If I reduce my calorie intake will my body base metabolic rate decrease as well?

Question

I have started a low calorie diet (about 1500 calories a day) with moderate exercise everyday too (at least some walking or bike riding, if not more intense stuff.) My base metabolic rate at my current weight is calculated to be 1999 calories and my semi-active (definitely not sedentary) lifestyle takes my total calories burned a day to about 3200. That's not counting any additional burned through vigorous exercise that I do as often as I can each week. So far, I've managed to survive without going crazy on about 1500 calories a day, though on days when I jog 2 miles I am very hungry later and eat more.

So I've heard that if you don't give your body enough calories it will just stop burning them as efficiently. How long does that take to occur and do I need to be worried about it in this case? What can I do to keep my metabolism from slowing down on a reduced calorie diet? Thanks!

Answer 1

That's true...your body's metabolism will eventually slow down to compensate for the lack of calories to burn, but this all depends on other factors as well ....such as the percentage of body fat, fitness level, age, and amount of time on the diet.

Answer 2

I am no expert but heres what I know
If you drastically cut your caloric intake your body goes into starvation mode and saves every calorie it can get as fat and your metabolism comes to a screeching halt.
Gradually cut your calories while increasing exercise.
If you exercise on an empty stomach, your metabolism for the day increases 12 percent.
If you eat citrus only for breakfast your metabolism for the day increases 15 percent.
If you eat small meals (really small, like half a sandwich) 6 times a day your body will burn calories instead of storing them. Your metabolism will be fast.
Eat foods with negative calories, like tomatoes, that take more calories for your body to digest than the food has in it.

Answer 3

Actually, the less you eat could make you gain weight. You should eat 4-5 small meals a day. This will keep your metabolism up so that you burn calories. It's when you dont eat enough will slow down your rate down and you will burn muscle not fat.

Depending on when you get up and when you go to sleep dictates how many meals you should eat. Maybe even 6/day

Sherry

Answer 4

what you heard is right. eat less calories, you'll burn less calories.

muscle burns calories, so do some weights sit-ups or pilates to gain muscle, as well as keeping up your low calorie diet and other exercise that you do.

you can't keep your metabolism from slowing down on a reduced calorie diet, so forget about that. unless you're thinking about diet pills - which you shouldn't be.

Answer 5

Ok, most fit , thin people actually eat quite a lot. The secrect is smaller meals more often in the day. Also eat the right foods. Junk food out.

When you eat less your body thinks that times are hard, so it stores energy as fat to make provision for the hard times.

Answer 6

More higher your body metabolisms, more easier for your body to convert foods to energy and burn fat!

Go here for tips on how to increase your body metabolism. I hope it'll help.
http://healthydiettips.blogspot.com

Answer 7

http://www.dietitian.com/faddiet.html