Too few calories?

CarolineLeclair

Hi All, My daily calorie goal is exactly 1200 calories. On a day like today, I
ate 1800 and burned 900 through exercise. This means: 1200(goal) - 1900(eaten) + 900(burned) = 200(left) If I don't eat the remaining 200 calories, does that mean my body would go into "starvation mode" because my calorie intake for the day is 1000 which is below the 1200 cal/day minimum? I want to make sure I do this right and don't consume too few calories.
Thanks so much!

livingleanlivingclean

No...
If you're consistently eating low calories, your body may adapt so your bmr is lower but you're not going to be in "starvation mode", if such a thing even existed

How did you calculate your burned cals through exercises? It could be over exaggerated

forgtmenot

Starvation mode is a myth

FitForL1fe

what is starvation mode

whmscll

I have a similar question. Is net 1,000 or 1,100 too low? I am 5'5", sedentary, 145, and have 10 pounds to lose.

CarolineLeclair

I agree... Seems high, but was a silly-busy day!
Gardening, Body Pump and a 1.5 hour walk with my pup. My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.
I just dont want to consume too few calories. My understanding was anything less than 1200 calories and your body hangs on to fat and won't let go in order to protect your body from starvation.
I only have 10lbs to lose and I'm sure that's why I've been given a low number.

CarolineLeclair

whmscll wrote: »

I have a similar question. Is net 1,000 or 1,100 too low? I am 5'5", sedentary, 145, and have 10 pounds to lose.

CarolineLeclair

CarolineLeclair wrote: »

I agree... Seems high, but was a silly-busy day!
Gardening, Body Pump and a 1.5 hour walk with my pup. My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.
I just dont want to consume too few calories. My understanding was anything less than 1200 calories and your body hangs on to fat and won't let go in order to protect your body from starvation.
I only have 10lbs to lose and I'm sure that's why I've been given a low number.

CarolineLeclair

*17000 steps on fit bit

jjules2015

If you double check I think she said, 1700.

daniebanks

F

MakePeasNotWar

CarolineLeclair wrote: »

I agree... Seems high, but was a silly-busy day!
Gardening, Body Pump and a 1.5 hour walk with my pup. My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.
I just dont want to consume too few calories. My understanding was anything less than 1200 calories and your body hangs on to fat and won't let go in order to protect your body from starvation.
I only have 10lbs to lose and I'm sure that's why I've been given a low number.

Nope, starvation mode is a myth. MFP doesn't go below 1200 calories because it's difficult to meet your nutritional needs (i.e. vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre etc.) on anything lower.

You certainly could eat a lot more, but if you are getting 1800 calories worth of good quality food and you aren't feeling hungry, don't worry. I can tell you from experience you probably will get hungry after a while if you continue to run such a high deficit, so when that happens your calories will increase without having to force it.

TimothyFish

The 1200 lower limit is total calories, not net. MFP confuses things because they calculate net in a strange way. To know whether it is important that you eat those remaining calories, add 200 to your goal deficit. Most people should have a number between 500 and 1000.

SezxyStef

TimothyFish wrote: »

The 1200 lower limit is total calories, not net. MFP confuses things because they calculate net in a strange way. To know whether it is important that you eat those remaining calories, add 200 to your goal deficit. Most people should have a number between 500 and 1000.

How so? Total calories eaten-exercise calories=net so not sure how that is confusing.

OP your net for the day is 900 calories if that 900 burn is correct which is a bit suspect....if you take 75% of those your net is 1125...

I say it's suspect as gardening should be part of your level of activity and if you walk the dog frequently so should that...

and starvation mode is a myth...think about it...if it were indeed true people wouldn't starve to death.

CarolineLeclair

Lol!

CarolineLeclair

Okay, next time maybe I won't add gardening, but I dug the holes for and planted 6 eight foot trees... Thought it was worth adding!
Alright, I think I understand. I won't worry so much and force the additional calories in if I'm not hungry. But if I am hungry than I won't feel guilty about them either! Thanks for everyone's input!
I'm glad the 1200 minimum is a myth!

SezxyStef

CarolineLeclair wrote: »

Okay, next time maybe I won't add gardening, but I dug the holes for and planted 6 eight foot trees... Thought it was worth adding!
Alright, I think I understand. I won't worry so much and force the additional calories in if I'm not hungry. But if I am hungry than I won't feel guilty about them either! Thanks for everyone's input!
I'm glad the 1200 minimum is a myth!

Yah that was worth adding esp since you are at 1200. And remember our bodies if at low calories for a long period of time has hormones that will shut off "hunger cues" to help keep us from being in actual pain when we are in a period of famine.

So try to get to 1200 min as long as you are sure of your calories in (using a food scale etc)

errollmaclean

CarolineLeclair wrote: »

Okay, next time maybe I won't add gardening, but I dug the holes for and planted 6 eight foot trees... Thought it was worth adding!
Alright, I think I understand. I won't worry so much and force the additional calories in if I'm not hungry. But if I am hungry than I won't feel guilty about them either! Thanks for everyone's input!
I'm glad the 1200 minimum is a myth!

Wow, impressive gardening!!

Watch how your weight loss goes. That will give you an idea of how accurate your excersize burns are. If you're not losing at your expected rate, your excersize calories might be estimated to high (very common).

Are you using a food scale?

editorgrrl

CarolineLeclair wrote: »

My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.

Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), aka your maintenance calories. If you eat at a reasonable deficit from that, you will lose weight. Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

Set your goal to .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

Ignore your Fitbit calorie goal and follow MFP's, eating back your adjustments. You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

Noreenmarie1234

I've experienced starvation mode first hand and It DOES happen. I maintained for months and months on 1200, upped my calories to 1600 with no change in exercise (weighing and logging to the crumb through all of this) and started losing and continued to lose. But it only happens when you've been severely under eating for months and months not just one day here and there.

DeguelloTex

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

I've experienced starvation mode first hand and It DOES happen. I maintained for months and months on 1200, upped my calories to 1600 with no change in exercise (weighing and logging to the crumb through all of this) and started losing and continued to lose. But it only happens when you've been severely under eating for months and months not just one day here and there.

If you lost more weight by consuming 33% more calories, you either exercised a lot more, were mistaken about how much you were eating, or are just grievously confused.