3000 calorie deficit - Sustainable? Healthy?

[Bechard]

Hey folks.

Five years ago I made the jump into running (c25k) and dropped 45lbs in a few months.  I've gained half of it back over the years, but want to fully commit to the changes required for long term health.  I purchased a Charge HR two weeks ago, and have very much enjoyed the experience and added drive from Fitbit.

Currently BMI has me JUST over the obese line by two pounds.  I'm sitting at 218 at the moment, with a goal of 200lbs.  5'11" Male, Age 33, software company.

I'm currently taking in (almost precisely) 2000 calories per day, and burning about 5000.  Every weekday I get up early and either lightly jog or incline fast walk for 5km.  I get in around 20,000 steps a day, around 15km total distance, 5000 calories burned, 30 floors climbed.

On the food side, I try to limit portions and eat only good food as much as possible.  I've not been over my goal calories yet, and the majority of days I'm 3000 under.  I eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, and avoid anything with added sugars, although sometimes I hit my sodium max for the day.

I'm been feeling a constant burn over the last two weeks (which I remember from five years ago), feeling stronger, but not losing much if anything yet.  I can remember a period of muscle gain and internal fire before the weight dropped before, so I'm confident losses will start very soon.  According to the site, I'm in the 99% of activity over 14 days, so that's bound to help.

Now the core question is, at age 33 is a cut of 3000 calories too much?  I'm feeling a little tired at the end of the day (10pm), but I'm also waking earlier to exercise (5am).  Any problems with this, or should I continue fast and furiously?

*Edit* Here's my profile link, could use more fitbit friends!  My Profile

[SunsetRunner]

According to your Profile, you are going about 1,000 cal./day short, and that's cetainly no problem.

The nutritional intakr that you describe is something that I can agree with - keep on keeping on.

[Bechard]

Thanks for the feedback. When I view my profile it shows 2000 calories in, and 5000 out over the last week. On premium it shows a net cut of 3000 averaged for the week.

Ave Calorie Balance (Cal/day)
Net -2494
Food intake +1920
Burned At rest or sedentary -1407
During activity -3007

Am I reading this correctly?

[SunsetRunner · Accepted solution]

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@Bechard wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. When I view my profile it shows 2000 calories in, and 5000 out over the last week. On premium it shows a net cut of 3000 averaged for the week.

Ave Calorie Balance (Cal/day)
Net -2494
Food intake +1920
Burned At rest or sedentary -1407
During activity -3007

Am I reading this correctly?

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This is all I can see on your profile.

Even if you're going 3,000 cal. short (due to exercise) and eating enough food to provide

the nutrients your body needs, there is no problem if your body is not giving you a problem.

However, a loss of cal. equal to about 6 lbs./wk. is a lot of weight to lose just in fat, and your

body may scavenge muscle tissue, or not replenish your glycogen stores (both not good).

Here is an article to read, from the Mayo Clinic:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/expert-answers/fast-weight-loss/faq-20058289

[kk6pd]

I just lost 40 lbs, I hit my goal today, 175lbs! I started on a treadmill with iFit and a Fitbit One, but it was a pain. Sorry. Then I found the Surge! What a great tool, I walk, no running. After 5 major spinal surgeries, Doc said NO running, But I highly encourage you to walk your ass off, so I did! I spent 8 miles or so calibrating the stride legnth. I am getting good results with the watch matching the treadmill. I now have the step count to within 100 steps and in 3 miles it's off by .05 miles, close enough! I found the watch on eBay, 2 months ago, and it has really helped, along with the calorie tracker in The Fitbit App!

My daily deficit is around 1200 with 3000 burned. I eat between 800 and 1000 cals. I have stuck with it, and just reset my goal another 5 pounds. At the rate I am going, I should be at target 170 when I see my Doc on the 8th!

Oh BTW, I reallly FEEL GREAT. I'm 63, on paper, I feel like i did back in the 80's!!

33 yeah that's the ticket!

[Heybales]

Probably about now your body is going to start showing it doesn't like getting only 50% or less of what it is burning.

At the start for a few weeks, not bad, but hopefully eating 50% of what you burn should sound just so wrong.

That's a great way to have a fight on your hands that you'll lose. And not fat loss.

It's usually the recipe for guaranteeing you'll get to do this again next year.

At this point, if you want a healthy body burning max it can - getting the most from that exercise you do, and improving the best it can (why else workout afterall, just to burn calories?) - you should be a 1.5 lb weekly loss with under 60 to go, or 750 cal deficit.

Don't imagine bigger is better - you didn't gain it fast, don't try to lose it fast - your body will adapt.

With 3000 cal deficit almost every day, are you indeed losing 6 lbs weekly?

And even if your are, when muscle is used to supply energy, it's only 600 cal / lb, not 3500 cal/lb that fat can provide.

So easier to lose a lb of muscle than a lb of fat.

[Bechard]

I do feel that I'm gaining muscle mass, and I am visibly losing inches at this time.  I can't say for sure about 6lbs per week, but at least a few.  I've been trying to use how I feel rather than weight as the benchmark.

Clothes are fitting better, more energy, but I am ALWAYS hungry now.  Fortunately I've been logging everything.  I'm not sure how I can eat more calories if I wanted to.  I'm full when I eat now, but with good quality food.  The only way to eat more would be poorer food choices.

What can I look for to tell me if my body wants me to eat more (besides the constant hunger and burning)?  Five days a week (sometimes 6) I do burn 5000 calories while taking in 2000.  I certainly don't want to burn muscle tissue.

[Heybales]

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@Bechard wrote:

I do feel that I'm gaining muscle mass, and I am visibly losing inches at this time.  I can't say for sure about 6lbs per week, but at least a few.  I've been trying to use how I feel rather than weight as the benchmark.

Clothes are fitting better, more energy, but I am ALWAYS hungry now.  Fortunately I've been logging everything.  I'm not sure how I can eat more calories if I wanted to.  I'm full when I eat now, but with good quality food.  The only way to eat more would be poorer food choices.

What can I look for to tell me if my body wants me to eat more (besides the constant hunger and burning)?  Five days a week (sometimes 6) I do burn 5000 calories while taking in 2000.  I certainly don't want to burn muscle tissue.

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You aren't gaining muscle mass in any appreciable amount.

A guy with progressive lifting routine eating at maintenance could maybe get 1 lb every 4-6 weeks.

Over 50% deficit - forget it.

You are losing fat exposing muscle is all, muscle that is being worked at least, which is good.

You likely have no idea how much improved your workouts could be, because in a diet recovery is impaired, bigger the deficit bigger the lack of repair. Which starts turning the next workout in to not so great.

That's how your body adapts and you don't actually burn as much as you think.

Without something to compare to, you might indeed feel the workouts are great.

Which proves out you aren't actually losing what the math would suggest you should be.

Or you are almost dishonest with your food logging and wiping out a 1000-2000 part of your deficit, eating more than you think.

Being hungry is great - be scared when that stops, which means body as just settled on adapting more to the craziness and slowing down more. That's harder to recover from.

You feeling full, and your body being fully fed for level of activity - are not related.

Redefine good and poor foods, you are limiting yourself. If you had weight to lose and didn't workout this way, you must have had no issue eating more.

In case you think fat is bad, that's wrong.

[Bechard]

I'm quite precise in my food logging, so you're probably right that my workouts would be enhanced by eating more calories. I'll try this for the next week and report back.

What I meant by good foods, was not eating fast food or take out when I can make it myself. I have a pretty balanced diet now with proper amounts of fats, protein, and carbs.

I'll let you know how it goes over the next week.

[Bechard]

It's been a while now, so time for an update!

I'm losing about 1.5 lbs a week, now that I'm hitting closer to my calorie cut limit rather than undercutting it by two fold.

I'm now hitting a deficit of 1000-1500 calories, and while I've only lose a few lbs, I'm seeing positive changes in strength, energy, inches coming off, etc.  I'm on track to hit my original 20lb goal by the end of next month, which is fully attainable and realistic.

Thanks for the advice!  I never considered too little food would prevent my goals.

[Heybales]

Congrats.

And if you go by inches or looks - it may appear you lost 20 lbs before you actually do.

But then you have fun with the people that comment it looks like you lost a lot of weight.

You say no, not really a lot, and then watch their confusion as they perhaps relook at you trying to figure out why they were wrong.

Let them squirm or help them by saying great workouts and losing fat is great combo.