can you gain by not eating enough?

kelhar
kelhar Posts: 7
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Is it possible to gain weight if you don't eat enough calories every day? I know I don't want to starve my body. I have been experiencing some hunger over the past week (this is my first week so far) because I have been really trying (and succeeding for the most part) at staying under 1200 calories a day. I figured that was normal. I don't know if I eat more on the days that I exercise - I haven't checked that. I don't know exactly how accurate my calorie count really is. I sort of go by it as a guide. It's not that I don't record everything I eat, it's just that sometimes I can't find what it is that I ate so I go with something that I think is close. If there are several choices I'll go with the calories in the middle instead of the most or the least.

Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Yes if you dont eat enough (above around 1200 cals) your body doesnt have nutrition and it starts storing any nutrients it gets as fat for storage
  • kelhar
    kelhar Posts: 7
    Note to self: Always read "newbie" related stuff first. Those posts at the top are awesome!

    Note to others - I'm still happy to hear what you all have to say since the "newbie" post is just from one person.

    Thanks for everyone who replies so diligently!
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    Yep. As a former anorexic...it can take months of eating VLCD and not losing anything but actually gaining because your body stores everything it consumes.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    I'm not sure you can actually GAIN weight in terms of gaining fat by eating a very low calorie diet. Can't make something out of nothing and there are limits to how low your metabolism can slow. But you can certainly not lose any weight or lose much more slowly than you expect by not eating enough. And with your metabolism being slow, your body can certainly gain fat as soon as you do eat more.

    But you could be not losing fat and then your weight can fluctuate up for many reasons (water retention, for example).
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    Yes stick to your 1200 calories a day, when you workout you need to eat more... "workout calories" is what they are reffered to on here. You'll find that when you enter in your food, then enter in your workout's your daily allowance in calories goes up. You are allowed to eat those "workout calories", depending on you and how your eeling, somedays I eat some of them, somedays I don't There are many many different opinions on wether or not you should or shouldn't eat them but if your still hungry I say eat them, you don't want your body going into starvation mode. Always keep in mind everyone's bodies are different, what works for one person may not work for you.. it takes a little bit of adjustiment to certain things in the first few weeks to figure out what work's best for you. I've tried all kinds of things and have it down pretty well now and am 3 months in, you'll learn as you go.:smile: Also try eating foods that are high in protein, helps with hunger and also is a benefit when working out, helps repair muscles and you'll find the day's you workout the hungrier you'll be... My favorite "after workout snacks" are things such as, Celery with a tablespoon of Reduced fat Peanut Butter, Banana with a tablespoon of Reduced fat Peanut Butter and Yogart with Strawberries/ Blueberries/Banana and/or Granola!!!! Hope that helps a little!!:flowerforyou: Good Luck!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I think what happens, at least for me, was that I would not eat and not eat and not eat....and then BINGE (when I couldn't take not eating anymore). Well, your body can only use X amount of calories in a given period,....AND since I'd been depriving it severely for long periods, it STORED all of that excess as FAT :mad: So, very slowly, I gained weight. I may have lost some in between, but not enough to offset the insane fat storage my body would do whenever I gave it a calorie (or three).
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    Yes if you dont eat enough (above around 1200 cals) your body doesnt have nutrition and it starts storing any nutrients it gets as fat for storage

    In that case, how does the body gets its energy for surviving and moving about if it is storing it all? What is it using for energy?

    Just wondering.......
  • Skinnytime
    Skinnytime Posts: 279
    Oh Lotus - don't go there!
    For me, down 17 pounds in a month eating a vlcd is just fine. It's not fine for everyone.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    Oh Lotus - don't go there!
    For me, down 17 pounds in a month eating a vlcd is just fine. It's not fine for everyone.

    Eh?? I am not debating vlcd though

    I am serious, if you can gain by not eating enough, what exactly is it that the body uses for energy, for things like moving around and surviving and stuff? I do not believe, you see, that you can actually GAIN weight by not eating enough, it twists physics........

    Don't tell me not to go there, because both me and many others are dying to know the answer to this....... so I repeat, what is used for energy if the body is storing it for future use?
  • Skinnytime
    Skinnytime Posts: 279
    You do know I was just kidding, right? I have not exactly been silent in my opinion of the myth of starvation mode myself. It's just a topic that goes round and round.
  • megsta21
    megsta21 Posts: 506 Member
    This is my Fave post! =)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

    Opened my eyes!!!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    If you've ever truly deprived your body, you'll know that you don't have much energy at all. You drag around, fall asleep randomly, and generally feel like death warmed over. Every day is a battle to put one foot in front of the other. Until you've done it, you have no idea how it feels.

    Actually eating MORE, eating ENOUGH, is like friggin night and day in your energy levels.
  • Skinnytime
    Skinnytime Posts: 279
    Would depriving your body include eating only 500 calories a day and exercising three days a week? If so, then yes, for the past 30 days I have experienced this "deprivation". I am not dragging. I have better energy than I did on 3,000 calories a day. My point is that if your calories are coming from whole and natural sources, where every single calorie is nutrient dense and your body can use it, then you don't need more. I am getting 60 - 70 grams of protein a day, fresh fruits and veggies and I feel great - on 500 calories. I am also supplementing with homeopathic hcg, but who knows if that really does anything?
    I will soon move into maintenance of 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day. I will not eat one "exercise" calorie. I will make sure that every piece of food that enters my body is something my body can use right away - not store for later.
    Organic, natural, unprocessed, raw when possible - these are the things that help one stay slim - not fulfilling a certain number of calories with empty nutrition just to say that you ate all your calories.
    Sorry, but this is something I have always felt very strongly about, and my experimentation with the vlcd has proved to me that it's the quality of your nutrition, not the quantity that really makes a difference.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    You do know I was just kidding, right? I have not exactly been silent in my opinion of the myth of starvation mode myself. It's just a topic that goes round and round.

    xxx

    I thought you were going to batter me with a concrete slab :laugh: - no I am just kidding :flowerforyou:

    You are correct, totally, regarding the topic going round and round by the way.
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