Daily calorie deficit for fat loss?

Lalaj100
Lalaj100 Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
All over this site people are saying you will go into starvation mode if you go below 1200 calories but I wonder does that hold true for someone who has alot of excess fat (100+ lbs.)? Since your body starts to burn your excess fat for energy once carbs are depleted then wouldn't it stand to reason that a calorie deficit (low cal plus exercise) or very low calories would just lead to the body burning the excess fat and not neccessarily starvation mode until most of the excess body fat is depleted? Just something I was thinking about after doing alot of research on low carb and how the body derives energy from fat etc.

Replies

  • happierandstronger
    happierandstronger Posts: 63
    I've heard that also. I'd love to know the answer!
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    you still need actual nutrients from your food. you can't get that from the excess fat you are burning, you can only get it from eating. and under 1200 calories a day, there isnt enough food to provide the nutrition.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    When you are looking at losing a larger amount of fat, you can go with higher calorie deficits safely.

    My concerns - are you getting enough nutrients at the lower calorie intake. It is something you need to pay attention to. Are you satiated? If you are miserable on 1200 calories (not everyone is), then it is not going to work whether or not it is safe.
    My other thought is, what are you going to do down the road. If you start out at 1200 calories, you really can't cut too much more, especially as you lose weight. If you start out at a higher number, that leaves you more room to drop calories if you plateau.

    I'm a big believer in eating as much as you can and still losing weight.
  • Lalaj100
    Lalaj100 Posts: 27 Member
    I wonder if it would work if you eat say 1700 calories so that all the nutrients are there but then exercise enough to burn say 800 calories so that your net is 900. Its below the 1200 but the nutrients are there however your body would be forced more or less to convert body fat to energy, assuming you are on a low carb diet. Again thinking "out loud" I dunno???

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