Caloric restrictions -- How LOW can you go?

[Radical Ice]

My gf (before I met her) WAS obese at one time... over 350 pounds. She got down to 220 by tons of cardio and near starvation dieting at 400 calories a day and was stuck at 220 for several months. I met her in a gym and got her calories back up to 1400 a day.

4 months later she's 200 pounds. We reduced her calories back down slowly to 1100 calories a day (from a starting point of 1400). She does 30-60 minutes cardio daily, and STILL has not lost a pound in over 2 months. She stepped on the scale yesterday and is UP to 203.

Will we need to reduce calories even further? Eventually getting BACK down to almost nothing? Or go to 2 hours a day cardio? I'm at a loss. She's happy with her progress, yet is growing frustrated lately as she does everything so perfectly and is no longer getting results, but SEEMS to be going backwards. We thought it could be a thyroid condition, but the doc checked out everything ok.

She does no aas but is open to suggestions. Any help would be appreciated. I'm also curious how LOW in calories some of you women have successfully gone to get results...

THANKS.

 

[spatts]

What's she eating?

What is her RESISTANCE TRAINING split (please say she has one)?

 

[Radical Ice]

Thanks, Spatts...

Typically, something along these lines:

Meal 1 : Oatmeal/protien powder
Meal 2: Yogurt/ Carb Solutions Bar
Meal 3: Tuna/Rice
Meal 4 : Chicken/Rice
Meal 5 : Chicken salad...

Calories, including fat free creamer, fat free mayos and cheeses, etc, hit around 1100 mark.

She did weights with me in the 1 st month or so, but has since gone to doing only cardio while I am working out... think there's a problem right there?

 

[JJFigure]

If she's using the same type of diet, her body has probably adjusted her metabolism down to compensate. You can't use the same type of diet all the time - you have to keep your body guessing. Plus, she's doing nothing to increase her muscle mass - if she were increasing her muscle mass, her metabolism would naturally increase. Doing all that cardio is probably having the reverse effect - decreasing her muscle mass.

A couple of things you could change: 1) Start her lifting! That one's kind of mandatory. 2) Change her diet. Right now, she's eating starchy carbs in every meal - except maybe the last. She's also not really eating any EFAs. Maybe change her diet so her last meals are protein + fibrous carbs, and her first meals are protein + starchy carbs. Throw a little olive oil or flax oil in there to make sure she's getting enough fat. Super-low fat diets really don't work all that well. Check out Spatt's cutting diet for an example. Another option is a cyclical low carb diet - higher fat and protein, very low carb (<30 g) during the week and high carb, low fat and protein on the weekend. These diets are hard to stick to if you're not mentally prepared for them though - Spatt's cutting diet is more realistic. 3) Alternate kcalorie levels throughout the week. If you keep the same kcalorie level all the time, your body figures out it's not getting enough kcals (1100 kcals/day is too low, IMO) and goes into starvation mode. If you cycle your kcaloric levels, you can prevent your body from doing this. Plus, you don't go crazy from the low kcalorie diet.

Lowest I personally go in kcals is 11xbodyweight or 1500 kcals/day. Of course, I'm fairly lean to begin with and have a decent amount of LBM. If you could get her lifting (intensely lifting, not just going through the motions), you should be able to at least go back up to an average of 1400 kcals/day - and probably more. You could cycle the kcals in ranges of 1200 - 1600. Then, at least she has a couple days during the week to look forward to eating a little bit more food.

 

[Radical Ice]

Thanks, JJ...
I'll be looking into all of what you said and will most likely begin applying some of it starting today.

 

[spatts]

. think there's a problem right there?

Yep.

 

[Gladiola]

I'm surprised to hear her thyroid checked out OK. Yes, her metabolism should have shifted down from the starvation diet - BUT, when you increased her cals to a more healthy amount, that should have kicked her metabolism back into gear somewhat.

Agree with JJ on the cycling of cals & macronutrients. In addition, vary the cardio - change up the mode (don't always bike, also walk, other machines, try fitness classes: low impact step or dance-aerobics, aqua is great). Vary the INTENSITY of cardio by doing HIIT (hi intensity interval training) for 30-40 min, plus some days of moderate/low intensity for longer duration.

Cut down the frequency of cardio. 3-4X per week max - plus 3-4 days weekly weightlifting. Try to double up one day on weights & cardio & have one day TOTALLY OFF from the gym - or just do some yoga on that day.

Good Luck!

 

[ArtsyChic]

Sounds like me..

I used to be around 375. I think her problem is the same as many women who diet. They cardio themselves to death and don't do what they should be doing..which is lifting!! I second the words of the other women on the board..get her lifting and step the cardio down. I lost almost 200 pounds by doing little to no cardio. I'd go for weeks with only weight training...and add some cardio when I hit a plateau. I have a helluva time losing fat..but gain muscle well. I once again am trying to get my fat ass to a minimum..and have lost another 23 pounds by lifting three times a week and cardio twice a week max. The only thing I'm taking is 10 mg/ day of var to maintain LBM and NYC. (Any comments on this? ) I lose slowly..but find that if I keep my body guessing..(which I have to do) I do fine.

I think one important thing is..when we diet so much, so as too lose in the triple digits our bodies begin to adapt and just stop after awhile. I try to add a cheat meal every couple of weeks and it keeps my body on it's toes. For example, I might have pizza or a couple donuts. (I donut right now would probably make me cry..pizza last week brought tears to my eyes. That's not a joke.) I vary my caloric intake going betwen 1200 and 1600 a day. When I exercise, which is 6 to 7 days a week, I tend to allow myself a bit more food, particulary of the high protein, low carb variety. ( More meat for lunch or dinner...)

I'm by no means in any type of contest shape...but I do my best. If I do my best, then I can't be dissappointed with myself.

Alicia

 

[JJFigure]

Damn ArtsyChic - impressive accomplishment!

Welcome to the boards!

 

[Friscochick]

Re: Sounds like me..

I used to be around 375. I think her problem is the same as many women who diet. They cardio themselves to death and don't do what they should be doing..which is lifting!! I second the words of the other women on the board..get her lifting and step the cardio down. I lost almost 200 pounds by doing little to no cardio. I'd go for weeks with only weight training...and add some cardio when I hit a plateau. I have a helluva time losing fat..but gain muscle well. I once again am trying to get my fat ass to a minimum..and have lost another 23 pounds by lifting three times a week and cardio twice a week max. The only thing I'm taking is 10 mg/ day of var to maintain LBM and NYC. (Any comments on this? ) I lose slowly..but find that if I keep my body guessing..(which I have to do) I do fine.

I think one important thing is..when we diet so much, so as too lose in the triple digits our bodies begin to adapt and just stop after awhile. I try to add a cheat meal every couple of weeks and it keeps my body on it's toes. For example, I might have pizza or a couple donuts. (I donut right now would probably make me cry..pizza last week brought tears to my eyes. That's not a joke.) I vary my caloric intake going betwen 1200 and 1600 a day. When I exercise, which is 6 to 7 days a week, I tend to allow myself a bit more food, particulary of the high protein, low carb variety. ( More meat for lunch or dinner...)

I'm by no means in any type of contest shape...but I do my best. If I do my best, then I can't be dissappointed with myself.

Alicia

WOW! That IS very impressive!!

and Ditto! Welcome Welcome Welcome!