Minimizing weight gain after eating below 1500 calories

khyuma04
khyuma04 Posts: 8
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I started cutting weight at 1500 calories at the start of the year and then slowly started eating less and less till I got the the point of around 1000 calories per day. I find with water weight fluctuations I weigh in around 135-140lbs at 6'0. I think my metabolism may be shot, how do I bring it back up to speed without putting on tons of fat?

I train cardio 3 x a week and lift 3x a week as well. Cardio consists of a boxing routine which lasts for an hour and the weight training routine is starting strength - is this considered lightly active or active on here?
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Replies

  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    Shoot im no expert by far but with your routines you could easily probaly eat 2000 a day and still be at a deficit. Make sure your getting enough protein. At 6 foot with your routine 1000 calories is way too low heck you could still probably easily eat 3 times that and still not gain. Just noticed at 22 a 6 foot maile your BMR is like 1600. And thats sleeping all day and all night.
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
    Try upping a bit at a time until you get to the calories you should be eating. I know it is scary eating more as you worry the weight will all come back on again but I went from 1200 to 1600 and I haven't put weight back on. I hardly exercise and I am on 5' 2", so you will definitely be fine eating a lot more than you are now. Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
    I've been upping by 200 calories a week for the past few weeks and have not gained any weight, only maintained. I'm sure once I get to my goal intake, I will start losing again once my body is accustomed to it.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I started cutting weight at 1500 calories at the start of the year and then slowly started eating less and less till I got the the point of around 1000 calories per day. I find with water weight fluctuations I weigh in around 135-140lbs at 6'0. I think my metabolism may be shot, how do I bring it back up to speed without putting on tons of fat?

    I train cardio 3 x a week and lift 3x a week as well. Cardio consists of a boxing routine which lasts for an hour and the weight training routine is starting strength - is this considered lightly active or active on here?
    I don't know your AGE, but regardless You're 6'0" and 135 pounds. What are you trying to accomplish?
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    I started cutting weight at 1500 calories at the start of the year and then slowly started eating less and less till I got the the point of around 1000 calories per day. I find with water weight fluctuations I weigh in around 135-140lbs at 6'0. I think my metabolism may be shot, how do I bring it back up to speed without putting on tons of fat?

    I train cardio 3 x a week and lift 3x a week as well. Cardio consists of a boxing routine which lasts for an hour and the weight training routine is starting strength - is this considered lightly active or active on here?
    I don't know your AGE, but regardless You're 6'0" and 135 pounds. What are you trying to accomplish?

    I was thinking the same.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    You are active to very active. With that weight and height your are in an underweight BMI range and might need to gain.
    What are your fitness and weight objectives.

    To come off such a diet increase calories to an estimated TDEE somewhere between 1500 to 1800 and hold it for a few weeks. You might gain a little but it won't be significant. Continue to train - strength training will help keep the balance in the right direction.

    Observe your weight. Add 200-300 cals and again hold for a few weeks until you see a solid maintenance at the highest calorie you can consume for maintenance. Then add to gain about a lb a week while training, a slow controlled bill assure gains are balanced and not mostly fat.

    Good luck.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    Please see a Dr.
  • munchkin0518
    munchkin0518 Posts: 32
    You've still been eating 600-800 calories, I see. Why are you asking for advice if you're dead-set on your ED ways?
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    6'0" and 135 pounds? Eat something
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    I find with water weight fluctuations I weigh in around 135-140lbs at 6'0.

    Eat more.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I started cutting weight at 1500 calories at the start of the year and then slowly started eating less and less till I got the the point of around 1000 calories per day. I find with water weight fluctuations I weigh in around 135-140lbs at 6'0. I think my metabolism may be shot, how do I bring it back up to speed without putting on tons of fat?

    I train cardio 3 x a week and lift 3x a week as well. Cardio consists of a boxing routine which lasts for an hour and the weight training routine is starting strength - is this considered lightly active or active on here?

    6'0 male at 135 lbs is quite underweight. You don't want to minimize weight gain. You want to gain weight.

    Just add 100 calories to your goal every week until you start gaining weight. Then keep your calorie target there.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Please see your physician as soon as possible. If you aren't already seeking counseling, maybe ask your doctor if he can recommend a psychiatrist for eating disorders.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Just checked your diary.

    No amount of advice is going to be able to help you if you ignore it all and just keep eating 800 calories.

    You need to actually start increasing the calories you consume. You literally need to. If you are unwilling to do that, it means you have an eating disorder and you need to seek the help of a professional.
  • RiannonC
    RiannonC Posts: 145 Member
    Some of you here are pretty judgy. OP has already said he wants to eat more. 135 is probably a little low for the stated height, but you don't know anything about this person's bone structure or body type. 135 is technically .2 below what is considered healthy on the BMI scale. If someone came here with a BMI .2 OVER what is considered healthy and someone gave them a hard time, they would get no end of grief. Everyone would be screaming about how worthless BMI is, etc etc. Yes 1000 calories is pretty low but OP recognizes this already. Comments like "eat a sandwich" are useless.

    OP, the best way to up calories is usually to do it gradually anyway, because it's easier on digestion and gives your body time to adapt. Someone recommended upping by 200 calories a week. You could probably up it by a bit more than that at first, but that seems like a reasonable place to start. If you continue your exercise routine and up calories gradually, you're not going to put on a lot of fat anytime soon.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Some of you here are pretty judgy. OP has already said he wants to eat more. 135 is probably a little low for the stated height, but you don't know anything about this person's bone structure or body type. 135 is technically .2 below what is considered healthy on the BMI scale. If someone came here with a BMI .2 OVER what is considered healthy and someone gave them a hard time, they would get no end of grief. Everyone would be screaming about how worthless BMI is, etc etc. Yes 1000 calories is pretty low but OP recognizes this already. Comments like "eat a sandwich" are useless.

    OP, the best way to up calories is usually to do it gradually anyway, because it's easier on digestion and gives your body time to adapt. Someone recommended upping by 200 calories a week. You could probably up it by a bit more than that at first, but that seems like a reasonable place to start. If you continue your exercise routine and up calories gradually, you're not going to put on a lot of fat anytime soon.

    BMI is not a perfect measurement - the farther you are from 5'6, the more the scale is skewed.

    135 lbs on a 6' male frame is very, very underweight. Much more than the BMI would indicate. OP seems to recognize he doesn't eat enough but also seems unwilling to eat more for fear of getting fat.

    All signs point to an eating disorder. Maybe not; if he actually increases the amount he eats to a reasonable level, then excellent. However, it doesn't seem like that's going to happen.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Dude, I'm 6'1" and my skeleton probably weighs more than that.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Some of you here are pretty judgy. OP has already said he wants to eat more. 135 is probably a little low for the stated height, but you don't know anything about this person's bone structure or body type. 135 is technically .2 below what is considered healthy on the BMI scale. If someone came here with a BMI .2 OVER what is considered healthy and someone gave them a hard time, they would get no end of grief. Everyone would be screaming about how worthless BMI is, etc etc. Yes 1000 calories is pretty low but OP recognizes this already. Comments like "eat a sandwich" are useless.

    OP, the best way to up calories is usually to do it gradually anyway, because it's easier on digestion and gives your body time to adapt. Someone recommended upping by 200 calories a week. You could probably up it by a bit more than that at first, but that seems like a reasonable place to start. If you continue your exercise routine and up calories gradually, you're not going to put on a lot of fat anytime soon.

    He wants to eat more WITHOUT gaining weight. Hence everyone telling him that he needs to gain the weight. And his weight is incredibly low for his height, regardless of his frame build.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    Some of you here are pretty judgy. OP has already said he wants to eat more. 135 is probably a little low for the stated height, but you don't know anything about this person's bone structure or body type. 135 is technically .2 below what is considered healthy on the BMI scale. If someone came here with a BMI .2 OVER what is considered healthy and someone gave them a hard time, they would get no end of grief. Everyone would be screaming about how worthless BMI is, etc etc. Yes 1000 calories is pretty low but OP recognizes this already. Comments like "eat a sandwich" are useless.

    OP, the best way to up calories is usually to do it gradually anyway, because it's easier on digestion and gives your body time to adapt. Someone recommended upping by 200 calories a week. You could probably up it by a bit more than that at first, but that seems like a reasonable place to start. If you continue your exercise routine and up calories gradually, you're not going to put on a lot of fat anytime soon.

    what chart are you looking at?:noway: are you sure you are looking at the one for MEN?
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    Please see a Dr.

    This.
  • EvilFeevil
    EvilFeevil Posts: 95 Member
    Dude, I'm 6'1" and my skeleton probably weighs more than that.
    IKR? I'm a 5'1" female and I weigh 120, almost as much as this guy who is an entire foot taller than me. Yikers!

    I eat 1200-1400 a day and I'm still losing! (Slowly, but surely.) OP has no reason to fear weight gain if he eats the calories that MFP recommends.

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