Will a 1200 Calorie Diet Screw up Metabolism?

heybales

Hey all had a chance to talk with Brie in PM's. She didn't ask me to do this but I wanted to apologize for my part in totally derailing this thread. She had an error in her wording, the response (myself including) was worded in a rather mocking way that clearly put her on the defensive and made any real conversation impossible. Totally derailed the topic away from what the OP was asking.

If instead I (we) had just phrased it as "Oh yeah totally Brie, I agree except I'd add one thing and say people don't GAIN fat in that situation just their body starts to tear down muscle" she probably would have chimed in positively and things would have moved on.

So just wanted to give a Mea culpa for my part in all that and blame it on hormone imbalance from not enough eating. Peace.

Wasn't roid rage right? ;-)

Aaron_K123

Hey all had a chance to talk with Brie in PM's. She didn't ask me to do this but I wanted to apologize for my part in totally derailing this thread. She had an error in her wording, the response (myself including) was worded in a rather mocking way that clearly put her on the defensive and made any real conversation impossible. Totally derailed the topic away from what the OP was asking.

If instead I (we) had just phrased it as "Oh yeah totally Brie, I agree except I'd add one thing and say people don't GAIN fat in that situation just their body starts to tear down muscle" she probably would have chimed in positively and things would have moved on.

So just wanted to give a Mea culpa for my part in all that and blame it on hormone imbalance from not enough eating. Peace.

Wasn't roid rage right? ;-)

<looks down at body> Yeah pretty sure it isn't roids.

DebbieLyn63

So what I am understanding from this, is that if you eat too few calories over a long period of time, your body will start to break down muscle for fuel, instead of stored fat?

Does this happen in someone who is, say 50% BF and is eating at a 1000 calorie deficit?

Or does this only happen when you get into a healthy BF% range?

heybales

So what I am understanding from this, is that if you eat too few calories over a long period of time, your body will start to break down muscle for fuel, instead of stored fat?

Does this happen in someone who is, say 50% BF and is eating at a 1000 calorie deficit?

Or does this only happen when you get into a healthy BF% range?

No, no, and no. You'd have to get in to the actual starving body range.

Your body breaks down muscle everyday, part of normal process of stuff your body does. If you aren't using it, or eating enough protein and enough calories in general, body decides what is important to use available energy on, and base functions of life win, so the muscle is not rebuilt.
Result is a slow loss of muscle mass, along with the fat that is always being burned. Reason your metabolism drops as you get older for population in general - they use their muscle less, not needed, not rebuilt, less muscle is smaller metabolism.

You can also through low carb eating, and intense exercise that is high carb burning, cause your body to have to use more of that available protein to convert to glucose to use as fuel because you are low, so now again nothing to build the muscle back with.
Same result.

The more extreme the deficit, the faster you are doing that.

What happens eating too little for your level of activity is just the body adapting.
Read all about it, and how much it can adapt.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales/view/reduced-metabolism-tdee-beyond-expected-from-weight-loss-616251

tmauck4472

never mind

nikkihk

This whole thread has made a confusing mess out of a simple concept.

Let's simplify it:

The body-

1. Does not hold on to fat in deficit.
2. DOES source muscles if fuel is low.
3. Does damage the metabolism if fuel is low BUT what that fuel level is
depends on your BMR and the deficit you are operating at.

It's that easy.

Side note though, If you are a professional anything... don't source any material that isn't clinically or peer supported. If you are not a professional... DON'T source anything that isn't clinically or professionally supported. Bloggers don't count as relevant information providers. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone in this thread, but others will read that and in turn feel they are credible resources for vital information.

Aaron_K123

This whole thread has made a confusing mess out of a simple concept.

Let's simplify it:

The body-

1. Does not hold on to fat in deficit.
2. DOES source muscles if fuel is low.
3. Does damage the metabolism if fuel is low BUT what that fuel level is
depends on your BMR and the deficit you are operating at.

It's that easy.

Side note though, If you are a professional anything... don't source any material that isn't clinically or peer supported. If you are not a professional... DON'T source anything that isn't clinically or professionally supported. Bloggers don't count as relevant information providers. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone in this thread, but others will read that and in turn feel they are credible resources for vital information.

+1 QFT

ndj1979

This whole thread has made a confusing mess out of a simple concept.

Let's simplify it:

The body-

1. Does not hold on to fat in deficit.
2. DOES source muscles if fuel is low.
3. Does damage the metabolism if fuel is low BUT what that fuel level is
depends on your BMR and the deficit you are operating at.

It's that easy.

Side note though, If you are a professional anything... don't source any material that isn't clinically or peer supported. If you are not a professional... DON'T source anything that isn't clinically or professionally supported. Bloggers don't count as relevant information providers. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone in this thread, but others will read that and in turn feel they are credible resources for vital information.

+1 QFT

+ 2

PikaKnight

So what I am understanding from this, is that if you eat too few calories over a long period of time, your body will start to break down muscle for fuel, instead of stored fat?

Does this happen in someone who is, say 50% BF and is eating at a 1000 calorie deficit?

Or does this only happen when you get into a healthy BF% range?

From experience it can happen to someone who is morbidly obese and at a high body fat %. What'll end up happening is that as you lose the scale #, you'll still maintain that high body fat % because you are losing muscle instead of minimizing that and losing more fat.

angel5561

I can't believe I just went through 3 pages of this thread......I want my 4 minutes back.

:laugh: