How damaging to your weight loss to go under 1200

Penguinita
Penguinita Posts: 159 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone,

for the most part I barely go under 1400. But I notice during my time of the month I barely have an appetite and like today, I'm under the 1200 mark. So my question is, if I go under 1200 calories only for a few days will my metabolism and/or muscle mass be affected. Thank you!

Replies

  • candistyx
    candistyx Posts: 547 Member
    A few days, especially if your body is not demanding more food, won't be a problem imo.
  • bonnymom
    bonnymom Posts: 107 Member
    No, you should be fine. A few days every now and then won't harm your metabolism. Maybe focus on eating a little bit more calorie dense foods during TOM, like some nuts. :)
  • fastbelly
    fastbelly Posts: 727 Member
    You shouldn't be under 1200 calories, eat some peanuts or raw almonds or something, these are highly caloric foods that will give you a boost of energy and won't fill you up much.
  • rachellepilcher
    rachellepilcher Posts: 95
    I have heard that 2 days is ok but the 3rd is when your metabolism will drop if you dont up your cals
  • jbucci1186
    jbucci1186 Posts: 440 Member
    as long as you don't do it consistently
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Two days isn't going to hurt you. I actually drop my calories a pretty high amount for two to three days (1300-1500, at 5'7" and 183lbs)...then pick it back up and eat slightly over maintenance for a day or two...on purpose. It really seems to have jump started my loss again.

    You don't look like you need to lose any weight though lol...so I wouldn't worry at all =D. Catch your calories back up on the third or fourth day and you'll be fine.

    Cris
  • Penguinita
    Penguinita Posts: 159 Member
    No, you should be fine. A few days every now and then won't harm your metabolism. Maybe focus on eating a little bit more calorie dense foods during TOM, like some nuts. :)

    Thanks, I think I'll try that while at work.

    I'm thinking of getting in the majority of my calories in the morning. I am afraid of losing muscle mass that I worked my *kitten* to build so I do try to go over that 1200, which is never really a problem.

    Hey Rachelle Picher, was it a magazine, blog, tv? either way I'll push to keep myself in check

    Everyone thank you so much for your comments, they really help. :)
  • Penguinita
    Penguinita Posts: 159 Member
    Two days isn't going to hurt you. I actually drop my calories a pretty high amount for two to three days (1300-1500, at 5'7" and 183lbs)...then pick it back up and eat slightly over maintenance for a day or two...on purpose. It really seems to have jump started my loss again.

    You don't look like you need to lose any weight though lol...so I wouldn't worry at all =D. Catch your calories back up on the third or fourth day and you'll be fine.

    Cris

    Thanks Chris,

    how has that see saw thing you've got going on helped your weight loss?
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Two days isn't going to hurt you. I actually drop my calories a pretty high amount for two to three days (1300-1500, at 5'7" and 183lbs)...then pick it back up and eat slightly over maintenance for a day or two...on purpose. It really seems to have jump started my loss again.

    You don't look like you need to lose any weight though lol...so I wouldn't worry at all =D. Catch your calories back up on the third or fourth day and you'll be fine.

    Cris

    Thanks Chris,

    how has that see saw thing you've got going on helped your weight loss?

    My metabolism keeps burning like I'm eating my calories at a slight deficit...yet on the lower days, I'm not giving it enough calories...so it burns fat almost exclusively. The key is to try to keep a reasonable protien intake (along with fats and carbs to an extent) so your body doesnt' canabolize your muscle. Sometimes I don't do this...but i do try...and it hasn't seemed to hurt me yet.

    I also implement interval workouts even when I'm not actually exercising (which I haven't been the last two weeks)...even if it's only ten minutes a day of planks or squats or something stupid (even jumping jacks!). Interval training spikes the hormones that tell your body to shed fat, because it's not necessary for short bursts of activity (like it would be for steady state activity). I like the tabata format, 20 seconds of max effort activity, 10 seconds of rest, repeat 8x.

    Cris
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