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      05-10-2013, 01:37 PM   #70
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skidmarq View Post
Long term dieting at caloric intake below BMR (which is what you are doing) will potentially set you up for metabolic problems in the long run. Dieting isn't a sprint, it is a marathon. Slow and steady wins the race...

Deficits of 5-10% of TDEE are considered on the high end and you are well above that...

If you keep this large deficit up, I can almost guarantee that your 2lb/week stops at some point and you will think that you need to drop calories even lower and then lower and then lower...
I colored the parts of your post that I agreed with and disagreed with between red and green (obviously green is good).

Even if your TDEE was 4000 calories, 10% would be a deficit of 200-400 calories. That would mean if you were losing 100% fat and no muscle (essentially impossible) it would take you between 9-18 days to lose 1 pound of fat.

A deficit of arond 500 is very normal and that puts you on a pace to lose 1 pound a week. A deficit of 1000 is harder, but that effectively sets you up to lose 2 pounds a week.

Now I agree that going on a crash diet and eating 1000 calories is very unhealthy for anyone over 200 pounds, but there is a very large difference between 1000 and 1800 calories. 1000 calories of just pure protein and fat would barely be enough to satify your body's requirements. The only results from that point are either entering ketosis or becoming very lethargic. However, those extra 800 calories could easily satisfy your basic protein, fat and carbohydrate requirements.

I somewhat agree with your statement about dieting not being a race, but I disagree with your wording. Dieting itself IS A SPRINT. It is a short term approach to becoming healthier that is eventually sustained by a complete lifestyle change. If it's solely viewed as a diet, you'll eventually fail and gain back all the weight you lost.

Your comments about lowering your caloric intake is one approach, but I personally think that's the ignorant way to lose weight. You are correct that eventually your progress will slow. Your body may become naturally adjusted to the number of calories you are consuming, or it may be as simple as the fact that you have lost enough weight that your body is more efficient.

My approach was to always have a "cheat meal" at least once every week. It was both a reward for my hard work as well as a way to keep my body from adjusting to a low caloric intake.
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