Must I starve to lose?

bajoyba

I think you should read the links that have been posted in this thread and find out how many calories your body requires to maintain itself and what you can eat to lose weight. 1700 calories may be a very reasonable amount for your body and your goals, but, depending on your activity level and other factors, you may be able to eat more and still lose. I agree with the others that 1700 calories is by no means starving, but if it's a drastic cut from what you're used to eating, it may be difficult to adjust to.

If you know how many calories you generally eat when you're not trying to lose weight, you can try eating that amount for awhile and gradually lowering it to a reasonable calorie deficit rather than dropping it suddenly and all at once. I can't see your food diary, so I don't know what you're logging on a daily basis, but the foods you list on your profile sound like they make up a pretty balanced diet. The key to comfortably and happily eating at a deficit is to eat smarter, not smaller. I eat all the foods I've always enjoyed, but I watch my macros and tend to beef up my meals with high-volume, low calorie veggies. It may just take a little bit of trial and error to make your normal eating habits fit a lower calorie goal.

LMarie00

Can you not just exercise more and eat more calories? I am currently new to MFP eating 1700 a day and will eat more on days I work out, sometimes I am struggling to eat all the cals I need too in a day, but have lost the weight I wanted too in the last 3 weeks.

I want to lose a pound a week, if you lose slow it seems you can eat more.

I have to say I have a lifetime of dieting, binging and eating disorders, Sure you lose weight on 1200 cals eventually but for me it had consequences and it never lasts. Infact I lost weight far slower on low cal diets

swade444

I used to feel the same way but realized that the more you work out, you get added extra calories to eat for the day. I got a FIT BIT and it links up to this program. It automatically synchs with this program and just by everyday activity, on top of intentional excercise, you get added extra calories to help you through the day. That's the only thing that's saved me many days.

nxd10

Why don't you start by logging what you're eating now for a week. Then look for the big calorie items that you don't care about and eat less of them. Then see where you are.

For me, I dropped my big glass of milk (300 calories), cheese (200 calories) and 2 slices per day (200 calories) I ate most days. That put me well within my 1370 calorie allowance.

But yes, if you're going to lose weight, you're going to need to change what you eat. That's how it works.

Sebismom

If by "starve" you mean feeling the sensation of hunger, then yes most likely you will feel hungry as you lose weight. It sounds as if you have been overweight for a while now. Your body has a set point determined by your lifestyle (and genes, but that's a topic for another day). Why not keep a food diary to determine how much you are eating, and calculate your current calorie intake? Once you figure that out you can determine how much to cut. You did not gain those 60 pounds overnight, so lose them in a way that is manageable and sustainable. If that means losing more slowly, and cutting down your calorie intake more slowly, then so be it.

MelaniaMadison

by starve I mean: very weak, dizzy, low energy, cant get off the couch... I dont mean hunger pangs. I mean literally the feeling of starvation. And yes, Im aware that Im overweight & that my body "should" understand it can use my fat as energy.

And Ive had a full physical and all my bloodwork is normal.

And yes, Ive had my BF% tested multiple times by trained professionals who have all remarked that I have a lot of lean muscle.

karlospiklington

Personally I don't think you should ever have to feel hunger or suffer to lose weight. If you feel bad during the process then where is your incentive to continue it as a lifestyle change? These calculators are a rough guide but clearly they don't take into account people with a lot of lean muscle; much like the BMI calculators that would put most athletes in the obese category.

I don't know how tall you are, but as a 6ft woman I started off eating 1800 calories and lost 1lb a week. I didn't feel hungry or deprived. After losing 44lbs my calorie limit went down to 1610. That was fine until I began doing harder workouts and strength training. As time went on I found I was eating over by 200 - 500 calories daily and still losing that 1lb every week. Currently I'm eating around the 2000 mark and I never feel hungry or have absolutely no energy as you mention. The weight is still coming off, slowly but surely.

Try eating at 2000 for a few weeks and see how you feel. If you still feel hungry up it a couple of hundred and see if the scale moves. Depending on your daily activity level, job and workouts you may be able to eat more and still lose weight. You definitely do not have to starve to lose weight!

Alex_murphyy

I think you just need to reprogram your mind. Drink more water and eat less. Youre dieting. Changing how your habits and what your body has gotten used too. If youre interested in loosing weight, you will have to have a couple weeks where you might feel hungry but eventually as your body adapts to loosing weight and the calories youre taking in you wont feel hungry. The first couple of weeks are the hardest but if you want to loose weight, some days are going to be hard and your gonna be hungry. Its not always going to be easy. If dieting was easy, people wouldnt struggle so much with it.

foxsylph

Personally I don't think you should ever have to feel hunger or suffer to lose weight. If you feel bad during the process then where is your incentive to continue it as a lifestyle change? These calculators are a rough guide but clearly they don't take into account people with a lot of lean muscle; much like the BMI calculators that would put most athletes in the obese category.

I don't know how tall you are, but as a 6ft woman I started off eating 1800 calories and lost 1lb a week. I didn't feel hungry or deprived. After losing 44lbs my calorie limit went down to 1610. That was fine until I began doing harder workouts and strength training. As time went on I found I was eating over by 200 - 500 calories daily and still losing that 1lb every week. Currently I'm eating around the 2000 mark and I never feel hungry or have absolutely no energy as you mention. The weight is still coming off, slowly but surely.

Try eating at 2000 for a few weeks and see how you feel. If you still feel hungry up it a couple of hundred and see if the scale moves. Depending on your daily activity level, job and workouts you may be able to eat more and still lose weight. You definitely do not have to starve to lose weight!

+1

43mmmgoody21

To lose fat you must eat less calories than your body wants to stay at your current weight-- that is not starving.

MKEgal

The short answer is that no, you do not have to starve (or even feel hungry) to lose weight.
What you do have to do is take in fewer calories than you need to maintain the weight you're at.
To do that, and feel full, eat lots of veggies and fruits and foods high in fiber (such as beans & whole grains).
Most of those are nutrient-dense and low in fat & calories.
Also drink lots of low-cal fluids - water, tea, coffee, crystal light, mio, etc.

All the online tools tell me to eat between 1600-1700 cals to lose.
Seriously, I cant even get through one day on that?

What's your healthy goal weight? (Related to that, do you know your BMI?)
Here's a BMI chart. http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf.
You want to be in the green range. As an initial goal, go for the highest weight in the green range for your height.
Find your height along the left side, move right along that line to the right end of the green range, then look to the top of that column to find your goal weight.
Multiply that goal weight by 10 to get your approximate calories per day.

I weigh 200lbs, but also have a ton of lean muscle. Im quite thin at 150-160.

Have you had your body composition tested? Check with your doctor to develop healthy goals.
To maintain your current weight, you should eat 2000 calories.
To lose 1 pound per week, you should eat 1500 calories, or eat 250 calories less and exercise away 250 calories per day (above what activities you're already doing).
If that's not getting you the results you want, increase the deficit - eat less &/or exercise more.

When I started my weight-loss effort in January, both methods* gave me the same result: 1700 calories.
* multiply goal weight by 10; multiply current weight by 10 & subtract 500-1000 calories per day to lose 1-2 lb per week.
I eat back 1/3 to 1/2 of what I burn exercising if I'm feeling hungry.


I've just discovered that I had a blog available, so have done several posts about basic information - goal setting, exercise, and a post entirely of resources (which I'll add to as I run into more good sites).
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal?month=201406

MKEgal

I think you just need to reprogram your mind ... Youre [sic] dieting ...
If dieting was easy, people wouldnt struggle so much with it.

Diets don't work.
Changing your lifestyle does - it's permanent.

paperpudding

by starve I mean: very weak, dizzy, low energy, cant get off the couch... I dont mean hunger pangs. I mean literally the feeling of starvation.

I doubt very much you ,or me, or almost anybody on this forum, literally knows the feelings of starvation.

1700 does not seem a small amount for a woman to eat, I lost on 1450 and can maintain on 1700.
Admittedly I am only average height, you may be talller than me
And they were my net figures - if your net figure is 1700, you then should also eat back at least most of your exercise calories.

If all the various calculators give you this same aprox figure, I think the figure is right and if you are going to lose weight you need to eat to that ( plus eat back exercise calories)
Gives you 2 options as I see it.
1. Get used to some feelings of hunger ( not starvation, let's not exaggerate) while your body adjusts
2. Adjust your types of foods to include more filling but less calorie dense items - eg more vegetables, low calorie cereals like all bran etc.
other people can give better advice on such food types than me.

RekindledRose

I still find that if I go below 2000 cals I feel really weak.

It is possible that your blood sugar is the reason. Try to space out your meals so you eat 5-6 times a day, about 3 hours apart and see if that helps.

Good luck to you!

PinkyFett

I hardly think 1700 is starving yourself. I eat less than that and weigh more and I'm good.

Increase your calories, you'll just lose more slowly.

SnatchPosse

hmmm... I know you don't mean "starve" literally, right? 1600-1700 seems like plenty to me, but I'm only 5'3" and I've been doing this a long time. How tall are you? You say you have a "ton" of lean muscle...why is that? Were you a bodybuilder in the past? Are you sure about that? Have you had your BF% tested by a reliable method? I'm pretty muscular myself, but I don't use that as permission to eat more calories. Through lots of trial and error and measuring and weighing and experimenting, I've found my "sweet spot" of 1350 cals to lose about 1 to 1.5 lbs a week on average. Sure I'm hungry before meals...at first it was hard but I've gotten used to it. I've also learned that if I eat plenty of protein and fiber I don't get as hungry as when I eat meals that are heavier in carbs. i.e. I had pancakes for breakfast the other day and my stomach was growling a couple of hours later, whereas an egg or some Greek yogurt will last me to lunchtime.

I agree with this poster. It's important to have an accurate assessment of where you are now and how many calories you are taking in. I also totally agree about experimenting to find the sweet spot. I monitor what I'm eating and how I feel during my workouts, as well as when I'm eating, to make sure I have enough energy for a good workout, but am still losing weight. It's often easier to cut, say 500 calories from your diet rather than work it off, but if you're dragging too much to be active, you're not going to feel good.

Debssssssssss

I eat about that, I actually eat more food now than when I did eating crap, and I'm losing weight at a great pace. At first I had headaches, but now im fine. Of course your body is going to protest. It's so used to eating high calories. Give it a chance to adjust to the change.
My advise is, take a good real hard look at WHAT you are eating if you are not feeling satisfied on that amount of calories.

SD4259

I'm trying to lose weight and my daily goal seems to change every time I log my exercise in. My goal is 1200 calories, I had 1302 for the day, I exercised and burned 715 calories this evening just on Cardio. It says that I earned an additional 615 calories that I can eat. I'm confused, if I'm trying to lose weight, shouldn't I be eating my 1200 or more and then exercising and then not eating again until the next day. I'm 5'7", I weigh 150 and I'm trying to get to 130. If I keep eating, I'll never lose weight.

bajoyba

I'm trying to lose weight and my daily goal seems to change every time I log my exercise in. My goal is 1200 calories, I had 1302 for the day, I exercised and burned 715 calories this evening just on Cardio. It says that I earned an additional 615 calories that I can eat. I'm confused, if I'm trying to lose weight, shouldn't I be eating my 1200 or more and then exercising and then not eating again until the next day. I'm 5'7", I weigh 150 and I'm trying to get to 130. If I keep eating, I'll never lose weight.

You are supposed to eat back your exercise calories. If you're not sure that your calorie burn from exercise is accurate, eat back a portion of them.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I'm trying to lose weight and my daily goal seems to change every time I log my exercise in. My goal is 1200 calories, I had 1302 for the day, I exercised and burned 715 calories this evening just on Cardio. It says that I earned an additional 615 calories that I can eat. I'm confused, if I'm trying to lose weight, shouldn't I be eating my 1200 or more and then exercising and then not eating again until the next day. I'm 5'7", I weigh 150 and I'm trying to get to 130. If I keep eating, I'll never lose weight.

Your deficit is already figured into your goal, and you're already eating the bare minimum so you need to eat them back. Eating 1200 and burning off 715 means you're eating 485 calories net, which is much much too low. I'd recommend eating back 3/4 of them, although MFP's calorie burn estimate for me is spot on and I eat back every single one. I lost all my weight that way, so your last statement is incorrect.