How many calories are you on?

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amandaveldtman
amandaveldtman Posts: 3 Member
edited May 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi. I've now lost 6 stone in 18 months. I'm 5.5 now weighing 11 stone. I've gone from 1350 caliries a day yo 1100 then 1000. Seems I can only lose weight on 800 calories now. Maintain my weight at 1100.

Just interested. How many can you get away with? ??

I've done it all with my fitness pal!!! Love it!!!
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Replies

  • carmkizzle
    carmkizzle Posts: 211 Member
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    Wow, how are you managing on 800 calories? My calories are set to 1873 and I'm losing. Are you pretty tight on weighing your food and everything? 800 is extremely low - I'd imagine you're not getting all the nutrients you should with just 800 calories.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Either you've managed to damage your metabolism (unlikely but not impossible) or you're not counting your calories accurately.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Either you've managed to damage your metabolism (unlikely but not impossible) or you're not counting your calories accurately.

    This. 1100 is lower than the recommended minimum, and 800 is dangerous.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Do you use a digital scale to weigh solid food, and measure liquids in a measuring cup? If you truly can't lose on 1200 calories....perhaps you should be tested for medical issues.

    An "average" TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) for a 39 YO, 5'5" sedentary woman weighing 154 pounds is 1,729 calories. A 500 calorie deficit (1 pound a week) would be 1229 calories. This should have you losing 1 pound per week. Of course due to water weight fluctuations some weeks you may see no weight loss....and other weeks more than 1 pound.

    800 severely limits your ability to get adequate nutrition. This can lead to all kinds of problems.

    I don't get away with instead I choose 1400 calories. I'm 16 years older than you (about same size)....so my TDEE is lower than yours. I want fat loss....so I choose to lose slowly.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I lose weight on 2,500 calories a day. Lot more on weekends when I have more time to play outside. :smile:
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    1800-2000 a day, and that's with exercise (I use the TDEE method). Lately I've not been exercising for various reason, so eating a bit less - but your levels seem way too low. That is often the problem with going for lowest cals - when you stall or need to change things up, you've got nowhere to go but dangerously lower.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    I am currently losing on 2700 cals. :)
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
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    Your weight loss of 4.5 pounds per month for 18 months is impressive. But I have to agree with others here questionong your accuracy. Do you weigh every single thing in grams? Do you measure liquids? Do you double check MFP calorie counts to a more reliable data base? If the answer is yes then you need to see a Dr. No one should need to restrict calories to 800 to lose weight. 800 is dangerous to your health, even in the short term.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    I maintain under 10 stone on over 2,000 calories most days and I am 48 years old. 800 doesn't sound like enough to get all the nutrition you'd need. Unless you are dead idle you should be able to eat more than 1200 and still lose weight.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited May 2016
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    You and I are in the same boat! Before I started running I could lose weight at 800 calories a day, maybe half-1 pound a week. Now I'm running probably 5-6 hours a week and on 1500 net calories. I'm not losing, not gaining. I bumped my calories back to 1200-1300 and it appears I'm losing slowly.

    I don't know why it's that way. We're different. We're not statistically "normal". Which is fine. I've just learned to eat cleaner, closer to the source foods. I enjoy them. Just extra mindful of pizza and such. Staying away from fast food, packaged food helps with a more accurate calorie count too.

    I'll have to look up the conversion for pounds to stones, I forget. I'm 125ish pounds, 5'5" I have prob another 5-10 to lose. My goal is my ideal running weight which is less than the ideal healthy weight. I'm small framed.

    If you don't already exercise, it'll help your metabolism. And adding weights helps. Congratulations on your weight loss.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
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    I'm 5'3", 161 and at 1530 calories/day... You are either eating way too little, or you're not logging accurately.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    That's complete and utter BS. You're not logging accurately. Or you're a 5 yo child.
  • jillkaiser1
    jillkaiser1 Posts: 2 Member
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    I did the hcg diet and my calorie limit was 500 per day. It was dangerous and unhealthy. I lost 50 pounds but it didn't stay off when I went back to a normal lifestyle. Pluse I couldn't exercise or I would pass out.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
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    I highly doubt you truly maintain on 1100 calories.

    I'm 5'5 and ~130. I maintain on 2400-2500 calories a day. A bit more during the warm summer months. I get a good amount of exercise though.

    Even if I sat on my *kitten* for the entire day... I could likely eat upwards of 1800 calories and maintain.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    Like others have asked, are you using a scale and tracking EVERYTHING?
    I'm 5'9" and lost all my weight eating 1800 calories. But I track EVERYTHING. For lunch, I ate 2 of my child's Doritos, so I logged it. When I have gum, I log it. Every single thing.
  • williammuney
    williammuney Posts: 2,895 Member
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    1600
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    That's complete and utter BS. You're not logging accurately. Or you're a 5 yo child.

    My 5 year old child eats more than 1100 calories/day.

    OP obviously isn't tracking everything, which is quite common. Nothing to really be concerned about health wise. The scale doesn't lie, if they are maintaining weight they are eating more than 1200 calories and probably nutritionally fine. If the OP said they were losing 2-3lb/week and eating 800 calories then I might be concerned.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    currently maintaining on about 2500 calories a day.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    nordlead2005 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    That's complete and utter BS. You're not logging accurately. Or you're a 5 yo child.

    My 5 year old child eats more than 1100 calories/day.

    OP obviously isn't tracking everything, which is quite common. Nothing to really be concerned about health wise. The scale doesn't lie, if they are maintaining weight they are eating more than 1200 calories and probably nutritionally fine. If the OP said they were losing 2-3lb/week and eating 800 calories then I might be concerned.

    But s/he is surely bulking! lol.

    I have a 9 yo and have looked up what a typical child's calorie level is a few times, just out of curiosity. I always thinking of the calories listed as bulking calories since kids are supposed to be adding size/growing.
  • notreallychris
    notreallychris Posts: 501 Member
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    Losing on 1900.

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