight back is highly unlikely. In my case atleast, I think exercise plays a huge part. For instance, if I bust my butt in the gym, I really don't want all my hard work going to waste by "pigging out." Plus, I get a rush of endorphins that makes me feel happy, and it gives me something to do, so I don't feel bored, which are my emotional triggers for overeating.0
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...we are all here to help each other understand right?
No.
I am here to manage my fitness.
ahhh... pretty sure the bigger picture of MFP is fitness but commenting on a post where someone is asking for advise is generally responded with advise?
but good for you LOL!0 -
I did not read it because I do not want to become disencouraged.0
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:laugh:I did not read it because I do not want to become disencouraged.0
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ohai.:laugh:I did not read it because I do not want to become disencouraged.0
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I have lost a little over 70 pounds just by eating healthy food and getting regular exercise. For the longest time, I never counted calories or did anything special, I just ate a little healthier and went for a jog every day and I got good results. I think this is something that a lot of "experts" tend to overthink and that people tend to worry a little too much about. Small lifestyle changes for the better will give you success in the long run, it's all about discipline rather than hardcore adherence to the "rules".0
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