RE The Answers ... from Viviakay

snelfk · February 2008

Thanks for the really good explanation, my take would be, eat less calories to lose weight, exercise to get into shape. But I do have a question that I just can't seem to get over:

Let's say that my BMR is 2000 cals, I want to lose 1 pound a week, so that resets my calorie intake to 1500. If I exercise 300 cals a day, then my calorie intake becomes 1800 per day. So far so good, but

If I don't eat those 300 calories, my intake is at 1200 - which is what this site sets it to if I wanted to lose 1 and 1/2 pounds per week. So, if I don't eat the calories from exercise and still stay over 1200 shouldn't I lose weight faster?

According to all the comments I've read here, the answer is no, but I just can't puzzle it out....

snelfk · February 2008

Thanks for the really good explanation, my take would be, eat less calories to lose weight, exercise to get into shape. But I do have a question that I just can't seem to get over:

Let's say that my BMR is 2000 cals, I want to lose 1 pound a week, so that resets my calorie intake to 1500. If I exercise 300 cals a day, then my calorie intake becomes 1800 per day. So far so good, but

If I don't eat those 300 calories, my intake is at 1200 - which is what this site sets it to if I wanted to lose 1 and 1/2 pounds per week. So, if I don't eat the calories from exercise and still stay over 1200 shouldn't I lose weight faster?

According to all the comments I've read here, the answer is no, but I just can't puzzle it out....

ohthatbambi · February 2008

Thanks for the really good explanation, my take would be, eat less calories to lose weight, exercise to get into shape. But I do have a question that I just can't seem to get over:

Let's say that my BMR is 2000 cals, I want to lose 1 pound a week, so that resets my calorie intake to 1500. If I exercise 300 cals a day, then my calorie intake becomes 1800 per day. So far so good, but

If I don't eat those 300 calories, my intake is at 1200 - which is what this site sets it to if I wanted to lose 1 and 1/2 pounds per week. So, if I don't eat the calories from exercise and still stay over 1200 shouldn't I lose weight faster?

According to all the comments I've read here, the answer is no, but I just can't puzzle it out....

I have read so many posts on this subject and finally decided that I have to do what works for me. Originally when I joined MFP said I needed to eat 1340 calories a day to lose a pound a week. Well that is how I started and I felt lightheaded and dizzy all the time. So I decided that I would try 1500 a day and the dizziness went away. When I exercise I do eat a little more than that but certainly not every calorie that MFP says I can have. If I did that then today I would eat a total of 2475 calories!!:noway: I was at the gym for three hours and I worked out HARD. I was starving when I got home so I ate alot!! Anyway, i guess my point is that you need to listen to your body and do what works for you. So try it a few different ways and see how you feel and see what results you get. Figure out what works best and go with it!

Erica92627 · February 2008

Great advise! At times I get dizzy too, depends on what I eat and how much. On days I work out a little more I do feel the need to eat more. The times when i don't listen to my body I don't feel well. Times I do listen I feel great.

I guess it is a case of play it by ear.

lotusfromthemud · February 2008

First of all, let me clear up the difference between maintenance calories and BMR.

Your BMR and your maintenance calories are not the same thing. BMR is what you burn if you stayed in bed (asleep) in 24 hours. Maintenance calories take into account your daily activity, so they are a little higher than your BMR.

Now, the jury is out on when exactly calorie restriction goes too far. Most things I read say to never go below half of what you would need to MAINTAIN your current weight. (and remember, that includes anything you burned off exercising (not your BMR) Personally (OPINION) through my research and talking to professionals, I have decided that eating anything under my BMR is not healthy.

I looked at your profile, and you don't seem to have a large amount of weight to lose. It will be very difficult to lose a pound a week. In fact, it could even be dangerous. Instead of fat, you could lose muscle mass (like your heart tissue if you take calorie restriction too far) Also, if you restrict down to 1200, which is the minimum (and a very arbitrary number. My nutritionist, in fact, laughs at it.) where do you go from there?

As much as we want this to be an algebra equation, it's not. Mathematically, you "should" lose weight faster the lower that you go, but your body is a marvelous machine which is particularly good at living. It will not like losing weight too quickly, especially if you don't have a large percentage to lose, and, the odds are, you will stop losing weight.

banks1850 · February 2008

I know I shouldn't reply to this. But I wanted to because I think I can help clear it up a little, lets hope.

snelfk,
from what I gather you are concerned about whether going over the 500 (specifically 800) calorie deficit is going to cause you to go into starvation mode. If that is incorrect, please let me know.
if it is I can tell you what I have found out through copius research (I can supply websites for confirmation if you like, just let me know).

first thing we should recognize is that 1200 is a guidline put forth by most healthcare professionals, and like any guidline, it isn't absolute. I.E. if you are suppose to eat 1200 and you eat 1175, it's not the end of the world.
Second, for your specific example, you are still in a relatively safe zone with an 800 calorie deficite. While you are approaching the generally accepted safe limit of a 1000 calorie deficite, you should still be able to effectively loose weight with this amount (2000 - 500 then - 300 = 1200).
Third, for those who don't realize, starvation mode isn't something that happens in a day, it takes time. The body begins producing more hormones that increase the storage of fat. This happens over time, so if you have a day here and there where you are light, it's not going to throw your body into chaos.

That all being said, 1000 calories is difficult to maintain because the body will need less calories as you loose weight, and when you start dropping calories to keep it up, you really CAN go into starvation mode, even if you stay within the 1000 calorie range. This is the point where people become confused. To make it very clear, as you get in better shape and closer to your goals, you will loose less and less weight with the same amount of effort. This is only logical as you have less to loose and your body is having a harder time finding the fat to burn. So make sure you dial down your expectations as you approach your goals. Dropping calories to a dangerous level (depending on your size, age, sex...etc. this can be anywhere from 1200 to 700 calories a day) can start causing your body to eat itself (it will burn muscle and lean tissue, it will also start eating your liver, heart, and kidneys) so it's important that when you approach your goal, to make sure you are still getting the food you need to be healthy.

I hope this clears it up a little. It's a murky subject and if you still aren't sure after this, you should probably see a nutritionist or a certified trainer to work out a plan that is taylored to you.

snelfk · February 2008

Thanks everyone for the replies. I have a good understanding of it now. Since I want to be ale to maintain in the future, without going to low on calories, I am going to try to use most of my exercise calories. I guess it really shouldn't be so confusing and the bottom line seems to be to listen to your own body! Again, thanks everyone...

RE The Answers ... from Viviakay

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