Quote:
Originally Posted by epitome1170
I would think that if I am eating 1200 calories I would never go into the starvation mode of metabolism. I think the bigger reason to have a "cheat day" would be just to allow your mental side to rest a bit as you become accustomed to the diet more, but even then I would think once a week (at most) would be enough.
As for the previous post, thyroid regulation.... wouldn't that have more to do with the carbs than the calories? And if I am supplementing with dietary fiber wouldn't that offset the concerns?
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1200 will slow your metabolism down eventually. Eating below maintenance, no matter how much, will eventually slow it down. How quickly is a matter of the degree and length of the deficit. You're going to need to do refeed days. And those days should be high carb, low fat. Not only will this help stave off a slowing metabolism, it will reset your ghrelin and leptin levels, which play a huge role in hunger. That will help prevent you from just going nuts one day and eating everything in sight.
1200 a day with a once a week carb load is doable, but difficult. I would suggest starting out with more calories and going down slowly from there. A 500 calorie per day deficit from food alone will net you a pound a week loss, and then anything you get from exercise will just be a bonus. I know how much you can just want to have it over and done with, but doing so in a slightly more controlled descent is probably going to be more efficacious in the long run.