daily calorie allowance is too high

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  • KAS0917
    KAS0917 Posts: 172 Member
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    I started gaining about 8 months ago and finally started to diet within the last 2 months when, to me, things were out of control. I gained 20 lbs in the course of 6 months

    Did you change anything about your diet 8 months ago, or did you just start gaining for no apparent reason? If it's the latter, I would suggest an appointment with a doctor to rule out something like an underactive thyroid. It's unusual to gain 20 pounds in 6 months without changing your eating habits.

    I also agree that 7-800 calories is completely unhealthy. You should also pretty much stay hungry if that's all you're getting. So I would strongly urge you to make a doctor's appointment and share these things with him/her.

    Could you open your diary or give us an indication of what a typical day's meals are for you?
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    I said I feel miserable eating amounts close to the 1400 recommended of MFP. I've just been in the habit recently of eating 700-800/day and I feel good. Right now It's 5pm and I've had 320 calories and I feel fine. I can't imagine eating a 1000 calorie dinner and feeling like a million bucks tonight.

    You feel fine becuase you don't know what feeling good feels like. Constantly undereating will destroy your metabolism. 1400 calories being too much is just all in your head. If you dont feel comfortable changing to 1400 calories, then gradually increase your calories every week untill you can eat that amount.
  • petrinasupler
    petrinasupler Posts: 50 Member
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    I appreciate you taking the time to help. You're post was very informative. I just didn't know what was "normal" and what wasn't since I only know my own calorie intake. I do use the MFP to log all of my foods and I try to overestimate when I'm unsure of portion sizes.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I would love to see how many calories are suggested per meal/snack, but I think my calorie intake suggestion is wayyy too high. Mine is nearly 1400/day. If I eat anything close to that I gain weight. I do better in the 700-800 range. What do you all think?

    I am losing on 2000 calories a day. I would starve on 1400. 700-800 is just this side of anorexia, imo.
  • allie91610
    allie91610 Posts: 8
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    Be nice. She's just asking. Goodness.
  • petrinasupler
    petrinasupler Posts: 50 Member
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    How do I open my diary? I started a new job that required me to sit for 10 hours. I had to stay up late and get up early due to obligations at home so that added to the stress level. I started my job in November of 2012 and by March I was 20 lbs heavier. Eating dinner became the enemy. Generally when I skipped dinner I had a much more productive day/morning the next day. I'm not trying to discount everyone's comments and suggestions. I just didn't know what was going on wasn't normal. I mean to me I though everyone ate less than 1000 calories/day because that's what I eat to feel normal. When I eat more, especially more than 500 in the evening I feel miserable. If I do 200/calories 6 times/ day then I think it might help with regulation. that would put me at 1200/day.
  • allie91610
    allie91610 Posts: 8
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    Petrina, have you been to your family doctor to get your blood/urine checked? Sometimes there can be an underlying thyroid issue going on and we don't realize it. For instance, after I had my son I lost a ton of weight because I was feeding him but when I stopped I gained about 30 pounds. I wasn't eating any more than usual and was active. My doctor checked my leves and found that I have Hypothyroidism. That greatly affects your metabolism. I take a medicine every day now for it and it helps...but I still struggle with being about 20-30 pounds overweight.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    Be nice. She's just asking. Goodness.

    we aren't being mean, she's eating too little.
  • allie91610
    allie91610 Posts: 8
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    Eating small amounts multiple times a day is great to keep your blood sugar levels steady. But honestly, I would ask your PCP what caloric intake is appropriate for you.
  • allie91610
    allie91610 Posts: 8
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    Be nice. She's just asking. Goodness.

    we aren't being mean, she's eating too little.

    I agree that she is.
  • petrinasupler
    petrinasupler Posts: 50 Member
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    I'm in the same boat , I usually eat around 800 cals. a day anymore and I gain ...plus I swim everyday , 5 months and counting...my diary is open.. 5' 9 male 57

    It's nice to see someone else with the same problem. I hit 1000 yesterday and I felt so crappy this morning.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
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    I'm losing weight on 1600 a day. 700-800 is dangerously low.
  • petrinasupler
    petrinasupler Posts: 50 Member
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    Petrina, have you been to your family doctor to get your blood/urine checked? Sometimes there can be an underlying thyroid issue going on and we don't realize it. For instance, after I had my son I lost a ton of weight because I was feeding him but when I stopped I gained about 30 pounds. I wasn't eating any more than usual and was active. My doctor checked my leves and found that I have Hypothyroidism. That greatly affects your metabolism. I take a medicine every day now for it and it helps...but I still struggle with being about 20-30 pounds overweight.

    I had it checked a few years ago, but not recently. I'm making an appointment to find out what the heck is going on. She usually just wants to put me on some BS vitamins and that's her solution to weight loss. I know vitamins are important, but I think I need more than just vitamin recommendations.
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
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    I'm certain you do feel good at the lower caloric intake... for now.

    You've succeeded in convincing your body to settle for what it's getting so it's not sending you the normal cues it would if you were eating properly.

    If you continue to eat this low you will ultimately start feeling progressively worse and worse and you probably won't notice that you are for a while because it is a slow progression.

    You are putting your long term health at risk, please take people's advice and do some research on this at the very least, though the smartest route is to speak to a medical professional.

    edited to remove additional keystrokes added by keyboard walking kittens
  • DocMarr
    DocMarr Posts: 132 Member
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    I am 5ft 5in and weigh 140lbs. I'm 52. I have been on maintenance for the past 9 months and I eat an average of 2000 calories a day. I was eating that much while I was losing too - I just adjusted my exercise up and down to create a small deficit and I still lost weight.

    One suggestion that hasn't been made, is perhaps to get a Fitbit (or similar device that you wear all the time and it measures your steps and your calorie burn). I have found that on the days that I sit at my PC all day and do under a 1000 steps, the lowest amount I have burned in a day has been 1500 calories. So that's why we think that 700 is really too low - it's probably about half of what your body needs.

    If I do any exercise during the day (walking, workouts etc) it adds that calorie burn to my total, to show how much I burn. You can burn another couple of hundred on top of that really sedentary total just by walking a few thousand steps.

    If you knew how much you were burning in a day then you would realise how few calories you were actually eating. I found the best weight loss spot for me was about 1500 a week under my maintenance levels.

    One question that hasn't been asked is 'why do you feel bad when you eat'. You suggest that you lack energy and that you feel lazy. Is it the types of food you eat that make you feel bad? What is it that actually makes you miserable? Feeling out of control? Or perhaps you have some sort of allergy to particular foods? For example, I find that if I eat lentils it makes me feel very tired. Perhaps notice if it's particular foods that you feel bad after, rather than by the number of calories. Just some suggestions.

    I hope you work things out as if you eat too few calories for a long time then you can do serious damage to your organs and bone density etc.

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