How much of a defecit is too much?

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My calorie goal is 1810 and I usually eat all but 100-200 of them. I've got my goal to lose 2lbs per week and I've heard that this is pretty aggressive. I imagine that not eating all 1810 is even more aggressive. Will doing this have long term effects?

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  • AlliecoreXX
    AlliecoreXX Posts: 78 Member
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    First of all, how much weight do you have to lose? That will really determine whether 2 lbs a week is aggressive or not. (Typically, if you are over 150 lbs, it is safe to lose 2 lbs per week. Under 150 is safer to lose .5-1 lb per week.)

    Why don't you just stick with what you are doing, then go from there? If you feel excessively hungry and low in energy, by all means eat more. If you are losing too much weight too quickly, than eat more. But if you feel good and are losing weight at a healthy pace, then quit stressing about numbers. Too many people get caught up in a numbers game, and forget that their body is unique. Your personal needs can't be dictated by formulas a computer decides. Listen to your body, and make decisions based on what it tells you! :)
  • laciemn
    laciemn Posts: 77 Member
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    You will probably have a hard time losing 2 lbs without exercising a LOT. Try to be patient instead.

    You can surely go lower. I wouldn't skimp out too much, especially on protein, to prevent too much muscle loss.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
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    You will probably have a hard time losing 2 lbs without exercising a LOT. Try to be patient instead.

    This is not true at all. You don't need to do any exercise to lose two pounds a week.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
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    Will doing this have long term effects?

    No.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Here is an excerpt from the following link:

    General recommendations for weekly weight loss goals should be based on a number of factors, the main one of which is how much weight you have to lose. The more weight that you have to lose the less severe the negative impact of being at a calorie deficit will have generally (see below for examples).

    As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing these negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:

    More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
    40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
    10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
    Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

    Obviously, the deficit that is right for you will depend on your personal circumstances and how well you deal with the deficit. For example, for someone who is morbidly obese, the health benefits of getting the weight off quickly will often outweigh the possible negative impact and, as such, a higher than 2 lb a week deficit may well be appropriate.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • laciemn
    laciemn Posts: 77 Member
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    You will probably have a hard time losing 2 lbs without exercising a LOT. Try to be patient instead.

    This is not true at all. You don't need to do any exercise to lose two pounds a week.

    In a perfect world, maybe. It's possible, obviously, but not very likely.