1000 calorie diet???

HoLLyZ82
HoLLyZ82 Posts: 467 Member
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
So confused :( According to MFP having a net 1000 calorie diet will only lead me to lose 1.5lbs/ week. i usually work out every day and burn around 500-600 calories. I do eat most of these calories back if need be. I guess Im just wondering if 1000 calories is too few? I see many people posting about never going under 1200 per day. Im 5'5'' and 151 lbs.

Replies

  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
    At 5'5 and 151lbs, you don't have much to lose... What are you aiming for, 10-25 pounds to lose?

    The best way for you to lose weight, is slowly! I would suggest 0.5lb/week for your goal. This is what I have mine set at and I have less than 5 pounds left to lose. Even though it's at 0.5lbs per week, I will have weeks where I lose more than a pound. You need eat more to lose more. You don't want to stagger your metabolism, so it's best to fuel your body and lose weight gradually.
  • DaniJeanine
    DaniJeanine Posts: 473 Member
    They're right, you should never go under 1200. That's the amount your body is going to need just to function properly. It's also very hard to eat such a small amount of calories! I would do 1200 on a "lazy day" and 1500 on an active day. Even if I work out alot, I try not to go over 1500-1600.
  • HoLLyZ82
    HoLLyZ82 Posts: 467 Member
    yes, i would like to get down to about 135. I started out at 162 and it just seems to take forever to lose a lb. I want to be able to stick to a healthy diet but I also want to see a 2lb loss per week. I never "starve" myself. If im hungry, i eat. ( I used to consume MASSIVE amount of food too so I definitely know when Im hungry) Ive never felt worn down at the gym either. I figured if i were depriving my body of what it needs I would feel a little worn down, ya know?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    yes, i would like to get down to about 135. I started out at 162 and it just seems to take forever to lose a lb. I want to be able to stick to a healthy diet but I also want to see a 2lb loss per week. I never "starve" myself. If im hungry, i eat. Ive never felt worn down at the gym either. I figured if i were depriving my body of what it needs I would feel a little worn down, ya know?

    At your weight and height 2lbs/week is not healthy. Aim for 1lb, now and change to 0.5 when you get to the last 10-15lbs. MFP recommends 1lb/week, but if you are obese you can be safe doing 2lbs/week. You are not obese so your goal should be 0.5-1lb/week
  • HoLLyZ82
    HoLLyZ82 Posts: 467 Member
    Im going to up my caloric intake to 1100-1200. Thanks everyone. I feel so bad for doing this though.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    If you were to lose 2 lbs per week (which is unlikely, given what you have to lose) you would be losing a large amount of lean tissue (muscle) in addition to fat. Losing a little muscle is unavoidable, but a small deficit will help you maintain as much muscle mass as possible - which is what you want because higher muscle mass means higher metabolism.

    Eric is correct - do NOT try for more than 1 lb per week, and .5 lb would be better and more realistic. You didn't put the weight on overnight, you can't expect it to come off overnight if you want to be healthy.
  • HoLLyZ82
    HoLLyZ82 Posts: 467 Member
    i have tons of muscle and still weight train 3 times a week too. just by cutting calories this will still diminish my muscle?
  • i have tons of muscle and still weight train 3 times a week too. just by cutting calories this will still diminish my muscle?

    Once your body uses up all its calories it will have to turn somewhere for energy. If you follow a reduced calorie diet above 1200 calories you shouldn't really see a problem though. It's also a good idea to eat at least half of your exercise calories, because your body needs fuel to keep it going.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    i have tons of muscle and still weight train 3 times a week too. just by cutting calories this will still diminish my muscle?

    Yes. The body takes energy from the most readily available sources. At a moderate deficit, where the body gets enough energy to sustain daily functions, it's comfortable releasing fat stores. But once you get to a large deficit, the incoming fuel isn't enough to sustain daily functions and the body sort of "panics" - and begins doing two things: It lowers metabolic rate to conserve fuel and begins breaking down lean tissue (muscle, skin, etc) to provide fuel for all those workouts, because muscle is easier to break down than fat. The leaner you are, the more pronounced this effect is at a large deficit.

    Weight training can help maintain muscle mass - but when you are at a large deficit it has no choice but to begin using muscle as fuel. Someone who is relatively lean CANNOT sustain the same deficit as someone who is obese. There simply aren't enough fat stores for the body to access quickly. 2 lbs per week loss is only appropriate for someone who is obese (with at least 60-75 lbs to lose or more.) The leaner you are, the more important it is to fuel the body properly to let it KNOW that there's adequate fuel coming in, so that it is comfortable burning fat rather than muscle.
  • Daisy374
    Daisy374 Posts: 539 Member
    bump
  • HoLLyZ82
    HoLLyZ82 Posts: 467 Member
    THANK YOU!! great information! i went ahead and changed my intake.
  • AmyStraw
    AmyStraw Posts: 5
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