End an argument

L

Lyric

0
Can someone put an end to this argument for me and my co-worker?

I was talking about weight loss with my co-worker, who is a health nut. And she thinks that if you have a very low calorie diet but you still work out and weight train every day, your body will not go into starvation mode.

She eats about 1000-1200 calories a day but also zig zags her calories. She walks, runs and weight trains every day. For more then an hour. She has lost weight. But I have to wonder if what she is doing is really healthy?

She is totally set on the fact if she works out and increases her muscle mass..she should be ok.

Is this true?

Also when your body is in starvation mode, does eat your stored fat or muscle first?
 
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i think it depends on the individual, i do however think the amount of calories your friend is doing is not enough in the long haul. i think her diet is ok for losing weight initially, but unless she eventually brings up the calories a bit, she'll have difficiences which will cause problems, IMO.
 
If you're in starvation mode, then your body will burn protein (muscle) for a fuel source. The greater amount our FFM (fat free mass) the more calories we need to maintain.

Your friend, being female can more than likely get away with consuming 1200 calories for a short amount of time. The 1000 calories would be to low. The problem with extreme low calorie diets is you don't get enough of the nurtrients you need to maintain optimal physiological functioning.
 
Another thing . . .

Do you really think you coul limit yourself to 1000 calories a day??
I eat that much before I wake up!

heheh just kidding.

But - I think more people would obviously stick to a balanced healthy diet, than a 1000 calorie limited diet!


my 2cents
 
I have actually seen what this woman eats and she does eat really well. Everything is clean, she gets protein and so on. Rarely "cheats". Writes down all her consumed calories. But shes taller then I am, at about 5'11? And maybe 170lbs.

I cannot see how 1000-1200 and some days 1400-1500 is enough.

If she kept going like this and working out trying to build muscle, would it not become counter productive?

I am just a little worried about her, it's great shes loss 20lbs. But she's really tired a lot. So I think she's not getting enough of something. I would like to try to talk some sense into her..but I need to know what Im even talking about first! LOL Or if there is even any need to talk to her. If what she is doing is ok..then fine!
 
to be honest i wouldnt interfere with her, it's her choice to do this diet. being tired sometimes can happen on any calorie restricted diet.
 
If she's trying to lose fat, I'd recommend that she get a minimum of 1200 calories a day, and zig-zags all the way up to 2000 calories on occasion (not necessarily every zig-sag up). As shimmering said, her tiredness is because of her low calories - and it probably would be nice for her if she raised 'em once in a while.
 
Sorry I didnt mean to give the impression I was going to interfere...thats exactly what I dont want. That's why I asked here first =) I was mostly curious if what she was doing was healthy.

Im now more just curious for myself. Is there any way for her to help out the tiredness?

She was asking me if I knew, but I dont. So maybe someone will have some suggestions?

Thanks for all the info so far =)
 
First of all, if she weigth trains everyday, her BMR is probably pretty high (the amount of calories her body burns in order to sustain her organ and tissue function. On top of that, she is burning a lot of calories exercising. For someone working out this much, even 1600 sounds pretty low!
 
Ok, well I just spoke to her at work for a bit. She says she typically walks about 3-4 kms a day. Runs about 1/2km and then walks...repeating this pattern. Because she is just starting out.

She eats under 1500 calories, even when she peaks at zig zagging her calories. From what I have seen she eats raw foods mostly, whole grains and tofu/fish/protein supp for protein.

She lifts weights and exercises everyday.

I told her about this forum and she was actually interesting in knowing what everyone said about her diet plan. She might even join =)

I have to say I am curious a little because she is loosing weight really quickly and if it was a way that was actually healthy. I MIGHT (very big might) try some of what she is doing. But I want to be 100% sure she is healthy and doing it right.

In some respects we are pretty much the same, same work out plan kinda..and we are the same height and weight except for a few pounds and inches. Im shorter and lighter.

The biggest worry she says is how tired she feels. And was looking for a supplement or some fix for this?

I am still curious if her low calorie plus muscle building exercise is counter productive? Will she make any progress eating less then 1500 calories a day and weight training? And by progress I mean positive progress and actually build muscle.

Thanks.
 
I'm curious to know her exact caloric intake for her protein, carbs, and fats. She'll more than likely need to up her intake if she's feeling sluggish.

Why doesn't she sit down with a nutritionist?
 
I will ask her. I have a feeling though she doesnt know. I am almost 100% positive she only counts calories.

I know I tend to feel really slugglish on the weekends, but not during the week.

I have a really stressful job and work from 7am to 6pm behind a computer....blah!

And she has around the same hours and level of stress/pressure.

Plus she has three kids to run after...I can see why shes tired.
 
you know i personally think your friend at work will make progress. IMO, cutting calories is the most important thing when slimming down. my wife and i for instance have been on a 1,300 to 1,500 calorie a day diet now for about 6 months. we're both down to our highschool weight (i'm 41, she's 35) and are very toned. i also run 2 to 3 miles every morning and do leglifts and pushups and other resistance exercises, and she does spin classes or runs twice a week, but really we did it primarily thru cutting the calories. the key is to make sure what you do eat is very balanced. & occasional tiredness is part of it, we dont feel tired most of the time but occasionally we do. we take a caffeine pill (also a calcium supplement now) each morning with our breakfast protein shake (water, whey protein, fresh fruits, flax seed, cottage cheese) and that works pretty well. i personally believe you can do just fine on a very calorie restricted diet, as long as it's very balanced, as i said. if you eat 1,500 calories a day but get most of it from say breads and pasta, or eat nothing all day and then eat a burger and fries for dinner, then yeah, you'll have problems. but if you eat a good variety of veggies and fruits, nuts, fish, and whole grains i think it's perfectly healthy. my maintenence plan for us is to stick to 1,500 calories a day over the long haul, we're pretty used to it now and have had great results. the main hurdle on a calorie restricted diet though of course, is willpower. :)
 
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