Yet another eating strategy question

Kavazya · September 2014

Hello all -

Based on a calculator from some external site, the amount of calories I need to maintain my weight is around 2100. However, MFP has issued me a calorie goal of 1200 kcal a day. That's a big deficit. This obviously is from setting it up to lose weight quicker (who doesn't want to lose weight as fast as possible?), but my fear of eating at this deficit is that my metabolism is going to end up being about as fast as a glacier after a while. So my question is, what if I tried alternating between 1200 and 1600 kcal each day? Would that keep my metabolism up? Has anyone else tried this and gotten any notable results?

kgeyser · September 2014

Can we back up a second? How much weight do you have to lose?

3laine75 · September 2014

You answered your own question. If you want a smaller deficit set a slower timescale.

Don't worry about your metabolism, it catches back up. If 1200 isn't enough, have more. If it is, then stick with it.

Kavazya · September 2014

Sorry, should have mentioned that before. I'm looking to lose around 20lbs.

nosebag1212 · September 2014

Your metabolism will not slow down that much, starvation mode or metabolic damage is one of the biggest myths the fitness industry loves to peddle, The greatest adaptive decrease (i.e. a "slowed metabolism") in BMR ever recorded was only ~15% in the Minnesota Starvation Study. Which consisted of extended dieting at a 50% caloric deficit FOR 6 MONTHS & ZERO weight training or refeeds.

lemurcat12 · September 2014

Like you said, it's just basic math. If you said 2 lbs/week, MFP will give you a before-exercise deficit of 1000/day. You are expected to eat back exercise calories.

If you want a more moderate deficit (which is a reasonable strategy), aim for less than 2 lbs/week.

kimny72 · September 2014

if you only have 20 pounds to lose, you should set your goal to 1 pound or half a pound a week. When your weight is lower, your calorie needs are lower, so a huge deficit is just too extreme to live with. And if you can live with it, there is a better chance you'll stick with it. :happy:

JaimieAG · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

colors_fade · September 2014

who doesn't want to lose weight as fast as possible?

Those of us who realize that slow and steady wins the race.

History and science have shown us, repeatedly, that fast weight loss doesn't last. There are a myriad of physical and phsycological reasons for this. Fast weight loss is a scam; it simply won't last.

Losing one to two pounds per week in a steady, consistent fashion is the only way to keep it off permanently. Because by doing that, you will learn to form healthy relationships with food, and teach yourself good habits that will translate to maintenance mode when you finally reach your goals.

Fast weight loss... just not a good idea. Once you accept that, you can find the better path.

Mr_Knight · September 2014

History and science have shown us, repeatedly, that fast weight loss doesn't last.

Neither does slow weight loss.

There are all kinds of reasons to take things slow and steady, but the regaining weight issue is not one of them.

DaivaSimone · September 2014

Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain.

kgeyser · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

I'm sure the fact that the banana girl is a long distance cyclist and therefore has a ridiculously large calorie burn has absolutely nothing to do with how she can eat so much and not gain weight.

Kavazya · September 2014

Thanks everyone! I think ultimately I'm just not going to worry about metabolism too much. My concern is gaining back what I lose quickly, which has happened before, but that probably was due to more than just metabolism.

RHachicho · September 2014

It won't wreck your metabolism but since you are already pretty lean your body will have a greater tendency to burn muscle instead of fat. Basically it works like this. The more fat you have the more willing the body is to burn it. On the other hand if you don't have much fat at all you actually have to take special steps. I.e carb cycling and training like mad to force your body to lose those last scraps of fat. at least without losing almost all of your healthy muscle.

So when you are lean a large deficit is to say the least highly inadvisable health wise. And can often result in the lowering of your TDEE. Not from metabolic damage .. but from muscle loss.

Sabine_Stroehm · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

Is this what you're doing?

Sabine_Stroehm · September 2014

Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain.

mmmm Guinness.

Kavazya · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

Is this what you're doing?

For the most part, yes. I don't really eat many "empty calories" at all, but what I do have a bad habit of snacking on are raw nuts. It's fine in moderation, but on a smaller deficit I often find myself eating multiple servings.

Sabine_Stroehm · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

Is this what you're doing?

For the most part, yes. I don't really eat many "empty calories" at all, but what I do have a bad habit of snacking on are raw nuts. It's fine in moderation, but on a smaller deficit I often find myself eating multiple servings.

So you're "filling your deficit" with plants and eating at TDEE and losing weight?

nosebag1212 · September 2014

^^ no she's not, that's impossible, brb breaking the laws of thermodynamics, the whole "all calories are not equal" is pure broscience, go and eat 4000 cals of broccoli a day and see how shredded you get LOL

Sabine_Stroehm · September 2014

^^ no she's not, that's impossible, brb breaking the laws of thermodynamics, the whole "all calories are not equal" is pure broscience, go and eat 4000 cals of broccoli a day and see how shredded you get LOL

I was going to wait for HER to reply and suggest that perhaps her TDEE was higher than she thought.

ana3067 · September 2014

If your TDEE is estimated at 2100, then consume this much for a month or longer to see if you maintain. If you do, then you can create a 15-20% deficit and stick to that throughout your entire weight loss (throw in a maintenance day once a week fi you'd like, either adjusting your deficit days so that your average daily intake equals to your needed deficit, or just eating the prescribed deficit and the maintenance as they are) even as the losses slow down. The closer you get to goal weight, the slower the losses will be because you will have a lower TDEE, which means your deficit will be smaller.

So 1680-1780 would be a good range to eat based on the given TDEE.

astroophys · September 2014

History and science have shown us, repeatedly, that fast weight loss doesn't last.

Neither does slow weight loss.

There are all kinds of reasons to take things slow and steady, but the regaining weight issue is not one of them.

+1

Sabine_Stroehm · September 2014

History and science have shown us, repeatedly, that fast weight loss doesn't last.

Neither does slow weight loss.

There are all kinds of reasons to take things slow and steady, but the regaining weight issue is not one of them.

+1

+1+1

dedflwrs · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

Hmmm... I own a vegetarian cafe. I have customers who are vegan. Others who eat raw. Others who have been doing the Engine 5 (or whatever it is called) diet for quite a while and one thing they have in common is that they are overweight. They feel they can eat all the live long day with impunity.

I think I'll continue eating enough calories to maintain and they will certainly include fried eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches

cookmtn · September 2014

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/737101-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner?page=2%252523posts-19474154

This may help.

sloth3toes · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

Hmmm... I own a vegetarian cafe. I have customers who are vegan. Others who eat raw. Others who have been doing the Engine 5 (or whatever it is called) diet for quite a while and one thing they have in common is that they are overweight. They feel they can eat all the live long day with impunity.

I think I'll continue eating enough calories to maintain and they will certainly include fried eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches

I thought you were a bartender? :happy:

And to the OP.....

As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing these negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:

More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

dedflwrs · September 2014

I thought you were a bartender? :happy:

Nope, have never tended bar. I own a restaurant that has a bar, a vegetarian cafe and a diner. All in NH within five miles of each other. So I do have experience watching people eat and even more experience eating :laugh:

Kavazya · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

Is this what you're doing?

For the most part, yes. I don't really eat many "empty calories" at all, but what I do have a bad habit of snacking on are raw nuts. It's fine in moderation, but on a smaller deficit I often find myself eating multiple servings.

So you're "filling your deficit" with plants and eating at TDEE and losing weight?

I would describe what I'm doing more as reaching 1200 kcals or just under in the day with regular meals and often eating over to around 1600 kcal with snacks like fruits, nuts, homemade popcorn, etc. I have not really seen much weight loss according to the scale, but recently started a bootcamp-like class and don't think I can trust the scale to be a good reflection just yet. Does that help?

ana3067 · September 2014

Another strategy is to hit your original cal calculations by eating <1200 calories and then filling the deficit with ONLY raw plant based foods (ie. grab an apple, carrot, etc.). This will curb your hunger and fill voids in nutrition. Raw foodies consume 2000cals in a single sitting without weight gain. Not all calories are created equal. Suggested google: banana girl, Raw food by Kristina, etc.

Is this what you're doing?

For the most part, yes. I don't really eat many "empty calories" at all, but what I do have a bad habit of snacking on are raw nuts. It's fine in moderation, but on a smaller deficit I often find myself eating multiple servings.

So you're "filling your deficit" with plants and eating at TDEE and losing weight?

I would describe what I'm doing more as reaching 1200 kcals or just under in the day with regular meals and often eating over to around 1600 kcal with snacks like fruits, nuts, homemade popcorn, etc. I have not really seen much weight loss according to the scale, but recently started a bootcamp-like class and don't think I can trust the scale to be a good reflection just yet. Does that help?

If you've been eating this way for at least a few weeks, then you're probably not eating at an actual deficit or you're way undereating. Log accurately by weighing or at least measuring food and recalculate your TDEE if you eat based on TDEE. If you eat net then log and eat back exercise calories so that you are eating at a more appropriate deficit.

sloth3toes · September 2014

I thought you were a bartender? :happy:

Nope, have never tended bar. I own a restaurant that has a bar, a vegetarian cafe and a diner. All in NH within five miles of each other. So I do have experience watching people eat and even more experience eating :laugh:

Wasn't that you that posted in another thread, that you drank non-alcoholic drinks sitting at the bar, chatting up customers? Now that I write this. I'm thinking it might have been you, but you aren't the bartender.

dedflwrs · September 2014

Wasn't that you that posted in another thread, that you drank non-alcoholic drinks sitting at the bar, chatting up customers? Now that I write this. I'm thinking it might have been you, but you aren't the bartender.

Haha, yes that was me. I do the owner thing, sit at the bar and chat people up. But I don't work the bar. Or anything there, for that matter other than hang out and eat a lot. I own a bunch of businesses in town so it does not leave a lot of time or desire for bartending.

Yet another eating strategy question

Replies

Categories