Eating too little ... really???

celumii

I decided to actually start weighing my food instead of estimating since I eat like 1100-1300 calories a day and I wasn't losing any weight ( I figured I was probably just eating more then I thought) but I'm actually finding I've been over calculating my food,and I might actually only be eating like 800-1000 calories a day... i live a pretty sedentary lifestyle as im an artist, I've been doing cardio for 10-20 minutes daily minimum for the last 2 months so i figured i had to reduce my calories to lose weight.. has anyone here ever actually discovered they aren't losing weight because they were eating too little ?? I heard that can be a thing but I just always felt kinda sceptical ...

celumii

Bump

jiujitsudad15118

Pretty sure it could be a thing
Eating too little makes your body go into like a survival mode

Xiaolongbao

Not losing weight because you’re eating too little is not a thing. If you’re eating less than you’re burning off then you will lose weight. It’s one of those pesky laws of thermodynamics.

It is possible that if you’re eating too little your body is responding by burning less (things like you moving a little less, heating your body a little less etc). But if you’re not losing weight then the bottom line is that your body is not using more calories than what you are taking in.

Lietchi

Not eating enough can stress your body, which in turn can cause water retention masking fat loss on the scale.

katajenka

Could you be pregnant?

AliNouveau

I've had plateaus and changes up my eating and it's helped. If I log food I tend to eat very little. Once I get my head straight and eat a healthy amount of calories I tend to shift weight.

I suspect when you eat very little you have little energy and workouts just aren't as efficient but I'm not a dr or nutritionist so what do I know

corinasue1143

Yep, it happens. I don’t know about water weight, stress. I just know the scales climbs higher while your hair falls out, and you lie in bed, too tired to get up. Personal experience. Eat enough to fuel your body! It’s the only one you’ve got, and it will thank you and make you much happier. My two cents.

AnnPT77

Does MFP (or some other research-based source of calorie estimates) say you need to eat as little as 1100-1300 calories to lose weight at a sensible rate** in the first place? If so, try *at least* eating that much.

Yes, undereating can reduce calorie expenditure (obvious fatigue, inobvious doing less because of subtle creeping fatigue, things like down-regulated hair/nail growth that can lead to hair loss in a few weeks, etc.).

Yes, undereating can increase (physical) stress and therefore increase water retention, hiding fat loss on the scale.

Personally, I think some/most people have a "sweet spot" of calorie intake for weight loss, where energy level and health stay good, but fat loss happens and gradually shows up in a scale-weight down-trend. Eat too little, weirdness can happen as per undereating issues mentioned above. Eat too much, obviously loss doesn't happen.

Use a calculator estimate to start, first month or so (MFP estimate + exercise calories, TDEE calculator - whichever you prefer, use accurate entries, don't lowball activity level or the like). Don't shoot for crazy fast loss rate. If premenopausal woman, compare body weight at same relative point in at least 2 different menstrual cycles. After that month or so, adjust based on average actual loss rate.

** Sensible rate: Rough rule of thumb, don't shoot for more than 1% of current body weight weekly at maximum, and it should be less than that if less than 50 pounds to goal weight.

freda666

jiujitsudad15118 wrote: »

Pretty sure it could be a thing
Eating too little makes your body go into like a survival mode

"survival mode" is complete and utter rubbish and this myth does real damage.

If you are not losing weight after an amount of time (2 or 3 weeks) it is because you are eating too much not because you body is magically defying the laws of physics.

Many of us get plateaus and there are also those who do not take into account that as they shrink they need less calories but the idea that if you eat 1000 for weeks on end you will not lose any weight is garbage.

celumii

freda78 wrote: »

jiujitsudad15118 wrote: »

Pretty sure it could be a thing
Eating too little makes your body go into like a survival mode

"survival mode" is complete and utter rubbish and this myth does real damage.

If you are not losing weight after an amount of time (2 or 3 weeks) it is because you are eating too much not because you body is magically defying the laws of physics.

Many of us get plateaus and there are also those who do not take into account that as they shrink they need less calories but the idea that if you eat 1000 for weeks on end you will not lose any weight is garbage.

Well I'm gonna be actively weighing everything I eat, for the next two weeks and try to sit around 1000-1200 and if nothing happens maybe go talk to my doctor, and maybe ill discover I'm eating more than I think after all?? Who knows guess well find out

celumii

AliNouveau wrote: »

I've had plateaus and changes up my eating and it's helped. If I log food I tend to eat very little. Once I get my head straight and eat a healthy amount of calories I tend to shift weight.

I suspect when you eat very little you have little energy and workouts just aren't as efficient but I'm not a dr or nutritionist so what do I know

No that makes sense, when your exhausted and your hearts not in it workouts definitely won't be as effective, as I mentioned before I'm gonna weigh and log everything in the next two weeks and who knows maybe because I'm logging and being more aware of it ill see some weightloss and then ill find out that way too xD

elisa123gal

I say yes.. it is a thing. and obviously so .. or you'd be losing weight right?

Also if CICO worked like science..no one would ever plateau.

You slow down your metabolism when you eat so little and you're also adding cardio and that's making it worse.. If you would eat more you'd lose faster. Flose weight..

I've read so many posts of girls stuck eating 1200 to maintain because they starved themselves to lose.

Butterfly_Ninja3

Just a suggestion, when was the last time you had some bloodwork done to see if your thyroid is functioning correctly? Sometimes when we do any type of restrictions for a period of time it does shift our bloodwork some. Just curious and do what you planned to do and if that doesn't help/work, maybe it is time to get to your doctor just to have some routine bloodwork done. Couldn't hurt to know where you are anyway right? I do hope you find out what the issue may be!

VeryKatie

Of you open your diary, maybe we can see if we can spot something. Like missed days or wrong entries or other things.