| | Water Fasting

Going below the minimum caloric deficit?

Hi everyone! I’m pretty new to this so I have a simple question. What would the effects of going below 1200 calories be (or which ever the minimum mark is according to each person). Specially considering a 6:18 IF with light weightlifting.

It’s been a problem for me to reach the minimum, but I drink plenty of water which has likely caused me to not feel as hungry.

Edit: Started 2 days ago, so haven’t noticed anything yet, but wouldn’t like it to hurt on the long run.

Stop Fasting Alone.

Get a private coach and accountability partner for daily check-in's and to help you reach your fasting goals. Any kind of fasting protocol is supported.

Request more information and pricing.

Answer

Depends if you are overweight. A VLCD is an extreme, typically short term measure taken for people who are severely overweight. It’s also often overseen by a nutritionist and doctor. Hard to say whether 1200 is safe depends entirely on your height and weight.

If you are at a healthy weight, and aren’t looking to lose a lot of weight quickly it can really mess your metabolism up if done long term, it can also lead to muscle loss if your body doesn’t have body fat for it to feed on. This is a result of the body staying in a Catabolic state. Be careful.

I have experience with it, years ago did a vlcd for two months and dropped nearly 70lbs. You need to ensure you at least hit your protein goals to not lose muscle, this is most important instead of total calories. Consult a doctor if you intend to take this route as mentioned it can be dangerous.

Related Fasting Blogs

Categories: deficit calories overweight nutrition muscle body fat tea