low-calorie diet question

[hair_me_out]

Question: In the months after a HT, is it safe to go on a low-calorie diet? Or will it affect the HT results? I'm talking around 1400-1500 calories a day as opposed to the standard 2000.

 

I'd love to hear what some coalition doctors have to say about this.

[Sunnycoastman]

I think 1500 is ok if youre recommended daily intake is 2000. You'll lose about a pound a week at that. Im assuming that with only 2000 a day you have a desk job and dont exercise much. Im on a reduced calorie diet right now but Im losing weight by exercising more, twice a day right now but the weight is coming off quite fast. so Im taking in around 2200 a day and losing 2-3 pound a week. Its better to lose it by doing aerobic exercise than just reducing your calories if you can. advantages are, your metabolic rate increases further helping the weight loss, exercise is an appetite depressant, you become fitter and your body shape improves, especially if you do weights as well. What i dont know and someone else may be able to help here, is whether excessive calorie reduction eg say 50% of recommended daily intake overstresses the body which may in turn accelerate hair loss. cheers

 

sunny

[MikeTheDane]

Your hair won't get any negative impacts unless your body goes into survival mode (meaning starvation) or if your diet is of very poor quality (lack of protein - your hair is made of proteins - vitamin c etc)

[Dr. Bernardino Arocha]

Dieting with total calories of as much as 1200 can result in diffuse hair shedding in 1-6 months after the start of the diet. The prognosis for recovery of the hair is very good after discontinuation of the diet. For more information on nutrition and hair: http://www.arochahairrestoration.com/en/art/99/

[Maxxy]

Would taking a multivitamin as well eating protein rich foods eliminate shedding while on calorie restricted diet?

[Fingers Crossed]

HMO,

 

Think of dieting as a marathon, NOT a sprint. Take your time when dieting, you should not be losing any more than 2-3 lbs per week. It's best if you record what you are eating right now and calculate the total amount of calories you are consuming daily (get a rough estimate). I know your daily calorie intake might vary from day to day but record what you eat. Once you figure out your daily calorie consumption, reduce your calories by 200 every week to week and a half. Reducing your calories that fast isn't good for your body or hair. Trust me, you will feel like sh*t if you drop your calories drastically. Dieting should be gradual, and enjoyable. Cutting your calories too fast will increase the chances of you cheating on your diet down the road. Here are some numbers that will help you calculate your total calories consumed per day:

 

1 gram of Carbs= 4 calories

1 gram of Protein= 4 calories

1 gram of Fat= 9 calories

1 gram of Alcohol= 7 calories

 

Good luck.

 

My Hair Loss Website - HT with Dr. Hasson

[Sunnycoastman]

If you only reduce by 200 a week it will take you 17 weeks to lose 1 pound. maybe FC meant 200 a day. 1 pound is around 3500 calories. I still believe you are better to exercise the weight off and just generally watch your food intake and quality. stay away from too much sugar or high fat products. You still need to enjoy life. Youll soon get a feel for whether what youre doing is working. I think 1 to 2 pound a week is very realistic to start with especially if you are 20 pounds or more overweight. Its encouraging too if you see it working fairly fast. It gets harder to lose it as you get closer to ideal weight. Im 5 pounds off ideal and its tough getting that last few off. having said that i gotta go....my rpm(bike) class starts soon....:-) cheers

 

sunny