Can eating too little calories stop you loosing weight?

sas6575

Hi everyone,
I've been eating between 400 & 500 calories every day as well as walking at a fast speed for 40 minutes a day yet I have only lost a couple of pounds - am I not eating enough?

Amarillo_NDN

yes it can. Your body will go into starvation mode and save as much fat as it can to survive.

bkthomas2004

It's normally recommended that people eat at least 1200 calories a day. If you log your food it will tell you once you submit your entry for the day. Also, in the Goals section, once you set up your current weight and how much you'd like to weigh it will tell you how many calories per day you should eat and it will adjust as you lose weight.

Alita2011

Please read

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

arsenal45

I have never heard of anyone limiting themselves to 400-500 calories a day. Sounds dangerous.

lisabee123

WOW that is totally not enough calories. I have been working out with a trainer for the last year and this is what she says. " If you drop down past 1000 calories your body will start going into starvation mode and hold on to everything you have and it will start effecting your muscle." I think you should use the calculator on MFP and see what it says, I bet it will be around 1200-1300. That is what I try to stay at but I DO NOT add my calories that I burn off to my food consumption unless I am going out to eat and treat myself. Hope this helps and good luck.

gnrshelton

Yes eating to few calories puts your body into starvation mode. The longer you do it the harder it will be to start losing again. Eat at least 1200 calories. Did you put your info in to set your goal? Do that and it will be fairly accurate.

Azdak

Technically, it won't "stop" you, but it will definitely slow things down and will have other negative effects. It's not a positive or successful strategy--it has a98+% failure rate.

You need to take a step back and plan this out a little better. Start with the MFP calculator to get a good idea of what your daily calorie intake should be and start keeping a food diary.

Spend some time on these message boards and get some additional information, or ask more specific questions in the forums. Some topics have "permanent" topics that might have more background information.

Your walking is fine -- it's good enough to keep you going while you get yourself organized.

I applaud your effort to get started on a program--just take some time here to get some more information--it will help you be more successful in the long run.

IngeS18

Yes, it will! When your body doesn't receive the nutrition it needs it will go cannibalistic (very exaggerated lol) and feed on you instead. For instance, it will consume most of your muscles as they contain a lot of nutrition and it will stock up on everything it gets. So instead of losing weight your body will hold on to everything and not lose anything.

Stick to the goal MFP gives you, it's still less than your caloric needs, but a healthy amount less. Stick to it!

ErinMarie25

That's a ridiculously small amount of calories to eat every day. Your body will start to store fat instead of burning it off because it needs energy. You need at least 1200.

tami4au

Not healthy at all! Our bodies need food for fuel! Unfortunatley too many people believe that food is the enemy, but it is not because we need food to operate. What is the enemy are the types of foods eaten, the amounts consumed and not enough exercise. Eating a healthy diet that includes vegetables, fruits, lean meats and good carbs and regular exercise will greatly help you to your weigth loss goals. 400-500 calories a day will also set you up for failure later on because you can not mantain such a restrictive diet and will regain what you do lose.

AmandaR910

I agree. I would the calories to what MFP says and keep up the exercise. I bet you'll see results faster, and you will definitely be healthier and more likely to maintain the weight loss if you do it in a healthy way. Good luck!

CroakerNorge

What they said. Ick. Why would you deprive yourself of essential vitamins, nutrients, and fuel?
There's absolutely no way I could sustain myself on such a calorie-low menu plan.

Also, starvation mode is a myth for purposes of a western diet.
It would take months of malnutrition (though it seems like your on the right path for that) to experieince
what most dieters think of as starvation mode.

Mirabilis

Could you -really- see yourself eating 500 cal per day for the rest of your life?

This process is all about changing bad habits for good ones. Be sensible and take it slow. The weight comes off.

"Starvation mode" is a misnomer. It would be far better if we could call it "conservation mode", like the power saving mode on your computer. It's a better term and it covers both food and drink, because yes, you can also stop losing weight if you're not drinking enough water every day (min. 8 cups per day) or if you don't get enough sleep (so it covers that too!).

ginastnly

WOW- why would you be only eating 500 calories a day? You need to be eating a minimum of 1200 calories a day. It is not healthy to be eating so little and your body is in starvation mode. You need to bump up those calories to a min of 1200. Good luck

free2bjoy

I personally have lost 12 pounds in 2.5 weeks by limiting my calories to between 600-1000 calories. Based on previous replies, I suppose I must be one of the lucky ones. I alternate calorie intake each day, so one day it's really low, around 600, and the next day, it is at least 1,000. My body hasn't gone into starvation mode and the weight has dropped right off. I will say that I don't expect this rate of weight lose to continue and I will be adjusting my calorie intake to 1200 calories a day for about 3 weeks and then I'll go back to the 600-1000 for 3 weeks. I take vitamins, drink lots and lots of water, and do moderate exercise in the morning. You can't expect to exercise too much on such a low calorie diet because your body just doesn't have the fuel for it. It also helps to have most of your calories in the morning to give you energy for the day. Eat the least in the evening.

Bamacraft

Thats dangerously low. Your metabolism will slow to a crawl and once you see no weight loss you may (probably will) throw in the towel and binge, eventually gaining weight. Remember that calories are not your enemy. They are a vital part of a healthy life and you need a certain amount of calories just to sustain proper function and normal day to day functions. Cutting too many calories has some potential hazards such as the following: Abnormally low blood pressure and slow heart rate Heart rhythm abnormalities, Electrolyte imbalances, especially potassium deficiency, Gallstones, Hair loss, Brittle fingernails, Loss of menstrual periods in women, Soft hair growth over entire body, Dizziness, Trouble concentrating, Anemia, Swelling in your joints, Brittle bones, Depression.

Plenty of good resources here. Explore some of the many topics on this and educate yourself. If you get confused or need help understanding, there are plenty of folks here to help.

LareishaH

Now I have a hard time eating my 1200 allotted daily calories, but I definitely think that you should be eating way more than 500 calories per day. Is your diary public? I would love to see how you manage to get by on so few calories. Actually, sometimes I wonder if my body is in starvation mode, but IDK.

tesha30

you are not eating enough. Eat the calories that MFP has set up for you. Atleast 1200. And if your burning the small amount of calories that you consume.. what exactly are you giving your body to survive on? You have to eat more. 3 meals per day and a healthy snack atleast!

CroakerNorge

Honestly, I don't understand what the rush is and why someone would choose such an unsustainable, in the long term, diet plan.
I realize it's MY preference, but I'm all about slow & sustainable losses; who wants excessive sagging skin? who wants to cause internal organ damage? who wants to feel deprived? who wants to eat like that the rest of their lives.?

I didn't gain my weight overnight, I'm not going to lose it over night either.
BUT, that's just me.

nicoleg98

I am not a DR, however I do agree with most of the replys on here in that 500 cal a day is not a healthy way to loose weight! I eat 5 times a day and still am in between 1000-1200 cal a day, im trying to get to the 1200 mark and eating so much im just not hungry. I usually eat oatmeal and fruit in the morning, mid snack a protein shake, lunch lean chicken with salad ,some type of apple/protien bar/somthing small but for snack at around 2pm, and then dinner about 6pm lean meat/fish with whole grain rice/noodle with a veggie and im full through out the day and still under 1200 cal a day. Most of my meals I have 1 cup of everything (my pulstry i have 3 ounces or so if chopped) the MFP calorie counter is AMAZING!!!! Good luck to you!!!

gambitsgurl

How have you not passed out?

I limited myself to 900 calories a day for a couple of months and walked 3-6 miles a day and lost 18 pounds. THEN I hit the wall. I haven't lost in a month and now am readjusting to the 1200.

sas6575

Thank you everyone that replied, it has literally given me the kick up the rear I needed! I am now climbing up to the 1200 calorie mark and still walking 3 miles a day 5 days a week. I have had a bout of severe exhaustion this week - I think I've changed my mind set and attitude to food in the nick of time!
Thanks again, I sincerely mean that xx

nicjane113

This is a hazy subject. It's not as simple as eating under 1200 calories will stop you losing weight.
We can see the effects of anorexia sufferers, they obviously deprive their bodies of calories and end up skin and bone so that hasn't stopped them losing weight. However, the medical problems that come with anorexia and other eating disorders shows that depriving our bodies of what they need is dangerous and not worth it!

We are all different so the amount of calories I need may not be the same as you. 400 calories does seem very low though! I can eat that in one meal, nevermind one day! The question is, are you hungry? If you're hungry then it isn't a healthy way to be living.

My aim is 1200 calories per day. Some days I can be under by 150 to 200 calories, other days I can be over. For me, I try to balance it out through the week.

Losing weight should be about changing your eating habits permanantly, not depriving your body of calories to get a quick fix to weight loss. As soon as you start eating more, the weight will return!

The way I see it, if we burn more calories than we consume, we should lose weight! So keep yourself active

ErinMarie25

I'd never be able to eat so little calories. I used to have that mindset when I started in June and barely ate anything at all, even. Doing that eventually will just mess you up, plus you can start binging really bad. One way that has kept me sane and keeping my lifestyle change, is being able to eat 5 meals a day. I barely crave anything bad and I am satisfied.