# Couple questions about dieting

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couple-questions-about-dieting/318830>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couple-questions-about-dieting/318830 "2005-08-27T02:57:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wishbone\_Ash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Wishbone\_Ash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wishbone_Ash)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couple-questions-about-dieting/318830/1 "2005-08-27T02:57:10Z")

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I would like to know, what is the minimum calories you can eat without inducing muscle catabolism/starvation mode. I hear 1000 calories or 1200 thrown around, but never any research to back it up. could someone please point me to some research?

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**Author:** ![Wishbone\_Ash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Wishbone\_Ash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wishbone_Ash)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couple-questions-about-dieting/318830/2 "2005-08-27T10:56:47Z")

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anybody?

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**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couple-questions-about-dieting/318830/3 "2005-08-28T05:11:59Z")

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The number for which you’re looking isn’t the minimum number of calories. It’s the number of protein grams. That’s a fairly low number; according to [this cite](http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/protein.html), about 1 gram per kilo body weight. Thus, for example, if you weigh 180 lb, you need about 80 grams protein which, at 4 cal per gram, is 320 calories. You can get that from 3/4 lb chicken breast or 1 lb plain ham, both of which (if lean) will come in under 500 calories. That’s rock bottom and entails a fair amount of risk, e.g., extraordinary strain on the kidneys. Which is why all responsible sources recommend that any radical-calorie-reduction diet be supervised by a doctor.

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couple-questions-about-dieting/318830/4 "2005-08-28T14:15:35Z")

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It varies from person to person honestly. There is no universal number for everyone, because everyone’s internal biochemistry is different. I read a study once where they fed a bunch of women about 400 calories a day, some lost alot of muscle and some lost almost none, with one losing nothing but fat and no muscle during the diet. However generally around 1200/day is considered the minimum.

> **[Metabolic effects of very low calorie weight reduction diets.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC425077/?tool=pubmed)**
>
> A randomized comparison trial of two very low calorie weight reduction diets was carried out for 5 or 8 wk in 17 healthy obese women. One diet provided 1.5 g protein/kg ideal body weight; the other provided 0.8 g protein/kg ideal body weight plus 0.7...

Then there is that study showing a 1.5g/kg protein intake on a low calorie diet to obtain a neutral nitrogen balance.

So I don’t think there is a specific point for everyone. It depends on your protein intake and your own internal biochemistry.