If I’m eating a low cal diet, how long should it take to see weight loss?
I used to eat approx 2000 calories a day but I’m now only eating 646 calories a day.
With a change like this will I see a loss in weight??
I am eating a healthy diet now, with at least 5 portions of fruit/veg a day and lots of water.
My diet before consisted of ready meals, lots of crisps, chocolate etc.
I am not doing much exercise at the moment but I will be so I know this will help with weight loss.
But really at the moment I’m just interested to know if a lower calorie intake will result in any weight loss or does it just mean that I wont be gaining like I was?
Thanks for all the answers so far. It’s appreciated.
Just to add that I’m not hugely overweight but do need to lose some. I’m very petite at only 5ft 2ins so I know that my calorie intake should be lower than some people. But also at 5ft 2ish this is why I need to diet, at this height I can’t carry very much weight so any extra flab isn’t healthy for me.
I didn’t pig out before which is why 2000 maybe doesn’t sound a lot but I didn’t eat regular meals and instead maybe had one big meal followed by a bag a crisps.
Now I’m eating 3 small meals a day with lots of fruit in between. I’m drinking lots of water.
I’ve not drank alcohol or fizzy drinks in the past 3 years so this isn’t contributing to my belly.
This isn’t a fad diet. I’m getting fit. I plan to join the Army in 1 years time.
The reason I’ve not started a proper workout yet is because I’m the middle of moving house and it isn’t ideal. As soon as I’m settled in I’ll begin my workout regime.
August 19th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
3500 cal equals a pound they say but it might take longer depending on ur metatbolism, etc. take ur time. you can do it
August 19th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
stay on wat ur on now unless you find a really healthy lower calorie diet and you should alredy be loosing a bit of weight but u will soon loose more in a couple of days
August 19th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
If you plan to exercise you should lose about six pounds the first week. I started dieting about six months ago, stopped eating fast food, fried food, etc. and I’ve lost nearly eighty pounds.Also, eating small portions throughout the day makes you feel fuller longer with less hunger pangs and cravings.
August 19th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I think one of the worst misconceptions the dietitions put out is this equating of calories (which is a measurement of energy) with weight. calories have to do with the strengths of the bonds between molecules in your food, and how much energy you can get out of them. In order to lose weight, you must exercise, and continue exercising for an extended period of time. It is very important to make sure you’re eating the types of foods your body needs to support itself. Certainly cut back on fats, as those are slow burning energy which your body uses as a reserve. The carbohydrates give quick energy on demand.
Please ensure that you’re still having a good intake of anti-oxidants and electrolytes to keep yourself healthy. You are, in fact, what you eat. Those things physically become part of your body, so make sure you give yourself enough of what you need.
A person can diet for his entire lifetime and never lose weight. And if the person does lose weight, it may not be entirely beneficial to the body. Excercise is the key to losing weight safely and healthily. Try to get out and do some cardiovascular excercises, and keep working at them. Try to build up on those excercises as well, for instance if you can run one mile, try for two. Hope this helps.
Craig
August 19th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Your 600+ calories a day will be insufficient to sustain you. At this low level you will certainly lose weight but it will be lost from your muscle as well as the fat. The muscle is the pure meat on you. Loss of muscle tone is very bad for you and could leave you in a weakened state. At 2000 calories you should also have lost weight with very little exercise. Maybe you calculated the calories incorrectly. For example 1 Mars Bar would be around 750 calories. A bag of crisps about 150. Get your calorie counting accurate and then take it from there. Be very careful not to over do the calorie cutting as it could damage you for life.
August 19th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Do not think in terms of time. You have to give your body the opportunity to loose weight slowly if you dont want to gain weiht again.
August 19th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Oh dear, another one who thinks that to eat this will make them lose weight. Your body will go into starvation mode and store everything you eat as FAT! You must eat between 1200 and 1500 calories a day to lose weight. I was on 1000 cals for 3 years and barely lost anything. My GP referred me to the dietitian at out local hospital and she increased my calorific intake to between 1400 and 1600 and the weight just dropped off! You have to have a certain amount of calories to get your metabolism going and if you are large then the more calories you need. If you continue to eat approx 600 calories a day you will cause serious damage to your heart, pancreas and kidneys. Don’t do it anymore!
August 19th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
you are not consuming enough calories for a healthy diet reconsider your diet plan and then aim for a weight loss of maybe 2-3 lb a week.
August 19th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
With such a drastic change, you SHOULD see a loss in weight pretty soon. However, I’d definitely disagree with your statement of your diet being “healthy.” ONLY consuming 646 calories is pretty unhealthy to me. You should be eating 800 MINIMUM (hopefully around 1200, which is regular). Seriously, don’t count calories like that… you might end up turning into one of those psycho people who go, “Ahhh!!! I just had a handful of M&M’s… oh, the calories… I’m such a pig.”
It’s great that you’re eating fruits and veggies, but remember that you NEED protein. Eat meat (in portions) and/or nuts… you also need more dairy (yogurt) and grains. Make sure that you’re not depriving your body of necessary nutrients because just eating veggies and fruits isn’t going to cut it.
You.Need.To.Exercise.
Don’t just diet! You shoud be exercising and doing lots of cardio like running and jumping rope, biking, swimming, etc. Take an iPod with you so you don’t get bored (music really makes the time fly by).
I hope you’re doing this as a lifestyle change and not as some stupid fad diet. Do it for your health, not to look “good,” which is subjective anyway.