I under ate by 4000 calories

little_missnice2001

Hello all
I have a daily target of 1300 calories a day here and I'm following a diet plan.
I'm finding it difficult to eat close to my target per day and I'm regularly eating under 1000 calories per day
My question is this.
Will this slow my metabolism down and cause me weight loss problems? I'm not trying to est less just find when I'm logging I'm eating not many calories although I am consuming proper meals.

little_missnice2001

On and last week I ate nearly 4000 calories under target

2013sk

Don't eat UNDER your BMR!

db34fit69

Do you like Snickers? Have one or two of those if you can't meet your goal.

SnuggleSmacks

On and last week I ate nearly 4000 calories under target

With there only being 7 days in the week, and your goal being 1300 calories per day, you're saying that you only ate an average of 729 calories per day?

ETA: What do you consider a proper meal if you're eating just over 700 calories for the whole day?

gettingsexy94

Try drinking smoothies instead of just water Oh and add peanut butter to everything you eat (you know like for whatver you can) to increase calories, haha XD

KarenJanine

Eating so little you stand to lose a lot muscle mass. Over a long time this can cause a decreased metabolism as muscle is metabolically active tissue.

This means that your maintenance calories will be lower, meaning it will be easier to regain weight once you start eating properly again.

I've looked back a couple of days in your diary. A small plain jacket potato and some packet pasta and cheese sauce are not proper meals for a whole day. Together they may constitue one meal.

Seriously, it's not difficult to eat more. Put some butter on your jacket potato, eat an avocado, a handful of nuts, some full fat milk, cheddar cheese. Avoid anything with the words 'low fat', 'light', 'diet', 'Weight Watchers' on the label. These small changes can easily get you up to 1500 cals per day.

Shropshire1959

Maybe just up your portion size a little bit or add some good quality foods with higher energy density...


a bacon buttie sounds good to me, at least . and who doesn't like a bacon buttie?

Seriously don't under eat by that much . it's very naughty!!

butlersoft

I've looked at your diary and notice you also rarely eat breakfast..... that would help. Currently you are UNDEReating....

iamnotephemeral

From what I understand, under 1000 calories per day is definitely too little, and can compromise your weight loss as well as your overall health. Adult women should NEVER be eating under 1,200 calories a day, and even that is quite low. It can compromise your weight loss, because it could send your body into starvation mode, meaning your body will retain fat and burn fewer calories. And even if you're still losing weight, you are not losing it in a healthy way. At that few calories, it's unlikely you're getting the nutrition that you need.

I'd recommend Googling a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) calculator. It will give you your BMR (the amount of calories you burn just by existing each day). You should always eat that many calories each day (even if it's difficult!), and then achieve a calorie deficit through exercise.

One idea for increasing calorie intake is eating something like Luna bars.

SnuggleSmacks

If you find that you're not hungry and you just can't eat more, then drink it. Get a quality protein supplement or meal replacement shake and drink enough of it to reach your caloric goal.

amykr93

You say you are eating proper meals, but looking at your diary it's quite easy to tell you aren't.
You know you're not eating proper meals, and it seems like you are purposely trying to keep portion sizes small.

Increase portion sizes.

Brianne333

Less than 1200 a day is going to cause you health problems and cause you issues in losing weight, maintaining or being healthy. I'm genuinely not trying to be mean, only to answer honestly. It looks like you need help discovering what healthy meals look like and consist of. On top of not eating enough calories, your meals also seem to be nutritionally lacking.

If you are unable to do so on your own, see a doctor who can help you figure out some balanced meal ideas. If you want to be successful here, treating your body well and feeding it well is absolutely mandatory. Good luck, look for healthy foods and then eat until you get right up to your calorie limit every single day

corgicake

This is how people start fainting all over the place. There are more important things than breakneck pace weight loss. EAT.

neandermagnon

My question is this.
Will this slow my metabolism down and cause me weight loss problems?

Yes

in the short term, even if you're not generally feeling hungry on this amount of food, that's because your appetite can shut down, then suddenly come back with avengence, leading to binge eating. Another possibility (not everyone's body works exactly the same in this respect) is that you'll be constantly battling against hunger and the urge to overeat. Whichever way your body responds, the result tends to be getting locked into a cycle of undereating and rebound overeating, which leads to fat gain from the overeating (or even binge eating) that goes with this.

in the not quite so short term, there's a risk of losing lean body mass as your body metabolises your muscles to try to make it through the food shortage (as far as your body's concerned, that's the only reason why you wouldn't be eating enough) - this has two effects that the body finds desirable for surviving food shortages - 1. the muscle cells that were metabolised no longer need energy to keep them alive, so your basal metabolic rate is lowered, and 2. burning muscle cells means it doesn't have to burn as much fat.... trying to make your fat stores last as long as possible is your body's aim during a food shortage. If you consider that while this is going on, the person's likely to be in a cycle of excessive restriction and binge eating... during the excessive restriction phase the body's going to be burning muscle cells for energy and trying to minimise the amount of fat that's being burned, then in the overeating/binge eating phases, the body's going to store all the excess as fat.......... the result is the body fat percentage going up or staying the same, rather than going down.

What most people want when they diet is a lower body fat percentage, i.e. keeping the lean tissue and getting rid of some of the fat.... eating too little does not achieve this for the reasons I've outlined. What you need to do to lower your body fat percentage is 1. feed your body properly, the deficit for fat loss should be small. If you only have a little fat to lose (i.e.you're already in the healthy BMI range for your height or you're close to it), then your goal should be 0.5lb/week. If you have a lot to lose, then aim for 1-2lb a week max. Only if you've got hundreds of pounds to lose should you aim for faster weight loss than that (the more fat you have the easier it is to lose without losing muscle etc with it). You also need to do exercise that works the muscles hard, e..g weight lifting/strength training, plus ensure adequate protein intake. Changing your focus from scale weight to body fat percentage really helps to get everything into perspective and understand why things like strength training, eating properly, and only having a very small deficit is so important, and why undereating sabotages your progress so much.

little_missnice2001

I never have eaten breakfast Even before a diet I rarely eat before 12noon. Maybe it's something I should try and make a priority in the morning I just don't feel like I can stomach food that early in the morning.
I think over the last seven days ove had a salad lunch at least three times so don't think I'm not eating to unhealthily and I cook most of my hot meals from scratch which always include veg lean meats and sauces from scratch, yes I know I've had packet pasta a couple of times but generally speaking I do cook my own. I'm trying to steer clear of 'junk foods' like chocolate crisps and cakes. I try and weigh all my food as has been suggested on other forums but I think in some ways this has made me more strict as I think oh I could have 10 grams less of that and feel full still. I think maybe If I increase my portion sizes this will help
I'm one of those people that I could sit for a month and just eat rubbish all day long but I want to break that habit and create better habits I'm learning guys go easy I'm asking for help

little_missnice2001

Thankyou neandermagnon that makes a lot of sense and is helpful advise for me, I'm trying to find a happy medium between super healthy under eating and eating loads of crap. To just being generally healthy and not beating myself up for having a bad day so I have another 20 bad days.

EJOY1988

I know it can be easy to go under your calories, especially if your busy. But in all seriousness it looks like you need to be eating more, and just make sure you add some exercise in. You're not going to get anywhere but hurting yourself by under eating, even if you're not meaning to. I know, I personally did this for the longest time. When I upped my calories the pounds started falling off. Maybe add some more breakfast in, that would probably help quite a bit. If you eat eggs, for breakfast you could do an omelette which can up your calories drastically depending on what you put in it. Maybe an omelette with something like cheese, spinach and mushrooms, or other veggies, and ham, bacon, or turkey? Or even for something light a bowl of cereal and piece of fruit. And just add more to lunch or dinner. If you're not really hungry you could make a smoothie or shake. For some of your foods instead of getting low fat or fat free, go with regular as it generally has more calories in it since your calories are already low. Fat and sugar is not going to hurt you, your body needs it. Just don't overdue it with junk food. For snacks and even with your meals as well, you could do something with higher calories that wouldn't really 'require' you to consume more. i.e. add throughout your day some avacado, quinoa, make loaded fajitas/tacos/nachos, a loaded bake potato, fish/shell fish, nuts/seeds, olive oil, bananas/mangoes, fruits/dried fruits, granola added to yogurt, cheese/string cheese, whole grain bread with peanut butter/nutella, a bagel with cream cheese, peanut butter shake, or a salad with salad dressing, a pack of crackers, protein, cereal, or granola bar, frozen yogurt, etc. The list goes on and on.... There are lots of things you can add that are high in calories yet relatively healthy. Not implying that you are, but there is no need to go hungry just to lose weight. It's just a lose-lose situation when you do. From the looks of it, all in all you just need to consume more, and healthy & complete meals. Wishing you the best, and good luck!

SarahxApple

You don't have to eat breakfast to get enough calories not everyone eats breakfast and they don't all eat 750 calories a day. On the diet you have you will not be getting enough vitamins and minerals or Macros for your body to function properly, you will ultimately not just affect your metabolism but your immune system and health. Do you exercise, that may give your appetite a boost if you don't want to feel like you are forcing yourself to eat, to echo other people, go for healthy fats, to give you a calorie boost, you don't have to eat more just eat the right sort.

ukaryote

Don't eat UNDER your BMR!

Another command with absolutely no explanation to support it. This is very common.

Fact: if you eat less than the amount needed to maintain your weight, you will lose weight.

Fact: The "starvation effect" or whatever you want to call it, is overrated. It has been noted in clinical trials of your metabolism slowing down very slightly .when you eat many fewer calories. Slightly. These studies are based in military studies done shortly after WWII on healthy male volunteers who were subjected to starvation diets under close medical supervision.

Fact: If you cut your calories, you body will try to take energy from your muscles as well as your your fat cells. You can look at it as the fat cells being a savings account, and you body knows it will keep you alive when food is scarce. If you exercise, your muscles will try to build up. Therefore, when you take in fewer calories it helps to also exercise to reduce the loss of muscle mass.

Fact: Although general practice MDs are not traditionally well schooled in nutrition, it is an excellent idea to discuss your current situation and fitness plan with your doctor. They may refer you to a nutritionist. or other more knowledgeable professional.

Simply, you lose weight when you intake fewer calories than needed. You lose muscle mass unless you exercise, That goes for simply being sedentary and growing older.

It goes back to the same boring s***t you Mom told you, restated every day on MFP dozens of times because it WORKS - eat properly and exercise. Rinse. Repeat.

ukaryote

Yeah, 4000 calories under target may not be the best. for me, i would find it a very sudden change of habit, and I may go back to my bad ways. Setitng a target of 1 or 2 lb loss per week is great, unless you weight like 500 lbs in which case you should be talking to specialists.

One pound per week is APPROXIMATELY 500 calories less per day. If I was a healthy 20 yo male with a government suggested standard of 2300 calories to maintain my 160lbs, then a daily intake of 1800 cals should (not guaranteed) make me lose 1 lb per week. That is 3500 cals less per week.

I want to lose 2 lbs per week. so, I should drop to 1300 cals per day I will definitely feel less energy and now i should more closely monitor that I get the necessary daily protein, carbs, and fats

Now, let's say I go 4000 cals under my weekly target. That is 570 LESS per day. Now I am at 1300-570=730 cals per day. That 730 is damn few to maintain activities of daily living, like staying awake during commute at rush hour, or getting through laundry, cleaning, and repairing the lawnmower.

Anahita_Swims

try eating a yoghurt in the morning if its about time and stomaching it... you could like blend it up and put in fruit and stuff but that does take time and effort (cleaning the blender when you have to go out to work in the morning is bad) I struggle with eating enought calories too but your metabolish does start working till you put something in i think so if you dont have any food till lunch your not given your body a start till lunch oO im bad and explaining things but try yoghurt

freemystery

I never have eaten breakfast Even before a diet I rarely eat before 12noon. Maybe it's something I should try and make a priority in the morning I just don't feel like I can stomach food that early in the morning.
I think over the last seven days ove had a salad lunch at least three times so don't think I'm not eating to unhealthily and I cook most of my hot meals from scratch which always include veg lean meats and sauces from scratch, yes I know I've had packet pasta a couple of times but generally speaking I do cook my own. I'm trying to steer clear of 'junk foods' like chocolate crisps and cakes. I try and weigh all my food as has been suggested on other forums but I think in some ways this has made me more strict as I think oh I could have 10 grams less of that and feel full still. I think maybe If I increase my portion sizes this will help
I'm one of those people that I could sit for a month and just eat rubbish all day long but I want to break that habit and create better habits I'm learning guys go easy I'm asking for help

I wish you the best of luck and I'm going to assume that your intentions are sincere so let me clue you into a secret:

Low fat/ lean does not always equal healthy.
If you have trigger foods, sure avoid those but there's no reason to be quite so strict.

If you are under your cals you can probably switch to less lean cuts. And throw some bacon in the salad (or chorizo, chopped nuts, some cheese, whatever) This is not a zero sum game and I'm hearing that you are struggling to find the middle way between junk food and very low calorie items.

Another thing that I've learned from experience is for those of us with weight to lose or habits to break, success does not sit in our comfort zone. So this may be difficult. There, I said it. You might get hungry and have to just deal with that hunger. Or you might try to start eating breakfast, it might be uncomfortable until you adjust. You might have to cram more food into your face when you're not too keen on doing so. You might have to really work that self discipline because in life you are going to be faced with times you're expected to go all out; birthdays, thanksgiving, all you can eat buffets. Those tests are somewhere down the path and what you don't want is a loss of control binge-fest because you haven't dealt with how to control yourself around the foods you enjoy.

I mean this in the most encouraging way but there's no magic bullet and eating so far below what your body needs to stay functioning will undermine your progress. Accept that you will fall off the wagon a few times and when you do, you'll climb right back on. Accept that you'll find some days easier than others. This shouldn't be an all-or-nothing approach because life is lived in that grey area in between.

I'm sure you'll make it work for you and you're doing great. Don't let the little details derail your path towards those long term goals. If you need help there are many of us here who would be more than happy to add you as a weight loss buddy.

Good luck!

Bounce4

You can google 1200 calorie diet and get some meal plans or speak with a nutritionist or dietitian to get personalized help in setting up 1200 calorie meal plans that work with your taste and life. Plan them out a week in advance and then go shopping so you have the food.. The pre-planning works wonders for hitting calorie and nutritional goals.

Everyone has a one off day where they are busy or not feeling well and they under eat but if after planning them out you find you are unable to eat that amount of food talk to your doctor.

SEAFOODMAN

everyone says you must eat 1200 calories.....................all the sites say you must eat 1200........................well wheres the proof
no facts on this
I suggest calculate your rmr and keep it under that by a couple hundread.

_lyndseybrooke_

Your overall weight loss goal is 50 lbs. How did you gain 50 lbs if you aren't able to eat at least 1000 calories per day? It's an excuse. Eat!

sunitar292

Try eating breakfast.....

Graelwyn75

everyone says you must eat 1200 calories.....................all the sites say you must eat 1200........................well wheres the proof
no facts on this
I suggest calculate your rmr and keep it under that by a couple hundread.

Totally irresponsible advice.

_lyndseybrooke_

everyone says you must eat 1200 calories.....................all the sites say you must eat 1200........................well wheres the proof
no facts on this
I suggest calculate your rmr and keep it under that by a couple hundread.

Oh, and OP, whatever you do, don't listen to this guy.

Eat a couple hundred calories under your BMR? Wtf?

ETA: Graelwyn75 beat me to it!

ksy1969

everyone says you must eat 1200 calories.....................all the sites say you must eat 1200........................well wheres the proof
no facts on this
I suggest calculate your rmr and keep it under that by a couple hundread.

WTH!!!!!! You need to get your terminology straight before you post this crap.

OP do not listen to this guy. You never want to eat under your RMR or BMR. You want to eat under your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). This is the number of calories you use throughout the day that include basic functions plus activity. What this poster suggested is you eat below the absolute minimum to keep your body functioning.

PJPrimrose

Snacks. If you can't eat a bunch in one sitting have snacks!