Am I eating too little?

If your deficit is above 500 kcal, you're almost certainly eating too aggressively. Here's what happens:

The Starvation Cascade:

• 1. Your body detects a significant energy deficit
• 2. NEAT drops — you unconsciously move less, saving energy
• 3. Thyroid slows — metabolism decreases across the board
• 4. Muscle catabolism — your body burns muscle for amino acids (cheaper than maintaining it)
• 5. Cortisol spikes — stress hormone fills The Wet Sponge
• 6. Hunger hormones surge — ghrelin screams, leptin whispers
• 7. The Elephant panics — a massive binge is inevitable

The result: you end up heavier, weaker, and more metabolically damaged than before.

The fix: A moderate 300-500 kcal deficit. Patience. Trust the weekly average. Slow and sustainable beats fast and destructive.