Is it bad to eat under 1000 calories once in a while?

blancoms

Yesterday was a school holiday, so I slept in. Woke up around 11, had coffee, and went to do a couple hours of renovations at my parents house (I never eat breakfast cause I'm not hungry till a few hours after waking).
For the whole day I logged 690 calories (error could be up to 50 calories). I went over protein (typically do) so the foods were filling.

I don't want to make myself eat if I'm not hungry. I practically stuffed myself for dinner. And yes, I know women aren't supposed to eat less than 1200 a day.

My question, is it bad to have one of these days once in a while? If you're just not hungry? I don't think id be putting myself into starvation mode after one day..

rileysowner

No. Once in a while is fine. It is only a problem if you do it all the time.

JustMissTracy

Once in a while, it's not horrible. But I wouldn't make a habit of it, even if you don't feel hungry, your body knows the difference, and you will start to have detrimental effects (ie hairloss, bad skin, circles under eyes, lethargy etc)

I know you don't want to "stuff" yourself, but if you were to make a conscious decision to start some "thoughtful" eating every day, you will start wanting to eat a bit more gradually. By thoughtful eating, I mean yes, sometimes eating when you're not entirely hungry, but because you know you're way under calories. Sometimes, just having an extra handful of nuts, a glass of milk, an apple and cheese, can help to bring your number up into a healthier range. (And no, you won't go into "starvation mode" after one day, but you won't be helping yourself either)
Good luck!! xo

macgurlnet

Nothing wrong with a day here & there, especially when it's a schedule thing (wake up late, putter around the house, go to bed at usual time). I'm often lower on calories on Saturdays since I sleep in pretty late.

You may find that you're hungrier tomorrow - if that's the case, remember that you've got the extra from the day before and can go over today

~Lyssa

sijomial

Once in a while is absolutely fine.
Loads of people do versions of intermittent fasting where they have very low days. 5:2 or Eat-Stop-Eat for example.

rileysowner

Starvation mode, at least as most people think of it, is not real. Chronic extreme low calories will result in your body making adjustments to preserve energy including hormonal changes, but even then, weight will still keep coming off. It is not, as many people present it, that your body "freaks out" and starts putting all the calories you eat into fat. If you think about it you can see why.

Your body needs a certain minimum amount of energy to keep functioning, that is, to keep your brain going, your heart beating, your lungs breathing, and the like. If you eat less that you need for that already, and instead of using what little energy you are consuming not to provide for those needs that keep you alive, but instead stores it as fat, how would your basic functions that keep you alive keep functioning. It is not like your body can stop your heart or breathing. It can slow it down, but not so much to allow for minimal calories consumed. Instead your body in a long term starvation situation (very low calorie) will do things to reduce energy use to maximize survival, but even then, there is only so much it can do. When the heart beat gets to slow or the breathing reduces to a certain point or brain function is reduced beyond a certain point, well, then you die. Instead of doing that, the body uses what sources it has, fat by preference, then lean mass.

blancoms

Thanks for everyone's replies.

It looks like i'm having the same problem today. I had my morning coffee around 9 and a few cups of water/tea. I tried eating some chicken around noon (maybe 4oz worth) in some soup and couldn't finish. I almost felt sick even though I was a little hungry. Almost 5pm and still not hungry.

I hope whatever's going on wont be detrimental to any progess! If I can eat later I'll try some higher calorie foods I haven't been able to eat lately

Nikion901

meridianfaith wrote: »

Thanks for everyone's replies.

It looks like i'm having the same problem today. I had my morning coffee around 9 and a few cups of water/tea. I tried eating some chicken around noon (maybe 4oz worth) in some soup and couldn't finish. I almost felt sick even though I was a little hungry. Almost 5pm and still not hungry.

I hope whatever's going on wont be detrimental to any progess! If I can eat later I'll try some higher calorie foods I haven't been able to eat lately

May I ask?
Are you doing Keto? Very low carb and high fat intake are known to keep hunger at bay.

blancoms

I'm not doing any sort of specific diet. I'm mainly trying to focus on portions, listening to hunger cues (I used to graze all day), and keeping to my main calorie goal, although my main sources of protein are lean meats.

WalkingAlong

I think many people just experience varying hunger levels. I think it's probably healthier overall to not ignore your body's signals to force a total an app recommends. If you're having 800 some days and 1600+ other days, it's fine. There's nothing magical about a 24 hour period. Look at the bigger picture.

And if you're new to dieting expect to get fuller faster for a while, as you pay more attention to your eating and choose more filling foods.

Good luck!

blancoms

WalkingAlong wrote: »

And if you're new to dieting expect to get fuller faster for a while, as you pay more attention to your eating and choose more filling foods.

Good luck!

Thanks! I have noticed less hunger from many of my choices. I guess I'll have room in the budget for some treats!