"Starvation mode"

BeYouTiful94

Hi all. I just started my weight loss journey exactly a week ago today. I am female, 19, college freshman, 5'5, 182.2 pounds. My junior year in high school, my weight dropped, bottoming at 136 pounds. I'm not entirely sure how?? I was in marching band, I suppose. However, I was also in marching band the preceding 2 years, as well as my senior year, when I started gaining serious pounds. Now, I am trying to drop those pounds again.

MyFitnessPal has set my daily caloric goal to be 1200 kcals. My BMR is, like, 1646 or something of that sort. However, my concern is that I never reach the 1200 kcal goal. I'm actually usually in negative calories because I have to bike all over my college campus, I go to an hour long Zumba class Mondays and Wednesdays, and on the other days I go to the gym and do cardio and strength stuff. It's not like I don't eat. I just don't eat A LOT cuz I'm not usually hungry. What got me up this far (I forgot to mention that I went to 136 from around 160, which is my (used to be) all time high) was that my diet began to take on more of a soda and ice cream type thing. Now, I have completely dropped soda and ice cream. I usually drink a protein shake for breakfast and have a slim fast meal bar for lunch. Dinner is usually "real" food. Also, I have taken a liking to strawberry salad w/ lite raspberry vinaigrette. I took my mom's advice and I eat small portions every so many hours (I can never finish a meal bar in one sitting, so it usually gets cut into 2 of said small portions). Oh, and I sometimes have oatmeal for breakfast instead of a protein shake, if I have time to sit and eat it. Also, like any college student, I snack while I do homework. Usually its reduced fat cheez-its. Other times it's canned fruit. I also allow myself a cookie here and there.

All that being said, my calorie intake each day still only reaches around 700-900???? And then, the days that I do Zumba, I burn 700 and some odd calories. Which will give me -100 to 200 calories. And the app tells me I will go into starvation mode. So I am confused on what to do, because it's not like I'm not eating. I am always full, sometimes even overly so.

Oh ... And my weight. I seem to be dropping a pound a day, rather than their 2 pounds a week??? I first weighed at 192 (which I did not even record because I suspect ... girl issues ... being why that was so high). I started mfp a day or two after and weighed in a 188, the 187 ... I didn't weigh for a few days ... then I was 184. This morning I am 182. Is this bad?

Any suggestion are appreaciated

And sorry for the uber long post

KarenJanine

You feel full because your stomach has become accustomed to your current intake. That doesn't mean your body doesn't need more food.

Eating so little is likely to be unsustainable long term. You risk losing muscle mass along with fat, and if/when you increase your food intake back to 'normal' amounts, the weight will probably come back.

You do a lot of cardio so you need to eat accordingly. Eat your 1200 cals as a bare minimum. Log exercise and eat back those cals too.

shadow2soul

Problems with extremely low calorie intake (most of this stuff doesn't happen right away, but later down the road...its kind of like how some smokers end up with emphysema or lung cancer and some don't):

- Malnutrition

"Inadequate caloric intake can lead to malnutrition over time. According to MedlinePlus, malnutrition occurs when the diet does not allow the intake of a sufficient amount of nutrients. A diet with extremely low calories does not allow for adequate consumption of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the body needs to perform its daily life processes. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to various problems, including fatigue, impaired wound healing and extreme weight loss." *1*

- Slower Metabolism (takes a while, but does happen)

"Metabolism is the rate at which the body burns fuel for energy. The basal metabolic rate is the minimum number of calories necessary to perform daily basic functions such as breathing, growth, cellular repair and digestion, according to MayoClinic.com. When calories are restricted over a long period of time, the body will compensate by holding on to the few calories that are consumed. Instead of burning calories freely, the body will perform basic life processes more slowly to conserve fuel. This can actually lead to weight gain." *1*

- Physical Changes

"A decrease in caloric intake may cause positive physical changes at first, especially in individuals with extra weight to lose. However, an extreme decrease in caloric intake can cause negative physical changes over time. Once individuals lose excess weight, calorie restriction can cause various physical problems. The Calorie Restriction Society indicates that decreasing daily calories too much can lead to reduced bone mass, fatigue, sensitivity to cold temperatures and food obsession due to extreme hunger. The CRS recommends gradual calorie reduction over a period of at least six months to avoid some of the side effects of low caloric intake." *1*

-Side Effects:

"Let’s look at some of the uncomfortable side effects of very low calorie diets:

Dry mouth
Headache
Dizziness
Fatigue and weakness
Cold intolerance
Dry skin and nails
Menstrual irregularities in women
Hair loss
Constipation/diarrhoea
Irritability and confusion
Inability to concentrate
Muscle breakdown
Problems with nerve and muscle function due to an imbalance in minerals and electrolytes
Conditions such as osteoporosis, anaemia, gout, gallstones, clinical depression, heart problems, renal failure, and liver disease" *2*



References:
*1*
http://www.livestrong.com/article/277053-what-are-the-dangers-of-low-caloric-intake/
*2*
http://www.dietriffic.com/2009/05/14/very-low-calorie-diet/

cwolfman13

It aint good....if you truly are consuming that little, be prepared for some bad **** down the road...lots of muscle loss, hair falling out, etc. Your body does require a certain amount of energy (calories) just to function properly...you don't have to burn everything off with exercise. 1200 cals is also for a sedentary female...when you exercise you're supposed to eat more.

My guess is you're also doing a bunch of no fat/low fat bull****...stop it...you need dietary fat and you can easily bump your calorie intake up with a little fat.

wjstoj

Everybody is different, so you might be able to keep the minimal net calories going for a little while, but eventually you're going to end up passed out on the zumba floor...just saying

Mr_Knight

I'm actually usually in negative calories because I have to bike all over my college campus, I go to an hour long Zumba class Mondays and Wednesdays, and on the other days I go to the gym and do cardio and strength stuff.

If you are as active as that sounds, your body will complain loudly and vehemently if you don't give it enough fuel. My suggestion would be to take notes on your activity - ie, track your strength training by logging your bench press (or whatever it is you do). If you are not making regular progress - or if you stop making progress and start feeling draggy/tired - rethink your food intake.

Siansonea

Are you logging every morsel of food you eat each day? If not, you'll never know if you're doing something wrong. But I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine. "Starvation mode" is thrown around like it's some kind of Grim Reaper, ready to make you magically gain weight if you don't eat enough calories (never mind the laws of physics that are broken in that scenario). If you have enough energy to do the things you have to do, and you're losing weight, and your overall health is fine, don't worry about it. The first pounds are always the easiest, as you get closer to your goal weight, you'll find that the process slows down. That's normal. Just keep going, and keep tracking everything you eat as accurately as possible.

Using Fitness Frog, I calculate that your upper calorie limit should be 1592-1824, based on a TDEE using your info provided. Something tells me you're overestimating the number of calories you're burning through exercise, though. Honestly, I think MFPs tools make a simple issue more complex than it needs to be. Get your basic equation right, and you don't have to micromanage your exercise, which can lead to misleading numbers. But you should ALWAYS micromanage your food totals. That's the data keeping that really matters.

albertine58

In the first week it's very normal to lose more than 2 lbs because your body drops a LOT of water weight when you start restricting your calories. food holds POUNDS of water in your gut as it's being digested, carbs especially- like a big sponge! when you start eating less, over several days you'll excrete all the food you ate several days ago as well as all that water. So while a little of your loss has been fat, most has been water. From now on, you'll probably lose closer to 2 lbs/week. I agree that you need to eat more- it seems really weird that you can't eat a meal bar in one sitting. If I was hungry, I would scarf that thing and be looking for more.... also, lunch should have lots of veggies, not be a sugary processed bar! Can you pack a big salad or veggie-packed wrap for lunch? I do that every day, I'm a student- it takes 2 minutes to pack a salad with protein! I worry that you're not getting enough vitamins. Try to hit at least 6-7 servings of veggies a day!

If you're really having trouble hitting 1200 cals, eat more healthy fat! It's great for weight loss, hair, skin, etc. Add it to your strawberry salads- add some nuts, avocado, or a drizzle of olive oil. Consider making your own olive oil based dressing instead of the "lite" stuff. And while I do think you should indulge cravings if they hit, try making a healthier swap for cheez-its sometimes because those processed things aren't doing you any favors. Try snacking on nuts or air-popped popcorn with a little olive oil and parmesan cheese (use a brown paper lunch bag and make your own healthy microwave popcorn with plain kernels!)

geekyjock76

If you truly are netting that low amount, chronically, you might be losing your period pretty soon. Of course, additional health concerns may surface if you continue. It would be wise to eat enough so that your health isn't compromised in such a potentially significant manner.

Also, never rely on hunger cues when chronically adhering to a deficit.

richardheath

Eat more.

Why are you having low calories options like slim fast bars when you are trying to get more calories in? Have a real lunch! Don't have the "lite" salad dressing either.

Your snacks are also low cal. Try having something more calorie dense - something with protein and fat, rather than fat-free crackers. Eat nuts, avocado, cheese...

Plus - eat ice cream again! If you've burned 700 calories doing an hour of Zumba, and you are in negative numbers, a bowl of ice cream might be just what you need! You don't want to make this about deprivation. Cut out all the food you love, and you'll probably end up binging on them sooner or later. Learn now how to fit them in sensibly.

BeYouTiful94

So, I need to eat more to lose weigh? I guess that's the concept that I am struggling with. I feel bad eating stuff that I know is high in calories because I know I am trying to lose weight

geekyjock76

Fat loss doesn't have to be achieved by extreme measures and deficits. You simply just need to provide less energy than what your body needs to maintain itself relative to weight.

For example, I maintain on 2900 calories. I am presently reducing calories to reduce body fat. Because my actual maintenance amount is 2900, that means I can lose fat mass by eating 2600 calories - which would translate to approximately half a pound per week and is appropriate considering I am already very lean.

With that said, as long as you are eating below maintenance, you don't have to avoid any particular food.

BeYouTiful94

Ohh ... Okay.

And the maintenance you speak of is your BMR? Or what mfp says? Or something else?

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Siansonea

Are you logging every morsel of food you eat each day? If not, you'll never know if you're doing something wrong. But I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine. "Starvation mode" is thrown around like it's some kind of Grim Reaper, ready to make you magically gain weight if you don't eat enough calories (never mind the laws of physics that are broken in that scenario). If you have enough energy to do the things you have to do, and you're losing weight, and your overall health is fine, don't worry about it. The first pounds are always the easiest, as you get closer to your goal weight, you'll find that the process slows down. That's normal. Just keep going, and keep tracking everything you eat as accurately as possible.

Using Fitness Frog, I calculate that your upper calorie limit should be 1592-1824, based on a TDEE using your info provided. Something tells me you're overestimating the number of calories you're burning through exercise, though. Honestly, I think MFPs tools make a simple issue more complex than it needs to be. Get your basic equation right, and you don't have to micromanage your exercise, which can lead to misleading numbers. But you should ALWAYS micromanage your food totals. That's the data keeping that really matters.

Jesus.......this is some f'ing terrible advice. OP please don't do the above^^^^^^

Also, please do a search on here. You are not the first to post everything you said, exactly the way you said it. You are not unique or special. You will crash and burn if you continue like that.

Right back at you, chuckles.

cwolfman13

Ohh ... Okay.

And the maintenance you speak of is your BMR? Or what mfp says? Or something else?

maintenance is the total calories your body needs to maintain weight...For the average female, this is around 2,000 calories...for the average male, it is around 2,500 calories. Your BMR is the calories your body burns doing absolutely nothing except being alive...this is the vast majority of your daily burn...on average, BMR represents about 70% of the bodies calorie needs, more if you're sedentary. As an example, my total calories needed to maintain are 2,700...my BMR represents roughly 1,850 calories or 68% of my total calorie needs.

Your MFP calorie goal includes a weight loss deficit already and it is WITHOUT exercise. This is why you're supposed to log exercise and then eat back those calories (adjusted for estimation error). You don't have to exercise yourself to death to lose weight...weight is easily controlled through diet...some moderate exercise is good for you and allows you to eat a bit more.

AlyssamR6712

i am 4'11 and eat 1400-1600 calories a day. you need to up your daily goal. as far as meeting your calorie goal try eating 5-6 small meals a day that are 2-300 calories. if you do not eat ATLEAST 1200 calories a day your body will go into starvation mode. it will eat away at your muscle and store your fat because it doesn't know when it will be getting nutrients again. if you train your body to know it will be eating every 3-4 hours it will start burning off the fat. and by eating enough calories it will keep your muscle, not eat away at it.

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Siansonea

Are you logging every morsel of food you eat each day? If not, you'll never know if you're doing something wrong. But I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine. "Starvation mode" is thrown around like it's some kind of Grim Reaper, ready to make you magically gain weight if you don't eat enough calories (never mind the laws of physics that are broken in that scenario). If you have enough energy to do the things you have to do, and you're losing weight, and your overall health is fine, don't worry about it. The first pounds are always the easiest, as you get closer to your goal weight, you'll find that the process slows down. That's normal. Just keep going, and keep tracking everything you eat as accurately as possible.

Using Fitness Frog, I calculate that your upper calorie limit should be 1592-1824, based on a TDEE using your info provided. Something tells me you're overestimating the number of calories you're burning through exercise, though. Honestly, I think MFPs tools make a simple issue more complex than it needs to be. Get your basic equation right, and you don't have to micromanage your exercise, which can lead to misleading numbers. But you should ALWAYS micromanage your food totals. That's the data keeping that really matters.

Jesus.......this is some f'ing terrible advice. OP please don't do the above^^^^^^

Also, please do a search on here. You are not the first to post everything you said, exactly the way you said it. You are not unique or special. You will crash and burn if you continue like that.

Right back at you, chuckles.

Yea you chuckle but you advice is still terrible. You really need to watch the dumb things you tell people to do.

Well golly gee, MrBroDoYouEvenLift, if I'm doing things wrong, why am I losing weight steadily? Do I have a magic metabolism? Can I monetize that somehow?! :noway:

rockstar2b66

I agree, if you're doing that much cardio you should eat a bit more. Especially protein. In high school I wasn't eating meat and working out like crazy but it backfired. Because I was eating to little I eventually went into a consistent binge which led to the weight gain I had. Also, my hair was falling out! Try adding in more protein, meat with every meal. It's easy to add more calories with lean meats and definetly pick up a multi vitamin.

Unknown

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highervibes

While I agree that starvation mode is a myth for those who have fat to spare, eating less than your body needs to run itself is unsustainable in the long term. You probably have about 40-50lbs to lose and they will not come off at this rate for very long. I'd set myself up with a plan to see you through the next year or so. That is very unlikely going to be 1200 calories with your stats and activity levels. Use this calculator to help you pick a cut number http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ and don't worry about "eating back" calories. MFP exaggerates the burn on many activities.

BeYouTiful94

Thanks all for the advice. I'll take everything into account as I set foot on my journey back to 135-140.

Also, I honestly did not intend for a heated discussion to break loose from my post.

And, I have seen that there are other posts on this topic ... I kind of just wanted to ask my own questions specific to my story, I suppose. Sorry if that offended you.

Again, thanks all that had something valuable to say. I appreciate it

Mr_Knight

You are seriously telling someone it is ok to eat 600 calories in the day then exercise and burn 6-700 calories a day? You really think that's good advice? You really think that's wise of you?

What happens, almost immediately, if a person is actually doing that?

Since that isn't happening to the OP, then the OP isn't in fact doing what you describe above, and your criticism is unfounded.

tyediri

But that is what you said. You said to the OP " I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine" when she said "...my calorie intake each day still only reaches around 700-900???? And then, the days that I do Zumba, I burn 700 and some odd calories. Which will give me -100 to 200 calories."

So you were telling her that it was okay to continue what she is doing as long as she is losing weight and she doesn't feel hunger.

I agree that eveyone is different and works for one may not work for another though, but starving your body of so many calories is NOT a good thing, even if you don't feel hungry.

Are you logging every morsel of food you eat each day? If not, you'll never know if you're doing something wrong. But I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine. "Starvation mode" is thrown around like it's some kind of Grim Reaper, ready to make you magically gain weight if you don't eat enough calories (never mind the laws of physics that are broken in that scenario). If you have enough energy to do the things you have to do, and you're losing weight, and your overall health is fine, don't worry about it. The first pounds are always the easiest, as you get closer to your goal weight, you'll find that the process slows down. That's normal. Just keep going, and keep tracking everything you eat as accurately as possible.

Using Fitness Frog, I calculate that your upper calorie limit should be 1592-1824, based on a TDEE using your info provided. Something tells me you're overestimating the number of calories you're burning through exercise, though. Honestly, I think MFPs tools make a simple issue more complex than it needs to be. Get your basic equation right, and you don't have to micromanage your exercise, which can lead to misleading numbers. But you should ALWAYS micromanage your food totals. That's the data keeping that really matters.

Jesus.......this is some f'ing terrible advice. OP please don't do the above^^^^^^

Also, please do a search on here. You are not the first to post everything you said, exactly the way you said it. You are not unique or special. You will crash and burn if you continue like that.

Right back at you, chuckles.

Yea you chuckle but you advice is still terrible. You really need to watch the dumb things you tell people to do.

Well golly gee, MrBroDoYouEvenLift, if I'm doing things wrong, why am I losing weight steadily? Do I have a magic metabolism? Can I monetize that somehow?! :noway:

You are seriously telling someone it is ok to eat 600 calories in the day then exercise and burn 6-700 calories a day? You really think that's good advice? You really think that's wise of you?

Sure, but you net 0 calories you will lose weight but does that make it a good idea?

You can joke all you want and put all the emoticons up that you want. Your ignorance on stuff seeps through the monitor.

Oh, is that what you thought I was saying? No wonder you're in a snit. That's not what I was saying. Not sure how you arrived at that, but whatever. Get glad in the same pants you got mad in. Or don't. Here's another emoticon: :sad:

Siansonea

Thanks all for the advice. I'll take everything into account as I set foot on my journey back to 135-140.

Also, I honestly did not intend for a heated discussion to break loose from my post.

And, I have seen that there are other posts on this topic ... I kind of just wanted to ask my own questions specific to my story, I suppose. Sorry if that offended you.

Again, thanks all that had something valuable to say. I appreciate it

Don't worry about it. That dude just likes to crash into every thread and call people stupid. It's kinda his schtick.

Siansonea

But that is what you said. You said to the OP " I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine" when she said "...my calorie intake each day still only reaches around 700-900???? And then, the days that I do Zumba, I burn 700 and some odd calories. Which will give me -100 to 200 calories."

So you were telling her that it was okay to continue what she is doing as long as she is losing weight and she doesn't feel hunger.

I agree that eveyone is different and works for one may not work for another though, but starving your body of so many calories is NOT a good thing, even if you don't feel hungry.

Are you logging every morsel of food you eat each day? If not, you'll never know if you're doing something wrong. But I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine. "Starvation mode" is thrown around like it's some kind of Grim Reaper, ready to make you magically gain weight if you don't eat enough calories (never mind the laws of physics that are broken in that scenario). If you have enough energy to do the things you have to do, and you're losing weight, and your overall health is fine, don't worry about it. The first pounds are always the easiest, as you get closer to your goal weight, you'll find that the process slows down. That's normal. Just keep going, and keep tracking everything you eat as accurately as possible.

Using Fitness Frog, I calculate that your upper calorie limit should be 1592-1824, based on a TDEE using your info provided. Something tells me you're overestimating the number of calories you're burning through exercise, though. Honestly, I think MFPs tools make a simple issue more complex than it needs to be. Get your basic equation right, and you don't have to micromanage your exercise, which can lead to misleading numbers. But you should ALWAYS micromanage your food totals. That's the data keeping that really matters.

Jesus.......this is some f'ing terrible advice. OP please don't do the above^^^^^^

Also, please do a search on here. You are not the first to post everything you said, exactly the way you said it. You are not unique or special. You will crash and burn if you continue like that.

Right back at you, chuckles.

Yea you chuckle but you advice is still terrible. You really need to watch the dumb things you tell people to do.

Well golly gee, MrBroDoYouEvenLift, if I'm doing things wrong, why am I losing weight steadily? Do I have a magic metabolism? Can I monetize that somehow?! :noway:

You are seriously telling someone it is ok to eat 600 calories in the day then exercise and burn 6-700 calories a day? You really think that's good advice? You really think that's wise of you?

Sure, but you net 0 calories you will lose weight but does that make it a good idea?

You can joke all you want and put all the emoticons up that you want. Your ignorance on stuff seeps through the monitor.

Oh, is that what you thought I was saying? No wonder you're in a snit. That's not what I was saying. Not sure how you arrived at that, but whatever. Get glad in the same pants you got mad in. Or don't. Here's another emoticon: :sad:

Ah, so you and Mr Pectacular are tag-teaming me now, eh?

I also told her what her upper calorie limits should be, and that she should track her calories in and calories out accurately. I think once she does that, her numbers might look a leeetle bit different.

Quieau

OP, I wish I had the link to share with you, but I just saw a YouTube documentary about this woman who got surgery to lose weight and in her zeal to be successful, she cut to dangerously low calorie levels. She went from home to a nursing home to try and recover her health and ended up dying there ... of malnutrition. Even though she still had fat on her body, she was not ingesting enough calories and nutrients to maintain organ function. She just wanted to be compliant and lose weight so she could come home to her children!

I also knew a woman personally who dropped to the floor at her job as a teacher, months after a weight loss surgery. She died later that day, not from the surgery itself, but again because of malnutrition. It can take a very heavy and serious toll on the body and some simply don't survive it.

I'm still mid-journey and can't say how it will be at a lower weight, but I'm losing very effectively netting a minimum of 1500 a day and eating back most of my exercise calories, even if it means adding a spoonful of peanut butter or other calorie-dense nutrition. Take this very seriously. Give yourself and your body time to get there safely, or at the very least, take loads of supplements and make sure that your blood levels are closely monitored by a medical professional.

Best of luck to you! And don't let the drama deter you. :drinker:

tyediri

I am not tag teaming at all, just thought I'd point out why he thought that. Am not taking sides and it is not an attack on my part at all, I don't attack people on forums. Chill! lol

The reason I thought I'd speak out about the low calorie thing is because I was on 1200kcals for ages and I was fine, but I didn't do any crazy workouts then, maybe 40 minutes walking daily. I recently started Zumba, Aerobics and Body PUmp 3-4 days a week, and although I eat all my exercise calories back it made me feel tired and dizzy all the time, made me nearly faint at Zumba even though I wasn't hungry at all and was feeling quite full after my meals. So I have now manually changed my calories to 1400kcals and feel a lot better for it, and still losing. Have been reading up on this since, not purely with a weight loss view, but also a nutritional healthy point of view, so netting -100 to 200 was quite shocking!

But that is what you said. You said to the OP " I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine" when she said "...my calorie intake each day still only reaches around 700-900???? And then, the days that I do Zumba, I burn 700 and some odd calories. Which will give me -100 to 200 calories."

So you were telling her that it was okay to continue what she is doing as long as she is losing weight and she doesn't feel hunger.

I agree that eveyone is different and works for one may not work for another though, but starving your body of so many calories is NOT a good thing, even if you don't feel hungry.

Are you logging every morsel of food you eat each day? If not, you'll never know if you're doing something wrong. But I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine. "Starvation mode" is thrown around like it's some kind of Grim Reaper, ready to make you magically gain weight if you don't eat enough calories (never mind the laws of physics that are broken in that scenario). If you have enough energy to do the things you have to do, and you're losing weight, and your overall health is fine, don't worry about it. The first pounds are always the easiest, as you get closer to your goal weight, you'll find that the process slows down. That's normal. Just keep going, and keep tracking everything you eat as accurately as possible.

Using Fitness Frog, I calculate that your upper calorie limit should be 1592-1824, based on a TDEE using your info provided. Something tells me you're overestimating the number of calories you're burning through exercise, though. Honestly, I think MFPs tools make a simple issue more complex than it needs to be. Get your basic equation right, and you don't have to micromanage your exercise, which can lead to misleading numbers. But you should ALWAYS micromanage your food totals. That's the data keeping that really matters.

Jesus.......this is some f'ing terrible advice. OP please don't do the above^^^^^^

Also, please do a search on here. You are not the first to post everything you said, exactly the way you said it. You are not unique or special. You will crash and burn if you continue like that.

Right back at you, chuckles.

Yea you chuckle but you advice is still terrible. You really need to watch the dumb things you tell people to do.

Well golly gee, MrBroDoYouEvenLift, if I'm doing things wrong, why am I losing weight steadily? Do I have a magic metabolism? Can I monetize that somehow?! :noway:

You are seriously telling someone it is ok to eat 600 calories in the day then exercise and burn 6-700 calories a day? You really think that's good advice? You really think that's wise of you?

Sure, but you net 0 calories you will lose weight but does that make it a good idea?

You can joke all you want and put all the emoticons up that you want. Your ignorance on stuff seeps through the monitor.

Oh, is that what you thought I was saying? No wonder you're in a snit. That's not what I was saying. Not sure how you arrived at that, but whatever. Get glad in the same pants you got mad in. Or don't. Here's another emoticon: :sad:

Ah, so you and Mr Pectacular are tag-teaming me now, eh?

I also told her what her upper calorie limits should be, and that she should track her calories in and calories out accurately. I think once she does that, her numbers might look a leeetle bit different.

Siansonea

I am not tag teaming at all, just thought I'd point out why he thought that. Am not taking sides and it is not an attack on my part at all, I don't attack people on forums. Chill! lol

The reason I thought I'd speak out about the low calorie thing is because I was on 1200kcals for ages and I was fine, but I didn't do any crazy workouts then, maybe 40 minutes walking daily. I recently started Zumba, Aerobics and Body PUmp 3-4 days a week, and although I eat all my exercise calories back it made me feel tired and dizzy all the time, made me nearly faint at Zumba even though I wasn't hungry at all and was feeling quite full after my meals. So I have now manually changed my calories to 1400kcals and feel a lot better for it, and still losing. Have been reading up on this since, not purely with a weight loss view, but also a nutritional healthy point of view, so netting -100 to 200 was quite shocking!

But that is what you said. You said to the OP " I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine" when she said "...my calorie intake each day still only reaches around 700-900???? And then, the days that I do Zumba, I burn 700 and some odd calories. Which will give me -100 to 200 calories."

So you were telling her that it was okay to continue what she is doing as long as she is losing weight and she doesn't feel hunger.

I agree that eveyone is different and works for one may not work for another though, but starving your body of so many calories is NOT a good thing, even if you don't feel hungry.

Are you logging every morsel of food you eat each day? If not, you'll never know if you're doing something wrong. But I'll tell you, if you're losing weight, and you feel satisfied with the amount of food you're eating, you'll be fine. "Starvation mode" is thrown around like it's some kind of Grim Reaper, ready to make you magically gain weight if you don't eat enough calories (never mind the laws of physics that are broken in that scenario). If you have enough energy to do the things you have to do, and you're losing weight, and your overall health is fine, don't worry about it. The first pounds are always the easiest, as you get closer to your goal weight, you'll find that the process slows down. That's normal. Just keep going, and keep tracking everything you eat as accurately as possible.

Using Fitness Frog, I calculate that your upper calorie limit should be 1592-1824, based on a TDEE using your info provided. Something tells me you're overestimating the number of calories you're burning through exercise, though. Honestly, I think MFPs tools make a simple issue more complex than it needs to be. Get your basic equation right, and you don't have to micromanage your exercise, which can lead to misleading numbers. But you should ALWAYS micromanage your food totals. That's the data keeping that really matters.

Jesus.......this is some f'ing terrible advice. OP please don't do the above^^^^^^

Also, please do a search on here. You are not the first to post everything you said, exactly the way you said it. You are not unique or special. You will crash and burn if you continue like that.

Right back at you, chuckles.

Yea you chuckle but you advice is still terrible. You really need to watch the dumb things you tell people to do.

Well golly gee, MrBroDoYouEvenLift, if I'm doing things wrong, why am I losing weight steadily? Do I have a magic metabolism? Can I monetize that somehow?! :noway:

You are seriously telling someone it is ok to eat 600 calories in the day then exercise and burn 6-700 calories a day? You really think that's good advice? You really think that's wise of you?

Sure, but you net 0 calories you will lose weight but does that make it a good idea?

You can joke all you want and put all the emoticons up that you want. Your ignorance on stuff seeps through the monitor.

Oh, is that what you thought I was saying? No wonder you're in a snit. That's not what I was saying. Not sure how you arrived at that, but whatever. Get glad in the same pants you got mad in. Or don't. Here's another emoticon: :sad:

Ah, so you and Mr Pectacular are tag-teaming me now, eh?

I also told her what her upper calorie limits should be, and that she should track her calories in and calories out accurately. I think once she does that, her numbers might look a leeetle bit different.

Je suis trés froid. Ask anyone. :bigsmile:

I think we're not as far apart philosophically as it might seem at first glance. But whenever I'm presented with numbers like the OP's, my first thought is that their math is off. Because, well, people's math is usually off. If she was really netting the calories she says she's netting, she'd know it, for sure. And not in a good way. :sick: My first advice to anyone will always be to get their math right first—then we'll all know what we're really dealing with. :happy:

I think it's always tempting to undereat when you're dieting, to lose weight quicker or whatever, but I don't think that's sustainable for any length of time. I encourage the OP to find her numbers for real, and stay with her numbers. In case there's any confusion, I don't advocate eating a net total of less than 1200 calories per day, I hope that's sufficient clarification for everyone. :bigsmile: :drinker: