Question about being under 1000 calories?
Options
Replies
-
I noticed since returning to MFP that if you are under 1000 calories MFP won't log you for the day which i get, it isn't healthy to eat so little nutrition ect ect but since i'm trying to eat healthier of course many fruits and vegetables don't contain many calories and i eat plenty i am full and don't need to eat anymore but can't get past about 900 cals so i put made up stuff in there so i can log.I don't want to do that and it's not everyday but some days i can't make my goal i don't know if i like this change lol Should i just force my self to eat more?
There's more to good and proper nutrition than just vegetables and fruit...dietary fat is pretty essential and so is protein. Eat more calorie dense foods.0 -
-
debrakgoogins wrote: »Your body will eat it's own muscle under eating
Less muscle equals burning less calories
Your periods will stop effecting your fertility
As said if your here it's most likely to lose weight so you can eat more life's much to short to starve yourself
Periods are not what determine fertility. Ovulation is. In advanced stages of anorexia or starvation, periods stop. The periods stop because the body has stopped ovulating. Somewhat the same...but not.
Except for me. I still had my period at below bmi 16 and lost it after I was weight restored but I definitely wasn't fertile at bmi 16. And someone on the ward who hadn't had her period for a long time got pregnant.0 -
OP, are you only eating fruits and veggies? If you are, you are probably not getting all the nutrients you need. And if you are eating any meat or fish, grains, legumes, dairy, nuts, cooking oil etc it is unlikely you are really eating less than 1,000 cals.
Get a food scale.
Weigh all solids.
Log for a week. If you are truly eating less than 1,000 calories, look at your macros each day. Are you getting enough protein? Enough fat? These are both essential.
Long story short, there is a reason it is suggested that most women eat AT LEAST 1,200 calories, unless they are very short and small.0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Except for me. I still had my period at below bmi 16 and lost it after I was weight restored but I definitely wasn't fertile at bmi 16. And someone on the ward who hadn't had her period for a long time got pregnant.
I'm sorry to hear about your struggles. My periods stopped for nearly two years when I was a teenager. I wasn't trying to get pregnant so I have no idea about my fertility. I wonder if your ward mate was on the mend and beginning to ovulate again but hadn't had a period yet. Very interesting scenario.
0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »debrakgoogins wrote: »Your body will eat it's own muscle under eating
Less muscle equals burning less calories
Your periods will stop effecting your fertility
As said if your here it's most likely to lose weight so you can eat more life's much to short to starve yourself
Periods are not what determine fertility. Ovulation is. In advanced stages of anorexia or starvation, periods stop. The periods stop because the body has stopped ovulating. Somewhat the same...but not.
Except for me. I still had my period at below bmi 16 and lost it after I was weight restored but I definitely wasn't fertile at bmi 16. And someone on the ward who hadn't had her period for a long time got pregnant.
Was she recovering? If so, it is likely because her body started to ovulate again but hadn't had a full cycle. It happens often with women after giving birth/while nursing. They don't have a period, figure they can't get pregnant and become pregnant because their cycle was returning and ovulated. That is why they recommend back up methods of birth control while nursing.0 -
I noticed since returning to MFP that if you are under 1000 calories MFP won't log you for the day which i get, it isn't healthy to eat so little nutrition ect ect but since i'm trying to eat healthier of course many fruits and vegetables don't contain many calories and i eat plenty i am full and don't need to eat anymore but can't get past about 900 cals so i put made up stuff in there so i can log.I don't want to do that and it's not everyday but some days i can't make my goal i don't know if i like this change lol Should i just force my self to eat more?
Yes--if you aren't eating 1000 calories, I question whether you are getting in everything you need. Maybe go through your diet and see if you are low on protein or fiber or healthy fats.
Also, I don't care how low cal and volume heavy someone is eating, you shouldn't find it difficult to eat more than 900 such that it feels like "forcing." Sometimes at the beginning of a diet it's easy to feel satisfied on super low cals (this happened to me), but that's different than feeling like you couldn't possibly eat more. I'd add in some higher cal foods earlier in the day, like cooking with olive oil or using it on salads or having some nuts or nut butter or adding some cheese or olives to a dish, etc.
That I started doing this I think meant that I had a diet that I remained happy and satisfied with and sated by throughout the whole period I was trying to lose vs. all of a sudden feeling bored or starving and giving up.
I also wouldn't make up stuff, as it's important to be accurate for your own knowledge and if you want to consult a doctor at some point. You don't need to close out your diary -- I never do anymore.0 -
I had a day yesterday when I was so miserable that (for once!) I had no appetite - I forced some Greek yoghurt and a banana down about 8pm and was drinking tea and coffee throughout the day but still only had 750 cals in all. So long as its only a one (or two) days that this goes on for, surely its not the end of the world?!
No, for a day or two, no biggie. Common when one is sick or the like. Fasting for a day isn't a big thing either (as with Ash Wednesday), or even doing a regular high/low pattern like intermittent fasting.
It's when you are consistently under for a while that it raises concerns. (I think the message even indicates that.)0 -
A lot of my diet is fruits and veggies as well and I end up getting all my calories in a day. I throw in some coconut oil at least once per day and I usually eat a chicken breast with more veggies for supper. Maybe make a smoothie in the morning with fruit and veggies (if you want) and add in some protein powder. Usually smoothies go right through me. If you don't eat meat throw in some beans or if you can tolerate soy then some tofu. If none of that is appealing maybe add some starchy vegetables, they usually have higher calories. I love purple sweet potatoes.0
-
It is possible to feel very satisfied on less than 1000 calories. Today I ate an egg, some chicken and veg (carrots, green beans, and potato) soup, mashed white beans, peas and basil leaves, and butternut squash. I also ate egg, lentil, and carrot muffins. All of this weigh in under 900 calories. I normally have 3 eggs a day, but we ran out of eggs so I had to make do with just one measly egg.0
-
One day probably won't hurt. Every day does not have to be the same. Your body will tell you when you are hurting yourself, usually with a binge, and that isn't the end of the world either. If you eat too low for too long your hunger hormones will increase and there is no such thing as willpower. So if you reach the eat low binge cycle you will then know that you have to break out of it. It also isn't the end of the world and you learn to eat a little more.
When you have significant body fat the your body has the fat reserves to help you survive, when you reach 12% fat and under you can't eat quite so low without ill effects.0 -
And this thread will be locked in 3...2...1...0
-
The day is not over.It is possible to feel very satisfied on less than 1000 calories. Today I ate an egg, some chicken and veg (carrots, green beans, and potato) soup, mashed white beans, peas and basil leaves, and butternut squash. I also ate egg, lentil, and carrot muffins. All of this weigh in under 900 calories. I normally have 3 eggs a day, but we ran out of eggs so I had to make do with just one measly egg.
0 -
californiagirl2012 wrote: ».
It is not true that it is safe to eat under 1,000 cals until your body rebels and makes you binge. There is no reason to wait until you get into a binge/restrict pattern to change the way you are eating, that's how people develop EDs.
Besides, many of us got overweight because we were not good at listening to our body's signals.
And 12% fat is actually much lower than most women's body fat will ever be. One would have negative effects from eating 900 cals per day way before they got down that low!
0 -
Your body will eat it's own muscle under eating
Less muscle equals burning less calories
Your periods will stop effecting your fertility
As said if your here it's most likely to lose weight so you can eat more life's much to short to starve yourself
lol. Pretty silly to think a body stores fat in times of surplus and then draws upon muscle in times of deprivation.0 -
sault_girl wrote: »Your body will eat it's own muscle under eating
Less muscle equals burning less calories
Your periods will stop effecting your fertility
As said if your here it's most likely to lose weight so you can eat more life's much to short to starve yourself
lol. Pretty silly to think a body stores fat in times of surplus and then draws upon muscle in times of deprivation.
There is a limit to how much energy your body can recover from stored fat in a day (roughly 30 calories per pound of fat per day). If you create a deficit that exceeds your ability to recover energy from stored fat, that energy has to come from somewhere (meaning lean body mass). (Plus, your body doesn't work perfectly to preferentially tap out glycogen stores first, then fat stores, then muscle -- there's always a mix going on.)0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »Your body will eat it's own muscle under eating
Less muscle equals burning less calories
Your periods will stop effecting your fertility
As said if your here it's most likely to lose weight so you can eat more life's much to short to starve yourself
lol. Pretty silly to think a body stores fat in times of surplus and then draws upon muscle in times of deprivation.
There is a limit to how much energy your body can recover from stored fat in a day (roughly 30 calories per pound of fat per day). If you create a deficit that exceeds your ability to recover energy from stored fat, that energy has to come from somewhere (meaning lean body mass). (Plus, your body doesn't work perfectly to preferentially tap out glycogen stores first, then fat stores, then muscle -- there's always a mix going on.)
You are correct, there is a limit. But even at 30 calories per pound of fat per day, for a person who has 20 pounds to lose, that's still 600 calories. The idea that you have to eat lots or your body will eat muscle instead of fat is usually pretty overblown.0 -
sault_girl wrote: »I think trjjoy may be very petite so under 1000 calories might not be so outrageous.
There's the catch. The "average" female is calculated at 5'7, in US standards. Going by those numbers, even I'm petite at 5'4. The 1200 minimum is calculated by the "average" woman, meaning I could probably go a tiny bit lower, but someone who's 4'9 could probably go under 1000 easily without feeling detrimental effects.
On the other hand, it's irresponsible, and possibly dangerous to tell someone "You can do 1000 and be fine" without knowing their stats. A 5'10 woman, especially one who might have a few extra pounds on her, should definitely be eating more. It's all about the stats (which is why it bugs me when people post requesting calorie intake advice and then won't share their height or weight).
Random; I thought it was pretty well known that you lose lean muscle mass when you eat at a deficit? How is this not common knowledge? Googling it brings up pages of people saying that it happens, with very few adding that it's only possible to NOT lose LBM on a deficit if you've very carefully balanced your protein/caloric intake.0 -
sault_girl wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »sault_girl wrote: »Your body will eat it's own muscle under eating
Less muscle equals burning less calories
Your periods will stop effecting your fertility
As said if your here it's most likely to lose weight so you can eat more life's much to short to starve yourself
lol. Pretty silly to think a body stores fat in times of surplus and then draws upon muscle in times of deprivation.
There is a limit to how much energy your body can recover from stored fat in a day (roughly 30 calories per pound of fat per day). If you create a deficit that exceeds your ability to recover energy from stored fat, that energy has to come from somewhere (meaning lean body mass). (Plus, your body doesn't work perfectly to preferentially tap out glycogen stores first, then fat stores, then muscle -- there's always a mix going on.)
You are correct, there is a limit. But even at 30 calories per pound of fat per day, for a person who has 20 pounds to lose, that's still 600 calories. The idea that you have to eat lots or your body will eat muscle instead of fat is usually pretty overblown.
It's total pounds of fat, not how many pounds you think you have to lose, that is the relevant number here. If someone only has 20 pounds of fat on their body, and is not a very short person trying to get down to competitive athlete BF%, they don't need to be losing weight anyway.
But this thread is about being under 1000 calories. Let's say the person has a TDEE of 2000. Then she needs 33 pounds of fat to sustain that deficit, at least, since we don't know how much under 1000 calories we're talking about here.
You said "pretty silly to think a body stores fat in times of surplus and then draws upon muscles in times of deprivation." I was just trying to point out that it matters what level of deprivation, and that in fact for people doing extreme things like eating under 1000 calories, especially if they're already close to ideal weight (or perhaps some body dysmorphic idea of what would be an ideal weight), then it's really not that "silly" an idea.0 -
What people on here fail to understand is that most of your calorie intake doesn't actually go towards physical activity. Seriously. Most of it goes towards running your brain or your heart or other important internal organs needed to survive. In all honesty it doesn't matter if you don't feel deprived or weak eating a low calorie diet, you need to eat to survive.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 960 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions