calories in vs calories out for weight-loss. help needed

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bexylex528
bexylex528 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone.
Im relatively new to this so you will have to bear with.
Ive read on the good old interweb to loose 1lb of fat you need to burn 3500 calories which I understand. But heres where I get confused. I understand to loose weight there has to be a calorie deficit which in turn mean eating less (obviously the right healthy food being eaten) but with eating less doesnt your body go into starvation mode and hang on to fat which your trying to get rid of? Muchos confused. Can someone please help and reply in laymans term. Thanks.x

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Okay, first and foremost starvation mode as it's commonly interpreted doesn't really exist. Metabolic adaptation (slowing down your metabolism) takes a pretty long time on a low calorie level.

    That said, there is a sweet spot most people aim for to lose weight while still getting essential nutrients in and discouraging muscle loss (which can happen if you eat at too large a deficit). It's why only aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week is recommended (or even a little less if you don't have much to lose).

    If you haven't come across them yet, I always recommend starting with these links:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1296011-calorie-counting-101
  • amyllu
    amyllu Posts: 432 Member
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    Have you tried Googling for a weight loss calculation. You'll find there are lots of places where you can enter how much you weigh now, what your goal weight is, plus your age and height and it will be calculated for you. What you end up with will be the amount of calories that you need to sustain a healthy life whilst losing weight. It's only if you go LOWER than the amount recommended that you will do yourself harm.
    Hope that helps a bit.
  • Marlena0708
    Marlena0708 Posts: 27 Member
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    No, your body will not go into "starvation mode" if you eat less. Your metabolism may slow down a little bit if you consume a very low calorie diet; but, generally speaking, starving yourself makes you die - your body does not magically stop burning fat or muscle or anything else it can get its hands on just because you're eating less. Look at it this way (kinda grim, I know) people with anorexia die of starvation; people in concentration camps die of starvation; people in countries facing famine die of starvation. Their bodies do not "hang on to fat". Their bodies do not hang onto muscle. The body consumes itself for fuel until there is no more fuel, then you die.

    No one is going to go into "starvation mode" eating 1800, 1500, 1200, 1000 or even 800 calories a day. They are just going to lose fat and muscle, some quicker than others.

    If you want to burn fat figure out how many calories (energy units) your body NEEDS every day, then eat at some level lower than that. If you want to lose a pound a week, eat 500 fewer calories per day than your body needs. If you want to lose 2 pounds a week, eat a deficit of 1000 calories per day, etc etc. Truly, it really is that simple.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    If you eat at a moderate calorie deficit and combine that with consistent exercise, you're body will still get the nutrition it needs and not go into starvation mode. Starvation mode happens when you eat at an extreme calorie deficit, such as 800 cal/day, and overtrain.

    Allan

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