Too Far Under Cal Goal?

CrescentVolf

As a fat person this feels so weird to say, but I think I'm not getting enough calories in. I am not hungry at all. I'm barely breaking 1000 calories per day for the last 4-5 days. How quickly does your body get put into "starvation mode" or whatever? Is that even a thing? Am I worried about nothing? SOS I don't want to screw up the work I've put in so far.

I used to be hungry/wanting food all the time. Not being hungry is weird for me. The only time I am feeling hungry each day is right before breakfast.

Like I said it's only been a few days though. For all I know tomorrow will be a terrible craving day.

fishshark

starvation mode is not real. Events in history like the holocaust show what eating little to nothing does to a body.

tiptoethruthetulips

Eat calorie dense foods...nut butters, nuts, full fat milk, cheese and yoghurt, make sure you are getting the quota of good fats, do not eat diet products.

Plan your meals and snacks in advance (and eat to plan) this way you will ensure you meet your calorie allowance.

Consistent and substantial under eating will see you losing weight but it won't be the weight you won't to lose...it will be lean body mass as opposed to body fat.

Make sure you are reaching your protein and fat goals, eat complex carbs, eat plenty of dairy.

Rocknut53

tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »

Eat calorie dense foods...nut butters, nuts, full fat milk, cheese and yoghurt, make sure you are getting the quota of good fats, do not eat diet products.

Plan your meals and snacks in advance (and eat to plan) this way you will ensure you meet your calorie allowance.

Consistent and substantial under eating will see you losing weight but it won't be the weight you won't to lose...it will be lean body mass as opposed to body fat.

Make sure you are reaching your protein and fat goals, eat complex carbs, eat plenty of dairy.

All good comments except the lean body mass thing. You will lose fat as well as lean body mass, but you do need to eat enough, especially protein, to minimize muscle loss. When I first started I had a problem meeting my daily calorie goals. I just went with it for awhile knowing that sooner or later my body would tell me I needed more fuel. After awhile it all balanced out. I also realized that "hunger" was mostly psychological for me and as I lost more weight I became intrigued with the science behind the weight loss process. I'm at maintenance now and still playing with the macros to find the best combination for me.

CrescentVolf

Thanks guys! I will trust my body, when it wants more food I will feed it (as appropriate, not exceeding calorie goal). Put my mind to ease. I'll be sure to grab more Greek yogurts, as that's a lot of protein right there and it's a good dairy snack.

fattothinmum

You need to feed your body enough for health. For a short time, feeling under the weather can make us less hungry, but for safety, we all need to be hitting a level of food to nourish our bodies.

I know the temptation to eat less, the less you eat. I've been there, a long time ago, for an extended period, and remember the high from living on your own body, but it devastated my metabolism, which never recovered. A year ago, I succumbed for a while, but then got my sensible head on.

Good luck. Weight loss is hard work.

Backtolovely

fishshark wrote: »

starvation mode is not real. Events in history like the holocaust show what eating little to nothing does to a body.

As someone who has struggled with anorexia, I can assure you that starvation mode is, indeed, real. The holocaust shows what people looked like on probably 0 or possibly 50 cal a day, and that's only every few days. In the world we live in today, food is almost always available, and what starvation mode refers to is ruining the metabolism so that when you DO eat, you gain weight. The people living in the holocaust were thin because they weren't eating anything, but since they had been starving, if they had eaten anything at all they would have certainly gained weight, and quickly.

distinctlybeautiful

CrescentVolf wrote: »

Thanks guys! I will trust my body, when it wants more food I will feed it (as appropriate, not exceeding calorie goal). Put my mind to ease. I'll be sure to grab more Greek yogurts, as that's a lot of protein right there and it's a good dairy snack.

Just want to add that while plenty of people seem to be able to trust their appetites and eat the appropriate number of calories based on how they feel, there are also plenty of people who cannot. Appetite is not necessarily a good indicator of caloric needs. I've had days where I feel stuffed when I clearly haven't eaten enough and days when I feel super hungry even though I'm eating all day long. If you're consistently coming in at 1000 calories, it's likely you need to find a way to fit more in even if you don't feel hungry. As someone else suggested, calorie-dense foods can help you accomplish this.