Is eating 800 calories okay?
Replies
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No no. I'm not eating 800 calories everyday. I'm just seeing if its okay to do every so often, like once a month or something.
Doing so once in a while will not kill you or send you into starvation mode. But it's not recommended to get into that habit either.
There is no starvation mode. Please stop.0 -
I think even 1200 is too low for most people (except medical issues, very old, dwarfism etc.)
Have a look at this http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/310489-the-reason-why-starving-yourself-will-not-work0 -
In fact, I'd like to eat more, but I'm trying to only eat when I'm hungry, otherwise I tend to graze all day, or eat too much.
Trading one kind of disordered eating habit for another kind of disordered eating habit isn't the best plan. It can be a slippery slope. Why not eat a healthy amount which will still allow you to lose weight, without demonizing any specific food groups? If you can "just eat about 800 calories once in awhile" to control eating, then you should be able to learn "just eat about 1500 calories every day" to control eating.0 -
I am eating 1400 to 1500 calories a day and losing a lot more than a 1lb a week , but it will depend how much weight you need to lose if any at all. Just eat sensibly and eat the type of food you like. I think eating only 800 is unhealthy even short term. I hope you get on ok . Good luck
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I'm gonna suggest something different. Do you know your body fat percentage? At your weight and height, if you don't have much muscle, I can see why you think you need to lose 20 more pounds. But MY GUESS is that what you really need to do is lose maybe 5 more pounds, BUT decrease your body fat percentage. If you lower your BF%, I think you'll be much happier with your body.
It's all just an estimate. And the different ways to measure body fat percentage will all give you a different answer. But there's online calculators like this one http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator
It's just a place to start. And I'm just guessing.0 -
I've just been eating the amount MFP suggested for one pound weight loss a week, and I'm also not sure how accurate my BMR is, considering I did this online.
And, I'd let to clarify a bit on my question. I want to know if eating 100-300 calories less than 1200 every so often is harmful. I don't do this on purpose, but sometimes it happens. In fact, I'd like to eat more, but I'm trying to only eat when I'm hungry, otherwise I tend to graze all day, or eat too much.
I used to do metabolic testing in a hospital, and the online calculators are very good. That's why an equation is out there for people to use--it's been tested and tested and found to be on track for 98+% of the population. So you need to eat, at the very least, your BMR. Otherwise, stuff like hair loss starts to occur. Are you trying to be skinny AND bald?0 -
800 calories. .. For dinner right? Right? No?
more than 800 calories for a single meal is too much.
should be between 600 and 8000 -
Is eating 800 calories okay?
In one meal, yes. In a day, no.0 -
for the TL;DR crowd...
per day? NO.0 -
NO0
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MFP didn't "suggest" you eat 1200 calories a day. It's basic math. You said you want to lose 1 pound per week. To do that, you need to eat 500 calories less per day than what your body would need to maintain your weight. MFP took what it estimates your daily maintenance calories to be (based on factors you tell it, like activity level) and subtracts 500. It doesn't do anything more than that. It won't recommend going below 1200, so if the basic math would put you below that, it'll simply suggest 1200. That doesn't mean 1200 is the magical number you should eat, though. Weight loss isn't linear, and our bodies are very good at adapting to our stupid decisions.I've just been eating the amount MFP suggested for one pound weight loss a week, and I'm also not sure how accurate my BMR is, considering I did this online.
So if your TDEE is truly 1800, eating 1200 is a 600 calorie deficit.0 -
If you are 5'6 and 140 pounds there is NO reason you should be losing 1 pound a week.
1,200 is too few calories, and 800 is damaging and ridiculous.0 -
I do it once or twice or twice a week usually. Not intentionally, it's just the way it works out some days. Sometimes you eat your fill of healthy options and when you add it all up, you're only at around 800 cals and don't feel like anything else. I don't worry too much because the next day, I know I have the option to add that extra couple of hundred calories I saved the day before to the menu if I feel like I need or want it the next day.
Like you, I'm trying not to eat when I'm just not hungry. That said, if I'm really under calories for the day and not up to eating (admittedly, I'd have to be sick for that to happen), I'll eat a handful of nuts or something.0 -
NO! Going below 1200 is dangerous and you should NEVER do it. For you, 1200 is still too low. I don't think it's a good idea to eat below your BMR. If your TDEE is 1800, I'd eat 1500 per day. That's about an 18% deficit, which would be somewhere between .5 and 1 lb per week. Slow and steady is best!
How hungry you feel is not always a good indication of what your body needs. It doesn't matter if you've eaten 800 calories and you don't "feel like" eating anything else - do it anyway because your body needs it!0 -
800 calories. .. For dinner right? Right? No?
more than 800 calories for a single meal is too much.
should be between 600 and 800
Yea, seems legit.0 -
Every so often isn't going to hurt you. Every other day could.
Check out the 5:2 plan if you want to do intermittent fasting. Lots of research behind it and it's good to fast a couple of times a week.0 -
Eating 800 calories is great. Just do it twice every day and you're golden.0
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I'm 5'6 and currently 140 pounds. So I'm just barely at a healthy weight. My general goal is 120 pounds. And my calorie intake is not constant, as sometimes I eat 100-300 less or 100-300 more. And I'm beginning to try to incorporate exercise, mainly running and bicycling and some home strength workouts. The problem is I'm not fit, which is one of my main goals of weight loss. Anything else?
You really don't have enough to lose to be looking at more than 1/2 to 1 pound per week.
the Scooby Calculator is quite good - cutting 20% from your TDEE (1531 is you are sedentary no/little exercise based on your numbers) would give you 1225 calories and a loss of 31.9 pounds per year (obviously this muber cvhanges as you drop weight and add exercise )
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
So stick with the 1200 and if you are exercising eat more. Make sure you are accurate on the calories you eat by weighing all solids and measuring all liquids (this includes any packaged foods because they can be off in the posted serving size # up to 20% - the bread i eat says 54 grams but i've had 40-60 when i weigh for instance, and my yogurt 125grams is less than a measured 1/2 cup - every time )
Because the measuring of exercise calories is less than accurate without at least a heart rate monitor just eat back 1/2 - 3/4 of the calories - or if you are regularly active at a certain level then just figure it into your TDEE and don't eat exercise calories0 -
800 calories. .. For dinner right? Right? No?
more than 800 calories for a single meal is too much.
should be between 600 and 800
Bull crap.0 -
NO! Going below 1200 is dangerous and you should NEVER do it. For you, 1200 is still too low. I don't think it's a good idea to eat below your BMR. If your TDEE is 1800, I'd eat 1500 per day. That's about an 18% deficit, which would be somewhere between .5 and 1 lb per week. Slow and steady is best!
How hungry you feel is not always a good indication of what your body needs. It doesn't matter if you've eaten 800 calories and you don't "feel like" eating anything else - do it anyway because your body needs it!
No, going below 1200 is not dangerous. STAYING below 1200 for a long period of time can have a negative impact.
Nothing wrong with an occasional day of really low calories. I did it yesterday. About once every 2 weeks or so I have a day with no intake whatsoever. In fact fasting can raise your resting metabolic rate by up to 20%0 -
Upto you isn't it really, if you want to eat 800cals then good luck to you and once you hit goal weight good luck maintaining it's not easy believe me.0
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800 calories for lunch is totally acceptable.0
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Totally agree and you really need to look at why you are eating 1200 calories when you shouldn't be going below 1500, yes, you will lose weight even at 1500 and doing it much healthier.If your BMR is 1500, why are you eating 1200 a day???
However, leaving aside the question of how you reached your daily calories figure, I don't think eating 100 - 300 under that goal, from time to time, not constantly, is an issue.0 -
800 calories a day is fine. FOR BREAKFAST.
Eat MOARRRR food.0 -
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Agree. :ohwell:0 -
Those are the days you supplement with wine, honey.0
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Those are the days you supplement with wine, honey.
^ Just won the thread.0 -
800 calories is totally fine--for a meal please eat more. you have to eat more to lose....i'm not an expert but there are definite nutrition and fitness experts on here and i'd listen carefully to them. 0
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^i didn't realize just how large the pro-ana subset is on MFP. i just surfed around...and saw so many bones...*shudder*. it scared me. truly.0
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