Can you have too high of a Net Calorie Deficit

TacosGetMeThrough

Hello, I know it is widely debated whether you should eat back exercise calories. The type of eating habits I orginally had when I lost my first 50 lbs never really caused me to wonder about this. Now I exercise 5-6 days a week anywhere from 1hr-90 min a day. Basically according to MFP I should be eating 1200 calories a day, at the end of the day my food calories have usually been topped out around 950 to 800. I then go to the gym and burn anywhere from 600-750 calories leaving my net anywhere from 850-1000 left.

My only concern is if this big of a gap is healthy or safe, before I was not burning this much so I wasn't concerned, for example if at the end of the day my net was 200 left I wouldn't worry but 1,000 when it happens is a lot and when I close my food diary MFP says (as usual) that I'm eating too few calories

Kitship

So you exercise 5-6 days/week and only eat 950 calories/day at the most? Yes, that's unsafe. Any reason why you aren't eating at least the minimum amount of calories suggested to you before exercise?

RGv2

If your NET truly is 200 calories, you're not eating enough. Some morbidly obese can get away with a VLCD, but that is usually done under doctor's supervision, and I doubt it's that much.

With the little weight you have left to lose, netting only 200 calories a day is EXTREMELY unhealthy (unless you're like 2ft tall).

Edit: I'm just going to leave this here.... I guessed you're 5'5" for math's sake.

TDEE = 2735 (calories you could eat to maintain your weight working out as much as you do)

BMR = 1585 (amount of calories to sustain you if you slept all day)

TDEE -20% = 2188 (amount of calories widely accepted as a level that allows safe, sustainable weight loss).

TeaBea

Hello, I know it is widely debated whether you should eat back exercise calories. The type of eating habits I orginally had when I lost my first 50 lbs never really caused me to wonder about this. Now I exercise 5-6 days a week anywhere from 1hr-90 min a day. Basically according to MFP I should be eating 1200 calories a day, at the end of the day my food calories have usually been topped out around 950 to 800. I then go to the gym and burn anywhere from 600-750 calories leaving my net anywhere from 850-1000 left.

My only concern is if this big of a gap is healthy or safe, before I was not burning this much so I wasn't concerned, for example if at the end of the day my net was 200 left I wouldn't worry but 1,000 when it happens is a lot and when I close my food diary MFP says (as usual) that I'm eating too few calories

The reason MFP gives you back exercise calories is this: MFP gave you a deficit with ZERO exercise. That way people who can't/won't exercise still lose weight. Eating calories back* prevents calorie deficits from being too large. When your body needs fuel (and you don't ingest it)....your body takes it from wherever it can get it.....existing muscle mass is a good resource.

*Eating calories back is debated because #1 machines MFP overstate calorie burns #2 some people want to lose weight at all costs...the faster the better.

TDEE is a different method from MFP (popular...works well)....that includes exercise up front. If you will be exercising regularly, check out TDEE less a %.

diannethegeek

It's not really a debate. MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories. People choose not to, but that doesn't change the way the calculator was built.

If you're not going to eat them back then consider switching to a method like TDEE - 20% that already has the calories from exercise built in: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

WBB55

when I close my food diary MFP says (as usual) that I'm eating too few calories

The brain disorder/hormone imbalances that leads to overeating is not very different from the same imbalances that causes undereating. I lost 100 lbs in 2006-08, just for a frame of reference here.

You are NOT doing yourself any favors by continuing to eat at this kind of deficit. When you were heavier, you might not have been doing much damage since you had fat stores to tap to make up the difference. BUT THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE. You simply MUST eat more. Figure out your current TDEE and eat AT LEAST that minus 1000 calories. So like, if your average daily TDEE is 2300, you simply MUST eat 1300 on average.

In my experience, from my personal journey, studies I've read, experts I've consulted, people I've talked to here on MFP, having a caloric deficit of greater than 1000 on average, over the long term, is detrimental to long term health for safe, sane weight loss. Please learn from my errors. I've done permanent damage to my body by not eating enough while losing weight and once I entered maintenance. Once tested, I had the bone density of a 70 year old woman with osteoperosis. In the end, I had so little muscle, I fell every day and could barely keep balance, I routinely ran into corners and door frames. DON'T BE ME. Be smart. Eat more.

parkscs

It's only debated by the people who don't understand what the numbers MFP gives you mean.

farfromthetree

Boy, you did a fantastic job of losing weight! But, if your diary is accurate, you worry me. You are not eating enough for someone so young who exercises so much...please listen to the people on here who are telling you, you are not eating enough. You need more protein and vegetables!

kgeyser

With only 20lbs to go, your goal should be 0.5 - 1 lb per week at the most. Recalculate your TDEE or MFP numbers for that goal, and eat back a portion of your exercise calories. It will make the transition to maintenance easier.

JulsiePie

With my limited knowledge, you don't eat enough....your diary shows that you never eat more than 1000 calories a day. You really should eat more to lose weight...

I've been told that your net should realistically not be less than 1200, but I know there are more knowledgeable people out there that may say differently.

But congrats on the weight loss already

cwolfman13

It's not really a debate except for those individuals who don't actually have any clue how this tool actually works. You get a weight loss deficit with MFP WITHOUT exercise...so you would lose weight eating to MFP's goal without lifting a finger in exercise. Exercise is extra activity and needs proper fueling.

What you're doing is pretty dangerous...if you're really netting that low of calories, you need to knock that **** off. People who are actually healthy and FIT actually eat and stuff. You cannot be fit without proper fuel. Exercise is good for you, but it also breaks down the body...the body requires energy (calories) and nutrients to restore and repair itself. You are depriving your body of what it needs. If you actually ate, your fitness performance would be substantially better to boot.

All you're doing right now is burning up a bunch of muscle and doing more harm than good to your body. You aren't doing anything that is remotely healthy or good for you at this point.

TacosGetMeThrough

I did not know at all that with 20 lbs left I should ease up off of the 1.5 to 2 lbs goal so I have never thought to really adjust it. I have never had a model for eating habits when I was in Kindergarten I was put on Ritalin for my ADHD which I came off of in high school. Growing up on Ritalin I was NEVER hungry & often put on special shakes or what not to gain weight as a child so I never really had to learn how to eat. When I came off Ritalin I was always hungry & blew up, I did not understand how to eat because before I could eat whatever I wanted (not realizing before I rarely wanted anything).

So now at 25 although it sounds dumb it is hard for me to understand good and bad eating. For example I did not think there was anything at all wrong with my eating. I have a cheat day where I will most likely go well over 1200 cals. But for example today I had a special K breakfast sandwhich & fruit, lunch I had a piece of pizza & fruit and dinner i'm having eggs and yogurt maybe a popcicle which will leave me around 220 cals left and its not as if I'm hungry & won't let myself eat more. (Later as stated I will go to the gym & burn at least 500 cals.)

At first I asked this question with the thought being, should I go out of the way to eat those 220+ left even though I may not be hungry. I thought that would lead to bad eating habits but I guess with the comments on my food diary now I am thinking maybe I might already have a few bad eating habits.

WBB55

I did not know at all that with 20 lbs left I should ease up off of the 1.5 to 2 lbs goal so I have never thought to really adjust it.

DEFINITELY adjust it to 1-0.5 lbs per week. Then net what it tells you to. If it's a HUGE calorie jump, then raise your calories by 100 or so every day once a week. So like, if you net 800 now, try to net 900. Then next week, net 1000. Then a week later net 1100... and keep doing that until you're netting what it's telling you to.

If you're not hungry, but still aren't netting your goal, then eat things like dark chocolate, peanut butter, avocado, full fat dairy, etc.

deksgrl

Hunger is controlled by hormones called leptin and ghrelin. When you eat too few calories, these hormones become unbalanced, and you won't feel hungry even when you aren't eating enough. So, hunger isn't a good thing to use as a benchmark of whether or not you are eating enough or getting enough nutrition.

MFP does NOT include exercise in its calculations for the calories you need. You have a built in deficit before exercising. You would lose weight with this method if you were disabled and could not exercise. When you do exercise, you need more fuel for that.

cwolfman13

Hunger is controlled by hormones called leptin and ghrelin. When you eat too few calories, these hormones become unbalanced, and you won't feel hungry even when you aren't eating enough. So, hunger isn't a good thing to use as a benchmark of whether or not you are eating enough or getting enough nutrition.

MFP does NOT include exercise in its calculations for the calories you need. You have a built in deficit before exercising. You would lose weight with this method if you were disabled and could not exercise. When you do exercise, you need more fuel for that.

I would also add that you don't have to up a lot of volume...a Tbsp of oil has around 120 calories...so saute some veggies or roast them with some olive oil or coconut oil or something. 1 tiny little ounce of almonds has 160 calories...so eat some nuts. Peanut butter is right around 200 calories for a mere 2 Tbsps. 1/2 of a delicious and extraordinarily nutritious avocado has around 120 calories.

If you eat more, you will actually be hungrier as your hormones return to normal levels.