Why Big Caloric Deficits and Lots of Activity Can Hurt Fat L

stormieweather
stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Very interesting article by Lyle McDonald on the combination of high calorie deficits and lots of activity.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

The part that really resonated with me is quoted below. That's me...pounding on the keyboard, working myself to the bone - two jobs, two websites to manage, multiple other obligations in addition to three children and a spouse. :explode:
An Additional Variable

There is another variable that I have noticed over the years in looking at this issue. As odd as it sounds, it has to do with personality. In discussing this, for example, I’ve often noted that the people who seem to have the biggest issues with the whole lots of cardio/big caloric deficit tend to be a little bit ‘tightly wound’ (to put it politely). A bit less politely they are stress cases.

You can almost ‘hear’ the stress in their typing. Every post has lots of exclamation points and there is this undercurrent of “I MUST LOSE FAT NOW!!!!!!” in their posts. When fat loss stalls for a day, they freak out and want to cut calories or go add another hour of cardio. You can almost ’see’ the tension in them as they sit hammering at the keyboard looking for solutions.

And this is an issue because these types of folks already over-secrete cortisol. As a true oddity, there is the issue of amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle). Typically it’s been thought to be related to body fat levels or caloric intake and this is a general cause. But there is often a type of amenorrhea seen in women without any of the normal predisposing factors. In this case, it’s all due to mental stress.

Basically, there is a subset of folks who are already high-level stress cases. They tend to be drawn to harder is better in the first place, tend to be resistant to change (like my client from my early 20’s) and their already high level of cortisol production is simply amplified by the combination of too much activity and too few calories. And suggestions to raise calories and/or reduce activity are invariably met by resistance (again, like my client from ages ago). What they really need is to just chill the hell out.

But invariably the approach that they are intuitively drawn to is the wrong one for them: moderate deficits and moderate activity always work better in those folks. It’s getting them to do it that’s the hard part.

Replies

  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM NOT STRESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



    :bigsmile: :laugh:
  • naguilar210
    naguilar210 Posts: 88
    WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM NOT STRESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



    :bigsmile: :laugh:

    HILARIOUS lol!!!
  • renae5
    renae5 Posts: 393 Member
    HELLO???!!! Who is this guy and why is he spying on me??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Tonyv01
    Tonyv01 Posts: 56 Member
    thanks for sharing...
  • kriegs86
    kriegs86 Posts: 41
    OMG! That's me!! :-(
  • kriegs86
    kriegs86 Posts: 41
    THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
  • briteyes
    briteyes Posts: 435 Member
    wow! that sounds so much like me!!! I work a full time job, come home to two kids, two dogs, and my husband and still have to cook and clean, help my son w/ his h/w, give the kids baths and get them to bed on time, so I can workout (and while i"m working out, I'm considering if I should do another workout DVD when that one finishes) and all day long I sit at work researching what more I can do to lose the weight faster and faster and faster... just check out my recent posts and you'll see...LOL

    ok, gonna try to chill out.
  • servingthealiens
    servingthealiens Posts: 144 Member
    Jenjabbour,

    You're 5'3" and want to weigh 105? Not to be rude, but that seems unhealthy to me.

    I'm an inch taller than you, with a VERY small frame (wrist is 5 1/4" around), I'm at 120 right now and if I can back down to 115 I'll be cool with that, but if I can't, I'm decent where I am, too. And my heaviest was also around 130.

    Even if you, too, have a very small build, I don't see how you can have any muscle mass to speak of at 105. And if you should happen to get a bout of the flu or something for a couple days and not be able to or feel like eating, you'll drop even lower, possibly as low as 100 depending on how sick you are and what your metabolism is like.

    Please excuse me if I'm overstepping my bounds by saying something, or if I'm misjudged your body type, that just doesn't seem like a realistic goal. For the longest time I was underweight (around 105-110) and people keep telling me [now] how unhealthy and emaciated I looked then.
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
    Bump to read later.
  • sallyLunn
    sallyLunn Posts: 381
    Jenjabbour,

    You're 5'3" and want to weigh 105? Not to be rude, but that seems unhealthy to me.

    I'm an inch taller than you, with a VERY small frame (wrist is 5 1/4" around), I'm at 120 right now and if I can back down to 115 I'll be cool with that, but if I can't, I'm decent where I am, too. And my heaviest was also around 130.

    Even if you, too, have a very small build, I don't see how you can have any muscle mass to speak of at 105. And if you should happen to get a bout of the flu or something for a couple days and not be able to or feel like eating, you'll drop even lower, possibly as low as 100 depending on how sick you are and what your metabolism is like.

    Please excuse me if I'm overstepping my bounds by saying something, or if I'm misjudged your body type, that just doesn't seem like a realistic goal. For the longest time I was underweight (around 105-110) and people keep telling me [now] how unhealthy and emaciated I looked then.

    I have thought the same thing but refrained from comment until you brought it up. Jenjabbour, maybe you should rethink your goal or at least consult a professional.
  • juday3
    juday3 Posts: 78 Member
    Thank you for sharing this! It makes a lot of sense as to why I have stalled in weight loss for months :ohwell:
  • saimabhaidani
    saimabhaidani Posts: 145 Member
    hmmm... very informative!
  • saimabhaidani
    saimabhaidani Posts: 145 Member
    @ Lina

    You are soooooooooo Hillarious!!!!!!!! I think I'll be laughing all day :laugh:
  • briteyes
    briteyes Posts: 435 Member
    Jenjabbour,

    You're 5'3" and want to weigh 105? Not to be rude, but that seems unhealthy to me.

    I'm an inch taller than you, with a VERY small frame (wrist is 5 1/4" around), I'm at 120 right now and if I can back down to 115 I'll be cool with that, but if I can't, I'm decent where I am, too. And my heaviest was also around 130.

    Even if you, too, have a very small build, I don't see how you can have any muscle mass to speak of at 105. And if you should happen to get a bout of the flu or something for a couple days and not be able to or feel like eating, you'll drop even lower, possibly as low as 100 depending on how sick you are and what your metabolism is like.

    Please excuse me if I'm overstepping my bounds by saying something, or if I'm misjudged your body type, that just doesn't seem like a realistic goal. For the longest time I was underweight (around 105-110) and people keep telling me [now] how unhealthy and emaciated I looked then.

    it's a very flexible goal. I'm at 124 right now and am still fat. I have a lot of fat and little muscle. I set 105 as a goal because it is basically the low end of my healthy weight range and I want to get to the low end so I have room to budge. It doesn't mean I will necessarily get to 105. I do plan to get to 115 and reassess my goals. Maybe I should note that in my sig so people will stop freaking out on me (although I do appreciate your concern) My hubby has also expressed that he is happy I'm taking my diet serious, but he doesn't want me to be too skinny. So, to ease all of your minds, I've got it under control. Trust me, I like eating way too much to ever get to an unhealthy weight. My goal is to be strong, lean and healthy.

    One thing everyone has to remember is that what my 120 looks like may not necessarily be what your 120 looks like - even if we are almost the same height and small framed. I know because 10 years ago I weighed what I weigh now, but was 2 jean sizes smaller. Maybe I'll just throw out my scale and only pay attention to jean sizes from now on. I just want to be wearing a size 3 again... I'll take size 5 if my hips spread too much from childbirth (the size 3s still fit after my first).
  • Katiekat1182
    Katiekat1182 Posts: 83 Member
    Great! Another way stress and anxiety is ruining my life!!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories