My suspicion is that she neither experienced ordinary discomfort nor does she have a faulty metabolism. Rather, it’s possible that her weight loss strategy was far too extreme. A caloric deficit of more than 25% is considered very dangerous. If she did cut her calories that far, then it’s little wonder why she went through hell. Add that to the random variation in her weight caused by water and then it’s obvious why she’d given up on trying to lose weight.
A caloric deficit of more than 25% is considered very dangerous
Is the caloric deficit inherently dangerous or is it that people usually cut the wrong things from their diet? Do you think there are significant dangers to an otherwise healthy person who gets all the micronutrients they need during the deficit and does it only for a month or two?
Yes, an extreme caloric deficit would be dangerous to anybody. If the body can’t make up the difference between the energy expended and energy eaten by burning fat, it will go into starvation mode, slow down, start eating muscle mass and eventually the internal organs.
I’m not sure I understand why the body would eat internal organs on a two month diet when there’s plenty of fat and muscle to burn, or why losing some muscle mass would be dangerous.
Look, dude. I’m not a doctor, and I can’t really tell you what exactly happens to your body if you have an extreme calorie deficit. Nonetheless, every medical professional will tell you that you shouldn’t do it.
My suspicion is that there she neither experienced ordinary discomfort nor does she have a faulty metabolism. Rather, it’s possible that her weight loss strategy was far too extreme.
Yes now that I think about it that’s the most likely explanation. I’ve been informally researching diet and weight loss for nearly two years now. One thing I’ve informally observed is that self-deception is a big problem in dieting. Thus when failed dieters report on their failure, they have a tendency to underestimate their caloric intake; they also have a tendency to assert that there is something wrong with their metabolism.
My suspicion is that she neither experienced ordinary discomfort nor does she have a faulty metabolism. Rather, it’s possible that her weight loss strategy was far too extreme. A caloric deficit of more than 25% is considered very dangerous. If she did cut her calories that far, then it’s little wonder why she went through hell. Add that to the random variation in her weight caused by water and then it’s obvious why she’d given up on trying to lose weight.
Is the caloric deficit inherently dangerous or is it that people usually cut the wrong things from their diet? Do you think there are significant dangers to an otherwise healthy person who gets all the micronutrients they need during the deficit and does it only for a month or two?
Yes, an extreme caloric deficit would be dangerous to anybody. If the body can’t make up the difference between the energy expended and energy eaten by burning fat, it will go into starvation mode, slow down, start eating muscle mass and eventually the internal organs.
I’m not sure I understand why the body would eat internal organs on a two month diet when there’s plenty of fat and muscle to burn, or why losing some muscle mass would be dangerous.
The heart is made of muscle tissue, and the digestive system is lined with it.
Yeah, smooth muscle and heart muscle, different kinds of tissues from skeletal muscle. I doubt the body has trouble differentiating them.
Look, dude. I’m not a doctor, and I can’t really tell you what exactly happens to your body if you have an extreme calorie deficit. Nonetheless, every medical professional will tell you that you shouldn’t do it.
Yes now that I think about it that’s the most likely explanation. I’ve been informally researching diet and weight loss for nearly two years now. One thing I’ve informally observed is that self-deception is a big problem in dieting. Thus when failed dieters report on their failure, they have a tendency to underestimate their caloric intake; they also have a tendency to assert that there is something wrong with their metabolism.