Any negatives with a severe calorie deficit?

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fftoby
fftoby Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a 37 y/o male when I started my diet I weighed 330 lbs and I'm down to 290 in 6 weeks. I'm moderately active (I work out 3 times a week for 30-45 mins). My biggest change was going from probably 3500 calories a day or more to 1200-1400 cal/day. My question, is there a down side to reducing caloric intake by that much. So far I'm feeling fine (except for being hungry) and very pleased with the weight loss.
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Replies

  • stevesample76
    stevesample76 Posts: 248 Member
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    The own side is that you will cause damage to your metabolism. Why would you starve yourself? You could easily be eating 2000+ calories a day and losing at a healthy rate. Instead you are going to crash diet. I would highly recommend against this.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Too many negatives to list. Reduce your caloric intake 10-20% at most and continually re-evaluate this when you hit a new weight goal. Biological systems don't like severe changes and don't react well long term. You want to make small goals and small changes, otherwise you're simply not going to stick with it.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    There are downsides, but damaging your metabolism isn't one of them.

    A lot of that weight is probably water. Even at 0 calories, that would be a lot of fat to lose in that time.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    How tall are you? Your profile ticker says you only want to lose 40 more pounds.

    What I would say to answer your question might vary depending on your height and why your goal weight is 250 pounds.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    To me the biggest negative is that you're probably losing muscle (assuming your severe deficit means you're eating way less protein than you should). When you get to a good weight you'll just be "skinny-fat" and not look like you want.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    When I went real low for a day I felt like crap and couldn't exercise the next day. I have tried to eat at or close to my deficit number ever since. Slow and steady reduction is what you want.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    It's been six good weight loss weeks. Now is a good time to increase your calories to 1800-2100 so that you can get enough protein, fats and oils, and nutrient dense foods (veggies).
    If you want to look great when you lose the weight, do heavy weight lifting now.
  • fftoby
    fftoby Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm 5'10" and I set my goal at 250 because I needed a number to put in the app. I will reevaluate my goal weight in the near future. I'm getting at least 50 grams of protein a day.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    fftoby wrote: »
    I'm 5'10" and I set my goal at 250 because I needed a number to put in the app. I will reevaluate my goal weight in the near future. I'm getting at least 50 grams of protein a day.

    50 grams isn't even close to enough for a 290 lb man.
  • afatpersonwholikesfood
    afatpersonwholikesfood Posts: 577 Member
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    You need to eat more. How does your body tell between starvation and weight loss for health? It can't. Your body needs fuel to function. Too little calories can cause depression, confusion, fatigue, hair loss, and all kinds of issues. Not only is it not treating your body well to do this, it is also not sustainable. It's not a race. You will have to do the things you are doing now for the rest of your life. Don't do anything to lose the weight that you can't keep up for the long haul.
  • afatpersonwholikesfood
    afatpersonwholikesfood Posts: 577 Member
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    Also, goal weights are totally personal. Yes, we know what the BMI chart says, but going from 330 to 250 is still going to benefit you tremendously. Losing as little as 5% - 10% of your starting weight has been shown to improve health. Whatever works for you.
  • fftoby
    fftoby Posts: 5 Member
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    I just went through some of my history and it looks like I'm averaging about 110 grams of protein a day. Is that still too low?
  • fftoby
    fftoby Posts: 5 Member
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    I weighed 343 this time last year and I started going to the gym Jan 1st, but i didn't see the results I wanted until I changed the way I ate.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 701 Member
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    The negatives are nutritional, as in you're likely not getting proper nutrition. I've only witnessed one person drop weight so quickly (albeit not on purpose), and her hair went right along with it. It's been over 5 years and she's still trying to get her hair back to normal.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    fftoby wrote: »
    I just went through some of my history and it looks like I'm averaging about 110 grams of protein a day. Is that still too low?

    It really depends on who you ask. The lowest recommendation I think I have seen is from the RDA. I believe that the RDA recommendation is .8 grams of protein per kg of weight, or .36 grams per lb. That would be 104 grams for you.

    If you are working out and eating at a caloric deficit you probably need more than that.

    I have seen many recommendations of .75 to 1 gram per lb of lean bodyweight. For example, if you have 40% bodyfat then your lean weight would be (1-40%) x 290 = 174. That would be a protein goal of 130.5 to 174 grams per day.

    To me your 110 grams isn't terrible but if I were you I'd increase my overall calories and shoot for more like 125-150 grams.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Here is a better answer on protein from DeguelloTex an another thread:
    DeguelloTex wrote:
    Lyle McDonald, and his book based on over 500 references, recommends 1.1 - 1.4g per pound for men. Alan Aragon is in the same ballpark, depending on the size of the person involved and whether the goal is gaining or losing (1g per pound of target bodyweight).

    I guess, like most questions like this, opinion is divided.

    That would obviously imply you should be eating a boatload more protein.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Okay, thanks for answering. Firstly, at the rate you're overweight, it's likely okay for you to be losing aggressively for a little while longer. However, an aggressive rate of restriction is to lose about 1% of your weight a week. You'd need to eat at around 1500 to 1600 calories to do that. Also eat back half your exercise calories.

    This is assuming you stay satisfied, without being hungry and going off plan doing this.

    Saying that, you need to make sure that you are eating well. Every calorie needs to be nutrient dense. If you're not doing that, up your calorie intake. You can still lose, quite well, eating up to 2250 calories a day.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    mburgess458 wrote: »
    To me the biggest negative is that you're probably losing muscle (assuming your severe deficit means you're eating way less protein than you should). When you get to a good weight you'll just be "skinny-fat" and not look like you want.

    This^

    Do you just want the number on the scale....does that equal success? Not for me, I don't want to be a smaller version of the current me. I want to look slimmer (call it firmer)...not just smaller. Healthy weight loss reduces your body fat %.

    You'll see posts about looking good naked...versus just looking good fully clothed. Eat enough, and include strength training.

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