Calories too low??

Options
2»

Replies

  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited October 2016
    Options
    funeraldirector87 wrote: »
    I measure everything yup. I'm just afraid that upping my calories will put the bit of weight I've lost creep back on or stop me from losing.

    But I've heard eating too little can stop you from losing too. That's why I'm trying to fix it now rather than later.

    Eating less cannot stop you from losing weight, that doesn't actually make sense. What eating too little can do is cause uneccesary muscle loss and overall damage your general health and wellbeing through lack of nutrition and extreme fat content of your diet (understanding that your body makes up those calories by consuming fat, your fat, but fat nonetheless.

    Eating extremely low amounts you will eventually have to stop doing that and when you stop chances are you will put much of the weight back on. Its much better to take it slow with a smaller deficit. If you have a lot to lose you can safely lose 2 pounds per week or a deficit of 1000 calories per day. If you are eating 1000-1300 a day you are way way past that.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Options
    Honestly, at 5'11, even with your current weight, I feel 1200 is too low a base to shoot for. I mean, I can't even net 1200 for any period of time before I need to eat all the things and I'm 5'5.

    Sure, when you're bigger your body is better able to handle a large deficit but there is a point where it's foolhardy from a long term health perspective. And also from the perspective that you have to be in this for the long haul and when you start at the bottom where do you go? I'd slow the losses, up your intake a bit and settle in to adjusting to your new normal.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    Options
    funeraldirector87 wrote: »
    I'm 5'11 298.5 lbs (was 324.8 09/24/16) 29 years old. I usually eat between 1,000-1,300 cals a day.

    I'm 5'10", 280 pounds (started at 397 02/01/16) and 28 years old. I eat up to my calorie goal of 1640 (2lbs per week loss) nearly every day. I could take another 500 off pretty easily. I imagine I'd 'feel' fine. But my feelings can't really be trusted as accurate considering they led me to weighing 400 pounds.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    Options
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    Honestly, at 5'11, even with your current weight, I feel 1200 is too low a base to shoot for. I mean, I can't even net 1200 for any period of time before I need to eat all the things and I'm 5'5.

    Sure, when you're bigger your body is better able to handle a large deficit but there is a point where it's foolhardy from a long term health perspective. And also from the perspective that you have to be in this for the long haul and when you start at the bottom where do you go? I'd slow the losses, up your intake a bit and settle in to adjusting to your new normal.

    I completely agree.

    I personally would not put myself through the torture of eating 1200 calories if I didn't have to. And OP certainly doesn't have to.

    In the short time that she's been doing it, it has probably not caused her harm, and she is probably overestimating her intake anyway. Though, moving forward, I would push for a more sustainable deficit, since long term I think 1,200 calories at her height is neither healthy nor sustainable. I would say 1600-1900 calories would be a good range for her to shoot for, as long as she's focusing on logging as accurately as possible.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Options
    funeraldirector87 wrote: »
    I'm 5'11 298.5 lbs (was 324.8 09/24/16) 29 years old. I usually eat between 1,000-1,300 cals a day. I've lost roughly 26 lbs eating this way. Am rarely ever hungry and work out (DVDs walks or elliptical) about 5 times a week. Is this okay? If I up my calories will I gain or will my loss slow down? I'm in no rush to lose it just wanna do it safe and for long term. My diary is opened if that helps. Any feedback would be great. Thanks :)

    I'm going to take your stats from your description and use a TDEE calculator to predeict what your deficit would be averaging 1150 calories a day. I'm using the following calculator:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    And entering your stats selecting 3-5 hours a week of moderate exercise. I'm also selecting to lose fat at the fastest rate of -25% off TDEE which even then is above what is recommended

    It predicts your TDEE to be 3,320 calories which seems about right. Given that it suggests that for the fastest weight loss you should be eating 2500 calories per day. You are eating half of that.

    So to answer your question, no you aren't eating enough. Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is 2150 calories and you are eating almost half of that and exercising. That isn't good for you.

  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Options
    I tried putting my own stats into http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and what it says is spot on what I am doing. Putting in my stats and 5-6 hours strenous per week my TDEE is 3100 and it recommends at the safe -20% TDEE to eat 2400 a day which is what I am doing for 1.2 pounds lost per week which is the rate I am currently losing at.
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
    edited October 2016
    Options
    I'm 6'0", 27 years old, and 296lbs, so almost your exact stats. I've lost over 70lbs so far and I eat all the way up to my calorie goal of ~1700kcal before exercise, and often above 2000kcal with exercise. There's no reason for you to be eating so little. You have a lot to lose, just like I do, and starving yourself to do it will cause you health problems and a lot of unhappiness.

    Eat sustainably and you'll be more likely to stick with the journey. I'd advise against "listening to your body" in most hunger cases. My body got me up to almost 400lbs, I don't really trust it.
  • Chilli7777
    Chilli7777 Posts: 112 Member
    Options
    I weigh myself on monday mornings and then type that new weight as my starting weight so that the calorie allowance on mfp adjusts accordingly, then put my original starting weight back in. I have only ever consumed the cals that this app suggests and havent deliberately dropped them lower than necessary. If youre struggling then you need to up them. If youre not then you probably wouldn't have posted this :smile:
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,365 Member
    Options
    As mentioned above OP you do need to eat more. There may be a short term adjustment period due to the additional calories where you have a gain or no weight loss at all, but once the adjustment period is over, weight loss should kick in.

    Better to have the short term adjustment period over long term compromising of health due to consistent significant under eating.

Categories