Eating less than your Calorie Goal
jvivio56
Posts: 5 Member
I played college football and they use to always tell us weight loss is simple, simply eat less calories than you burn each day. But how much is too much? I have heard that you need to eat a certain amount otherwise it has negative effects and can actually make you gain weight. I'm currently on pace for 2 lbs a week with a calorie goal of 2270 a day, how low could I drop it to expedite weight loss before it has the opposite effect?
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Replies
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The very minimum a guy should be eating is 1800 cal/day. Do not go below that because your body needs a certain amount of fuel to function properly. The best way to figure out what calorie goal is right for you is by some good old trial and error. What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~2200 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for a week. If you lose 1-2 lbs, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few weeks, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.
Allan0 -
2270 is a 1k a day deficet correct? that's plenty actually too high with 50lbs to go..you should be aiming for 1.5-1lb a week...
The goal here is to eat as much as you can and still lose a reasonable amount of weight not eat the least amount possible and lose weight...weight=muscle and fat btw...
There are a few numbers to concern yourself with
BMR which is what you burn while at rest...
NEAT what you burn during a regular day without exercise
TDEE what you burn during a regular day with exercise factored in...
To lose a reasonable amount of weight MFP will calculate your NEAT by the information you input in and give you the deficet to lose the weekly amount you want (might not be a reasonable number) and then you log exercise calories and eat those back (at least 50-75%)
Or you go to IIFYM.com figure out your TDEE by inputting your information including how much you exercise and choose 20% reduction and it will give you the amount to eat...you put that in your diary under goals>change goals>custom and you don't eat back exercise calories...
remember you didn't put this weight on fast so don't try to lose it too fast or you will suffer from muscle loss, low energy etc.0 -
What are possible negative side effects to losing weight too fast. You said that you recommend 1-2 a week, I've lost sometimes up to 10 in a week when I was playing. All while continuing to maintain adequate hydration.0
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What are possible negative side effects to losing weight too fast. You said that you recommend 1-2 a week, I've lost sometimes up to 10 in a week when I was playing. All while continuing to maintain adequate hydration.
Loose skin is a big one.
You also tend to have a loss of lean muscle mass if you lose weight to quickly. Sometimes the lack of nutrition can lead to gallstones and liver issues.
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I know your talking about guys here, but do you guys ever reach out to the people on your friends list who are eating too little? Every night I kinda stalk people's food diary's and see what they ate. I have like 8 people on my friends list who eat less than 1200 calories and then exercise off 300-500 calories on top of that every single day. Everybody else on there friends list say "good job" gives them 30 likes, and i"m just sitting here going....do I want to be that one friend who is like...maybe you should go eat something else :huh:0 -
No rush, just curiosity, and wondering how important it is to reach the calorie goal each day and what happens when it is undershot.0
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What are possible negative side effects to losing weight too fast. You said that you recommend 1-2 a week, I've lost sometimes up to 10 in a week when I was playing. All while continuing to maintain adequate hydration.
10lbs in a week while playing wouldn't all be fat...lots of water weight...
negative effects are muscle loss, low energy, lethargy, your nails and hair get brittle (too little protien)...irritable and then to top it all off you end up failing cause you are freakin' hungry and end up binging on food you have eliminated from your eating because "you can't" fit them in...
Playing football is a hard sport based on what I know of it...my son played rugby and ate like a horse (over 4k a day) and still lost weight, as young men that is what you guys do...that being said tho like my son you apparently ate like you were playing football when you weren't and have gained weight...how long did it take to gain it?
That's how long it should take to lose it....
edited for typo0 -
No rush, just curiosity, and wondering how important it is to reach the calorie goal each day and what happens when it is undershot.
If I get the min for a woman which is 1200 it takes me about 3 days to get back to feeling "normal"...from being dizzy, weak, workouts suffer etc...and that is one day ...
why would you not be able to get all the calories in? do you not like beer? or peanut butter? or chips? or ice cream? or a bigger chunk of steak and/or chicken at dinner? maybe bacon with breakfast?0 -
I do, it just doesn't feel natural to be able eat those kinds of foods when trying to lose weight. My fear is also when I eat/drink those types of foods/drinks I always tend to over do it.0
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I know your talking about guys here, but do you guys ever reach out to the people on your friends list who are eating too little? Every night I kinda stalk people's food diary's and see what they ate. I have like 8 people on my friends list who eat less than 1200 calories and then exercise off 300-500 calories on top of that every single day. Everybody else on there friends list say "good job" gives them 30 likes, and i"m just sitting here going....do I want to be that one friend who is like...maybe you should go eat something else :huh:
Just wanted to say I think this nearly every night as well. I finally came out and was that friend who said you need to eat more...it was either that or I defriend them. Can't take it anymore..0 -
I do, it just doesn't feel natural to be able eat those kinds of foods when trying to lose weight. My fear is also when I eat/drink those types of foods/drinks I always tend to over do it.
Don't deprive yourself. Control the cravings but don't cut them out completely.
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I know your talking about guys here, but do you guys ever reach out to the people on your friends list who are eating too little? Every night I kinda stalk people's food diary's and see what they ate. I have like 8 people on my friends list who eat less than 1200 calories and then exercise off 300-500 calories on top of that every single day. Everybody else on there friends list say "good job" gives them 30 likes, and i"m just sitting here going....do I want to be that one friend who is like...maybe you should go eat something else :huh:
Just wanted to say I think this nearly every night as well. I finally came out and was that friend who said you need to eat more...it was either that or I defriend them. Can't take it anymore..
Me too...so frustrating, then they wonder why they start going of the rails and then if you stay friends with them long enough ( which usually I don't) you notice they no longer log in...arghhh.., is cause you are starving yourself you Wally....lol.. Yes I do reach out send some links about eating TDEE and watch to see if they change their thinking, some do, most don't.0 -
Well I know once youve logged all your food for the day, if its too little calories it will tell you. Theres been a few times in the past I have been told that.0
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I do, it just doesn't feel natural to be able eat those kinds of foods when trying to lose weight. My fear is also when I eat/drink those types of foods/drinks I always tend to over do it.
hmmm remember your goal is to eat the way you will eat when you reach your goal just with smaller portions....
If you fear them or fear you will over indulge just make sure you can't...until you know you can eat them in moderation.
I mean one slice of really good pizza (preferably homemade) for me is about 400 calories..and it's good..I mean heavenly...but the 2nd piece it's good...just not as good as the first one...
Lots of us here eat what we want when we want but stay in goal...we hit our Protien goals, fats etc and stay in calorie goal and lose weight...we don't feel deprived and usually maintain the weight loss...for longer periods.
now the only caveat is yes the 2nd beer does taste as good as the first...so go for lite beer...:drinker:0 -
This process isn't meant to be rushed. Sure, you could eat a carrot three times a day and stand on your head and lose weight. The key is healthy weight loss and not regaining the weight back. In addition to losing weight, this should be taken as a learning process. What's the point of rushing if you aren't learning the facts behind weight loss so you won't panic if the notorious number on the scale doesn't move downwards for a few weeks or you decide to eat out? Here is a newsflash. Even if you do everything correctly, your body will release/burn fat when it's ready. Give your body the time it needs to do its job and give yourself time to learn, learn, and learn.0
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I've been known to do that...and get summarily dismissed by them and their friends giving them the thumbs up so I eventually just remove them...
I know your talking about guys here, but do you guys ever reach out to the people on your friends list who are eating too little? Every night I kinda stalk people's food diary's and see what they ate. I have like 8 people on my friends list who eat less than 1200 calories and then exercise off 300-500 calories on top of that every single day. Everybody else on there friends list say "good job" gives them 30 likes, and i"m just sitting here going....do I want to be that one friend who is like...maybe you should go eat something else :huh:
Just wanted to say I think this nearly every night as well. I finally came out and was that friend who said you need to eat more...it was either that or I defriend them. Can't take it anymore..
Me too...so frustrating, then they wonder why they start going of the rails and then if you stay friends with them long enough ( which usually I don't) you notice they no longer log in...arghhh.., is cause you are starving yourself you Wally....lol.. Yes I do reach out send some links about eating TDEE and watch to see if they change their thinking, some do, most don't.0 -
What are possible negative side effects to losing weight too fast. You said that you recommend 1-2 a week, I've lost sometimes up to 10 in a week when I was playing. All while continuing to maintain adequate hydration.
Loose skin is a big one.
You also tend to have a loss of lean muscle mass if you lose weight to quickly. Sometimes the lack of nutrition can lead to gallstones and liver issues.
---
I know your talking about guys here, but do you guys ever reach out to the people on your friends list who are eating too little? Every night I kinda stalk people's food diary's and see what they ate. I have like 8 people on my friends list who eat less than 1200 calories and then exercise off 300-500 calories on top of that every single day. Everybody else on there friends list say "good job" gives them 30 likes, and i"m just sitting here going....do I want to be that one friend who is like...maybe you should go eat something else :huh:
girl input = YES YOU DO! If someone is doing something (starving themselves) that is hurting them, you ABSOLUTELY need to be the friend that chimes in! Even if it irritated me and I thought you were raining on my parade, it would open my eyes and force me to do some research on my caloric in/out and whats truly safe and going to benefit me. I know that I'm not in this for a quick weight loss just to gain it all back, or to damage my body... so I would be grateful for the honest and good information.0 -
If you are exceptionally concerned as to what would be a risk for you, you should discuss this with your physician.
For example, I have over 200lbs to lose, and many people in the forums have insisted I could eat under 2000 calories a day and be fine, some even saying I could eat 1200. My physician, however, strongly urged me to never drop under 2000 calories (at least not until I weigh much less) and that with my BMR being approximately 3300, he doesn't want to see me log 2000 calories for more than a day at a time.
With activity, I'll hit a daily burn of about 4500, so we agreed that up to a 1500 calorie cut from that would be acceptable. Yes, that drops my goal under BMR by about 500 calories, but for me, that's okay.
For some people, 50lbs is just a mere dent in their weight loss (me). Others, it's a matter of life and death. Knowing what is safe for you and your body requires a serious assessment of diagnostics, health risks, etc. Some people need bigger cuts because weight loss is a dire necessity, while others can afford to take a slower route.
Playing and training for a sport of almost any kind requires a calorie expenditure far more intense than you'll see with a more standard workout routine. Like SezxyStef mentioned, dropping from training doesn't always communicate over to our eating needs... I know it didn't when I had to retire. Yeah, you can lose a lot when playing, but adequate water intake actually causes MORE water weight loss than if you were to not drink enough water, because your body isn't retaining in a protective survival manner. I would not base your expectations for weight loss utilizing diet and exercise based on what you saw happen during training, unless you can honestly say that your current routine is on par with that intensity.
Many people already listed great reason why you shouldn't lose fast... It may have been said already, but I'll chime in that rebound gains tend to be more significant when you lose quickly. You can also effectively cut too low. While coming in "short" on random days isn't going to have long term effects... Setting a goal that is substantially low and sticking to it for a long-term period will effectively slow the progress, if not stop it all together.0 -
What are possible negative side effects to losing weight too fast. You said that you recommend 1-2 a week, I've lost sometimes up to 10 in a week when I was playing. All while continuing to maintain adequate hydration.
Loose skin is a big one.
You also tend to have a loss of lean muscle mass if you lose weight to quickly. Sometimes the lack of nutrition can lead to gallstones and liver issues.
---
I know your talking about guys here, but do you guys ever reach out to the people on your friends list who are eating too little? Every night I kinda stalk people's food diary's and see what they ate. I have like 8 people on my friends list who eat less than 1200 calories and then exercise off 300-500 calories on top of that every single day. Everybody else on there friends list say "good job" gives them 30 likes, and i"m just sitting here going....do I want to be that one friend who is like...maybe you should go eat something else :huh:
girl input = YES YOU DO! If someone is doing something (starving themselves) that is hurting them, you ABSOLUTELY need to be the friend that chimes in! Even if it irritated me and I thought you were raining on my parade, it would open my eyes and force me to do some research on my caloric in/out and whats truly safe and going to benefit me. I know that I'm not in this for a quick weight loss just to gain it all back, or to damage my body... so I would be grateful for the honest and good information.
Yes I agree!0 -
No rush, just curiosity, and wondering how important it is to reach the calorie goal each day and what happens when it is undershot.
Provided you're lifting and getting ample protein, you likely won't see an elevated loss of lean body mass until your caloric deficit crosses the threshold for how many calories your body can pull from your fat stores in a given amount of time and that threshold is generally defined by how much fat you're carrying around on your body (e.g., something around 31 kcal/lb of fat/day, although I think there's a lot of variance here from person to person from what I've read). Up until you cross that threshold though, I don't think you're looking at any increased risk of losing lean mass and that threshold is generally a lot more aggressive than people think.
That said, there are reasons to cut more slowly. Two that come to mind are you may feel miserable eating, say, 1400 calories/day for a few weeks and your energy levels may suffer for it as well. Lack of energy can affect your training and the preservation of lean mass relies on continued, intense resistance training; as such, low energy can indirectly lead to a loss of lean mass.
My advice is, if you come in under some days, don't sweat it, and if you go a bit over some days, don't sweat it. I'd personally set a goal that's reasonably aggressive but don't go so far that you're making yourself miserable.0 -
I know your talking about guys here, but do you guys ever reach out to the people on your friends list who are eating too little? Every night I kinda stalk people's food diary's and see what they ate. I have like 8 people on my friends list who eat less than 1200 calories and then exercise off 300-500 calories on top of that every single day. Everybody else on there friends list say "good job" gives them 30 likes, and i"m just sitting here going....do I want to be that one friend who is like...maybe you should go eat something else :huh:
Just wanted to say I think this nearly every night as well. I finally came out and was that friend who said you need to eat more...it was either that or I defriend them. Can't take it anymore..
Me too...so frustrating, then they wonder why they start going of the rails and then if you stay friends with them long enough ( which usually I don't) you notice they no longer log in...arghhh.., is cause you are starving yourself you Wally....lol.. Yes I do reach out send some links about eating TDEE and watch to see if they change their thinking, some do, most don't.
im so glad im not the only one who does this lol, i have mentioned something a few times but have never had anyone change unfortunately. I now just delete them because I cannot congratulate anyone for that, same as logging cleaning and mowing the lawn for exercise lol, oh boy....0 -
1800kcal as a minimum for a man.... This woman is crying while she is reading this.... Even when I switch to maintain I will be under that.... :sad: :sad: :sad:0
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Just try and be as close to your goal as you can be. Dont force food in if you really arent hungry but try to eat as much as you can to fuel your body. If you are eating at a reasonable deficit the weight will come off, you just cant expect it to all melt off overnight.
What I dont get is why nearly all those on my friends list seem to be actively congratulated for being consistently under their calorie goal by several hundred or even 1000 calories. Why encourage stuff like that?!0 -
If you play sports, then you know the meaning of a goal.
It's something you try to achieve.0
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