proper way to stop dieting

snowy0wl
snowy0wl Posts: 179 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been on a pretty high caloric deficit of -1200 on average for a 13 days now and have lost a lot of water/fat/maybe muscle. When I'm ready to eat my TDEE or something more reasonable caloric deficit like -1000 how slowly should I work towards that.

I have no signs of hunger, mental or physical issues, just the usual soreness from all the physical activity I've been doing.

I don't know how quickly the the body starts to think it starves and will take any energy it gets and starts packing in as fat.

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Replies

  • rand486
    rand486 Posts: 270 Member
    Starvation mode is a myth.

    As you approach your goal weight, the calorie deficit will be smaller (because your maintenance number is getting lower as you lose weight). Just keep recalculating your calorie goals in MFP every 5-10 lbs, and when you hit your goal weight, change the goal to "Maintenance" instead of weight loss.
  • snowy0wl
    snowy0wl Posts: 179 Member
    edited February 2015
    @rand486, do you dispute the existing of metabolic capacity? (not that I have it).

    Also, if not what is the maximum caloric deficit one can normally go on if you haven't any experience with dieting.

    By the way I haven't figured how to use the MFP built in calculators I use my own setpoints hence my question.
  • rand486
    rand486 Posts: 270 Member
    I don't "dispute" anything - I have lost the weight and am now in the best shape of my life, and I based it all on cold hard facts - science!

    http://examine.com/faq/how-do-i-stay-out-of-starvation-mode.html
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    snowy0wl wrote: »
    Also, if not what is the maximum caloric deficit one can normally go on if you haven't any experience with dieting.
    25% less than TDEE is considered super aggressive. Most recommend at most 20%.

    And as @rand483 posted, starvation mode is a myth.
  • AntonioP23
    AntonioP23 Posts: 80 Member
    rand486 wrote: »
    Starvation mode is a myth.

    As you approach your goal weight, the calorie deficit will be smaller (because your maintenance number is getting lower as you lose weight). Just keep recalculating your calorie goals in MFP every 5-10 lbs, and when you hit your goal weight, change the goal to "Maintenance" instead of weight loss.

    X2

    Good advice
  • snowy0wl
    snowy0wl Posts: 179 Member
    edited February 2015
    I'm currently at 48% of TDEE an average, based on my daily 'computed' LMM hence the questions.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    snowy0wl wrote: »
    I'm currently at 48% of TDEE an average, hence the questions.
    So, now you have answers.....
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    Lol at maybe muscle. Try definitely muscle.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I took a quick peek at your food diary. One chicken wing for dinner? Really?????

    To get to a decent food amount, try adding 100 calories per day for a couple weeks and then check how it impacts your weight loss/gain. Then adjust.

    I see as your inspiration a recent health "wake-up-call". You want to be healthy. Then I suggest you dial it back a bit and make smaller changes that you can sustain.
  • snowy0wl
    snowy0wl Posts: 179 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I took a quick peek at your food diary. One chicken wing for dinner? Really?????

    To get to a decent food amount, try adding 100 calories per day for a couple weeks and then check how it impacts your weight loss/gain. Then adjust.

    I see as your inspiration a recent health "wake-up-call". You want to be healthy. Then I suggest you dial it back a bit and make smaller changes that you can sustain.

    The wing was an adjustment added on to what I ate earlier. I don't eat or exercise at distinct times. I look at total calories in and total calories out for a 24 hour period.

    The timeline I can use. I wasn't sure if it should be 100 a day or weeks or what.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    With so little to lose you should not be crash dieting.

    1200 isn't healthy for a man
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    rand486 wrote: »
    I don't "dispute" anything - I have lost the weight and am now in the best shape of my life, and I based it all on cold hard facts - science!

    http://examine.com/faq/how-do-i-stay-out-of-starvation-mode.html

    Back at you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss

    adaptive thermogensis due to overly drastic sustained weight loss is a well observed phenomenon.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    snowy0wl wrote: »
    I've been on a pretty high caloric deficit of -1200 on average for a 13 days now and have lost a lot of water/fat/maybe muscle. When I'm ready to eat my TDEE or something more reasonable caloric deficit like -1000 how slowly should I work towards that.

    I have no signs of hunger, mental or physical issues, just the usual soreness from all the physical activity I've been doing.

    I don't know how quickly the the body starts to think it starves and will take any energy it gets and starts packing in as fat.

    Why on earth are you eating below a 1000 calorie cut on your TDEE?

    Just stop it and follow a sensible path that won't have you crash and burn or lose more muscle than you need to

    Starvation mode as you seem to define it, doesn't exist ...
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Best of success to you, then. I am glad you don't consider one chicken wing to be all that's needed for dinner.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    OP - you are dieting in the extreme and the idea of "coming off of that correctly" doesn't make sense. You can come off it as you like but expect hunger signals to hit.

    I would suggest that you consider a more sustainable and muscled preserving method.

  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    If your profile is accurate, you don't have a lot to lose. Crash dieting like this is just going to eff with your hormones and eat into your muscle. Scale it back to a 250-500 calorie deficit. You'll see a brief gain from water weight, but once your body adjusts you'll start losing again... Losing fat, which is the goal.
  • snowy0wl
    snowy0wl Posts: 179 Member
    edited February 2015
    @EvgeniZyntx‌ , I don't follow. If I'm planning to eat more to get closer to my TDEE how am I going to signal hunger signals/pains?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    As you get closer to eating what you should be, your stomach is going to stop despairing and start signalling again. This is good.
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  • snowy0wl
    snowy0wl Posts: 179 Member
    jgnatca: During this entire process I haven't gone hungry. The only huge change is I watch what I eat and see where my TDEE is at for the day. Yesterday I could of not eaten but the numbers were telling my caloric deficit would be way to high. So I ate to get up to my average (which is still too high).
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    My advice is that when you decide to stop "dieting" add back calories gradually. My calorie intake is currently a range of 1450-1700 a day (I am losing still, a pound or two a month). I eat toward the upper end on lifting days. My plan is to maintain my current habits through March and then up the daily range to 1600-1800 and see what happens over a month. I am currently at the top of a healthy weight range for my height (149-151#) and am lifting weights 2-3 times a week in addition to steady state walking and interval sessions.
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  • snowy0wl
    snowy0wl Posts: 179 Member
    @mrm27, so averaged out 7 days? I don't tell myself it will be the next day. If I do more exercise I eat more, if I exercise less I eat a little less.
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  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    OP You lost muscle. FYI
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited February 2015
    13 days on 1400 or less calories a day..

    What is your TDEE if I might ask? The energy intake and nutrition you need for your body will start to down slope pretty quickly..

    Is this by chance medical weight loss? You are 45 years old and was wondering what's the hurry?

    Are you trying to accomplish something like the Minnesota Starvation Experiment?
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member

    gia07 wrote: »
    13 days on 1400 or less calories a day..

    What is your TDEE if I might ask? The energy intake and nutrition you need for your body will start to down slope pretty quickly..

    Is this by chance medical weight loss? You are 45 years old and was wondering what's the hurry?

    Are you trying to accomplish something like the Minnesota Starvation Experiment?

    Here is your answer.
    snowy0wl wrote: »
    I'm currently at 48% of TDEE an average, based on my daily 'computed' LMM hence the questions.
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    OP, let's back up. What are your goals here? To lose a little fat? Because what you're doing right now will not accomplish those goals.

    Your calorie deficit is far too aggressive. By being at such an extreme deficit, you've altered your hunger and fullness cues. You're starving, but your body is failing to signal that. When you increase your calories, your hunger cues will return, and they will tell you you're REALLY FREAKING HUNGRY.

    Your testosterone levels are dropping, along with other hormones. You're making it much harder on yourself to retain muscle. You're also not eating adequate protein to support that muscle. So guess what's happening?

    And depending on how long this extreme deficit lasts for, you could see some metabolic adaptation. Between your muscle loss and that potential adaptation, your BMR is going to drop. This means you're stuck eating a lot less for maintenance. DO you really want that?

    You've been at this 13 days. There's only so long you can sustain this before you feel serious drops in energy. Your workouts will suffer. It's possible you will realize how hungry you are and go on a binge. It's not going to end well. There's no reason to put yourself through that.

    If you want advice on how to accomplish your goals, there's plenty of people on here who have had huge success. Just ask.
  • snowy0wl
    snowy0wl Posts: 179 Member
    Thank you that is very detailed answer. Can I just jump my calories to a 500 or 1000 caloric deficit and hold it there? How long should in weight to trust the scsl or nmeasurement? I'm still confused with Jon starvation mode yet you talk about metabolicn capaacity. What is the difference?
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    Ease out of the deficit by adding 100 calories a day. Most likely you will see a weight gain but it's time to pay the piper for cutting back too aggressively.
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