Is 1,000-1,200 calories a day ok under these circumstances?
KrazyKrissyy
Posts: 322 Member
I'm a vegetarian, and literally 70-75% of my diet consists of fruits and vegetables. The remaining is eggs, nuts, seeds, lentils, grains, oils, soy, etc. My daily calories average from 1,000-1,200. It depends. For example, today was 1,200 because I forced myself a couple tablespoons of olive oil. I usually cook with it though. Anyways, I don't try to "starve" myself. Heck, my meal plates are PILED with cooked vegetables, and my snacks are often raw vegetables and hummus or fruits and a serving of nuts. By the end of the day though, I just happen to consume low calories (despite high volume). Is that ok/safe? I feel pretty full and satisfied with these jumbo veggie meals lol. I'm 5'6, lightly active, and 125 pounds.
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Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.5
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singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 more pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.0 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.4 -
singingflutelady wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.
Hmm... Would a competition work then? They tend to eat very low calorie. And the transformations looks great!
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It's likely not okay. Low cal dieting cons are not limited to nutrients, so even if your food is mostly nutrient dense it's still not recommended long term. You aren't very short or completely sedentary, so that kind of intake is too low for your stats. It has to do with hormones and muscle breakdown. You are pretty thin, so you are more likely to lose muscle on a low calorie diet than someone who has more weight, especially that most vegetarian sources of protein come packaged with extra calories from carbs which you can't easily separate. You are putting your heart and bones at risk, as well as the balance of your hormones.
Try to increase the amount of beans and nuts you consume and you should be able to reach a healthier count both protein and calorie wise.6 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.
Hmm... Would a competition work then? They tend to eat very low calorie. And the transformations looks great!
You mean how would a competition work? They eat very low calorie right before to cut so the muscle shows through. To actually get the muscle in the first place, they eat at surplus and bulk.10 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.
Hmm... Would a competition work then? They tend to eat very low calorie. And the transformations looks great!
Well very low calorie like you are eating will cause you to continue to lose weight like the 7 unexpected lbs in a month and you will not be gaining muscle mass.
You mean body building type competition? They aren't building muscle on the low calories. They usually do this after a bulk where they gain muscle and fat. They cut on low calories to lose fat/water and reveal muscle. Also they eat low calorie for a very limited period of time. Are you planning on doing a competition?
You can still eat the way you are just add some calorie dense food in to boost your total calories up to maintenance or near maintenance.1 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 more pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
I'm glad you found a way of eating you enjoy. But if you want to keep eating this way and reach your goals and stay healthy, then you need to find a happier medium with your calories. Especially since you want to recomp. There are a lot of vegetarians around who manage to eat more than 1200 calories a day.2 -
@usmcmp is a fitness competitor and knows more about competition nutrition than I do.3
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KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.
Hmm... Would a competition work then? They tend to eat very low calorie. And the transformations looks great!
The ones who eat 1000 calories or less per day are either very short or are on steroids (usually steroids rather than being short). Competitors, such as myself, have very high muscle mass. Our diets consist of higher protein with adequate fat. Your diet sounds like lots of carbs. Protein is muscle sparing, meaning we are less likely to lose muscle as we diet.
If you are "skinny fat" as you put it, that comes from having low lean mass. Singingflutelady was suggesting you increase your calories to maintenance and start a lifting program (that's recomposition, maintaining weight while gaining muscle and losing fat). A competition diet is not going to give you the results you are hoping for. There are lots of vegetarian and vegan protein sources out there, it's a good idea to start considering whether you are eating adequate protein.11 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.
Hmm... Would a competition work then? They tend to eat very low calorie. And the transformations looks great!
The ones who eat 1000 calories or less per day are either very short or are on steroids (usually steroids rather than being short).
This basically. You won't be able to eat or train like them and see the same results without the missing component.1 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.
Hmm... Would a competition work then? They tend to eat very low calorie. And the transformations looks great!
The ones who eat 1000 calories or less per day are either very short or are on steroids (usually steroids rather than being short). Competitors, such as myself, have very high muscle mass. Our diets consist of higher protein with adequate fat. Your diet sounds like lots of carbs. Protein is muscle sparing, meaning we are less likely to lose muscle as we diet.
If you are "skinny fat" as you put it, that comes from having low lean mass. Singingflutelady was suggesting you increase your calories to maintenance and start a lifting program (that's recomposition, maintaining weight while gaining muscle and losing fat). A competition diet is not going to give you the results you are hoping for. There are lots of vegetarian and vegan protein sources out there, it's a good idea to start considering whether you are eating adequate protein.
Thank you for this helpful advice. Would a protein powder be good enough for muscle building?0 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I'm a vegetarian, and literally 70-75% of my diet consists of fruits and vegetables. The remaining is eggs, nuts, seeds, lentils, grains, oils, soy, etc. My daily calories average from 1,000-1,200. It depends. For example, today was 1,200 because I forced myself a couple tablespoons of olive oil. I usually cook with it though. Anyways, I don't try to "starve" myself. Heck, my meal plates are PILED with cooked vegetables, and my snacks are often raw vegetables and hummus or fruits and a serving of nuts. By the end of the day though, I just happen to consume low calories (despite high volume). Is that ok/safe? I feel pretty full and satisfied with these jumbo veggie meals lol. I'm 5'6, lightly active, and 125 pounds.
No, it is not okay to often eat less than 1200 calories. To maintain you should be eating more than 1200 calories.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
Stuff like potatoes, bananas, avocado, rice, pasta, beans, quinoa, milk, cheese, yogurt, nut butters, coconut, bread would boost calories.
http://calorielab.com/news/2006/09/04/healthy-1500-calorie-vegetarian-meal-plan/ might give you some ideas.1 -
Protein shakes are a start and i think you can get higher calorie ones too (I don't need these, I have no issues meeting calorie goals!).
But you could also look at vegetarian protein sources, Quorn, tofu, legumes, beans, soy and adding considerable bulk of those. You sound to be sorely lacking in protein which is an essential component to muscle sparing and building. But also don't be afraid of calorie dense treats, I'm sure a bar of chocolate is a lot more palatable than chugging oil!
The fact you are managing to lose 7lbs per month when you are already quite small is alarming and shows you need to find ways to increase your intake dramatically.0 -
I have been eating about 1200 calories a day (as MFP recommends) and I have been gaining weight. I am up 5 lbs this week alone. I don't know what to do.1
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KeithWhiteJr wrote: »I have been eating about 1200 calories a day (as MFP recommends) and I have been gaining weight. I am up 5 lbs this week alone. I don't know what to do.
Start your own thread and the community can help identify any issues.9 -
at 5ft 6 you really need to be eating more than you do, get some peanut butter into you?
and keep an eye on your protein, that is so important for feeding the muscles. 3 -
Just my opinion, but I'd add more lentils in there, maybe a nice lentil soup or stew. Lentils are so amazing and will give you both the extra calories and protein that you're missing in there. You need it for your muscles. I'm on 1000-1200 right now, short term for a very specific weight loss goal before thanksgiving. I'll be more strict with myself to get my full 1200 after that. To gain fitness and recomp after weight loss, I'll probably be more around 1400 calories a day.1
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KrazyKrissyy wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.
Hmm... Would a competition work then? They tend to eat very low calorie. And the transformations looks great!
The ones who eat 1000 calories or less per day are either very short or are on steroids (usually steroids rather than being short). Competitors, such as myself, have very high muscle mass. Our diets consist of higher protein with adequate fat. Your diet sounds like lots of carbs. Protein is muscle sparing, meaning we are less likely to lose muscle as we diet.
If you are "skinny fat" as you put it, that comes from having low lean mass. Singingflutelady was suggesting you increase your calories to maintenance and start a lifting program (that's recomposition, maintaining weight while gaining muscle and losing fat). A competition diet is not going to give you the results you are hoping for. There are lots of vegetarian and vegan protein sources out there, it's a good idea to start considering whether you are eating adequate protein.
Thank you for this helpful advice. Would a protein powder be good enough for muscle building?
A protein powder can help you increase calories and protein at the same time. To build muscle you need to be eating enough, lifting weights, and getting enough protein. While most people will tell you that you have to have a calorie surplus to gain muscle, it is possible to gain muscle if you are a beginner to lifting or if you are eating at maintenance.3 -
You said this is a new way of eating for you. It's likely that your body is still looking and HUNGER will catch up to you in a month or two, with other consequences of not getting enough to calories to follow. There are fairly simple ways to get more calories - oils, nut butters, etc. - with little volume.2
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Oh yea like the others said, way too low especially if you are trying to recomp. A really high deficit + lack of protein is a recipe for muscle loss. That stuff is precious...every lb should be cradled and nurtured lol (believe me, I am currently on my second bulk it is HARD work to build).
Increase the calorie dense items... the nut butters, eggs, seeds, coconut milk and oil.. add some treats in there too.2 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 more pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
To do a recomp you should be eating close to maintenance......so yes you should be eating more. Eating 1,000 calories is a big deficit for you (young & not short). You will just be losing fat + more existing lean muscle. This won't help your body fat %.
Are you meeting your protein goal? Veggies are great, but you need protein to support existing lean muscle mass. If you are too full to meet protein goals then cut back on the high volume foods. These aren't very dense in nutrition anyway.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/1 -
One thing to point out, based on losing 7 lbs in one month, it would put your maintenance calories around 1800 to 2000 calories. So adding a lot more calories is going to be required. If you don't, then recomping is not going to be possible. Heck, right now, with how aggressive your are losing, it would be difficult to maintain you muscle, especially if protein isn't high.0
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Are you not eating dairy? You could easily get your calories in by drinking whole milk and full fat Greek yogurt. Vegetarian does not mean "I only eat fruits and vegetables."
I'm with everyone else, 1000-1200 is not enough.0 -
You need more to gain muscle or to maintain. Either way. If you'll be too full cut the veggies back a little and add extra beans, nuts, eggs and avocado...etc or bread/pasta/tortillas if you eat them.0
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KeithWhiteJr wrote: »I have been eating about 1200 calories a day (as MFP recommends) and I have been gaining weight. I am up 5 lbs this week alone. I don't know what to do.
That is abnormal. Maybe you should see a dr and have them check your thyroid.1 -
Whenever people incorporate soy into their diet - I die a little inside. I'm also the same height. I gotta cut back on the smokes, though. I think 1.2k calories is a bit too little.0
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Emma_Stoned wrote: »Whenever people incorporate soy into their diet - I die a little inside. I'm also the same height. I gotta cut back on the smokes, though. I think 1.2k calories is a bit too little.
I'm guessing you dislike soy for the possible link to cancer, which would be sort of ironic considering you smoke.15 -
Emma_Stoned wrote: »Whenever people incorporate soy into their diet - I die a little inside. I'm also the same height. I gotta cut back on the smokes, though. I think 1.2k calories is a bit too little.
I'm guessing you dislike soy for the possible link to cancer, which would be sort of ironic considering you smoke.
Everything is possibly linked to cancer in today's world. I love soy products and quorn mycoprotein products.0 -
No because if you lack any muscle, you'll just look gangly. Nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, but if you're trying to not be skinny fat, eating the way you are (low calories) isn't going to solve it.KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Are you trying to lose more weight because your weight is at a good place? You really should be eating quite a bit more than 1200.
Not really trying to lose more weight. In fact, I was 132 a month ago and unintentionally lost 7 pounds. My plan is a recomp. I lift, run, and sprint. Have leaned out a bit but am still "skinny-fat" in certain areas. I just like eating this way. I haven't been vegetarian for long but I enjoy the switch I made. It's not that I suddenly cut out meats. It's from crowding with more fruits and vegetables as substitutes with recipe experimenting and now I love them and lost my desire for meat lol.
You will continue to lose at 1000-1200. Recomposition is eating at maintenance or a small deficit while 1000-1200 is not a small deficit.
Hmm... Would a competition work then? They tend to eat very low calorie. And the transformations looks great!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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