How much is not enough?

atragicfate

At the moment I eat roughly 1200 calories a day. Would it be ridiculous to cut down to 950?

sc10985

I do not envy what you're about to endure....

BoxerLover96

Why do you want to cut out more calories?

deksgrl

Ridiculous and dangerous.

atragicfate

I want to cut out more because I feel that I eat too much.

NualaTW

A person should never eat less than 1200 cals/day.

It's not called "crash" dieting because it's good for you. :frown:

atragicfate

I am not "crash" dieting, I am just making a few small changes.

deksgrl

See a doctor.

atragicfate

See a doctor.

Why would I need to see a doctor?

deksgrl

Because you need one if you think that you should eat 950 calories a day.

ksuetorres

Well, I'm no doctor (I don't even play one on TV), but if you're eating 1200 calories and think that's too much it sure sounds like an eating disorder. Please talk to a trusted advisor, preferably your doctor, about this.

AmyRhubarb

Why would you want to drop to 950? What is your goal?

atragicfate

I need to lose about 10kgs maybe 15.

BoxerLover96

If you are consuming 1200 calories...are they coming from healthy foods? Are you exercising?

atragicfate

If you are consuming 1200 calories...are they coming from healthy foods? Are you exercising?

Yes, I eat as healthy as I can.
And yes, I exercise every day. I usually burn off 300 calories round about.

jennifershoo

Yes.

jennifershoo

See a doctor.

Why would I need to see a doctor?

She means a psychologist.

Teardrop81

Just keep in mind that your body does need a certain amount of fuel in order to function at healthy levels. Ask yourself if you'd be willing to drop below even 950 against the recommendations of a doctor in order to get to your goal weight faster. If the answer is yes, then you're willing to sacrifice your health for your definition of "beauty". That mentality isn't about health and fitness, its more about self image, which would be validated by the millions of people suffering from eaiting disorders. You also don't want to start something that will be impossible to maintain long-term. Good luck!

atragicfate

I am not going to see a psychologist.
Of what I do eat it will be healthy and should keep me going throughout the day.
I also don't have an eating disorder.

deksgrl

Okay, so you drop your calories to 950. You exercise off about 300. You are now living off of 650 calories a day, which is dangerously low. Be prepared for your hair to fall out and other fun things like that.

atragicfate

Okay, so you drop your calories to 950. You exercise off about 300. You are now living off of 650 calories a day, which is dangerously low. Be prepared for your hair to fall out and other fun things like that.

It's not that bad. At least I am eating something.

haaaleyx

The minimum amount of calories you should eat a day are 1200. It gives the body enough energy to run properly. Unless told by a doctor, you shouldn't be eating less than this amount.

AmyRhubarb

In my opinion 950 is too low. In my opinion and experience, 1200 is too low. From what I have read, and based on my own experience, a small calorie deficit is best for fat/weight loss. You should be probably eating at least that 1200 and your exercise cals.

Food is fuel - eat too little for too long, and you're giving your body a reason to store fat rather than burn it.

deksgrl

From the Guidelines:


3. No Promotion of Unsafe Weight-Loss Techniques or Eating Disorders

a) Posts intended to promote potentially unsafe or controversial weight loss products or procedures, including non-medically prescribed supplements or MLM products will be removed without warning.
b) Profiles, groups, messages, posts, or wall comments that encourage anorexia, bulimia, or very low calorie diets of any kind will be removed, and may be grounds for account deletion. This includes positive references to ana/mia, purging, or self-starving. Our goal is to provide users with the tools to achieve their weight management goals at a steady, sustainable rate. Use of the site to promote, glamorize, or achieve dangerously low levels of eating is not permitted.
c) Photos intended to glamorize extreme thinness will be deleted.
d) Those seeking support in their recovery from eating disorders are welcome at MyFitnessPal.

aquarabbit

I wouldn't do it. Your body needs those calories just to run itself. It's definitely not the healthy way to lose weight. Without a doctor's request and supervision, I wouldn't go down that path.

LorinaLynn

I went that route once, because I didn't think I could lose any other way.

You know what happened? I lost a crapton of lean mass, which meant when I got to my goal weight, I was flabby and miserable.

THIS time around, doing things right, I ate about 1800-2000+ calories a day, and lost mainly body fat while keeping my lean mass.

Here's what a difference that makes. First photo is me at 130 pounds when I ate under 1000 calories a day. Second is eating about 2000 calories a day. Same weight.



The jeans in the back were the size 8 jeans I was soooo thrilled to be able to squeeze into at 130 pounds in 2007. This time around at 130 pounds, I wear a size 2 or 4. (The jeans in the photo are size 5, though.) I'm about 2 inches smaller all over.

cwolfman13

Okay, so you drop your calories to 950. You exercise off about 300. You are now living off of 650 calories a day, which is dangerously low. Be prepared for your hair to fall out and other fun things like that.

It's not that bad. At least I am eating something.

But you don't have an eating disorder you say? That's classic ED right there.

ksuetorres

I am not going to see a psychologist.
Of what I do eat it will be healthy and should keep me going throughout the day.
I also don't have an eating disorder.

Honey, I'm pretty sure you DO have an eating disorder. You're in denial about it, though, and it could be damaging your health. Your body will soon go into starvation mode and not only start hoarding the calories you eat but shutting down bodily functions -- like menstruation, hair and bone growth, and you could develop deficiency diseases. This is serious. You sound pretty young. Please talk to your mother or another trusted advisor. See your doctor. No eating plan is healthy at under 1000 net calories per day!

atragicfate

From the Guidelines:


3. No Promotion of Unsafe Weight-Loss Techniques or Eating Disorders

a) Posts intended to promote potentially unsafe or controversial weight loss products or procedures, including non-medically prescribed supplements or MLM products will be removed without warning.
b) Profiles, groups, messages, posts, or wall comments that encourage anorexia, bulimia, or very low calorie diets of any kind will be removed, and may be grounds for account deletion. This includes positive references to ana/mia, purging, or self-starving. Our goal is to provide users with the tools to achieve their weight management goals at a steady, sustainable rate. Use of the site to promote, glamorize, or achieve dangerously low levels of eating is not permitted.
c) Photos intended to glamorize extreme thinness will be deleted.
d) Those seeking support in their recovery from eating disorders are welcome at MyFitnessPal.

I am not promoting anything!
I asked a very simple question.
I don't need to hear this.

jennifershoo

Okay, so you drop your calories to 950. You exercise off about 300. You are now living off of 650 calories a day, which is dangerously low. Be prepared for your hair to fall out and other fun things like that.

It's not that bad. At least I am eating something.

That's a reply like this that proves you have an eating disorder. The first step is to admit it.
You don't need to starve yourself to lose weight. Your body will catabolize muscles and you'll end up skinny fat, weak and with health issues. Do it the right way.

deksgrl

Okay, so you drop your calories to 950. You exercise off about 300. You are now living off of 650 calories a day, which is dangerously low. Be prepared for your hair to fall out and other fun things like that.

It's not that bad. At least I am eating something.

Your body needs vitamins and minerals for proper function. People on low calorie diets do not get enough.

Potassium deficiency results in weakness, erratic heart rhythm, and death. Low blood sodium can result in confusion, seizures, erratic heart rhythm. Calcium deficiency results in thinning of the bones. Magnesium deficiency results in heart-rhythm problems. Lack of iron causes anemia. Vitamin deficiencies cause hair loss, inflammations, susceptibility to infection, muscle pain, confusion, and hosts of other problems.