Calories: How low is too low?

[Makeupmonsterdog]

I am a 27 year old female, looking to reduce my body fat to 15-17%.

Right now, I am at 20%. I had my RMR tested with a body gem and that is at 1600. I do approx. 60 minutes of cardio 6 days per week and lift weights for 30-45 minutes 6 days per week.

I feel like I have reached a plateau and am considering zig-zagging my calories. Considering my RMR is 1600, would it be dangerous to go to 1200 on certain days?

Any advice is great--Thanks!

[kmfisher]

For how much cardio and weights you do, 1600 probably isn't enough. I'd have you eating a ton more. I think your body would be in starvation mode and consuming muscle instead of fat, but that depends on your height and weight. What are your height and weight?

[JeremyLikness]

I've gone as low as 1500 so I don't imagine 1200 for someone who weighs perhaps much less to be starvation ... it all depends on how much you weigh, etc. Most people focus too much on calories. 1200 calories from engineered bars and shakes will be far different than 1200 calories from vegetables and low calorie fruits, etc. There is a huge difference in nutrient density, etc.

The bottom line is that you must set your own pace and see where you are at. If you are not losing, increase exercise and decrease calories. Starvation mode is a myth because your muscle does not literally melt off unless you are TRULY starving which means NO food .... 1200 is far from starving and your body adapts to the intake it is presented with.

Jeremy

Originally Posted by kmfisher

For how much cardio and weights you do, 1600 probably isn't enough. I'd have you eating a ton more. I think your body would be in starvation mode and consuming muscle instead of fat, but that depends on your height and weight. What are your height and weight?

[Makeupmonsterdog]

Oops, left that out. I am 5'4" and 118 lbs.

Also, lately, I have been doing 30 minutes of morning cardio approx. 4 times/week.

[RTE]

I buy 1000 calories for women and 1200 for men as lower limits.

Why not use the BMR method of determining your requirements? It is better than most for calorie needs.


Exercise is right after diet in importance, especially for keeping it off. Many forget that.

[JMR]

I've done 1200 calories per day for several days per week on a CKD. I hated it but I've done it. You shouldn't have any problems doing it since you weigh 50 lbs less than I do and I don't do near the cardio that you do either.

[Knubb]

Originally Posted by JeremyLikness

If you are not losing, increase exercise and decrease calories.

Jeremy

I'm going to take the odd road here. Yes, indeed this does sound like the way to start losing, but I've experienced that I started losing weight when I decreased my exercise (losing fat, really, I saw more definition increases in the three weeks that I have cut back than during the 9 I did lots of exercise), keeping energy intake the same. 12 workout sessions per week is a lot, if you are doing them all quite intensely.

[kmfisher]

I plugged the numbers through for calories overall and this is what I got:
metabolic factor = 1.5 = high (for age and all that cardio)
weight * 11 * metabolic factor = maintanence cals

118 * 11 * 1.5 = 1947

1947 - 500 = 1447 cutting cals/day

Why not try that, and if that still doesn't work, then cut 100 more cals/week until it kicks in.

[Makeupmonsterdog]

Originally Posted by kmfisher

I plugged the numbers through for calories overall and this is what I got:
metabolic factor = 1.5 = high (for age and all that cardio)
weight * 11 * metabolic factor = maintanence cals

118 * 11 * 1.5 = 1947

1947 - 500 = 1447 cutting cals/day

Why not try that, and if that still doesn't work, then cut 100 more cals/week until it kicks in.

Thanks for the numbers!