I often wonder...

hellovickykitty
hellovickykitty Posts: 40 Member
edited November 28 in Getting Started
What happens to our body when we start dieting/cutting calories? Does my body think "hey what's going on? Why are you starving me? "

Replies

  • ClimbingZack
    ClimbingZack Posts: 35 Member
    Not trying to be snarky, but your body doesn't "think" anything at all! It just does what it is designed to do, which is adapt to change by burning fat, building muscle, and working at maximum efficiency. :smile:
  • hellovickykitty
    hellovickykitty Posts: 40 Member
    True that!
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    And to add to what @ClimbingZack said, if you are currently overweight then you are over eating as well, so eating less food will not "starve" your body. It will eventually make it more efficient since (if you are consistent and eat according to your calorie goal) you are now eating the correct amount of calories it needs. Over eating taxes the body and strains it.
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    hellovickykitty wrote: »
    What happens to our body when we start dieting/cutting calories? Does my body think "hey what's going on? Why are you starving me? "

    Only if you're not eating enough calories to sustain your body's daily requirements.
    Also, without exercise in a calorie deficit, you'll lose muscle as well as fat resulting in a, saggy skinny-fat look.

    Don't Quit
  • hellovickykitty
    hellovickykitty Posts: 40 Member
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    And to add to what @ClimbingZack said, if you are currently overweight then you are over eating as well, so eating less food will not "starve" your body. It will eventually make it more efficient since (if you are consistent and eat according to your calorie goal) you are now eating the correct amount of calories it needs. Over eating taxes the body and strains it.
    That makes sense I'm currently overweight and now with the proper foods my body doesn't feel like crap I can definitely tell these past 3 days.
  • hellovickykitty
    hellovickykitty Posts: 40 Member
    ShellyBell999 wrote: »
    hellovickykitty wrote: »
    What happens to our body when we start dieting/cutting calories? Does my body think "hey what's going on? Why are you starving me? "

    Only if you're not eating enough calories to sustain your body's daily requirements.
    Also, without exercise in a calorie deficit, you'll lose muscle as well as fat resulting in a, saggy skinny-fat look.

    Don't Quit
    Got it! I need to exercise too thank you.

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Other than our brains, our bodies don't "think". But our bodies to react to under eating. The bigger your deficit, the stronger the reaction is likely to be.
  • walker1world
    walker1world Posts: 259 Member
    Hey did you see that the Government has changed it's guidelines on sugar consumption? They have cut it down to 50 grams a day. That is essentially would be considered a low carb diet.

    Every thing in this country has been using those guidelines to set their nutritional goals. My son school for example lets the kids eat so much sugar I stopped letting him eat lunch at school and he has lost 16 pounds since October.

    I am glad that the government has finally seen the light but the fact that they are not pushing this to make sure that schools adjust there menus is a shame.
  • victorsparade
    victorsparade Posts: 15 Member
    walker1world wrote: »
    Hey did you see that the Government has changed it's guidelines on sugar consumption? They have cut it down to 50 grams a day. That is essentially would be considered a low carb diet.

    Every thing in this country has been using those guidelines to set their nutritional goals. My son school for example lets the kids eat so much sugar I stopped letting him eat lunch at school and he has lost 16 pounds since October.

    I am glad that the government has finally seen the light but the fact that they are not pushing this to make sure that schools adjust there menus is a shame.

    YES. I agree on so many levels. When I was teaching middle school at a public school in Baltimore, I saw that the kids were eating crap every single day. (Not to mention the water quality; I had to bring a Brita to school with me.) How can we expect kids to function well if we're feeding them cardboard?
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    walker1world wrote: »
    Hey did you see that the Government has changed it's guidelines on sugar consumption? They have cut it down to 50 grams a day. That is essentially would be considered a low carb diet.

    Every thing in this country has been using those guidelines to set their nutritional goals. My son school for example lets the kids eat so much sugar I stopped letting him eat lunch at school and he has lost 16 pounds since October.

    I am glad that the government has finally seen the light but the fact that they are not pushing this to make sure that schools adjust there menus is a shame.

    There's a whole thread about this on the "General Weight Loss" section although I don't know what is being said as sugar-related threads tend to end badly here.
  • andrewford80
    andrewford80 Posts: 4 Member
    Your body might react if you cut calories suddenly. In my case, I realised I was overeating and cut back my intake quite a bit. This meant smaller portions and less sugary things (not cut out altogether though).
    So I felt really hungry, because I was use to feeling full. I also craved sugary treats. I found that I had to be realistic about the reduction and going 100% cold turkey resulted in my lack of will power succumbing to those cravings.

    But over time I've gotten better and now have a better idea about what I can eat and still have a calorie deficit. Also, I started cycling 45min a day which meant I could eat more, but still lose weight.

    Anyway, good luck!
  • hellovickykitty
    hellovickykitty Posts: 40 Member
    andrewford80 wrote: »
    Your body might react if you cut calories suddenly. In my case, I realised I was overeating and cut back my intake quite a bit. This meant smaller portions and less sugary things (not cut out altogether though).
    So I felt really hungry, because I was use to feeling full. I also craved sugary treats. I found that I had to be realistic about the reduction and going 100% cold turkey resulted in my lack of will power succumbing to those cravings.

    But over time I've gotten better and now have a better idea about what I can eat and still have a calorie deficit. Also, I started cycling 45min a day which meant I could eat more, but still lose weight.

    Anyway, good luck!
    Thank you.

    When cutting out sugar and lowering calories did you experience headaches? I got them the first couple of days.

  • WendyLaubach
    WendyLaubach Posts: 518 Member
    Your body evolved during a time when our ancestors constantly faced famine, with occasional feasts. The reason people don't immediately get sick and die if the food supply shrinks--as they would if the oxygen suddenly disappeared--is that this is old hat to your body. It knows perfectly well how to dip into its fat reserves to sustain your life and activity until there's food around you again: that's what the fat is there for. Your body has all the tools it needs to adapt to almost everything except a purely modern phenomenon: too much food available 100% of the time. That's the true health challenge, not "starvation."
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