Why eating too little calories is a bad idea.....
Replies
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newheavensearth wrote: »princeofmind wrote: »fatima4997 wrote: »iam 71.5 kg....want to b 65...my calorie recommendation is 1200...i stay around it almost from a month....and my calorie registered is saying ur I do same for 5 weeks I ll weigh 66kg ...it's been a month iam 71.5....where iam wrong
I just worked out that if you were a 60 year old woman at 4ft 5 inches tall, you would have still lost weight after a month. Not much weight mind but thats not the point :P
Are you 100% sure that you are not consuming more than you realise?
Even so much as a little more sugar and milk in a coffee can add up if you drink them regularly throughout the day.
Yes that's true but unless we keep bomb calorimeters in our homes to verify intake or university level VO2 max meters to verify caloric output we will never have the level of caloric surgical precision that some people suggest is necessary to be successful on MFP. So where does one draw the line? My .5 lb loss a week is 1330 and my maintenance is 1500 cuz I'm short and getting older. And though the advice given makes good sense, I won't eat back ALL exercise calories to cover for any errors.
And we can't all be doing it wrong.
Here's what you do. You log your calories in as accurate as possible by using a scale and proper database entries. You do that for a month and check how your weight develops. If it's going faster than it should, slightly up your calories, if it's slower than it should, slightly lower your calories. Do it for another month, readjust.43 -
Which is exactly what I do with my results and a trending app. Thanks.stevencloser wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »princeofmind wrote: »fatima4997 wrote: »iam 71.5 kg....want to b 65...my calorie recommendation is 1200...i stay around it almost from a month....and my calorie registered is saying ur I do same for 5 weeks I ll weigh 66kg ...it's been a month iam 71.5....where iam wrong
I just worked out that if you were a 60 year old woman at 4ft 5 inches tall, you would have still lost weight after a month. Not much weight mind but thats not the point :P
Are you 100% sure that you are not consuming more than you realise?
Even so much as a little more sugar and milk in a coffee can add up if you drink them regularly throughout the day.
Yes that's true but unless we keep bomb calorimeters in our homes to verify intake or university level VO2 max meters to verify caloric output we will never have the level of caloric surgical precision that some people suggest is necessary to be successful on MFP. So where does one draw the line? My .5 lb loss a week is 1330 and my maintenance is 1500 cuz I'm short and getting older. And though the advice given makes good sense, I won't eat back ALL exercise calories to cover for any errors.
And we can't all be doing it wrong.
Here's what you do. You log your calories in as accurate as possible by using a scale and proper database entries. You do that for a month and check how your weight develops. If it's going faster than it should, slightly up your calories, if it's slower than it should, slightly lower your calories. Do it for another month, readjust.
All this "get it to the gram with NASA precision or you're doomed forever" grates my nerves sometimes, but that was the other thread.
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If the alternative is "Yeah I'm just kinda holding it in my hands and being like 'eh that looks like 100 grams to me'", then nasa precision is going to be the advice.21
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I would collapse of low blood sugar eating less than 1000. That's about all the reason I need lol! Older women sometimes become hypothyroid. Happened to me in my late thirties. It sometimes takes more than one try to find the right medication, just as one example.
So this is where I ask if you have had any fairly comprehensive bloodwork done lately.13 -
stevencloser wrote: »If the alternative is "Yeah I'm just kinda holding it in my hands and being like 'eh that looks like 100 grams to me'", then nasa precision is going to be the advice.
Where did I say stop weighing and measuring? I didn't.
Good night.7 -
newheavensearth wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »If the alternative is "Yeah I'm just kinda holding it in my hands and being like 'eh that looks like 100 grams to me'", then nasa precision is going to be the advice.
Where did I say stop weighing and measuring? I didn't.
Good night.
A lot of people aren't even starting, yet swear they're being accurate and the reason they're not losing must be something else.19 -
My only issue with posts like these is regarding people, like myself, who work with their doctor and are cleared for a medically supervised low calorie diet. Right now my doctor is ok with me eating 900-1000 calories a day and I work with her, a trained professional who knows my medical history. I understand there are people who really need information like this, but it really irks me when MFP tries to reset my goals that I discussed ad nauseum with my doctor.35
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I try not to eat back my exercise calories.
My allowance is set to 1200 I personally aim for between that and 1000 just because it won't let u complete the diary for the day otherwise. I've lost 36lbs in 20 weeks. My hair has been falling out and I'm very tired. Reading this has worried me a bit. Would some one who understands mind friending me and having a quick look at my diary to see what u think please?
I mostly go to the gym 4 times a week I weigh 136.5lbs now and I think I might be happy to stop around 128 or a little less. I am in a hurry to get there.11 -
My only issue with posts like these is regarding people, like myself, who work with their doctor and are cleared for a medically supervised low calorie diet. Right now my doctor is ok with me eating 900-1000 calories a day and I work with her, a trained professional who knows my medical history. I understand there are people who really need information like this, but it really irks me when MFP tries to reset my goals that I discussed ad nauseum with my doctor.
Don't you think it makes more sense for MFP to be geared towards the many, rather than the few? There are way more people doing this on their own without a doctor's input than under a doctor's care, and many are inclined to choose a calorie deficit that is unhealthy & not sustainable.45 -
My only issue with posts like these is regarding people, like myself, who work with their doctor and are cleared for a medically supervised low calorie diet. Right now my doctor is ok with me eating 900-1000 calories a day and I work with her, a trained professional who knows my medical history. I understand there are people who really need information like this, but it really irks me when MFP tries to reset my goals that I discussed ad nauseum with my doctor.
What puzzles me is the number of times people post such a low calorie diet and never mention that they are under doctors supervision. In general, it's a bad idea. So when someone posts that they are doing this, we don't find out until several posts later that they are under doctors care and they are all pissed off. If they started saying "I'm under doctors care and eating 900 calories a day" the responses would take that into consideration.
And if that is the case, then just don't try to close out the day. Not perfect but you really gain very little by not closing the day. Realize you are the exception and that MFP is built for the masses.37 -
Great post. I was never 100% sure if the calories it says I should have already took into account for the deficit. Now I know that it does and I should always try to get the calories it says to. Thank you!9
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Yup. I sabotaged myself for years trying to diet like someone who has only 10 lbs to lose. Now I use a fitbit and eat at a 1000 calorie deficit based on the calorie burn from that. At first, my weight loss only looked like a 500-750 calorie deficit weight loss. But, now that I'm over 90 days into this I'm losing at a rate of 1254 calorie deficit per day even though I'm still eating at what should be a 1000 calorie deficit. I'm eating around 2300 calories per day and losing over 2 lbs per week. I feel like I finally fixed my metabolism. To think I used to eat at a 2000 calorie daily deficit and plateau regularly. Now it's a nice steady downward trend. Love it!35
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This was a really REALLY helpful post. Especially that graphic for how the BMR etc are calculated. I was searching for that info and nowhere was it better put. I really think this should be stickied. Many new members might not read the stickies but some of us read them all religiously. I vote for putting it up there!
Edit: Typos2 -
I try not to eat back my exercise calories.
My allowance is set to 1200 I personally aim for between that and 1000 just because it won't let u complete the diary for the day otherwise. I've lost 36lbs in 20 weeks. My hair has been falling out and I'm very tired. Reading this has worried me a bit. Would some one who understands mind friending me and having a quick look at my diary to see what u think please?
I mostly go to the gym 4 times a week I weigh 136.5lbs now and I think I might be happy to stop around 128 or a little less. I am in a hurry to get there.
I just discovered this thread, and great post OP!
But I also just noticed this post and didn't know if anyone had responded to you @Coleteo . Yes, this is worrisome, if you are eating at or under 1200 calories, and exercising, and not eating those cals back, and your hair is falling out and you are tired. These are all signs of underfueling your body.
Why are you in a hurry? With less than 10 lbs to lose you should be aiming to lose no more than 0.5 lb/week, and you should be doing strength training to preserve lean body mass that you may have already damaged with your recent drastic approach.
Change your rate of loss, get a new calorie target, aim to hit that target, and when you exercise, eat back at least a portion of those cals.
Good luck.17 -
LauraInTheWater wrote: »What's frustrating for some of us is that in order to lose the last 5 lbs we have to create a deficit by working out every single day, which is also not a good thing. The body (or at least mine) needs at least one rest day per week. MFP had it set so that my goal should be to eat just over 1300 calories a day. Very annoying because on my rest days I go way over. Fortunately I swim and do Aqua Zumba, so I burn about 500 cals on my exercise days to make up for it.
Don't discount the calorie burn from NEAT in addition to purposeful, strenuous exercise. I'm 5'2 and 42 and my TDEE is around 2200, not because I'm running marathons every day, cycling distances, or crushing it in the gym. I walk about 15k steps a day through a focused effort on continually moving throughout the day (even with a desk job), and I do work out with light weights a few times a week and take long walks in the morning with the dog when I can. That's it.
I lost ~35 lbs eating between 1600-1900 cals.
Again, great post OP.7 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I try not to eat back my exercise calories.
My allowance is set to 1200 I personally aim for between that and 1000 just because it won't let u complete the diary for the day otherwise. I've lost 36lbs in 20 weeks. My hair has been falling out and I'm very tired. Reading this has worried me a bit. Would some one who understands mind friending me and having a quick look at my diary to see what u think please?
I mostly go to the gym 4 times a week I weigh 136.5lbs now and I think I might be happy to stop around 128 or a little less. I am in a hurry to get there.
I just discovered this thread, and great post OP!
But I also just noticed this post and didn't know if anyone had responded to you @Coleteo . Yes, this is worrisome, if you are eating at or under 1200 calories, and exercising, and not eating those cals back, and your hair is falling out and you are tired. These are all signs of underfueling your body.
Why are you in a hurry? With less than 10 lbs to lose you should be aiming to lose no more than 0.5 lb/week, and you should be doing strength training to preserve lean body mass that you may have already damaged with your recent drastic approach.
Change your rate of loss, get a new calorie target, aim to hit that target, and when you exercise, eat back at least a portion of those cals.
Good luck.
@WinoGelato I had friended @Coleteo at the time of her post and sent her the following:
"Ok, so looking at your stats you're in a healthy weight range, your maintenance calories would be around 1530, when you're in a healthy weight range you want to be dropping your loss rate to around 0.5lb per week (which is a deficit of 250 calories per day), you ought to be eating at least some of your exercise calories back too, if you're doing this via the MFP database/Map My Fitness then aim for 50% for a month and then adjust if you're losing more or less than intended.
You could probably do with upping your protein a little to maintain muscle you should be aiming as a minimum for the intake suggested by MFP for fat and protein to get adequate nutrition.
If you've been at a calorie deficit for a while and you're starting to experience hair loss, this could just be the length of time you've been in a deficit. Try taking a diet break (eating at maintenance for a week or two) this can also help avoid adaptive thermogenesis (the slowing of metabolism when eating at a deficit for a long period) and is good practice for when you are trying to maintain your weight. It may also be worth taking a multivitamin for a little while.
If after a break you still find you are experiencing hair loss, it might be a good idea to go get a check up at the doctor to make sure you're not having any vitamin/mineral deficiencies.
Are you doing any sort of strength training? Like Weights, Bodyweight, Resistance or Pilates, this is also good for maintaining muscle mass and "toning up" troublesome areas."5 -
Done!
One thing that might be useful to add to the original post: Negative calorie adjustments?
Not many people address them, and I've been looking for info on it because I recently got a Fitbit that told me I was NOT actually burning as much as MFP was telling me I was. MFP has me at 1380 (90 lbs to lose, set at 1.5 lbs loss rate, sedentary lifestyle). Once I hooked my Fitbit up to MFP, it gave me a negative calorie adjustment of 180, putting me at 1200. Honestly, I think it would've given me more of an adjustment, but MFP doesn't want me going below 1200. I do lead a VERY sedentary lifestyle, but yesterday I even took my dog on a brisk 30 minute walk and still Fitbit told me I only burned about 1800 calories that day.
I struggled with whether to turn the negative calorie adjustment on or keep it off, but it felt like keeping it off would only be doing myself a disservice. If I'm not really burning that much on my sedentary days, shouldn't I eat less to make up for it? Can someone tell me if this is the correct approach?
Thank you.6 -
I struggled with whether to turn the negative calorie adjustment on or keep it off, but it felt like keeping it off would only be doing myself a disservice. If I'm not really burning that much on my sedentary days, shouldn't I eat less to make up for it? Can someone tell me if this is the correct approach?
Thank you.
Yes, you should turn it on. But it may not make much of a difference as you are set as sedentary, and you have to be a real lazy bump on a log to get a negative adjustment with this setting (I've done it, but only once or twice and I think being hungover was the bigger issue).
I played with my settings (I have a Garmin) and changed to lightly active, got more calories to start but then would get them taken away, so I've left it at sedentary and get the bonus calories.
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Tacklewasher wrote: »
Yes, you should turn it on. But it may not make much of a difference as you are set as sedentary, and you have to be a real lazy bump on a log to get a negative adjustment with this setting (I've done it, but only once or twice and I think being hungover was the bigger issue).
I played with my settings (I have a Garmin) and changed to lightly active, got more calories to start but then would get them taken away, so I've left it at sedentary and get the bonus calories.
Thanks for the response! A real lazy bump on a log... I'm afraid this accurately describes me at the moment. I have 1.5 hr commute to work (each way) and work 8+ hours at a desk job. Often times I'm lucky if I can get home in time to walk the dog any longer than 30 minutes before eating dinner, doing a little housework and going to sleep.
Weekends are better.7 -
@Coleteo
Hair loss and fatigue may not be tied to a specific nutrient deficiency, but to insufficient calorie intake. Taking a multivitamin is a good idea because the odds of have a nutrient deficiency on such a small amount of food are pretty good, but eating a few hundred more calories per day is advised to stop the actual starvation you are inflicting on yourself. Not to be harsh, but you are doing harm to yourself if you're experiencing these symptoms. Please go see your doctor and bring your food and excericise log with you. They can advise you of a healthy long-term weight loss strategy.tinkerbellang83 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »I try not to eat back my exercise calories.
My allowance is set to 1200 I personally aim for between that and 1000 just because it won't let u complete the diary for the day otherwise. I've lost 36lbs in 20 weeks. My hair has been falling out and I'm very tired. Reading this has worried me a bit. Would some one who understands mind friending me and having a quick look at my diary to see what u think please?
I mostly go to the gym 4 times a week I weigh 136.5lbs now and I think I might be happy to stop around 128 or a little less. I am in a hurry to get there.
I just discovered this thread, and great post OP!
But I also just noticed this post and didn't know if anyone had responded to you @Coleteo . Yes, this is worrisome, if you are eating at or under 1200 calories, and exercising, and not eating those cals back, and your hair is falling out and you are tired. These are all signs of underfueling your body.
Why are you in a hurry? With less than 10 lbs to lose you should be aiming to lose no more than 0.5 lb/week, and you should be doing strength training to preserve lean body mass that you may have already damaged with your recent drastic approach.
Change your rate of loss, get a new calorie target, aim to hit that target, and when you exercise, eat back at least a portion of those cals.
Good luck.
@WinoGelato I had friended @Coleteo at the time of her post and sent her the following:
"Ok, so looking at your stats you're in a healthy weight range, your maintenance calories would be around 1530, when you're in a healthy weight range you want to be dropping your loss rate to around 0.5lb per week (which is a deficit of 250 calories per day), you ought to be eating at least some of your exercise calories back too, if you're doing this via the MFP database/Map My Fitness then aim for 50% for a month and then adjust if you're losing more or less than intended.
You could probably do with upping your protein a little to maintain muscle you should be aiming as a minimum for the intake suggested by MFP for fat and protein to get adequate nutrition.
If you've been at a calorie deficit for a while and you're starting to experience hair loss, this could just be the length of time you've been in a deficit. Try taking a diet break (eating at maintenance for a week or two) this can also help avoid adaptive thermogenesis (the slowing of metabolism when eating at a deficit for a long period) and is good practice for when you are trying to maintain your weight. It may also be worth taking a multivitamin for a little while.
If after a break you still find you are experiencing hair loss, it might be a good idea to go get a check up at the doctor to make sure you're not having any vitamin/mineral deficiencies.
Are you doing any sort of strength training? Like Weights, Bodyweight, Resistance or Pilates, this is also good for maintaining muscle mass and "toning up" troublesome areas."
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Tacklewasher wrote: »I struggled with whether to turn the negative calorie adjustment on or keep it off, but it felt like keeping it off would only be doing myself a disservice. If I'm not really burning that much on my sedentary days, shouldn't I eat less to make up for it? Can someone tell me if this is the correct approach?
Thank you.
Yes, you should turn it on. But it may not make much of a difference as you are set as sedentary, and you have to be a real lazy bump on a log to get a negative adjustment with this setting (I've done it, but only once or twice and I think being hungover was the bigger issue).
I played with my settings (I have a Garmin) and changed to lightly active, got more calories to start but then would get them taken away, so I've left it at sedentary and get the bonus calories.
the hangover sedentary is a whole different level. i feel like my fitbit wants to ask me if i'm still even alive some days. the pizza delivery guy though, he's unconcerned.
actual footage / me irl30 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »I have been on MFP since 2011 but only used it properly and the forums for the last 6 months, the number of posts I see (mostly) from women eating 1000 calories and under or netting less per day when they could lose by eating a higher and healthier intake is heart-breaking. When I used MFP in the past and was a serial starter, I have eaten quite low calories (Around 1300) because I hadn't really a clue what I was doing so I hope this post goes some way to educating those who think that the only way to lose weight is to starve yourself and it will save me typing out the same response repeatedly
What is a healthy weight for you and what rate of loss is healthy?
The BMI range is a good place to start. You can calculate your BMI here http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx
US & UK departments of health* recommend a steady weight loss of 1-2lb per week for those who are obese. If you have any medical concerns it's best to consult with your doctor.
The science behind weight loss/maintenance/gain
If you're new to MFP you may or may not have heard the term CICO being thrown around.
CICO is an energy balance of Calories In & Calories Out.
To lose weight your CALORIES IN must be less than your CALORIES OUT (CI<CO)
To maintain weight your CALORIES IN must be the same as your CALORIES OUT (CI=CO)
To gain weight your CALORIES IN must be more than your CALORIES OUT (CI>CO)
Understanding how your calorie allowance is calculated
Eating low calorie but still not losing weight
There are many posts already on this subject but in summary, those who are eating low calorie and not losing weight, for the most, this is down to logging inaccuracies either in underestimating calories in or overestimating calories out. Using measuring cups or estimating/eyeballing portion sizes are very inaccurate ways of calculating the calorie content of meals. Using the MFP database/Machine Readings/Non-HR fitness trackers for calorie burns can also be an inaccurate method of determining burns.
Net Calories and Eating Exercise Calories Back
Your initial calorie allowance is essentially a net figure - the way MFP is set up you are intended to eat back your calories burned as they are not accounted for in the calculations to acquire the figure. If you ate none of your exercise calories you are putting yourself in a larger deficit than you have set yourself in MFP. This may be ok if you're set at lower rate of weight loss, however if you're already at 2lb per week loss (1000 calorie deficit) then you could be getting less food than you need to fuel your body sufficiently. Going back to "Mildred" above if she didn't eat any of her calories back she would be netting under 850 calories on her active days and this would no doubt impact her energy levels and her running performance.
The Negative Effect on Weight Loss from Undereating
Some people may well be able to stick at a 1000+ calorie deficit for long periods of time, however for a lot of us what actually happens when you are being overly restrictive is that we can only manage it for a short while because it's too drastic and we are simply hungry so we decide to pack it in and go back to the way we were eating before and end up in a vicious cycle of binge and restrict that doesn't actually achieve anything.
The Short & Long Term Effects of Undereating Without Medical Supervision
In the short term undereating can have the following effect (this is by no means an exhaustive list):- Mood Swings
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Hair Loss
- Menstrual Irregularities
- Dizziness
- Brittle Nails
- Poor Skin Condition
- Headaches
In the long term it can have far more negative effects, such as:- muscle loss
- gallstones
- electrolyte imbalances
- organ damage
- bone density loss
- vitamin/mineral deficiencies
Other useful posts that can be read in conjunction with this one:
Accurate Logging
Weight Loss is Not Linear
Why am I not losing weight?
*https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html *http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/should-you-lose-weight-fast.aspx
Thank you. I think I understand. I have been doing 1450 calories per day but working off 300-500 per day so I'm not getting enough calories. That may also explain my fatigue and other issues. I just thought I was over exerting or over stressed..6 -
Thank you so much for the advice. I went for a blood test last week. I'm on holidays for a few weeks so I won't have the results for a while. I've also ordered a fitness tracker with heartbeat monitor. I plan to reassess when I get home. My hair is still falling out but I don't feel as tired.
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LauraInTheWater wrote: »What's frustrating for some of us is that in order to lose the last 5 lbs we have to create a deficit by working out every single day, which is also not a good thing. The body (or at least mine) needs at least one rest day per week. MFP had it set so that my goal should be to eat just over 1300 calories a day. Very annoying because on my rest days I go way over. Fortunately I swim and do Aqua Zumba, so I burn about 500 cals on my exercise days to make up for it.
Hmmm, I have a base amount of 1200cal, but just by wearing my Fitbit and doing my normal daily walking (no workouts) I easily get another 300-400 per day. Do you wear and sync a fitness tracker? That might help you feel less pressured to work out every day.3 -
Thank you so much for the advice. I went for a blood test last week. I'm on holidays for a few weeks so I won't have the results for a while. I've also ordered a fitness tracker with heartbeat monitor. I plan to reassess when I get home. My hair is still falling out but I don't feel as tired.
But are you eating more? With less than 10 pounds to lose your weight loss goal should not be more than a half pound per week. Losing weight too quickly can definitely cause hair loss.
And have you started eating your exercise calories back? MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others, however, are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.
My FitBit One is far less generous with calories than the MFP database and I comfortably eat 100% of the calories I earn from it back.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
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This is a wonderful post!3
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tinkerbellang83 wrote: »@kyucifer thanks - you can vote for it to be stickied here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260479/nominate-posts-for-announcement-status-stickies
Done!
One thing that might be useful to add to the original post: Negative calorie adjustments?
Not many people address them, and I've been looking for info on it because I recently got a Fitbit that told me I was NOT actually burning as much as MFP was telling me I was. MFP has me at 1380 (90 lbs to lose, set at 1.5 lbs loss rate, sedentary lifestyle). Once I hooked my Fitbit up to MFP, it gave me a negative calorie adjustment of 180, putting me at 1200. Honestly, I think it would've given me more of an adjustment, but MFP doesn't want me going below 1200. I do lead a VERY sedentary lifestyle, but yesterday I even took my dog on a brisk 30 minute walk and still Fitbit told me I only burned about 1800 calories that day.
I struggled with whether to turn the negative calorie adjustment on or keep it off, but it felt like keeping it off would only be doing myself a disservice. If I'm not really burning that much on my sedentary days, shouldn't I eat less to make up for it? Can someone tell me if this is the correct approach?
Thank you.
I found that my FITBIT underestimates my calories by a good 2-300 a day - it tells me I rarely burn more than 2000 (just in daily activity), but I'm maintaining about approx. 2500 a day5 -
deannalfisher wrote: »I found that my FITBIT underestimates my calories by a good 2-300 a day - it tells me I rarely burn more than 2000 (just in daily activity), but I'm maintaining about approx. 2500 a day
I think mine over-estimates.
It claims I burn about 2,200 a day on average, and I'm maintaining on 1,900-2,000.
I do wear my fitbit on my dominant wrist though, because my watch is on the other one, and it's an old fitbit flex so it's not a watch too. I have it set up that way, but I'm not entirely convinced their algorithm corrects perfectly for that.
Ah well, c'est la vie.3 -
This is golden! I have it all screen capped and saved.
I'm a serial under eater the moment I get into a diet. I've been worried recently about the impact it's going to have on me long term. I'm only at most 2 months in so I should have time to correct any damage I've done already.
Thank you so much for this, it's so easy to understand this way!5 -
I'm a good example why you shouldn't under eat... Between January 16th and July 24th (6 months) I have lost 73 lbs (5st 3lbs)... I started at 308 lbs and now down to 236 lbs.
I ate don't get me wrong but I burned a lot of calories also, my daily total net calories was pretty low and now for the past month or two I have been having gallstone problems, its so painful the first few times it happened I honestly thought I was going to die and I am not exaggerating here, it felt like my insides were going to burst but I was being squished at the same time, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't do anything, after big attacks I would feel poorly a whole week after.
Some days my total daily fat is 10g but I can still get attacks, its very frustrating for me at the moment due to this as it's hard to keep my calories at a suitable level whilst keeping my fat low not to mention trying to get vitamins and minerals in and a good amount of protein all without feeling like I am starving myself (I'm a big girl I still need to eat lol) yes it's good to lose weight but losing too fast does affect your health and can affect your appearance as I also have loose saggy skin in places, I am pretty sure I could fly with how bad the loose skin is on my arms (sorry just a little joke to lighten the mood) I wish I found this discussion before but then again I would probably not have listened and continued to do what I was doing as I was getting results, This is my first time trying to lead a healthy lifestyle and lose weight, in the past I've had half arsed attempts but never lasted more than a month and I was never fully dedicated like I am not, going on 6 months and my dedication and motivation has only faltered twice and thats all because of the problem I am having at the moment with my gallbladder, my doctor said its probably for the best as now I have no choice but to eat right, I kinda snapped at him about it though as I would like the choice to be able to go out maybe once in a month or maybe even longer, just be able to go to a restaurant and not have to worry and stress about what calories or fat certain foods have, just treat myself to that steak I have been craving for months you know, to which my doctor replied you can still do that but you have to ask yourself is that steak worth a few hours of pain that an attack will cause to which I answered no. Sorry rambling on but yeah this is why you need to make sure your Total Net Calories is no less than 1200, Do research into what foods will be best for your lifestyle, ask people for advice, don't just think ok I will eat 1000 calories and burn between 500 - 1000 because you think your doing good because your not, there is alot of people on this website that know what they are talking about but then there is some that think they know what is best but its actually totally wrong. Losing 1lb per week instead of 2lb is better than nothing as your still losing plus you have to take into concept water weight, trust your body if you feel slightly slimmer then thats awesome despite what the scales say, if you feel weak and dizzy eat more, if you feel full but your calories are low then you will most likely need to find calorie dense foods that are small but a little higher in calories as Calories are king in the whole weight loss process, yes you still need to watch carbs, added sugar which is carbs basically, salt and fat, salt for definite as that's what can cause unwanted water retention anyway rambling again, still a noob to this whole dieting haha!16
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