Can this really be healthy?

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siren1974
siren1974 Posts: 66
in Health and Weight Loss
I've lost a shed load of weight in the last 13 months through diet and exercise. This has motivated my cousin to start her own journey. Admittedly, she has a lot to lose. My guess is that she was about 300+ pounds to begin with. In the last 7 months she's lost 80lbs. Great going! But this morning she has said how she's been doing it. She's been taking in 1400 calories a day and exercising 1500 calories per day! She has a HRM so it's probably an accurate estimate but surely these levels can't be healthy? I've not been the greatest advert for healthy weight loss but I was leaving my body 700 net cals a day when I was eating at my lowest and felt bloody awful!

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  • jackieatx
    jackieatx Posts: 578 Member
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    It's not healthy imo! :(
  • siren1974
    siren1974 Posts: 66
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    I forgot to add that she apparently visited the doctor and got his approval when she started.
  • melissachipman123
    melissachipman123 Posts: 64
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    She will have alot of loose skin.
  • siren1974
    siren1974 Posts: 66
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    I've done Pilates all the way through my journey, started weight training about 5 months ago and have loose skin. Wish I could make her eat more? I now weigh 123lbs and lose weight eating more than she does!
  • gogophers
    gogophers Posts: 190 Member
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    If she only lost 80 pounds in the last 7 months, it's highly unlikely that both of those numbers are correct.

    Did she ask for your help?

    Also, if she's actually done that everyday for the past 7 months she'd probably be dead right now.
  • tami101
    tami101 Posts: 617 Member
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    I believe people with 100+ lbs. to lose can safely lose weight at those large deficits for a while. If she is being monitored by her doctor, I wouldn't be too concerned unless you think she is looking unhealthy. I would think that now that she has lost that much weight, that she would lower the deficit a bit. But I am not a doctor, I don't really know. Just putting my 2 cents in, for what they're worth. =)
  • siren1974
    siren1974 Posts: 66
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    If she only lost 80 pounds in the last 7 months, it's highly unlikely that both of those numbers are correct.

    Did she ask for your help?

    Also, if she's actually done that everyday for the past 7 months she'd probably be dead right now.

    She's posted progress pics to her Facebook with comments about how she's done it. She has definitely lost the weight but her face looks sooo tired (iykwim). She did ask how I had lost weight at the start of her journey. This is the 2nd time I've lost a lt of weight, first time I didn't exercise and even then, at over a 14 lbs heavier than I am now my face looked haggered. This time however I look fit, strong and toned ( but with some loose skin)
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    I believe people with 100+ lbs. to lose can safely lose weight at those large deficits for a while. If she is being monitored by her doctor, I wouldn't be too concerned unless you think she is looking unhealthy. I would think that now that she has lost that much weight, that she would lower the deficit a bit. But I am not a doctor, I don't really know. Just putting my 2 cents in, for what they're worth. =)

    Agreed, with that much to lose, your body just isnt going to go into starvation with so many extra resources to gain energy from. If shes not hungry and is eating food with a high nutritional value Im sure she'll be ok, especially if she's being monitored. At some point she'll have to start eating more, but actually, for now, she's probably fine.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    I believe people with 100+ lbs. to lose can safely lose weight at those large deficits for a while. If she is being monitored by her doctor, I wouldn't be too concerned unless you think she is looking unhealthy. I would think that now that she has lost that much weight, that she would lower the deficit a bit. But I am not a doctor, I don't really know. Just putting my 2 cents in, for what they're worth. =)
    I was thinking that. However, since you say she's looking tired, then maybe you should discreetly ask if she's consulted with her doctor since starting the program to see if anything needs updating.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I believe people with 100+ lbs. to lose can safely lose weight at those large deficits for a while. If she is being monitored by her doctor, I wouldn't be too concerned unless you think she is looking unhealthy. I would think that now that she has lost that much weight, that she would lower the deficit a bit. But I am not a doctor, I don't really know. Just putting my 2 cents in, for what they're worth. =)
    I was thinking that. However, since you say she's looking tired, then maybe you should discreetly ask if she's consulted with her doctor since starting the program to see if anything needs updating.

    Agreed. Time for a check up.
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
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    I think given her starting weight she could probably manage just fine, however, from the numbers you've given and the weight she's lost - I'd say she is eating more than she thinks she is.
  • siren1974
    siren1974 Posts: 66
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    Thanks all. I'm just concerned she may be going too hard at it and may be suffering unnecessarily :/
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    This is the ONLY site or program I've ever come across that gets worked up about eating back your exercise calories. And I can follow the logic to a certain extent, but there are always going to be individual circumstances to take into account.

    80lbs in 7 months seems OK - that's not too far off the 2 lb per week target for a healthy loss.

    If she's eating more than 1200 calories per day - that's pretty good too. I'd be more concerned if she was achieving these results just by severely reducing intake.

    Exercise is goin to help keep her body in some sort of good shape (depending on what it is - is she mixing some strength and weight training in with cardio work?). And if she has a lot to lose, then the calorie burn will be pretty high.

    But most importantly, if she's consulting with her doctor and has his/her approval, then that shows she's going about this in a sensible and health-focussed way.
  • LemonSnap
    LemonSnap Posts: 186 Member
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    If she only lost 80 pounds in the last 7 months, it's highly unlikely that both of those numbers are correct.

    Did she ask for your help?

    Also, if she's actually done that everyday for the past 7 months she'd probably be dead right now.
    If she only lost 80 pounds in the last 7 months, it's highly unlikely that both of those numbers are correct.

    Did she ask for your help?

    Also, if she's actually done that everyday for the past 7 months she'd probably be dead right now.

    Yep, somebody as big as me can easily lose over 10lb a month eating 1400 per day.

    And, remember it is really difficult to judge how much you are burning. Also, she may have been burning 1500 to start but she certainly wouldn't be burning 1500 doing the same exercise 80lb later.

    However, it never hurts to monitor on your health. Why don't you suggest you and she get some blood work done and check on your vitamins and electrolytes, etc.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    Oooh no, I don't think that's healthy. I'd keel over if I were doing that!

    Congratulations on your weight loss by the way! x
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    If she only lost 80 pounds in the last 7 months, it's highly unlikely that both of those numbers are correct.

    Did she ask for your help?

    Also, if she's actually done that everyday for the past 7 months she'd probably be dead right now.

    This! ^^^ Burning 1500 a day every day?? I doubt it. Also, all available research says we underestimate out intake by as much as 40%.
  • awdamm
    awdamm Posts: 375 Member
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    is she only wearing the HRM during exercise? or all the time?

    has she found out what her normal calorie burn is during a regular day?

    maybe all those things aren't being taken into consideration.
  • MissMormie
    MissMormie Posts: 359 Member
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    If she's really overweight any health effects by eating little are easily outdone by the health benefits of losing that weight. Eating 1400 kcal a day is quite enough to get the necessary vitamins in and such.

    And if you think that's overdoing it, read this research: http://pmj.bmj.com/content/49/569/203.full.pdf

    It's about this 27 year old guy who needed to lose a LOT of weight (456 to start with) . And he did this by (under medical supervision) fasting for 382 days. He did not eat for over a year and all his health indicators improved.

    Now I'm not recommending this to anyone. But for a lot of people the negative health effects from eating a low amount of (net) calories are easily offset by the positive effects.
  • katrinkap
    katrinkap Posts: 443 Member
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    She will have alot of loose skin.

    anyone would have loose skin if they lost 150+ pounds....

    My opinion, if the DOC gave her the ok, then let her do her thing. it's ultimately her decision, but i totally can understand your concern! she is extremely lucky to have someone who cares for her long term health!!!
  • smelons
    smelons Posts: 450 Member
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    And if you think that's overdoing it, read this research: http://pmj.bmj.com/content/49/569/203.full.pdf

    It's about this 27 year old guy who needed to lose a LOT of weight (456 to start with) . And he did this by (under medical supervision) fasting for 382 days. He did not eat for over a year and all his health indicators improved.

    Now I'm not recommending this to anyone. But for a lot of people the negative health effects from eating a low amount of (net) calories are easily offset by the positive effects.

    I've just had a look at that report and read this: No faecal collections were made, but evacuation was in fact infrequent, there being 37-48 days between stools latterly. :noway: I know it's logical that he wouldn't go, but wow!

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