You eat once a day, skip dinner, and at some point the scale simply stops. Then one normal meal and it bounces back. "Am I just weak-willed?" No — your body did exactly what it was designed to do.
Start by knowing your BMR and daily needs → the BMI & BMR calculator works them out from height, weight, age and activity.
What BMR actually is
The calories burned lying completely still — breathing, maintaining temperature. It accounts for roughly 60–70% of daily energy use. Multiply it by activity and you get maintenance calories.
With a BMR of 1,600 kcal and light activity, maintenance runs about 2,200 kcal. Eat below that and you lose weight.
Why starving stops working
- You lose muscle — on very low intake the body burns muscle as well as fat. Less muscle means a lower BMR.
- The body shifts into conservation — sensing scarcity, it spends less. The same intake stops producing the same loss.
- Then the rebound — returning to normal eating with a lowered metabolism stores the surplus as fat. You can end up with more body fat than before the diet.
Core rule: don't eat below your BMR. Cutting 300–500 kcal from maintenance is how you lose fat while protecting muscle.
A sustainable rate
Losing 1kg of fat requires roughly a 7,000 kcal deficit — which is why cutting 500 kcal a day gives about 0.5kg per week in theory.
- 0.5–1 kg per week — comfortable, with minimal muscle loss.
- Faster than that — the early drop is largely water and muscle, and regain risk is high.
Those 2–3kg that vanish in the first week are mostly water and glycogen, not fat.
When you hit a plateau
- Lighter bodies need fewer calories — maintenance at 70kg differs from 65kg. Recalculate at your current weight.
- Add activity instead of cutting more — walking, stairs and strength work raise expenditure safely.
- Get enough protein — the single most important factor for keeping muscle while losing.
- Sleep — deprivation disrupts appetite hormones and drives overeating.
FAQ
Can I raise my BMR?
Building muscle lifts it somewhat, though not dramatically. Strength training helps both metabolism and body composition.
Does skipping breakfast wreck metabolism?
Total daily intake matters more than meal count. But if skipping leads to binging, regular meals work better.
Can I trust the calculator exactly?
It's a formula-based estimate that can be off by around 10%. Adjust based on 2–3 weeks of actual weight change.
The enemy of a diet isn't only eating too much — it's eating far too little. Protect your basal metabolism and the loss lasts.
This is general health information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have a condition or rapid weight change, consult a professional.
