1000 cals a day for 3 weeks, advise please.

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Sid1988
Sid1988 Posts: 170 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, i'm going on holiday in 3 weeks, i am desperate to shift as many lbs as i can!

i know it's not the healthiest way and i understand that once i'm back on a my original plan i will probably gain weight but if i stick to 1000 calories a day and exercise 5 days a week (not eating back my exercise cals, i usualy burn around 300 cals per gym session) for 3 weeks, will i lose a significant amount of weight?

i will continue to drink 8 cups of water daily and i also take berocca for my vitamin needs.
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Replies

  • fromfattytohealthy
    fromfattytohealthy Posts: 60 Member
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    No.

    Stick with the MFP recommendations. Being unhealthy to shed a few extra pounds for vacation is ridiculous. Do it the healthy way and you'll be proud of yourself because you WON'T gain the weight back once you start eating like a normal person again. You'll keep losing.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    You want to net 700 calories a day? This really sounds like a good idea to you?
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
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    you may lose weight and not size, it's hard for the body to do both at the same time and frankly 3 weeks is not all that much time to see results even if you have an extreme calorie deficit.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
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    Bad idea, but that's just my opinion .....
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Are you planning on taking your vacation standing on a scale?

    If not, you're probably better off trying to shift a bit less weight and looking healthier/having energy to enjoy your vacation.
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    So, i'm going on holiday in 3 weeks, i am desperate to shift as many lbs as i can!

    i know it's not the healthiest way and i understand that once i'm back on a my original plan i will probably gain weight but if i stick to 1000 calories a day and exercise 5 days a week (not eating back my exercise cals, i usualy burn around 300 cals per gym session) for 3 weeks, will i lose a significant amount of weight?

    i will continue to drink 8 cups of water daily and i also take berocca for my vitamin needs.

    So you understand it's bad for you, and you understand that it's not sustainable, and yet you want to do it anyway. Why? Why on earth would you want to lose weight in an unhealthy manner when an unhealthy body is not attractive, regardless of the scale number? And why would you even bother to lose the weight if you're assured of the fact that you'll gain it right back?

    I think you need to take a step back and rethink your priorities. You want to look good, and that's an admirable goal. But wouldn't you rather look good for EVERY VACATION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE instead of looking thinner but unhealthy for THIS vacation?

    When you lose weight too fast in an unhealthy way, your skin isn't goign to have time to shrink to fit your new body, so you can end up looking flabbier than you really are. Stick to losing healthily, and plan to maintain this new lifestyle for the long-term.
  • smithy85
    smithy85 Posts: 104 Member
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    Hey, I do not think bashing her for it is a great idea.

    Listen hunni, if you have a massive deficiet you can go one of two ways - stop loosing or loose muscle and no size (obviously with some fat), its not good to do this and you should just work hard and eat right, that way you will prob loose a little bit before you go.

    I hope you make the right decisions for you, but either way have a fab vacation.
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    Hey, I do not think bashing her for it is a great idea.

    Listen hunni, if you have a massive deficiet you can go one of two ways - stop loosing or loose muscle and no size (obviously with some fat), its not good to do this and you should just work hard and eat right, that way you will prob loose a little bit before you go.

    I hope you make the right decisions for you, but either way have a fab vacation.

    I don't think anybody's bashing her. I think people are trying to give her a realistic picture of what she's wanting to do. She asked for advice. People are giving it.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    NHS advice is "If you attempt a low-calorie diet (only 1,000-1,600 calories a day) without the advice of a health professional, you may miss out some of the vital nutrients you need to stay healthy. "

    With that caveat, why not. Plenty of protein to preserve muscle (60-80g/day ?), supplements you've already considered.
  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
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    I've tried it and found it didn't work. In weight loss mode to get "jump" started, I do a 5 day 1000 calorie high protien low everything else with light exercise then move to 1200 calories with a goal of "netting" 1000 each day (only eat back calories from exercise in excess of 200 calories burned). I do that for the next 5-7 days. Then I go to 1200 calories net and stay there. Your looking at a short period to lose for a purpose (not lose for health/long term) so I suspose you would stay with the 1000 net until you leave for vacation. But know that you'll put it back on fast if you go "hog wild" eating with no exercise on vacation and are likely to gain more than you lost. Been there, done that! Over and over and over! LOL!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I've tried it and found it didn't work. In weight loss mode to get "jump" started, I do a 5 day 1000 calorie high protien low everything else with light exercise then move to 1200 calories with a goal of "netting" 1000 each day (only eat back calories from exercise in excess of 200 calories burned). I do that for the next 5-7 days. Then I go to 1200 calories net and stay there. Your looking at a short period to lose for a purpose (not lose for health/long term) so I suspose you would stay with the 1000 net until you leave for vacation. But know that you'll put it back on fast if you go "hog wild" eating with no exercise on vacation and are likely to gain more than you lost. Been there, done that! Over and over and over! LOL!
    "I've tried it and found it didn't work..." yet you're still recommending it?
  • queenhiphop
    queenhiphop Posts: 286 Member
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    Hey, I do not think bashing her for it is a great idea.

    Listen hunni, if you have a massive deficiet you can go one of two ways - stop loosing or loose muscle and no size (obviously with some fat), its not good to do this and you should just work hard and eat right, that way you will prob loose a little bit before you go.

    I hope you make the right decisions for you, but either way have a fab vacation.

    I don't think anybody's bashing her. I think people are trying to give her a realistic picture of what she's wanting to do. She asked for advice. People are giving it.

    The way in which some people are replying is extremely demeaning ,which is bashing in my opinion. You don't need to be calling someone names and shouting at them to be 'bashing'.

    To the OP, I think 1000 cals a day is too low BUT it is only for three weeks and you are aware that you will probs gain it back. I would probably suggest doing lots of toning/strength exercises rather than cardio if you are going to eat only 1000 a day. I would add that most of the weight you lose though is going to be water and muscle. Just be careful not to end up ill and run down for the holiday!! Where are you going?? x
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    I'd get waaaaay too grumpy and miserable sustaining myself on that little energy!

    Eat more cals, you'll do better workouts anyway and just generally feel better! I think the general adage is "Crash diets don't work" and that is a crash diet.

    I'm for healthy weight loss, no fads or starving yourself whilst working yourself into the ground at the gym.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    It may or may not work. For most people, it won't do anything. You can't lose massive amounts of weight if you don't have a lot to lose. If you want to cut some water weight, then eliminate grains, breads and a lot of other carbs; limit fruit to 1 serving a day, and get the rest of your carbs from veggies. This will give you some benefits of less glycogen/water stored and you may lose a few pounds. I know when my wife and i went to a paleo diet, I lost 2 lbs and my wife lost 4 lbs the first week.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    Advice: Don't. Do you want to compromise your body and be sick for vacation?
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Advice: You won't lose a significant amount of weight in 3 weeks to warrant that incredibly restrictive diet.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    So, i'm going on holiday in 3 weeks, i am desperate to shift as many lbs as i can!

    i know it's not the healthiest way and i understand that once i'm back on a my original plan i will probably gain weight but if i stick to 1000 calories a day and exercise 5 days a week (not eating back my exercise cals, i usualy burn around 300 cals per gym session) for 3 weeks, will i lose a significant amount of weight?

    i will continue to drink 8 cups of water daily and i also take berocca for my vitamin needs.


    you'd probably lose 15 - 20 lbs. you'd need to stick to mainly protein or you'll lose muscle not fat. and you'd need more than barocca - off the top of my head, potassium, magnesium, multi-vit, salt/sodium suppliment. just be careful tho.
  • cj2lose
    cj2lose Posts: 80 Member
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    Sounds like you'll be starving and in a bad mood for 3 weeks with that calorie limit. Plus you'll probably binge on vacation and gain it back quickly. Doesn't sound fun, so I wouldn't do it. I have a hard enough time staying at 1300 with eating my workout calories back.
  • CeleryStalker
    CeleryStalker Posts: 665 Member
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    There are several diet plans that bring your calories down below 1000 calories a day. Look at Medifast, for instance. 800-1000 calories a day, no more than 45 minutes of 'moderate' exercise per day, no eating back your exercise calories, and calories are broken down to around 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat. People lose weight like mad on that program. I was one of them. The first few days were notorious for feeling like crap, but once ketosis kicked in, I felt great and supercharged as long as I wasn't exceeding the 45 minute exercise restriction.

    The positive: Seriously quick weight loss and gained energy. For me, each time I did Medifast (key words: each time...let that be an indication of how long lasting the effects of this diet were for me, lol), I lost about 18-20# the first month, which put me right around the halfway point for my weight loss goal.

    The negative: For many, including myself, was keeping it off once it came off.

    I know there are a lot of weight loss purists that post here, but insisting you will do long term damage to your body and feel like garbage over the next few weeks isn't completely accurate, at least not for everyone. Sure there are better ways to lose weight, but a short term low-cal crash diet never killed anyone (key words: short term).

    This isn't an endorsement for Medifast or any similar weight loss method. Slow and steady is definitely the best way to go. Just wanted to balance out the rhetoric out there. If you keep your carbs below 100 in addition to the lowered calories, you'll lose a lot of weight quickly, which sounds like what you are attempting to do.
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
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    So, i'm going on holiday in 3 weeks, i am desperate to shift as many lbs as i can!

    i know it's not the healthiest way and i understand that once i'm back on a my original plan i will probably gain weight but if i stick to 1000 calories a day and exercise 5 days a week (not eating back my exercise cals, i usualy burn around 300 cals per gym session) for 3 weeks, will i lose a significant amount of weight?

    i will continue to drink 8 cups of water daily and i also take berocca for my vitamin needs.


    you'd probably lose 15 - 20 lbs. you'd need to stick to mainly protein or you'll lose muscle not fat. and you'd need more than barocca - off the top of my head, potassium, magnesium, multi-vit, salt/sodium suppliment. just be careful tho.

    What are you basing your projected loss on? For her to lose 15 lbs, she would have to cut something like 52,500 calories from her diet over 3 weeks, which is 2500 calories a day. Are you assuming she has a TDEE of 3500? Because unless she's 300 lbs and active, that's highly unlikely.

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