Less than a 1000cal diet while working out!!!
Replies
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Working out hard core on those calories wasn't bad at all. I'm determined to drop the fat, add muscle, but look slimmer. The depo shot really messed my body up and I just want it back. I'll up my caloric intake to 1200, but it is hard to eat that much. I haven't had a period in a year(sorry T.M.I) and I'm upset at myself for allowing my weight to get out of control. I'll map out a plan and stick to it.
well you seem determined to do your thing, so do your thing, until it doesnt work anymore, then take the well-thought out advice offered here. Asking for advice if youre gonna be stubborn about it is always a mystery to me.
Thank you for your sound advice and I will follow through with upping my calories. Should I up my cardio as well? I'm not stubborn, nor do I ask for advice if I have made my mind up. I just needed to know if I'm doing things the right way and by popular demand, I'm not. I'm okay with being wrong in my thinking as long as I take steps to correct it. So after upping my calories, should I up my workouts? Or the intensity? More weights/ less cardio? Half and half? Please point me in the right direction.
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You aren't going to add muscle on low calories. Basic math here: to gain muscle means to add mass. To add mass you HAVE to add calories. That means a SURPLUS. You can't build something from nothing.Working out hard core on those calories wasn't bad at all. I'm determined to drop the fat, add muscle, but look slimmer.
If you haven't had a period, it's one of the first side effects of eating too low in calories.The depo shot really messed my body up and I just want it back. I'll up my caloric intake to 1200, but it is hard to eat that much. I haven't had a period in a year(sorry T.M.I) and I'm upset at myself for allowing my weight to get out of control. I'll map out a plan and stick to it.
I'll be straight up with you. You have a body dysmorphia issue and it's causing you to take unnecessary steps and approaches to achieve the body you think you should have . You should be consulting a specialist for this.
The depo shot stops the period.5 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »
You aren't going to add muscle on low calories. Basic math here: to gain muscle means to add mass. To add mass you HAVE to add calories. That means a SURPLUS. You can't build something from nothing.Working out hard core on those calories wasn't bad at all. I'm determined to drop the fat, add muscle, but look slimmer.
If you haven't had a period, it's one of the first side effects of eating too low in calories.The depo shot really messed my body up and I just want it back. I'll up my caloric intake to 1200, but it is hard to eat that much. I haven't had a period in a year(sorry T.M.I) and I'm upset at myself for allowing my weight to get out of control. I'll map out a plan and stick to it.
I'll be straight up with you. You have a body dysmorphia issue and it's causing you to take unnecessary steps and approaches to achieve the body you think you should have . You should be consulting a specialist for this.
The depo shot stops the period.
My bad. One track minded on low calories.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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nutmegoreo wrote: »
You aren't going to add muscle on low calories. Basic math here: to gain muscle means to add mass. To add mass you HAVE to add calories. That means a SURPLUS. You can't build something from nothing.Working out hard core on those calories wasn't bad at all. I'm determined to drop the fat, add muscle, but look slimmer.
If you haven't had a period, it's one of the first side effects of eating too low in calories.The depo shot really messed my body up and I just want it back. I'll up my caloric intake to 1200, but it is hard to eat that much. I haven't had a period in a year(sorry T.M.I) and I'm upset at myself for allowing my weight to get out of control. I'll map out a plan and stick to it.
I'll be straight up with you. You have a body dysmorphia issue and it's causing you to take unnecessary steps and approaches to achieve the body you think you should have . You should be consulting a specialist for this.
The depo shot stops the period.
My bad. One track minded on low calories.
Of course. Considering how often we see this, the depo is the monkey wrench. :laugh:3 -
This content has been removed.
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Working out hard core on those calories wasn't bad at all. I'm determined to drop the fat, add muscle, but look slimmer. The depo shot really messed my body up and I just want it back. I'll up my caloric intake to 1200, but it is hard to eat that much. I haven't had a period in a year(sorry T.M.I) and I'm upset at myself for allowing my weight to get out of control. I'll map out a plan and stick to it.
well you seem determined to do your thing, so do your thing, until it doesnt work anymore, then take the well-thought out advice offered here. Asking for advice if youre gonna be stubborn about it is always a mystery to me.
Thank you for your sound advice and I will follow through with upping my calories. Should I up my cardio as well? I'm not stubborn, nor do I ask for advice if I have made my mind up. I just needed to know if I'm doing things the right way and by popular demand, I'm not. I'm okay with being wrong in my thinking as long as I take steps to correct it. So after upping my calories, should I up my workouts? Or the intensity? More weights/ less cardio? Half and half? Please point me in the right direction.
No do not up your exercise. The point is to get to a healthy calorie level, if you up your calories but then do even more exercise to work them all off, you're in the exact same position you're in now. I don't think you're listening at all to the advice you're getting because you're too wrapped up in your disordered thinking.4 -
Why does a very low calorie intake slow down weight loss?
Quite simply, your body goes into 'starvation mode'. This mechanism, which is thought to have evolved as a defence against starvation, means the body becomes super efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from food and drink. The main way it does this is to protect its fat stores and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with some of the calories it needs to keep functioning. This directly leads to a loss of muscle, which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body needs fewer calories to keep ticking over and weight loss slows down. Of course, this is the perfect solution if you're in a famine situation. But if you're trying to lose weight, it's going to do little to help you shift those unwanted pounds.
Of all the reasons for the OP to increase calories, this isn't it. Starvation mode doesn't work like that (see: anorexics).Working out hard core on those calories wasn't bad at all. I'm determined to drop the fat, add muscle, but look slimmer. The depo shot really messed my body up and I just want it back. I'll up my caloric intake to 1200, but it is hard to eat that much. I haven't had a period in a year(sorry T.M.I) and I'm upset at myself for allowing my weight to get out of control. I'll map out a plan and stick to it.
well you seem determined to do your thing, so do your thing, until it doesnt work anymore, then take the well-thought out advice offered here. Asking for advice if youre gonna be stubborn about it is always a mystery to me.
Thank you for your sound advice and I will follow through with upping my calories. Should I up my cardio as well? I'm not stubborn, nor do I ask for advice if I have made my mind up. I just needed to know if I'm doing things the right way and by popular demand, I'm not. I'm okay with being wrong in my thinking as long as I take steps to correct it. So after upping my calories, should I up my workouts? Or the intensity? More weights/ less cardio? Half and half? Please point me in the right direction.
The amount of exercise everyone does is individual, but IMO you sound like you're doing plenty already.3 -
Please do not eat less than 1200. The reason is that your body will consume your muscle tissue in place of food, which is terrible for your metabolism and your strength.
If your appetite is low, you can supplement with a protein shake that has extra calories, and some of them do.3 -
OP, please read this link carefully:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
Accurately enter your stats & activity level. Eat the number of calories MFP gives you (if you are overweight, you have already proven that you are capable of eating more than 1000 calories). When you exercise, log it and eat back at least half of the calories it gives you. Keep it simple, keep it consistent, and keep it healthy and you will succeed.2 -
By eating more, won't I gain more?
Google your TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure....this is your maintenance calories. It's waaaay more than 1,000 calories.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
Anything less than TDEE = calorie deficit = weight loss.
You don't want fast weight loss (unless you are obese). Fast weight loss means a larger % of lean muscle loss.1 -
I didn't make it up
There is an argument for both sides all over the Internet but at the end of the day it's a warning over eating too little which (however it affects us) is not healthy!
Yes, MFP has that warning for numerous health reasons. But it won't stop someone from losing weight. And everyone has explained to the OP those health reasons.1 -
OK I think we all know it's a slow process and doesn't happen in 2 weeks. However other bad things can happen faster. Like starting to feel weak and shaky and having trouble thinking, and getting sleepier, at the outset.0
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Slimpossible007 wrote: »Please believe them ..
I done exactly what you are doing .. I comfortable eat 900 or less calories a day and I used to row or bike for 2 hours a day ... I didn't get any side affects like fatigue .. I felt great I felt healthy ... and I thought all the advice was wrong ... so I kept going
HOWEVER --- I got down in weight but my measurements were way wrong and I did not like the body that was looking back at me in the mirror ...
I am now a returner to MFP after gaining my weight back (plus extra) .. my recorded measurements from 3 years ago when I was 20lbs lighter than I am today show me that my waist at that time was 2 inches larger than is is today
LESS weight MORE inches = disgusting image in the mirror .. I can promise you that!
in other words I destroyed muscle mass with my stupidly low calories.
I still naturally eat around 900 or less but up my cals by adding nuts and the likes to my diet.
I am losing weight while eating between 1600 and 1800 cals a day I am 44 and 5'6
My weight gain followed the depo jab as well
Listen to this. It's good advice from someone who's been there, done that!
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Please can you all leave me alone now? I had good intentions out of the worry for someone but it seems they've been completely overlooked. I suffer from BPD and this thread (as I should have known) is making me suffer. Much appreciated. Thanks
Thank you for clarity in understanding my body. I did not start this post to compromise anyone's health. I appreciate your informed response. Please, everyone stick to the issue at hand. I now understand my thinking was distorted and I have taken steps to correct that.
New question: Can you explain caloric deficit?0 -
calorie deficit is eating less than your body needs to maintain your current weight
eating at a deficit will allow you to lose weight.
try this calculator, it shows you the cals to maintain, lose and lose fast .. I would recommend that you aim somewhere in between the lose and maintain numbers
when you exercise you are allowed extra calories to fuel your body .. you can choose to eat them or not (I as a rule don't eat them back but if its a day where I burn a lot and I feel hungry then I will eat some back
hope you find this helpful and good luck hitting your goal
https://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-calories-per-day/
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Please can you all leave me alone now? I had good intentions out of the worry for someone but it seems they've been completely overlooked. I suffer from BPD and this thread (as I should have known) is making me suffer. Much appreciated. Thanks
Thank you for clarity in understanding my body. I did not start this post to compromise anyone's health. I appreciate your informed response. Please, everyone stick to the issue at hand. I now understand my thinking was distorted and I have taken steps to correct that.
New question: Can you explain caloric deficit?
Did you read the links that were suggested? It's explained really well in the one I posted.
Essentially, it's the difference between the calories you burn on a daily basis and the calories you take in. You need to run a deficit of @ 500 a day for each lb/week you want to lose. So if your maintenance calories were 2300, you would need to *net* (i.e., after exercise) 1800 to lose 1 lb/week, 1300 to lose 2 lbs/week. However, if you choose a greater weekly goal than your current body weight can support, MFP will default at 1200.0 -
Please can you all leave me alone now? I had good intentions out of the worry for someone but it seems they've been completely overlooked. I suffer from BPD and this thread (as I should have known) is making me suffer. Much appreciated. Thanks
Thank you for clarity in understanding my body. I did not start this post to compromise anyone's health. I appreciate your informed response. Please, everyone stick to the issue at hand. I now understand my thinking was distorted and I have taken steps to correct that.
New question: Can you explain caloric deficit?
A calorie deficit is when your body is supplied with less calories from the food/drinks you ingest than the amount it requires to do the work you make it do.
If you were to lie in bed, motionless, your body would require calories to keep you alive. All of your body processes/functions require energy to keep them going (which is why if you don't eat sufficient calories your body starts to shut down certain less essential parts). When you get up to do you regular daily tasks, you need more energy. Add a lot of exercise and your body needs more energy to function properly. As well as macronutrients, you also need a certain level of micronutrients as these enable many processes in your body to occur.
You want to eat a little less than your body needs to do all these things, not so much less that it starts to compensate by shutting down certain processes, and using itself (fat and muscle) as an energy source.0 -
Slimpossible007 wrote: »calorie deficit is eating less than your body needs to maintain your current weight
eating at a deficit will allow you to lose weight.
try this calculator, it shows you the cals to maintain, lose and lose fast .. I would recommend that you aim somewhere in between the lose and maintain numbers
when you exercise you are allowed extra calories to fuel your body .. you can choose to eat them or not (I as a rule don't eat them back but if its a day where I burn a lot and I feel hungry then I will eat some back
hope you find this helpful and good luck hitting your goal
https://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-calories-per-day/
I'm going to the website now, thank you.1 -
Please can you all leave me alone now? I had good intentions out of the worry for someone but it seems they've been completely overlooked. I suffer from BPD and this thread (as I should have known) is making me suffer. Much appreciated. Thanks
Thank you for clarity in understanding my body. I did not start this post to compromise anyone's health. I appreciate your informed response. Please, everyone stick to the issue at hand. I now understand my thinking was distorted and I have taken steps to correct that.
New question: Can you explain caloric deficit?
Did you read the links that were suggested? It's explained really well in the one I posted.
Essentially, it's the difference between the calories you burn on a daily basis and the calories you take in. You need to run a deficit of @ 500 a day for each lb/week you want to lose. So if your maintenance calories were 2300, you would need to *net* (i.e., after exercise) 1800 to lose 1 lb/week, 1300 to lose 2 lbs/week. However, if you choose a greater weekly goal than your current body weight can support, MFP will default at 1200.
To answer your question, I just read the replies which means, I wasn't aware of the previous post. Thank you for the explanation, but in the future just leave helpful responses instead of making a person who's asking a question feel inadequate for not understanding. As a teacher, you ask questions that you want the answer to without feeling incompetent.0 -
Please understand, this isn't personal at all. A lot of us came here believing a lot of stuff because the diet industry is dreadful and deliberately wants everyone to believe weight maintenance is this whole big hooha. We set out to demystify it and correct misinformation. So it's not about you at all.[/quote]
Thank you for your insightful words. Forums should be utilized to provide knowledge, not to belittle someone seeking clarity. I applaud you.1 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Please can you all leave me alone now? I had good intentions out of the worry for someone but it seems they've been completely overlooked. I suffer from BPD and this thread (as I should have known) is making me suffer. Much appreciated. Thanks
Thank you for clarity in understanding my body. I did not start this post to compromise anyone's health. I appreciate your informed response. Please, everyone stick to the issue at hand. I now understand my thinking was distorted and I have taken steps to correct that.
New question: Can you explain caloric deficit?
A calorie deficit is when your body is supplied with less calories from the food/drinks you ingest than the amount it requires to do the work you make it do.
If you were to lie in bed, motionless, your body would require calories to keep you alive. All of your body processes/functions require energy to keep them going (which is why if you don't eat sufficient calories your body starts to shut down certain less essential parts). When you get up to do you regular daily tasks, you need more energy. Add a lot of exercise and your body needs more energy to function properly. As well as macronutrients, you also need a certain level of micronutrients as these enable many processes in your body to occur.
You want to eat a little less than your body needs to do all these things, not so much less that it starts to compensate by shutting down certain processes, and using itself (fat and muscle) as an energy source.
Well put. Thank you for your response.0 -
@Lyntoria3 This is also a good read:
Written by @Faithful_Chosen -
Thanks, everyone, for the answers already I am just going to add that MyFitnessPal calculates your projected loss (so, the amount you have set to lose a week) into the net goal you recieve. It assumes that if you want to eat more, you have to move more to stay in that deficit. Makes sense, right?
Now, especially newbies have a tendency to up the cardio and decrease the food to make a bigger deficit, assuming they will lose faster--and they might! I am not gonna sit here and say that you won't lose more. It's probably not going to show up on the scale due to water weight, but they will lose more. The question is: at what price? And what are they losing?
The MyFitnessPal method (built in deficit based on your numbers, especially plus purposeful exercise) is designed to steadily lose fat and preserving as much muscle as possible. You see, there is a (science proven) limit to how much fat a body can convert into usable energy during any period of time. If you go over that limit, it turns to muscle for fuel instead. You will always get a little bit of muscle tissue loss when eating at a deficit, but if you undereat and up the cardio (or even strength training!) like I see a lot of people on here do, you are forcing your body to canibalize its muscle tissue on top of the max level of fat it can burn. Not to mention that meeting your macro and micro nutrient goals with this method is virtually impossible, creating massive hormone imbalances (leptine, for example) and vitamins and mineral deficits.
The long term effects of crash dieting and deprivation dieting (which is basically what happens when you become one of the people who net in the low hundreds to negatives day after day for an extended period of time) can be really severe. Basically, you are systematically starving yourself, after all. The results tend to be this (one example, hypothetical you):
- your body burns fat, then muscle tissue to sustain itself. You become weaker and sore. You also start having cravings because your brain is sending out warning signs: 'I am starving! Feed me!'. So, you either binge and up your overall net a little, or you persevere and pat yourself on the back for a job well done! You wanted lots of fatty food, but you fed it a celery stick instead. Sadly, your whole timeline congratulates you on your willpower. You start to wonder, though, why your willpower is not being rewarded! The scale doesn't budge! You fail to realize it's because of water weight due to too much exercise and the body's inability to recover due to a lack of nurishment. The solution is often to eat even less and work out even more to get the scale to move.
- the body is further unable to sustain. It changed the body's chemistry to preserve all it can--after all, it needs to protect vital organs from becoming affected and keep you going so you can hunt and gather for food! At this stage, the body becomes its own worst enemy: it no longer tells you you are starving so you can make a last ditch effort to get food. You think you are fine on 1000 calories a day, burning 1200, because your body shows no signs of hunger anymore, but basically, the little neutrients you are providing your body with get sucked towards your vital organs, leaving nothing for the rest. You become more tired, and cranky, and your muscles no longer recover from all the stress you put them through working out. As a result, they break down even faster and hold on to even more water to prevent that breakdown from affecting your ability to throw a spear at a prey animal (hey, I can't help it your body still thinks we are living in caves!). The scale drops oh so slowly--if at all--but meanwhile you do see you are slimming down! Your measurements are less! MyFitnessPal celebrates! 'Hurray! The weight must come off in a 'woosh' soon now! Keep doing what you are doing!'. Note that (thankfully) many people drop out at this stage. The psychological burden becomes too great, they feel *kitten*, and life isn't fun anymore. They stop dieting, start binging, and gain even more weight. The jojo'ing has begun.
- you keep doing what you were doing. We are a few months in now. You develop headaches, fatigue, and you start finding more and more hair on your pillow in the morning. In fact, you start finding hair everywhere. You also get hungry again, not in a way that makes you binge but a sort of steady nagging: a gentle reminder that time is running out. Fail to meet it (MyFitnessPal people pat your back when you tell them you went to bed early instead of having more food) and slowly, your body gives up its protective hold on more systems. You can survive without full function to certain organs, so your body throws them to the wolves: nutrients go towards your brain, heart, and lungs. Pretty much all other organs start running at half capacity. You hold on to more toxins, which start chipping away at your system, and your ability to process food (get nutrients out of them) suffers greatly, so you are truly starving now. This is the point where the weight starts coming off, and pretty quickly, too, usually. A big whoosh! (MyFitnessPal people cheer in the distance). What you are really seeing is your body giving up on protecting muscle tissue completely: the water weight falls away, showing you that you actually did lose a lot of fat and muscle tissue. More cheering! It must be working! Keep at it! Work harder! Eat less!
- now you are in serious *kitten*! Your organs are not keeping up, your muscles are breaking down, and the body has to start looking elsewhere for fuel: your organs and the more vital muscles, including your heart. At this point, your nails will become brittle and start falling out. Your hair falls out. Your period stops. You experience bouts of nausea and muscle weakness. You might find yourself pulling into a run and suddenly blacking out. You still function, but on the inside you are shutting down.
From here on out, it all depends on if you start eating again and stop exercising or not. If you don't, you can end up killing yourself. If you do, it is a long road to recovery, sometimes lasting years and it sometimes includes permanent damage to the function of certain organs, especially the liver and kidneys. Worst of all, this entire crash diet hasn't taught you how to sustain weight loss, so as soon as you crash and burn, the weight flies back on! And trust me, it takes a fraction of the time it took to lose it to gain it back.
I am not saying this to frighten you (well, I am a little), but as a nurse, you should be aware of the ramifications of crash dieting. Those of us that do realize the effects therefor recommend you lose weight slowly, at a sustainable rate that gives you the best ratio of fat loss vs. muscle loss. Stick to your MyFitnessPal calculated net, take the time, eat back your true exercise calories (which is probably 50 to 75 percent of your machine or database given calories), and learn how to eat (and what to eat) for weight loss you can maintain for years to come. It might not go as fast, but you will be able to see it on the scale, and best of all, it will be safe. That is my very long winded answer to 'why' you should eat back exercise calories0 -
Please can you all leave me alone now? I had good intentions out of the worry for someone but it seems they've been completely overlooked. I suffer from BPD and this thread (as I should have known) is making me suffer. Much appreciated. Thanks
Thank you for clarity in understanding my body. I did not start this post to compromise anyone's health. I appreciate your informed response. Please, everyone stick to the issue at hand. I now understand my thinking was distorted and I have taken steps to correct that.
New question: Can you explain caloric deficit?
Did you read the links that were suggested? It's explained really well in the one I posted.
Essentially, it's the difference between the calories you burn on a daily basis and the calories you take in. You need to run a deficit of @ 500 a day for each lb/week you want to lose. So if your maintenance calories were 2300, you would need to *net* (i.e., after exercise) 1800 to lose 1 lb/week, 1300 to lose 2 lbs/week. However, if you choose a greater weekly goal than your current body weight can support, MFP will default at 1200.
To answer your question, I just read the replies which means, I wasn't aware of the previous post. Thank you for the explanation, but in the future just leave helpful responses instead of making a person who's asking a question feel inadequate for not understanding. As a teacher, you ask questions that you want the answer to without feeling incompetent.
I'm thinking you aren't understanding what was said. I did reply to your post earlier in the thread and provided a link to a previous thread because it laid out the answer to your question better than I could have, and would save time. I wasn't trying to make you feel inadequate... just draw your attention to my previous reply.
Most of the best info on MFP is found in a lot of these links. It makes me sad when they are overlooked
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest
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Christine_72 wrote: »@Lyntoria3 This is also a good read:
Written by @Faithful_Chosen -
Thanks, everyone, for the answers already I am just going to add that MyFitnessPal calculates your projected loss (so, the amount you have set to lose a week) into the net goal you recieve. It assumes that if you want to eat more, you have to move more to stay in that deficit. Makes sense, right?
Now, especially newbies have a tendency to up the cardio and decrease the food to make a bigger deficit, assuming they will lose faster--and they might! I am not gonna sit here and say that you won't lose more. It's probably not going to show up on the scale due to water weight, but they will lose more. The question is: at what price? And what are they losing?
The MyFitnessPal method (built in deficit based on your numbers, especially plus purposeful exercise) is designed to steadily lose fat and preserving as much muscle as possible. You see, there is a (science proven) limit to how much fat a body can convert into usable energy during any period of time. If you go over that limit, it turns to muscle for fuel instead. You will always get a little bit of muscle tissue loss when eating at a deficit, but if you undereat and up the cardio (or even strength training!) like I see a lot of people on here do, you are forcing your body to canibalize its muscle tissue on top of the max level of fat it can burn. Not to mention that meeting your macro and micro nutrient goals with this method is virtually impossible, creating massive hormone imbalances (leptine, for example) and vitamins and mineral deficits.
The long term effects of crash dieting and deprivation dieting (which is basically what happens when you become one of the people who net in the low hundreds to negatives day after day for an extended period of time) can be really severe. Basically, you are systematically starving yourself, after all. The results tend to be this (one example, hypothetical you):
- your body burns fat, then muscle tissue to sustain itself. You become weaker and sore. You also start having cravings because your brain is sending out warning signs: 'I am starving! Feed me!'. So, you either binge and up your overall net a little, or you persevere and pat yourself on the back for a job well done! You wanted lots of fatty food, but you fed it a celery stick instead. Sadly, your whole timeline congratulates you on your willpower. You start to wonder, though, why your willpower is not being rewarded! The scale doesn't budge! You fail to realize it's because of water weight due to too much exercise and the body's inability to recover due to a lack of nurishment. The solution is often to eat even less and work out even more to get the scale to move.
- the body is further unable to sustain. It changed the body's chemistry to preserve all it can--after all, it needs to protect vital organs from becoming affected and keep you going so you can hunt and gather for food! At this stage, the body becomes its own worst enemy: it no longer tells you you are starving so you can make a last ditch effort to get food. You think you are fine on 1000 calories a day, burning 1200, because your body shows no signs of hunger anymore, but basically, the little neutrients you are providing your body with get sucked towards your vital organs, leaving nothing for the rest. You become more tired, and cranky, and your muscles no longer recover from all the stress you put them through working out. As a result, they break down even faster and hold on to even more water to prevent that breakdown from affecting your ability to throw a spear at a prey animal (hey, I can't help it your body still thinks we are living in caves!). The scale drops oh so slowly--if at all--but meanwhile you do see you are slimming down! Your measurements are less! MyFitnessPal celebrates! 'Hurray! The weight must come off in a 'woosh' soon now! Keep doing what you are doing!'. Note that (thankfully) many people drop out at this stage. The psychological burden becomes too great, they feel *kitten*, and life isn't fun anymore. They stop dieting, start binging, and gain even more weight. The jojo'ing has begun.
- you keep doing what you were doing. We are a few months in now. You develop headaches, fatigue, and you start finding more and more hair on your pillow in the morning. In fact, you start finding hair everywhere. You also get hungry again, not in a way that makes you binge but a sort of steady nagging: a gentle reminder that time is running out. Fail to meet it (MyFitnessPal people pat your back when you tell them you went to bed early instead of having more food) and slowly, your body gives up its protective hold on more systems. You can survive without full function to certain organs, so your body throws them to the wolves: nutrients go towards your brain, heart, and lungs. Pretty much all other organs start running at half capacity. You hold on to more toxins, which start chipping away at your system, and your ability to process food (get nutrients out of them) suffers greatly, so you are truly starving now. This is the point where the weight starts coming off, and pretty quickly, too, usually. A big whoosh! (MyFitnessPal people cheer in the distance). What you are really seeing is your body giving up on protecting muscle tissue completely: the water weight falls away, showing you that you actually did lose a lot of fat and muscle tissue. More cheering! It must be working! Keep at it! Work harder! Eat less!
- now you are in serious *kitten*! Your organs are not keeping up, your muscles are breaking down, and the body has to start looking elsewhere for fuel: your organs and the more vital muscles, including your heart. At this point, your nails will become brittle and start falling out. Your hair falls out. Your period stops. You experience bouts of nausea and muscle weakness. You might find yourself pulling into a run and suddenly blacking out. You still function, but on the inside you are shutting down.
From here on out, it all depends on if you start eating again and stop exercising or not. If you don't, you can end up killing yourself. If you do, it is a long road to recovery, sometimes lasting years and it sometimes includes permanent damage to the function of certain organs, especially the liver and kidneys. Worst of all, this entire crash diet hasn't taught you how to sustain weight loss, so as soon as you crash and burn, the weight flies back on! And trust me, it takes a fraction of the time it took to lose it to gain it back.
I am not saying this to frighten you (well, I am a little), but as a nurse, you should be aware of the ramifications of crash dieting. Those of us that do realize the effects therefor recommend you lose weight slowly, at a sustainable rate that gives you the best ratio of fat loss vs. muscle loss. Stick to your MyFitnessPal calculated net, take the time, eat back your true exercise calories (which is probably 50 to 75 percent of your machine or database given calories), and learn how to eat (and what to eat) for weight loss you can maintain for years to come. It might not go as fast, but you will be able to see it on the scale, and best of all, it will be safe. That is my very long winded answer to 'why' you should eat back exercise calories
Thank you for the post. It scared me so bad I ate a cookie, okay 4, but I now know how important it is to EAT to live and not live to eat. Thank you so much.2 -
OP: good job reading with an open mind. Getting healthy and losing weight is a process and the ones who are successful are willing to tweak as they go and as they learn more. You are right, there is so much misinformation out there along with the good stuff and it can be hard to wade through it all. Even on MFP, there are so many who believe they have found the ONE WAY to eat. Remember that there is no one way that is best for everyone and each person needs to figure out what works for them.
The only things that are absolute:- You need to take in fewer calories than you are burning to lose.
- You also need to fuel your body in order for it to function at its optimal level.
- Slow and steady really DOES win the race.
- Anything that sounds extreme probably is
Anything else you read about should be taken with a grain of salt and, if it seems to apply to you, test it out.
2 -
I have a feeling OP will go places. Probably the second most important thing after a calorie deficit when it comes to weight loss is an open mind, so kudos to that.0
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