Is 1043 calories a day too few?

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  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Rachel wrote:
    I am 29 years old. Female. 5'1"... I'm 158.5 right now. I'm wanting to get to 132 by September 27th.
    ... I just keep reading things about "starvation mode" and the body hanging onto fat.
    1- You're short enough that 1000/day _might_ be OK short-term. What does your doctor say?

    2- Losing 26 lb in 2 months isn't realistic, unless you're morbidly obese, which you're not.
    You'd be better off focusing on weightlifting, and eating at a slight deficit, so you'll lose some fat, build some
    muscle, get strong, lose inches, look marvelous.

    3- Read this. Then read it again. Bookmark it so you can use it to explain to other newbies what "starvation mode"
    is and is not. What you're thinking it is, it's not.
    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

    The body needs energy (calories) to run.
    It prefers to use glucose (blood sugar, easily-available carbs),
    then it prefers to use glycogen (slightly more complex carbs stored in liver & muscles),
    then it prefers to use fat,
    and as a distant 4th it uses protein (muscles).
    {Yes, we're all burning some of those all the time, but that's generally the order they're used.}

    Burning muscle is starvation.
    Part of the reason it's 4th is that it's an inefficient conversion. The body gets more energy per gram of tissue from
    the other sources.
    Also, it's a hail mary, hoping you will find (and EAT!) food before you lose so much muscle tissue that you can't
    move, or can't eat, or can't breathe, or your heart stops.
    It takes a long time of eating way below your healthy range to get there.

    The body WILL NOT "hold onto" _any_ calories (fat) if you're eating below maintenance.
    (Use a little common sense.)
    If it did, anorexia wouldn't be deadly.
    Neither would famine.
    POW's would be robust, not walking skeletons.



    This calculator from the Baylor College of Medicine will tell you not only your BMI, but how many servings of
    various foods to eat to maintain that weight.
    https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html

    It says that to maintain your current weight you need 1430 cal/day if you were inactive, and your BMI is 29.9
    At 132 your BMI would be 25, which is almost in the healthy range and you'd need 1312 cal/day inactive.
    So you're currently about 400 below maintenance, which is a bit much for the little you want to lose.
    If you did 1200 you'd still be below maintenance, even for your goal weight, but arriving there would be at a
    healthier (slower) rate.



    Then read these:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1
  • Rachel1534
    Rachel1534 Posts: 7 Member
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    chunt87 wrote: »
    Hey, I dont know if you are reading these still, but I am in the same boat with the hashimotos. I am also short. You may not lose that much weight by that date, you may, depending on what your thyroid does. But please dont make yourself crazy about it. Depending on what the thyroid is doing it could go a bit crazy. It controls your metabolism.

    I think if I had listened to my body and not tried to eat 1200-1700 calories a day when my medications were still being adjusted I would not have gained as much weight.

    There is a Thyroid group on here that I am part of:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/753-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism

    and you may get better advice about calories and stuff there, check it out.

    You should also talk to your doctor or endocrinologist about eating that little per day, and tell them how much weight you are trying to lose in the timeframe you are trying to lose it. They can also tell you what you should and shouldn't be eating.

    Good luck and stay healthy

    A fellow shorty, Hashi's gal! Hello! I'll check out that group. Thanks for the info. Thank you everyone for your input! I've read it all and will eat more calories. I appreciate the help. :-D

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