What do you think of my plan?
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I am going to jump in and defend the 800 calorie diet.
I am currently part of a university study into to effects of dopamine on the body and endured an 800 calorie diet (Optifast) for six weeks.
In order to move to the next phase of the study (which involves a drug trial), I had to lose 5% of my body fat in four weeks. As I had already been losing weight, my progress was slower than some of the more obese patients on the trial but I did lose 6.8kg in the four weeks. I gradually added more calories into my diet over the remaining two weeks and lost further weight (although not as much as I did in the first four weeks). I did not put on any weight after then 800 calories diet and have actually lost a total of 22kg by diet alone since January 2012.
I can see that for some, a very low calorie diet can appear dangerous but if it is done in the right way and over a short period of time, it can actually be beneficial - it has changed my life completely.0 -
unles you plan on eating 800 cal for the rest of your life, you will gain weight back, if you go over 800 to many days in a row...If you already like your plan and will argue anything said against it then why do you ask or even care what we think? Go try it and report back in 12 months
I was looking for real reasons or experiences on why it may not work or why it may not be healthy. Not just No it's bad with no reasoning or research behind it. I actually didn't argue against any thing that was said. I just asked why and corrected a statement about the article.
In this theory what is the difference between 800 and 1200 calories? If you don't plan to eat 1200 calories for the rest of your life will you just gain the weight back?
Not arguing just curious
That certainly seems to be what happens to many people, based on anecdotal evidence from these forums. There may be some clinical information to back that up, too, but it's already past my bedtime so I'll leave that to someone with a more extensive background in that.0 -
I am going to jump in and defend the 800 calorie diet.
I am currently part of a university study into to effects of dopamine on the body and endured an 800 calorie diet (Optifast) for six weeks.
In order to move to the next phase of the study (which involves a drug trial), I had to lose 5% of my body fat in four weeks. As I had already been losing weight, my progress was slower than some of the more obese patients on the trial but I did lose 6.8kg in the four weeks. I gradually added more calories into my diet over the remaining two weeks and lost further weight (although not as much as I did in the first four weeks). I did not put on any weight after then 800 calories diet and have actually lost a total of 22kg by diet alone since January 2012.
I can see that for some, a very low calorie diet can appear dangerous but if it is done in the right way and over a short period of time, it can actually be beneficial - it has changed my life completely.
OP is talking about 10 weeks. That doesn't seem like a short period of time, to me.0 -
I get the theory of this, but think you may find it difficult on so few calories. I don't prescribe to the '1200 is a minimum calorie intake' like so many on here, but you will probably really struggle for energy.
If you do insist on such a plan, I would take out the HIIT component, the intense cardio will really tax your body, and reduce your ability to recover from your resistance training (which is by far the most important form of exercise on any low cal diet).
I would also ask what calorie level you are on now. If you are already on a low cal diet the result of dropping further might not be that great, you may be better off slowly working up your intake and then having discreet periods of low cal to help bust through plateaus.
If you want to do really low cal, I'd suggest looking into some decent resources on the subject. Lyle's Rapid Fat Loss Handbook (RFL) would be the template I would use for a short duration high protein VLCD plan.
What ever you decide, if you are determined to do a very low cal diet, please don't ignore any warning signs from your body and get regular checkups from your GP to minimise any risks.0 -
your plan don't sound right-sorry........0
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My Stats: I'm 22 years old, 5'5, 157 pounds, 28.8% bodyfat, about 112lbs LBM
My plan: Eat a low calorie diet of 800 calories per day, well balanced focusing on fruits, vegetables, lean protein. With eating clean and eating lots of vegetables I know I could eat this number and not be hungry all the time. Keeping protein at 100g per day. Workouts would be Strength training 4 days per week with 2 days of 20 minutes of HIIT cardio. Once a reached my goal weight, I would increase calories by 100 calories every 2 weeks until I found my maintenance level. Maintain my goal weight for a couple of months, and continue with the same workout plan. Once I'm confident in my ability to maintain I'd start eating at a surplus and continue the weight lifting to build muslce, and then continue on the standard bulk/cut cycle until I reach my ideal body and body fat %.
I had read a study (http://www.jacn.org/content/18/2/115.abstract) that compared two groups of people. Both were on low calorie diets, one group did primarily weight lifting workouts and the other group did primarily cardio workouts. The study showed that the weight lifting group lost no muscle while on the low calorie diet while the cardio only group did lose muscle.
If my math with my TDEE is correct I should lose 3.5 pounds per week which would get me at my goal weight in roughly 10 weeks, so the 800 calories isn't a long term plan.
Oh.. you'll lose weight.. you'll also enter starvation mode and possible land in the ER.. take it from me.. i did this unintentionally.. Vertigo, plummeting blood pressure, heart rate in the 40s, no energy, blurry vision and a huge struggle to get myself back on track.. Now my metabolism is super low.. and I'm struggling to eat enough to maintain health. Plus once you lose the weight you'll have to forever eat that little, or you will gain it back. A nutritionist told me that my stomach shrank and my metabolism slowed, so i have to try to hit at least 1200 a day in an effort to stretch my stomach out a bit to accommodate the food and slowly increase my metabolism so I can get back to being healthy. (Literally I would eat a little and feel stuffed and think I was going to be sick, but was actually eating less then 800 a day at the lowest point.. that's total not net) If you really want to do this right.. make it a lifestyle change.. not a diet change. fad diets, quick fixes, they don't work. my goal is not to lose weight. My goal is to be healthy.. the bonus of eating healthy and living healthy? the weight falls off on it's own.. i don't even try.
it's really simple.. set a realistic healthy goal.. start an exercise routine and make sure you meet both.. Eat clean and you'll reach your weight goals without trying.0 -
It's not enough calories. I read that study and no where do they suggest eating at that deficit. That is the difference. Outside of that you would definitely benefit from the strength training on top of the HIIT.0
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unles you plan on eating 800 cal for the rest of your life, you will gain weight back, if you go over 800 to many days in a row...If you already like your plan and will argue anything said against it then why do you ask or even care what we think? Go try it and report back in 12 months
I was looking for real reasons or experiences on why it may not work or why it may not be healthy. Not just No it's bad with no reasoning or research behind it. I actually didn't argue against any thing that was said. I just asked why and corrected a statement about the article.
In this theory what is the difference between 800 and 1200 calories? If you don't plan to eat 1200 calories for the rest of your life will you just gain the weight back?
Not arguing just curious
my dr put me on a 1200 cal a day regimen.... i gained 5lbs, in 3 days...i went 3 days with 1000 cal... i dropped almst 6lbs.... then the next day i was at 1200 again... i gained a few lbs back, and stayed there for almost 2 weeks... when i upped my cals to 12-1500 a day, i am down 14lbs in 5 weeks.... ur body has to have the energy to sustain it. or else all your work is for nothing... the same principal applies to maintaining... if u eat the same number of cals everyday, and at such alow amount ur metabolism will get use to this and slow down, thus anytme u eat over your 800 your body will b so happy to b getting extra nutrients. it will hold on to them..0 -
Your plan is terrible.0
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800 is way too low.
At least 1000 for normal body functions. Remember that your bosy is always using energy to keep itself heated, digest food, etc. 100 is the minimum you need to keep basic functions (like your metabolism) going.0 -
My Stats: I'm 22 years old, 5'5, 157 pounds, 28.8% bodyfat, about 112lbs LBM
My plan: Eat a low calorie diet of 800 calories per day,
I only had to read this far to see your plan is poorly conceived.
Please try again.0 -
Once you get to your goal weight and start eating more than 800 calories, you will get the weight back...or are you planning on eating only 800 calories for the rest of your life?0
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I see how you could LIVE on 800 calories, but how are you able to EXERCISE and become more fit on it? I'm no expert, but I predict you're gonna make yourself sick on this plan...I can't see you making it very far before you crash and burn. Good luck. :ohwell:0
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I get the theory of this, but think you may find it difficult on so few calories. I don't prescribe to the '1200 is a minimum calorie intake' like so many on here, but you will probably really struggle for energy.
If you do insist on such a plan, I would take out the HIIT component, the intense cardio will really tax your body, and reduce your ability to recover from your resistance training (which is by far the most important form of exercise on any low cal diet).
I would also ask what calorie level you are on now. If you are already on a low cal diet the result of dropping further might not be that great, you may be better off slowly working up your intake and then having discreet periods of low cal to help bust through plateaus.
If you want to do really low cal, I'd suggest looking into some decent resources on the subject. Lyle's Rapid Fat Loss Handbook (RFL) would be the template I would use for a short duration high protein VLCD plan.
What ever you decide, if you are determined to do a very low cal diet, please don't ignore any warning signs from your body and get regular checkups from your GP to minimise any risks.
This is my suggestion as well.0 -
I eat my TDEE - 20% = 1057 calories. I suggest this formula, but your numbers will be higher. I am very tiny, hence the low numbers. I am losing weight.0
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I typically have more success when I eat around 1600 calories a day. For me, that's what MFP says will take off .5 lb a week and working out in addition to this has given me a 1 lb a week weight loss. Obviously, everyone is different, and this is just what works for me.0
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One poster said that he was part of a medically supported plan and it worked. I think the best diet is a life style change that you can keep when you hit your goal weight. I know there are many people here that are on all sorts of plans. But what is your plan to just change your shopping habits, eating habits, social habits once you reach your goal. I want my diet to be the same now as it is in 30 years.0
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In the nutrition class I took in college we were told that any calorie restriction below 1000 per day should only be atttempted with medical supervision.....that's because it's extremely difficult to get all the nutrients needed and low bloodpressure and low heart rate can lead to fainting and injuries.
I don't understand why you want to embark on this regimen but if you do it, please pay attention to your body signals that all is not well and revise your plan.0 -
I stopped after reading "800 calories" No, just no. You need at least 1,200 calories!0
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800 seems a bit low.
Even though you say that it's not a long term plan, once you pick up your calorie intake above that 800, you'll just wind up putting back on some of the weight you wanted to lose.
Adjust your calorie goals to a long-term plan, and plan for a more gradual weight loss.0
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