the only way to loose weight is to burn more calories than you take in. that's fine. the problem here is that this person is eating so few calories that their body is activating its starvation mechanism cauing muscles to be catabolized as well as drastic decreases in overall metabolic rate. if he/she wants to loose weight they should eat on average 500-1000 calories a day less than their adjusted basal metabolic rate depending on how much weight loss is required (you can calculate this number here: <link> that is to say the less weight you have to loose the less of a deficit is required. this deficit causes your body to pull from its fat reserves without unreasonably increasing the rate of muscle atrophy. having said the american college of sports medicine recommends that calorie intake never fall below 1200 calories a day for women or 1800 calories a day for men.
does burning more calories than taking in have a negative effect on weight loss? . i am participating in a weight loss program at a local gym and am a team leader. was asked by a participant why they can't get past a plateau. calorie intake is around 900 - 1100 calories have a moderate active life style and burn about 600 calories during exercise 5-6 days a week. they had good losses until recently. can routinely burning more calories than taking in have a negative impact in weight loss?