Sport Disadvantages to undereating??

[jacketfan89]

Okay I just want everyone to realize that I'm not asking this question because I under eat; I am just asking to clarify the reasons NOT to do so.

I read that eating more meals throughout the day does not really increase your metabolism it just keeps you from being hungry throughout the day.

I just want to understand exactly why you don't lose weight at a fast pace. There is a way to be full throughout the day having only three meals that are only 200-300 calories. By doing this you are only eating 600-900 calories a day, thus burning at least 1100 even if you are bed ridden.

Now what are the reasons to not do this?

I know for one that it can cause hunger and maybe overeating at late periods during the day.

Two you may lose muscle and fat instead of just the fat. (Although if you are not starting with much muscle why not do this in the first place?)

Now I may sound stupid to most of you guys because I am not educated enough about the subject and I admit that. I am just wondering exactly why you are supposed to eat a certain amount of calories when you can be full on fewer. Thanks a ton for any answers and please: No Bashing!

 

[Tanizaki]

Now I may sound stupid to most of you guys because I am not educated enough about the subject and I admit that. I am just wondering exactly why you are supposed to eat a certain amount of calories when you can be full on fewer. Thanks a ton for any answers and please: No Bashing!

Your body is an air-cooled machine. It using energy every second, even if you are lying there bedridden. Since your body uses at least a certain amount of energy each day, this energy must come from somewhere. It will come from chemical energy stored in food, or chemical energy stored in your body's fat and muscle. If insufficient energy is taken in food,t he body will take it from fat and muscle stores.

Your body is designed to conserve energy, not spend it. That is why losing weight is harder than gaining it. A calorie is a unit of energy. If you severely decrease your energy intake, your body will not only eat into it's fat as well as muscle, but it will lower its rate of energy consumption as well. In general, it is a good idea to find your base metabolism rate, then intake no less that that rate minus 500 calories. That produces a calorie deficit without impacting your body severely.

 

[Karky]

your metabolism will slow down. You do not give your body what it needs to do the tasks it needs to do, so some of the tasks will shut down or be reduced, like your energy levels will drop, your body will do anything to save energy. Its called "starvation mode".

 

[jacketfan89]

Thanks for the replies. Now my second question is what if you slowly reduce your calories. Like for instance if for one month you eat 500 less than the base metabolism rate will your body become used to only eating that amount of calories? If so could you reduce that number by 100 calories each month or is 500 calories less than the BMR the number that your body will not notice?

 

[stingo]

I read that eating more meals throughout the day does not really increase your metabolism it just keeps you from being hungry throughout the day.

I think that eating in and of itself won't increase your metabolism, otherwise chronic overeaters would have the fastest metabolisms on the planet. The body needs to see a need for increasing the metabolism because muscles are being used. This is where exercise comes in. Combined with good nutrition, I understand it will have an effect on the metabolism. The higher the intensity of the exercise, the more fuel is burned, both while doing the activity itself and for a time afterwards. Also, good nutrition will help your performance when you do go to exercise. I think you can go further on a full tank of gas, rather than a half tank, plus you can go faster (increase intensity) too. It kind of builds on itself - the more you exercise the more you should eat, and the more you eat, the more you should exercise. Least that's the way I see it.

 

[Dallen]

At some point your body is going to need energy from food.

You can think of it like a swimming pool. As the swimming pool sits there without anyone doing anything, the sun evaporates the water little by little everyday. And not to mention a little bit of water comes out each time you use it as small amount water is pushed out of the pool.

At some point, you're going to need to fill the pool up with more water. If you don't do this, slowly it's going to become less and less until there is nothing. Put too much water and it goes over and you really put water in for nothing.

Same thing with your body. The less and less food you give to it, the more and more over time it's going to use its internal supply of fat and muscle to support itself. At some point, you're going to be either dead or seriously injured since there is nothing left to use.