What happens to your body if you have a horrible calorie deficit?

[kiddomarc]

What happens to your body if you have a horrible calorie deficit?

For example, you only ate 1000 calories everyday and do 600 calorie exercise burn leaves you with only net of 400 calories for the day.

Wouldn't that cause you to have extreme 'fat' loss?

or would your body eat up whatever muscle you got and make your workout useless?

[DanWall]

I'm surprised you could even have the energy to walk into the gym on only 1000 calories a day.

Yes, would eat muscle and fat aswell.

Not good for you at all though.

[843]

worse of all, the effect is temporary. once you regain your normal diet, most of it will turn to fat.

[sjarvis77]

Nothing's going to "turn to fat".

However, if you return to normal eating, you will regain it all - and then some. Unfortunately, it's likely that your maintenance will no longer be the same as it once was. Therefore you will have to eat less than before just to keep your weight stable. This type of dieting is a downward spiral. It's called yo-yo dieting for a reason, and each attempt at weight loss actually compounds the problem.

To better address the actual question, yes at that point your body will begin to shed muscle at an alarming rate (with a ratio leaning towards greater muscle than fat loss), resulting in the body getting weaker obviously. You will probably feel lethargic and be unable to perform in the gym. Even completing regular daily tasks will probably become overly difficult.

Adopt a more sensible diet which doesn't include a deficit so extreme you will probably be lacking basic nutritional requirements and damaging your health in both the short and long terms.

[SV1000]

I am averaging somewhere between 900-1300 per day with an occasional 2000 calorie day. I am getting 30 minutes of elliptical or ATB ride 3-5 days a week. I averaged 1.9 lb/week between January 1 and April 20, since April 20 I have averaged about 2.5/week but currently plateaued. In the last two weeks I have started strength training and PWS's will be required and probably some more cal's on lift days.

The Tanita used to monitor our loss during the contest indicated I lost 6 lbs lean bodymass. I did not find this acceptable and my response was to raise cal's a little. My modification to this was to restart strength training and add more cal's.

PSMF may not work for everyone in every situation but seems to be working well for me. You can see details in my journal.

I concur with 843 to a point. If a person does like I have done in the past, lose 50-60 pounds on PSMF or Keto over 6-8 months, then buy new clothes, feel great and start pigging out on fast food and carbs, the **** packs back on fast.

[heatlill]

I am averaging somewhere between 900-1300 per day with an occasional 2000 calorie day. I am getting 30 minutes of elliptical or ATB ride 3-5 days a week. I averaged 1.9 lb/week between January 1 and April 20, since April 20 I have averaged about 2.5/week but currently plateaued. In the last two weeks I have started strength training and PWS's will be required and probably some more cal's on lift days.

The Tanita used to monitor our loss during the contest indicated I lost 6 lbs lean bodymass. I did not find this acceptable and my response was to raise cal's a little. My modification to this was to restart strength training and add more cal's.

PSMF may not work for everyone in every situation but seems to be working well for me. You can see details in my journal.

I concur with 843 to a point. If a person does like I have done in the past, lose 50-60 pounds on PSMF or Keto over 6-8 months, then buy new clothes, feel great and start pigging out on fast food and carbs, the **** packs back on fast.

I did Atkins (keto) like 4 years ago and lost 60 lbs in 6 months. Then I stopped atkins and gained it all aback in 4 months.

This time I have just reduced calories and I am eating ~2000 (2200 maint) calories 40p/35c/25f and I have dropped 18 lbs in like 3 weeks (I workout 7 days a week). The key is realizing that diet is not temporary, you need to find results on a diet that you can live with.

[ZidaneValor]

I agree with the other posts in this thread. Although since your 5'0" 113#, the consequences would be a little less severe than someone say 6'0" 344#. If I ate 1000 calories and then burned 600 off, I'd be hospitalized in a week.

[SV1000]

I did Atkins (keto) like 4 years ago and lost 60 lbs in 6 months. Then I stopped atkins and gained it all aback in 4 months.

Did you do what I did and get piggy with the carbs after Atkins? *no flame* just asking.

Although I don't agree with eat until full and unlimited fat, even Atkins has a maintenance phase.

[heatlill]

Did you do what I did and get piggy with the carbs after Atkins? *no flame* just asking.

Although I don't agree with eat until full and unlimited fat, even Atkins has a maintenance phase.

Basically yeah. I stopped monitoring my food, stopped working out and became a sloth.

[SV1000]

I agree with the other posts in this thread. Although since your 5'0" 113#, the consequences would be a little less severe than someone say 6'0" 344#. If I ate 1000 calories and then burned 600 off, I'd be hospitalized in a week.

Z~

If a person is in generally in good health without heart or kidney issues, PSMF (~1000 calories) will not put you in the hospital. You may feel like **** for a 7-10 days until you are in ketosis but you won't die.

IMHO, PSMF is ideal for obese and morbidly obese people that need to cut fat.

I don't think 5'-0" and 113 lbs are the true stats for kiddomarc.

[SV1000]

Basically yeah. I stopped monitoring my food, stopped working out and became a sloth.

Well, now you know the problem...and feel free to jump in my journal and tell me to quit fuk'in around if you see me slipping!

[ZidaneValor]

Z~

If a person is in generally in good health without heart or kidney issues, PSMF (~1000 calories) will not put you in the hospital. You may feel like **** for a 7-10 days until you are in ketosis but you won't die.

IMHO, PSMF is ideal for obese and morbidly obese people that need to cut fat.

Can't. I like carbs too much. MMMM....apples.

[SV1000]

Damn! I can't remember the last time I had a nice piece of cantalope or a navel orange :-(

[th3pwn3r]

I agree with the other posts in this thread. Although since your 5'0" 113#, the consequences would be a little less severe than someone say 6'0" 344#. If I ate 1000 calories and then burned 600 off, I'd be hospitalized in a week.

Nah, not even. If you have body fat to spare you would easily survive. If you were very low in BF% then you MIGHT have problems.

[th3pwn3r]

Can't. I like carbs too much. MMMM....apples.

Man, me too I really do though, all the best tasting things have carbs of course. BBQ ribs and Pizza being my favorites.

[sjarvis77]

Did you do what I did and get piggy with the carbs after Atkins? *no flame* just asking.

Although I don't agree with eat until full and unlimited fat, even Atkins has a maintenance phase.

Atkins doesn't even make sense if you follow his claims. "Atkins claimed people could lose 85 pounds, without exercising, eating an incredible 5,500 calories a day." This is similar to what people in the keto section have from time to time come to believe. They think they can eat as much as they want as long as it's "keto-friendly". Atkins seemed to believe that his revolutionary ideas could defy the laws of physics somehow.

I bought into the keto idea for a while, but found myself sorely lacking in energy. Climbing the steps on the way to the gym sucked. As I added carbs back in, this feeling of lethargy disappeared. I modified the way I ate over time, with the goal of finding something that was sustainable. Macros were all over the place, but I was still shying away from carbs. However I did finally manage to overcome this irrational fear of carbohydrate foods. Currently I'm on about a 35P 25F 40C split over two meals (sometimes a protein drink in between) and it feels okay, and fits in well with my lifestyle.

Point is, provided you meet the basic necessities, and stay in an energy deficit, the source of your calories is of little consequence (discounting the health aspects). Eat your orange, eat your pizza, eat whatever you like. Toss your dextrose or waxy maize for some actual food with nutritional value (unless you love the taste of powders of course). Follow the basic rules of fat loss, and it won't derail your progress at all.

To tie this in with the OP's actual question, stay away from these crash diet strategies and, as heatlill said, make it a permanent lifestyle change, not a temporary fix which will only hurt you over time. If you can enjoy the way you eat and it makes you feel good while still progressing at a steady pace, then mission accomplished.

[th3pwn3r]

Atkins doesn't even make sense if you follow his claims. "Atkins claimed people could lose 85 pounds, without exercising, eating an incredible 5,500 calories a day." This is similar to what people in the keto section have from time to time come to believe. They think they can eat as much as they want as long as it's "keto-friendly". Atkins seemed to believe that his revolutionary ideas could defy the laws of physics somehow.

I bought into the keto idea for a while, but found myself sorely lacking in energy. Climbing the steps on the way to the gym sucked. As I added carbs back in, this feeling of lethargy disappeared. I modified the way I ate over time, with the goal of finding something that was sustainable. Macros were all over the place, but I was still shying away from carbs. However I did finally manage to overcome this irrational fear of carbohydrate foods. Currently I'm on about a 35P 25F 40C split over two meals (sometimes a protein drink in between) and it feels okay, and fits in well with my lifestyle.

Point is, provided you meet the basic necessities, and stay in an energy deficit, the source of your calories is of little consequence (discounting the health aspects). Eat your orange, eat your pizza, eat whatever you like. Toss your dextrose or waxy maize for some actual food with nutritional value (unless you love the taste of powders of course). Follow the basic rules of fat loss, and it won't derail your progress at all.

To tie this in with the OP's actual question, stay away from these crash diet strategies and, as heatlill said, make it a permanent lifestyle change, not a temporary fix which will only hurt you over time. If you can enjoy the way you eat and it makes you feel good while still progressing at a steady pace, then mission accomplished.

You need to do some more research and learn some more things before posting if you don't mind. WEIGHT LOSS easily happens through Atkins or Keto regardless of caloric intake from WATER WEIGHT alone. But who cares about WEIGHT, I'm only concerned with FAT LOSS.

[theoreticaLee]

What happens to your body if you have a horrible calorie deficit?

For example, you only ate 1000 calories everyday and do 600 calorie exercise burn leaves you with only net of 400 calories for the day.

Wouldn't that cause you to have extreme 'fat' loss?

or would your body eat up whatever muscle you got and make your workout useless?

You will get cut up. But prob loose 1/2 and 1/2 fat/muscle.. check out: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=2113371 the guys maintaince cal were 2k.however he needed 4k a day when working out, and yet he only ate ~2500 a day.

Seriously though.. don't do what you are suggesting. do this:
use a BMR calculator (google it) to find your BMR, then find your maintance cal, then you training day and non trading day calories... for example:

My BMR: 1649
maintanance cal: 2556
My Goal:
- 1480 non training day
- 1800 training day

and then use that above link (last page of it) to get your general keto diet.

I am down about 4 pounds this week so far w/ today and sat diet days left too.

and best of all, I am loosing weight w/o depression and/or much muscle loss

[sjarvis77]

You need to do some more research and learn some more things before posting if you don't mind. WEIGHT LOSS easily happens through Atkins or Keto regardless of caloric intake from WATER WEIGHT alone. But who cares about WEIGHT, I'm only concerned with FAT LOSS.

Semantics. I figured if you're in here (the FAT LOSS section) discussing the matter, you can plainly see we are talking about... that's right! Fat loss. I'll try to spell it out more carefully next time.

Do you think that Atkins was successful because it guaranteed some short term water loss? So his theory is correct then. I guess that's my mistake. 85lbs of water though, that's a lot!

[kiddomarc]

You will get cut up. But prob loose 1/2 and 1/2 fat/muscle.. check out: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=2113371 the guys maintaince cal were 2k.however he needed 4k a day when working out, and yet he only ate ~2500 a day............................

this makes a lot of sense theoreticaLee... however, the problem is i'm gaining weight if i follow the prescribed daily calorie intake? and i feel sluggish and not as light like what i feel right now... actually,

with that bmi thing.. i'm recommended around 1800 cals a day... which for me is toooo high. if i do that, i feel bloated and i feel slow and yeah, sluggish.

that's why i limit my intake to only around 1250 and then do my 600 cardio and just 2 days ago, started doing weights, its pretty good. you think i'm doing the right thing?

anyone can answer this too.

[perry2one]

i'll fast for 40 days then hop on a dbol+test+eq cycle and clean bulk for a while



win

[KingOfChaos]

What happens to your body if you have a horrible calorie deficit?

For example, you only ate 1000 calories everyday and do 600 calorie exercise burn leaves you with only net of 400 calories for the day.

Wouldn't that cause you to have extreme 'fat' loss?

or would your body eat up whatever muscle you got and make your workout useless?

It would be an extreme loss, yeah...and I wouldn't recommend it unless you were extremely over weight like I used to be (620 to 800 lbs. over 25 years). It's how I started off losing weight, but couldn't maintain it after I dropped around 70lbs. in a month. Luckily, I had a huge amounr of fat reserve for my body to use and boy did it ever eat into it. I then had to go into the body building cutting diet for more calories and lifting weights on a regular schedule.

The issue being that if you eat that little calories without the fat to back it up, your body will began catabolising your muscle tissue and then eat into your immune system. Trust me, you don't want that.

[Nick1971]

One thing about crash diets - if you come off them intelligently, you won't gain a lot of excess fat. You don't just come off a crash diet and start eating as much as you want, every time you eat.

[iRemixx]

ZidaneValor

That seems a little extreme.

A deficit only of 200 cals per day and losing over 5 lbs a week?


Theres people who go 800 calories lower then maintenance and lose 2lbs at most per week.

lol What was your secret? This is unheard of to me lol


Sorry for the dig up post LOL. Searched this through google, brought me here didnt even notice the date

[hema94x]

bad for general health n mentality and yah ull lose muscle mass