How bad is occasional under-eating?

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dwulet130
dwulet130 Posts: 108 Member
in Getting Started
I'm restarting after taking a 9 month break, so I'm only five days into the diet/lifelong eating plan. My problem is, for the past couple days I don't really want to eat the minimum 1200 calories. I'll have a coffee in the morning, 300 calorie lunch, 300 calories in sweets, and maybe 300 calories for dinner and then it's 9PM and I don't feel hungry. I've been forcing myself to eat at least 1200, trying to get the 1450 MFP recommends.

So the question. If today I can get my macros met in 1000 calories, do I really need to eat more? Obviously I shouldn't do it everyday but does once or twice a week really hurt?

Replies

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    What am I missing here? If your macros are set for a 1450 calorie diet, how do you meet them with 1000 calories?
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
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    Try Adding oil to one of your dishes. A tablespoon is 120 Calories.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    It's not a problem as long as you average at least 1200.

    You can look at your calories on a weekly basis and balance it out with higher days to get to an average close to your 1450 calorie goal.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
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    An occasional day under shouldn't be a problem unless you start under eating consistently in an attempt to lose weight faster. Listen to your body. Mine was very vocal when I tried to push a little harder to speed things up. If you are losing more than 2# a week, the highest loss recommended, you need to eat more. Striving for a slower loss is more sustainable. I settled in at 1 pound a week even though it meant I had to eat a little more even though I wasn't really hungry. A lot of this is dependent on how much you have to lose as well.
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    Many people do not require 1200 but if you consistently eat under 1100 I would think an ok by your Doctor would be wise. Keep a close eye on your protein, sodium etc.! Good Luck!
  • poppysierra
    poppysierra Posts: 79 Member
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    You say that this is a lifelong eating plan but a third of your calories is in sweets! That's plain sugar, not balanced and not good for your body. It'll cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash. Try some complex carbohydrates - jacket potatoes are great this time of year and if you pop a little butter on top will help increase your calorie consumption.

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