To eat 500 calories a day for 12 weeks

[Summerdays55]

How much weight would I lose

[TheDailyWail]

For 12 weeks!?! Wouldn't it have long term effects?

[TornNotTorn]

Not as much as you might think. You will, however, lose your mind. Seriously, don't do it.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Good luck with that, that's fresh air. I've just started 1500 and I'm finding that tricky.

500 sounds unhealthy.

[CremeEggThief]

I think it won't be sustainable. Even if you have the will to do it, you could cause irreversible harm to your body.

[Katenka]

Yabu. Because it's dangerous. You would put the weight straight back on. You wouldn't lose as much as you would think. It would be mentally draining. And no one can tell you how much you would lose, it's different for everyone.

[SeasonalVag]

Op how much do you need to lose?

[RhuBarbarella]

Really really bad idea. If you're that desperate to lose weight, go to your gp and make a healthy solid plan with a dietician. I've done 5:2 and 2 non consecutive days of low calories is hard enough. Your body will not be happy with 3 months of this.

[OohMavis]

Well you'd be effectively starving yourself, so you'd stand to lose more than fat.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

To put it into perspective in WW2 , the Naziiregime tried to starve the Jews to death in ghettos by allowing around 450 calories each daily. It really isnt very much for more than a few days.

[Snazapoo]

The blood sugar diet by Michael Moseley suggests a low carb Mediterranean diet at 800 calories a day for 8 weeks. Apparently the average weight loss is 2kg.

There's a thread about it in weight loss.

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

I did 500 calories a day for 3 weeks (for monetary reasons rather than weight loss).

It was not fun. The first day was okay, by the end of the third I was pretty hungry, by the end of the first week, I felt really weak. I got ill in the second week, and was fatigued beyond belief. Walking killed me. At the end of week three, I was so pale that I was almost see-through, I had stomach cramps, and no energy. I couldn't sleep. Moving ached. My bladder hurt, my stomach hurt, my kidneys hurt. I got a headache so bad I had to keep my eyes shut all the time, and painkillers would only take the edge off for about 45 minutes at a time.

I saw the doctors on the Monday of week four and they were so worried that they fed me in the staff room.

[MagicMojito]

Without a doubt you would lose weight, however the minute you start to eat normally again the weight will literally pile back on. You'll probably get a hidieous case of the craps thrown in for good measure too. Bad idea IMO.

[Snazapoo]

20kg ffs

Wouldn't bother for 2kg!

[hellsbellsmelons]

You won't manage it and it will not be good for your body.
Cut down on portion sizes and eat healthily.
Cut down on bad carbs (pasta & bread)
Drink lots of water
Exercise if you can
You'll do it but do not starve yourself.

[bigsnugglebunny]

It would be dangerous, 5:2 would probably be a better and safer bet.

I read an article a few years ago, that has stuck with me - about a woman who wanted to lose weight for her wedding - so she limited her calories to 530 per day.

Her heart gave out, 11 weeks into the crash-diet and sadly she died. That poor woman.

From what I can remember, one of the reasons given was that the heavier you are, the faster your metabolism has to work - so by limiting her energy intake, she was slowing it down and making her heart work much, much harder to the point where it just stopped.

[NickNacks]

I'm on 650 per day.

Have lost 21lb in 5 weeks and feeling better than i ever have. It's medically controlled and I'm getting 100% of all my vitamins and minerals and traces. I have energy and have lost all my cravings if unhealthy foods like sugar and caffeine.

Good luck.

[OhYouLuckyDuck]

Not much, your body wouldn't take long to go into starvation mode. You'd probably also end up malnourished.

[ChristmasCabbage]

Don't do it.

My DH did this (well for 6 weeks, not 12) years ago when he wanted to shift weight very fast. He was eating well but he wasn't eating enough.

He ended up losing lots but he was still a bit tubby because he wasn't toning up. Added to that, he was constantly tired and grumpy. His eczema, which he hadn't suffered with for years and years, flared up massively. His skin went really dull and yellowy. He shit himself a few times because his poo was just water.

The final insult though was when he stopped the diet and we went out for a family curry, he instantly put on 6lbs and that was 'real' weight gain rather than just bloating. His body was completely starved so I guess just grabbed on to those calories.

[lostinmiddlemarch]

You will get ill. It's not sustainable. It won't work very well either because your body will think you're starving it (as you would be) and will hold onto the fat more tightly. You'll feel utterly crap and let down anyone and everyone who relies on you to be there for them. You will put it all back with bells on when you start eating normally. You'll have crippling desires to binge eat. It may cause such damage to your body that it won't be possible to reverse the effects afterwards.

[LurkingHusband]

The general view is 3,500 calories (technically Kilocalories) is equivalent to a lb (454g) of weight.

I'd be amazed if anyone could voluntarily keep to 500 calories/day for long.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

I've done 5:2 before but am currently following a diet of my own invention where I can eat between 1200-1500 cal per day, ideally as little fat as possible but not a deal breaker. I've cut out bread because I feel hungrier if I have it, and I'm also vegan. So a lot of veg, beans, pulses and the occasional piece of fruit.

I've lost nearly a stone now over 6 weeks and am feeling quite pleased with myself

[lostinmiddlemarch]

I find it difficult to believe that someone who doesn't have the self-control to stick to a more sensible diet for a longer period of time could actually do this. But please don't try to prove you can!

[OurBlanche]

You may not literally starve but you will find it extremely unpleasant and it could cause other negative health problems.

I too do the 5:2 and eat 500kcals 3 days a week, non consecutively. It is great for me, but has been sheer, unadulterated hell for colleagues who have tried it.

The low carb 800kcal diet, mentioned above, is far more manageable and has far fewer psychological problems, let alone possible health problems, that trying it at 500kcals/day over that period of time.

If you really do have a lot of weight to lose and have not found the usual diets work for you (for whatever reason) have a read about it, here and the MM website. It might suit you well.

And no, you will not necessarily bounce the weight back on. That happens when you return to your habitual eating patterns rather than a consequence of a specific dietary change. It can happen with any dietary change.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

You'll be H-U-N-G-R-Y!

[Oysterbabe]

Doesn't the Cambridge diet come out at about 500 calories?
Why would you want to? What's the hurry?