Extreme Dieting

Kyro

Hello,

I know it is obviously not advisable and probably not very healthy, but what are people's opinions on going on a very low calorie diet for a short period of time?

I would like to eat between 1,000 - 1,200 on average for a three week period. According to the post in the fitness basics thread, I burn 3,278 calories a day - seems a bit high to me. In theory, that's a 2000 deficit every day - a 42,000 deficit over three weeks. Allowing for a refeed on day 11 and keeping my protein over 100g per day, it doesn't seem so bad to me?

Would I end up losing a lot of muscle even if I keep my protein intake at around 100g? Is there a maximum rate at which fat can be lost? Also I know crash dieting is frowned upon but I just want to get people's opinions on this.

cmyk

Kyro wrote: »

Would I end up losing a lot of muscle even if I keep my protein intake at around 100g?

What are your stats? Height/Weight/Gender/Bodyfat % if you know it etc. Yes you would almost certainly lose some muscle with such an extreme deficit. It's not quite as simple as just keeping protein intake high, one of the many reasons a small or moderate deficit works better.

Kyro wrote: »

Is there a maximum rate at which fat can be lost? Also I know crash dieting is frowned upon but I just want to get people's opinions on this.

Yes there's a limitation on fat loss without muscle loss. Why do you want to take such a drastic approach?

Kyro

cmyk wrote: »

What are your stats? Height/Weight/Gender/Bodyfat % if you know it etc. Yes you would almost certainly lose some muscle with such an extreme deficit. It's not quite as simple as just keeping protein intake high, one of the many reasons a small or moderate deficit works better.

Male, 18 years old, 6'1, and 11 stone 6 pounds. I know I'm not overweight or anything and I don't really need to lose any weight, but I just want to cut my body fat % for the summer.

cmyk wrote: »

Yes there's a limitation on fat loss without muscle loss. Why do you want to take such a drastic approach?

I would just find it easier mentally to go all out for 3 weeks than to maintain a moderate deficit for 6 weeks. That and I'm way too impatient.

runawaybishop

Just eat normally, lift heavy stuff and sprint up hills. You are already light enough as it is.

TimeToShine

You're a bit too skinny to do that IMO, chances are at that age/weight you have barely any muscle anyway and would be dieting down to skin and bones.

JJayoo

Kyro wrote: »

That and I'm way too impatient.

change this.

CianRyan

I'd say eat more lean meats, more fish, lift heavier weights and cut carbs as much as you can.
Sprinting is what I used to do at your age, back when I was in shape. It's brilliant for what you're after.

I'm going two weeks with 0 carbs from Thursday, then I'll only be eating about 80g of carbs on training days.
Saying that though, I'm 23, 5'10" and 85kg so I have the fat to burn.

Squat Rack Curler

I think you are really overestimating how many calories you burn..

Don't drop to 1000, just taper down your current calories by 100-200 a day(200 if you're impatient) until you have a 500-1000 deficit i.e you are losing 1 to 2 pounds a week.

Up your protein to atleast 150g a day aswell and dont cut carbs out completely.Lower rep range and try to maintain strength.

Kyro

Squat Rack Curler wrote: »

I think you are really overestimating how many calories you burn..

I agree. I went by this post: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=50956807&postcount=12

(72.5)(17.5)+651 = 1,919.75.
*1.7 for activity level = 3,263 calories burned a day.

I agree it seems too high.

CianRyan

Kyro wrote: »

I agree. I went by this post: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=50956807&postcount=12

(72.5)(17.5)+651 = 1,919.75.
*1.7 for activity level = 3,263 calories burned a day.

I agree it seems too high.

What's your training/exercise regime?

Kyro

CianRyan wrote: »

What's your training/exercise regime?

I don't really have one. Just play soccer a couple of nights a week.

CianRyan

Kyro wrote: »

I don't really have one. Just play soccer a couple of nights a week.

There's a bigger issue than trying to cut 2000 calories a week.
Plan your training, even bodyweight exercises if you don't want to go to the gym, you wont gain muscle by jogging around for an hour a few times a week, the exact opposite really.

Mellor

Squat Rack Curler wrote: »

Don't drop to 1000, just taper down your current calories by 100-200 a day(200 if you're impatient) until you have a 500-1000 deficit i.e you are losing 1 to 2 pounds a week.

The OP is 160 lbs, he doesn't need to be losing 1-2 lbs a week.

Kyro wrote: »

I agree. I went by this post: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=50956807&postcount=12

(72.5)(17.5)+651 = 1,919.75.
*1.7 for activity level = 3,263 calories burned a day.

I agree it seems too high.

The activity level multipliers in that post are wrong. You should prob be using 1.2 or a bit over. That's 2400-2600.

You are a light 72kg at 6'1", losing body fat isn't a good idea. If you are interested in improved appearance. The best thing you can do based on current stats, is to put on some muscle

cmyk

Kyro wrote: »

Male, 18 years old, 6'1, and 11 stone 6 pounds. I know I'm not overweight or anything and I don't really need to lose any weight, but I just want to cut my body fat % for the summer.

As mellor said above, at your weight/height/age if body composition is your goal, add some muscle.

My advice (to start) would be to introduce 2-3 full body (sensible) weight training sessions per week if you've access to a gym. Try eating at maintenance, or a little bit more from quality food sources and and see what happens.

ford2600

Kyro wrote: »

Male, 18 years old, 6'1, and 11 stone 6 pounds. I know I'm not overweight or anything and I don't really need to lose any weight, but I just want to cut my body fat % for the summer.

Your 18, find an activity or two you like. Mix them up between your soccer and maybe weights/intense anaerobic exercise.

Throw your scales in the bin.

Relax enjoy your youth and stop worrying about a little fat. Educate yourself on real food, learn to cook and with activity you'll have the shape you want

JJayoo

There are two ways to lower your bodyfat. One is to lose bodyfat and maintain the muscle you currently have. The other is to maintain the fat you have and add muscle. Do the latter.

Squat Rack Curler

@ melon I wouldn't consider a 6'1 161 pound adult too light or unhealthy by any means, let alone a teenager. He asked for advice on losing weight.

op, you are going to lose a lot of muscle if you are not doing some sort of resistance training.

runawaybishop

Squat Rack Curler wrote: »

@ melon I wouldn't consider a 6'1 161 pound adult too light or unhealthy by any means, let alone a teenager. He asked for advice on losing weight.

op, you are going to lose a lot of muscle if you are not doing some sort of resistance training.

I'd consider it light also and would definitely not advise dropping down to a 1k calorie a day diet.

Young Blood

OP your calorie intake must be already very low if you're only 161 pounds? Have you any idea what it is?

mickman

at 6'1 you should be 12.5 stone.

Im the same height and almost 13 stone, and want to get to 13.5 - little fat but mostly muscle

6'1 and 11.5 stone and the wind would blow you away

Steve Perchance

OP you should think again about what your goals are - that kind of severe calorie deficit at your bodyweight will leave you looking like Christian Bale in the machinist - I doubt thats what you're after. A six pack on a skeleton isnt a great look.

Listen to what people are telling you. If anything you should be eating at maintenance or a small surplus and lifting heavy if you want a physique at the end. You're young and full of testosterone, a decent gym program will have pretty good results pretty quickly

jane82

Im the same weight as you op and Im 5ft 8.
Im hoping to go up another half stone in muscle then down a small few pounds in fat.
What do you eat in a day? If you get as skinny as you want to get even kicking a football would be a task.

Blacktie.

mickman wrote: »

at 6'1 you should be 12.5 stone.

Im the same height and almost 13 stone, and want to get to 13.5 - little fat but mostly muscle

6'1 and 11.5 stone and the wind would blow you away

Why should he be 12.5 stone?

Alf Veedersane

First off, OP, a diet that low is ridiculous. You don't need to be losing weight. Eat normally.

But at 6ft 1 and 11.5 stone for people to suggest the OP getting into The Machinist territory and the wind would blow him over is nonsense.

jane82

But getting thinner than that wouldnt really be great for his football in fairness.
If he wanted to be a long distance runner or a hill climbing cyclist fair enough.

Steve Perchance

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

First off, OP, a diet that low is ridiculous. You don't need to be losing weight. Eat normally.

But at 6ft 1 and 11.5 stone for people to suggest the OP getting into The Machinist territory and the wind would blow him over is nonsense.

I wasn't so much trying so suggest he'd be in Machinist territory as trying to illustrate (using an extreme example) of the futility of drastically cutting weight without muscle mass, or even by losing muscle mass, as he likely would as he doesn't lift.

Using the approach he's asked about, he won't look the way he wants to look (the reference to 'losing a bit of bodyfat for the summer would suggest he's after a beach body). That's aside from the damage to his metabolism - once he started eating again after the 3 weeks, the body fat would go back up without the lean mass doing the same.

runawaybishop

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

First off, OP, a diet that low is ridiculous. You don't need to be losing weight. Eat normally.

But at 6ft 1 and 11.5 stone for people to suggest the OP getting into The Machinist territory and the wind would blow him over is nonsense.

He's not crazy light but definitely doesn't need to be looking at losing weight, more like putting on muscle. I wish I could go back to 18 year old me and get me to start lifting then.

conzy

runawaybishop wrote: »

I wish I could go back to 18 year old me and get me to start lifting then.

I'd have over 6 years of lifting under my belt already Now ill be in my thirties before im that swole :pac:

Alf Veedersane

runawaybishop wrote: »

He's not crazy light but definitely doesn't need to be looking at losing weight, more like putting on muscle. I wish I could go back to 18 year old me and get me to start lifting then.

I know which is why I said to eat normally.

But some of the comments were way OTT.

conzy

At 11 stone 6 pounds and your current height you don't have much muscle mass.

Your better off eating slightly above maintenance and training hard for a year and your composition will change dramatically.

Alf Veedersane

conzy wrote: »

At 11 stone 6 pounds and your current height you don't have much muscle mass.

Your better off eating slightly above maintenance and training hard for a year and your composition will change dramatically.

I would agree with that.

I was the OP 6 months ago: a touch over 6 foot and 71kg. I play centre half and wasn't blown over by the wind at any stage.

Haven't put on a huge amount of weight since but it's pretty much all muscle.

Eating 1000-1200 calories a day would be madness. Lifting is enjoyable and rewarding.

Young Blood

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I would agree with that.

I was the OP 6 months ago: a touch over 6 foot and 71kg. I play centre half and wasn't blown over by the wind at any stage.

Haven't put on a huge amount of weight since but it's pretty much all muscle.

Eating 1000-1200 calories a day would be madness. Lifting is enjoyable and rewarding.

What kind of diet are you following?

Alf Veedersane

Young Blood wrote: »

What kind of diet are you following?

More meat and veg. More protein.

xLisaBx

I really wouldn't advise it! I went on a 500/600ish calories per day diet last year and lost around a stone in a month. Only now do I realize how stupid it was. Yes, I lost weight quickly (wasn't even overweight to begin with) but I'm back to my original weight again. For short lived results, crazy diets do work. But in the long term they don't. I lost the ability to focus, study and think rationally that month. I think exercise and healthy eating is the way to go