Why not 1000 calories?
joyanna2016
Posts: 323 Member
I am a psyched dieter! I'm currently well over 200 lbs and doing 1200 cal/day. I could do 1000 though. I dont because I hear it's too low but why? If I feel good, am eating healthfully, and taking supplements what's the problem? I know it couldnt go on forever because at some point I probably will feel denied and have to increase my calories in, but why not take advantage of my excitement for a few months? Educate me please.
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Replies
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If you don't take in enough energy to run everything, your body will start eating muscle because muscle is more "expensive" to maintain.
Your heart is a muscle by the way.26 -
joyanna2016 wrote: »I am a psyched dieter! I'm currently well over 200 lbs and doing 1200 cal/day. I could do 1000 though. I dont because I hear it's too low but why? If I feel good, am eating healthfully, and taking supplements what's the problem? I know it couldnt go on forever because at some point I probably will feel denied and have to increase my calories in, but why not take advantage of my excitement for a few months? Educate me please.
I'm gonna be blunt here so skip the below unless you want to hear the raw truth.
Because at that level of calorie intake your body isn't getting enough energy to maintain life sustaining functions. So your body will start to break down other tissues (muscles, etc). Your skin will deteriorate, your hair will start to fall out, you'll be more prone to falls and injury. Keep it up for even a short amount of time and you'll start damaging those life sustaining organs.
Because you're got fuelling your body enough to remain healthy. You'll be susceptible to every illness, germ and virus because you're not eating enough to maintain a healthy functioning immune system. you get sick, more often, worse and for longer
Because you'll end up with no energy. In order to try and exist on the limited amount of calories you're providing your body and mind will force you to be more sedentary and you'll lack the energy to even go about your normal life.
Because that level of calorie intake isn't sustainable and while you might feel "good" now eventually your body will override this in order to survive and you'll 'fall off the wagon' and end up gorging on food. You're 1200 calories might last for a few days or even a week but eventually you'll crack and that 1200 a day will turn into 1200 2 days out of the week and 4000 the other 5.
Because anything that you plan to do for 'a few months' is only going to work for 'a few months'. Then after the period where you're, as you put it, excited, you go back to exactly where you were because you'll have learned nothing.
So in summary:
Because you'll harm yourself
Because you'll put yourself at risk of illness
Because you'll end up a lethargic lump that can't think straight
Because you'll fail
Because you'll end up right back where you were when you started.52 -
joyanna2016 wrote: »I am a psyched dieter! I'm currently well over 200 lbs and doing 1200 cal/day. I could do 1000 though. I dont because I hear it's too low but why? If I feel good, am eating healthfully, and taking supplements what's the problem? I know it couldnt go on forever because at some point I probably will feel denied and have to increase my calories in, but why not take advantage of my excitement for a few months? Educate me please.
Why not 1,000? Because this thread will get closed and people won't be able to reply anymore. You'll need to discuss this topic elsewhere. If you want to search for research papers on the topic, I suggest Google Scholar.6 -
As someone who is “well over” 200 lbs, you’ve been eating 3,000+ calories a day. As danp said, trying to eat 1000-1200 a day will surely cause binge and restrict cycles which will get you nowhere. That no doubt will lead to the “it’s no use” refrain.
I started at 267 and 1760 cals which was 1 lb a week and sure enough, I lost 50 lbs the first year. Of course, every 10 lbs your calories will decrease as you get closer to goal.
instead, use your current “feeling good” honeymoon phase to get into a good routine of weighing & logging your food and increasing your activity. 3 months from now when you’re down another 15 lbs or so, you’ll be in a much better place and still losing.
Good luck!30 -
joyanna2016 wrote: »I am a psyched dieter! I'm currently well over 200 lbs and doing 1200 cal/day. I could do 1000 though. I dont because I hear it's too low but why? If I feel good, am eating healthfully, and taking supplements what's the problem? I know it couldnt go on forever because at some point I probably will feel denied and have to increase my calories in, but why not take advantage of my excitement for a few months? Educate me please.
I'm gonna be blunt here so skip the below unless you want to hear the raw truth.
Because at that level of calorie intake your body isn't getting enough energy to maintain life sustaining functions. So your body will start to break down other tissues (muscles, etc). Your skin will deteriorate, your hair will start to fall out, you'll be more prone to falls and injury. Keep it up for even a short amount of time and you'll start damaging those life sustaining organs.
Because you're got fuelling your body enough to remain healthy. You'll be susceptible to every illness, germ and virus because you're not eating enough to maintain a healthy functioning immune system. you get sick, more often, worse and for longer
Because you'll end up with no energy. In order to try and exist on the limited amount of calories you're providing your body and mind will force you to be more sedentary and you'll lack the energy to even go about your normal life.
Because that level of calorie intake isn't sustainable and while you might feel "good" now eventually your body will override this in order to survive and you'll 'fall off the wagon' and end up gorging on food. You're 1200 calories might last for a few days or even a week but eventually you'll crack and that 1200 a day will turn into 1200 2 days out of the week and 4000 the other 5.
Because anything that you plan to do for 'a few months' is only going to work for 'a few months'. Then after the period where you're, as you put it, excited, you go back to exactly where you were because you'll have learned nothing.
So in summary:
Because you'll harm yourself
Because you'll put yourself at risk of illness
Because you'll end up a lethargic lump that can't think straight
Because you'll fail
Because you'll end up right back where you were when you started.
Sorry but this is just scaremongering.
Yes a larger deficit needs to be more closely monitored. But you are assuming way to much to just put a blanket statement like that on dieting.
This is the problem with a forum like this. You have just made all that up. Or you are repeating the nonsense you have absorbed from someone else who doesn't know what they are talking about.
Or...people who have had success are speaking from experience and helping to set her up for success as well.
Your bro advice is also not helpful for a 200+ lb women trying to figure out weight management for a lifetime.
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joyanna2016 wrote: »I am a psyched dieter! I'm currently well over 200 lbs and doing 1200 cal/day. I could do 1000 though. I dont because I hear it's too low but why? If I feel good, am eating healthfully, and taking supplements what's the problem? I know it couldnt go on forever because at some point I probably will feel denied and have to increase my calories in, but why not take advantage of my excitement for a few months? Educate me please.
The better question might be to ask how many people successfully got to their goals and have maintained for 3+ years doing what you are considering. Most weight loss efforts fail. If you do not wish to join that statistic prioritize a sustainable plan over a fast plan.
If a few months is 3 then you will only lose 5 additional pounds with an extra 200 calorie deficit. That is hardly worth the health risk It is also unlikely that you could go that long because fatigue or a binge-like overfeed would likely get in the way.
Also if you are not using a food scale and personally verifying all your chosen diary entries against a label or the usda site you may be eating more than you think right now.18 -
Ahhh, now it all makes more sense. It's a marketing sign up.
So how long do we have to wait before the links to whatever site/product you're peddling start to show up?35 -
Going down to 1000 cals just sets most people up to crack at some point. And if you're like me you don't know when it's gonna hit. Just not worth it. Better to eat a little more and work out to burn more calories.14
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No, you're completely missing the point. "how many people successfully got to their goals and have maintained for 3+ years" means people who reached their goal weight and then maintained their goal weight for 3+ years, not people who maintained a deficit for 3 years.22 -
He's saying maintained their weight loss for 3+ years, not maintained the deficit.10 -
Ahhh, now it all makes more sense. It's a marketing sign up.
So how long do we have to wait before the links to whatever site/product you're peddling start to show up?
He posted it on the Why Eating Too Little is a Bad Idea thread 🤷♀️16 -
So you say you are an expert, goody for you. But unless you have actually been in someone's shoes, and done a journey of losing substantial weight. And then maintained that weight at a reasonable daily calorie amount, plus some type of fitness routinue. It is just all talk.
Oh and the other thing, that just kills me when people trot out the Nutritionist label.
Dietician vs. Nutritionist Conclusion. In the simplest terms, a dietician is a medical expert in nutrition, while nutritionist is more like a personal trainer that can only interfere so far medically.
In many countries, people can say they are a nutritionist and there are not required certifications. Anyone can call themselves an expert, give advice. The best advice is giving long term helpful advice, that in no way can financially help the giver.20 -
Geez! Forget I ever asked.10
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@joyanna2016 You asked why it's bad. People have replied to you, telling you why it is bad. Don't ignore those posts.
You know, it's not that everything you eat goes to movement and fat stores. Most food you eat is actually needed to keep your organs functioning. It takes over 1000 calories per day to have a beating heart, liver and kidneys that filter your blood to remove things that are unhealthy for you, intestines that remove waste. And not to forget the brain, which is not only there for thinking but which monitors and steers all these processes. You can't just tell your heart to beat a bit less, to tell your brains to take a break, your other organs to just work a bit less hard just because you want to lose weight quicker than is healthy.24 -
joyanna2016 wrote: »Geez! Forget I ever asked.
You didn’t get any useful advice from all the thoughtful replies and strategies that people took the time to offer to you?29 -
joyanna2016 wrote: »Geez! Forget I ever asked.
Don't be discouraged from people trying to hijack the thread. There are several good posts here. Generally the answer is because you need to eat a certain amount of food to sustain healthy bodily functions. A very low calorie diet will bring as many (if not more) health risks as being overweight.16 -
I've been listening to the Half Size Me podcast. It is very common for people to do the cycle below. The host, Heather, spent 10 years dieting hard and then yoyoing back up. She finally realized if she had only lost a pound a month, she would have been better off than on this cycle. (Not to say that low a weight loss is mandatory, just something to think about when considering your deficit goals.)
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kshama2001 wrote: »I've been listening to the Half Size Me podcast. It is very common for people to do the cycle below. The host, Heather, spent 10 years dieting hard and then yoyoing back up. She finally realized if she had only lost a pound a month, she would have been better off than on this cycle. (Not to say that low a weight loss is mandatory, just something to think about when considering your deficit goals.)
Where has this chart been my whole life? Thank you for posting it. It explains a lot.8 -
@joyanna2016 You asked why it's bad. People have replied to you, telling you why it is bad. Don't ignore those posts.
You know, it's not that everything you eat goes to movement and fat stores. Most food you eat is actually needed to keep your organs functioning. It takes over 1000 calories per day to have a beating heart, liver and kidneys that filter your blood to remove things that are unhealthy for you, intestines that remove waste. And not to forget the brain, which is not only there for thinking but which monitors and steers all these processes. You can't just tell your heart to beat a bit less, to tell your brains to take a break, your other organs to just work a bit less hard just because you want to lose weight quicker than is healthy.
Doesn't your body use stored fat to fuel these functions?9 -
@joyanna2016 You asked why it's bad. People have replied to you, telling you why it is bad. Don't ignore those posts.
You know, it's not that everything you eat goes to movement and fat stores. Most food you eat is actually needed to keep your organs functioning. It takes over 1000 calories per day to have a beating heart, liver and kidneys that filter your blood to remove things that are unhealthy for you, intestines that remove waste. And not to forget the brain, which is not only there for thinking but which monitors and steers all these processes. You can't just tell your heart to beat a bit less, to tell your brains to take a break, your other organs to just work a bit less hard just because you want to lose weight quicker than is healthy.
Doesn't your body use stored fat to fuel these functions?
There is a metabolic limit to the use of stored fat in a time frame, like say a day or a week. It is dangerous and potentially harmful to under eat to the point of not supporting a healthy body and it can't just come from fat stores alone.13 -
@joyanna2016 You asked why it's bad. People have replied to you, telling you why it is bad. Don't ignore those posts.
You know, it's not that everything you eat goes to movement and fat stores. Most food you eat is actually needed to keep your organs functioning. It takes over 1000 calories per day to have a beating heart, liver and kidneys that filter your blood to remove things that are unhealthy for you, intestines that remove waste. And not to forget the brain, which is not only there for thinking but which monitors and steers all these processes. You can't just tell your heart to beat a bit less, to tell your brains to take a break, your other organs to just work a bit less hard just because you want to lose weight quicker than is healthy.
Doesn't your body use stored fat to fuel these functions?
It is my understanding (although happy to be corrected) that the body will only metabolise a certain amount of stored fat in a period of time and will draw fuel from a number of sources (including muscle).
Which is why some of those who lose weight quickly and without eating suffient protein/strength training (which helps with maintaining muscle) may find themselves unhappy with the end result from weight loss - i.e. feeling like a deflated version of their former overweight self.
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Are you in a research study or under a nutritional Dr's care (regular Dr's only get a class on nutrition, so being under their care if they didn't learn more isn't that useful) being tested out the whazoo to confirm no side effects to eating too low?
Everyone has a line below which calorie level will be too stressful on the body in general and you won't have only the nice effect of losing fat weight.
While that line is individual, studies have shown where it's likely to be - to avoid it and not go under it.
As to you feeling fine the days you've done it - ever talked to someone that discovered they were deficient in some vitamin or mineral - they usually have felt fine up until something occurred that made them finally got tested and discovered they were low on something - but they didn't instantly become deficient, it was slow process that eventually showed itself by physical problems. Sadly some of those problems takes a long time to recover from, some never.
So also calorie deficient - certain amount needed for fat loss, over a reasonable amount and you will have side effects that may take awhile to show up - and by the time they do some damage or very difficult undesired changes have already occurred.
And it can be very difficult to get out of it.
This is one of those things in life that trying to discover that line on your own has some very bad negatives later if you discover you've actually been under it for awhile. Unless being tested in a research or case study to start seeing it go the wrong way very quickly.8 -
joyanna2016 wrote: »Geez! Forget I ever asked.
You didn’t get any useful advice from all the thoughtful replies and strategies that people took the time to offer to you?
I think she was primarily expressing frustration over the derail and back and forth with the poster whose comments have since been removed.
And OP, it should tell you something about that poster that his comments have been removed.
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I think for most people the real danger to the body is staying overweight or obese. The danger to the mind is failing to succeed because you engaged in a crash diet mentality.
I have been on my share of crash diets. They have always ended the same way. Not with hair falling out or getting to goal being skinny fat, but with a binge-like overfeed. I cannot recall a single time I saw it coming either. I have a self-defense switch that kicks in when I am starving myself.
Many of my crash diets started with a honeymoon phase too. I felt great. I was euphoric. I believe that is another self-defense mechanism. If you think of it terms of needing your body to go out and hunt or gather food you need to feel great. If you felt bad it would hurt your chances to eat again. Once that kicks in though the clock is ticking. How long you have until you start to feel the actual way you should I am sure varies from person to person. Some people may not have one at all.
Crash diets lead to me or worse. I spent 30 years spinning my wheels. My health worsened. My joints are prematurely worn from carrying too much weight for too long. I have reversed most of my health situations but not all some are permanent but basically mitigated for now. My joints are what they are. I am working hard to preserve them for as long as I can.
I have said in these forums a few times that if you want to lose weight fast go slower. It took me 2 years to lose over 200 pounds. It took me 28 years to fail to lose any weight. 2 years is SPEEDY by comparison.27 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I've been listening to the Half Size Me podcast. It is very common for people to do the cycle below. The host, Heather, spent 10 years dieting hard and then yoyoing back up. She finally realized if she had only lost a pound a month, she would have been better off than on this cycle. (Not to say that low a weight loss is mandatory, just something to think about when considering your deficit goals.)
Where has this chart been my whole life? Thank you for posting it. It explains a lot.
You might like the "Half Size Me" podcast
She's a little blah blah blah in the beginning, but I've learned how to skip ahead.3 -
joyanna2016 wrote: »I am a psyched dieter! I'm currently well over 200 lbs and doing 1200 cal/day. I could do 1000 though. I dont because I hear it's too low but why? If I feel good, am eating healthfully, and taking supplements what's the problem? I know it couldnt go on forever because at some point I probably will feel denied and have to increase my calories in, but why not take advantage of my excitement for a few months? Educate me please.
Maybe look through some of the threads with people losing their hair, losing their menstrual cycle, etc. When your body isn't getting enough energy for basic functions, it will slow down or cease "non-essential" functions to compensate and conserve energy and drive down your BMR.
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I'm 5'5", and started using MFP at age 59. It recommended 1200 calories daily for me to lose weight at what was then, for me, a reasonable weight loss rate. I'm healthy, and quite athletically active, so don't visualize a feeble elderly woman here.
I wasn't hungry, and felt great.
. . . until, suddenly, I didn't. I got weak and fatigued. I lost weight too fast **, and even though I corrected as soon as I realized there was a problem, it took several weeks to recover normal strength and energy. I'm fortunate that (1) there were not worse consequences (I did have a bit of hair-thinning that I can ill afford, a few months later, that was possibly related), and (2) that I'm retired and widowed so I don't have co-workers or family members who depend on me to be fully energetic and productive, for their well-being.
You don't want this to happen, trust me.
Will it happen for sure if you eat at 1000 calories? No way of knowing. But you certainly would be materially increasing your risks.
** In my case, because MFP dramatically underestimated my calorie needs (even with correct profile settings), not because I was trying to lose weight too fast. I was losing around 2 pounds a week, which was too much at my then-overweight/obese bodyweight.11 -
For me starting at higher calories as I got going gave me room to adjust down as I hit plateaus and got stalled out. I would also bump my calorie expenditure as well.
If I started out at 1,000 calories a day I am just not sure how much lower I can go. I can also say that I lost strength and probably muscles while in a deficit and am still trying to work this back while not gaining weight/fat. For my last 15 pounds or so I was at 1,200 calories a day, for about four or five months.
Everyone wants the weight off fast, but slow and steady was best for me. I did not get fat over night and I did not lose it over night either.
I have been in maintenance/recomp for a year and a half and hope sharing my experiences can help others but we will all have a different balance that works.6
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