Is my calorie deficit diet turning into malnutrition? Help!

jennythehuman
jennythehuman Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS SO DON'T JUDGE ME IF I'M IGNORANT.

I used to do cardio and Pilates to stay fit but recently, decided to change my diet for the better. I am 19, 5'7 and was 120 lbs when I started. Some online calculators said my BMR is around 1200-300 calories so I decided to limit myself to 1000 calories each day. I get around 60g of protein every day.

I eat a lot of canned tuna, eggs, bananas, whole wheat pasta, one slice of healthy bread, salmon and asparagus. I don't really eat a lot of vegetables because I don't like them but I take vitamin supplements to avoid malnutrition. I never eat below 900 calories a day and stopped joggin but continue to do Pilates and resistance exercise.

It's been a few days and I'm already down four lbs (I guess some are water weight)? But sometimes, I feel very weak and dizzy even when I feel full and had consumed an good number of calories. Also, I don't get as hungry as before and am super picky about calories and not eating sweets (which I usually love) and am just never in the mood to eat. I have a history of anemia so that's why I'm worried.

It may sound dumb but I get so OCD about everything I do (I'm a perfectionist) so I can't tell if I'm just being super good about eating clean or whether I'm actually getting an eating disorder. I asked my mom and she said I was good (but she's been wanting me to get skinnier all my life even thought I'm already slim so I don't trust her opinion).

Is my current diet fine? I don't want to hurt my body. Any thoughts?

Replies

  • workingtowardhealth
    workingtowardhealth Posts: 1
    It's really hard to get all the nutrients you need from just 1000 calories. Try for a minimum of 1200.
  • SkepticalOwl
    SkepticalOwl Posts: 223 Member
    5'7" and 120 is on the very low end of normal BMI. You should not be trying to lose weight. If you want your body to look leaner, take up weight lifting and eat at maintenance.
  • jennetsullivan
    jennetsullivan Posts: 37 Member
    Yeah eat a minimum of 1200. For most people 1200 isn't enough but for you it sounds right on par. The problem I found was that eating too few calories meant my body didn't burn fat...so oddly enough, the more calories I ate the quicker I lost fat. Small meals, clean eating, you got the idea, just bump up the calories. Weak and dizzy are total hints that you need more calories, even if you're not feeling hungry. Bump up to 1200 and see how you feel. I bet you'll lose some fat too! Good luck!! :)
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I agree with both of the above posters.

    Your BMR is what you would burn doing nothing. So even if it were only 1200, you could eat 1200 and your daily activity would give you the deficit. (However, I would question if it's that low). It would be better to use a TDEE calculator than one for BMR.

    And I would suggest trying some body recomposition (eat at your TDEE and take up weight lifting) over losing any more weight. You can get a slimmer look but stay in the healthy range. (Bonus: extra muscle will slightly increase your BMR so you'll get to eat a bit more to maintain)
  • namina13
    namina13 Posts: 16 Member
    I have been eating between 900 and 1300 calories a day for a couple of months, and I spoke to my doctor about it a couple of weeks ago, and asked him whether it was too low. He said that as long as I am eating around 1000 calories a day, that he was okay with it. With that being said, I carry significantly more weight than you. You might want to talk to your doctor. I don't think 1000 calories a day is ALARMINGLY low, but it is fairly low, and it is a good idea to have some medical advice if you're going to continue with it.

    But at 5'7, I think you're nuts to go below 120 lbs. =P
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    You are not eating anywhere near enough. For your height/weight your BMR (basal metabolic rate: the calories you burn to live) is 1484 for a sedentary lifestyle. This does not include the calories you burn working out. The link I added here is very helpful and explains things nicely. But for heaven's sake EAT MORE FOODZ.

    (edited to fix typos thanks to sticky keys.)
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 674 Member
    You are already on the extreme low end of a healthy BMI. You should not be looking to eat at a deficit, if you want to get a leaner look you should think about weight lifting and eat at maintenance.

    Oh and edited to state that your maintenance calories are more like 1,859. And that is only with a light activity level. So if you do regular cardio or other types of exercise then you would need to eat more.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate, in simple terms it is the minimum amount of calories your body would NEED if you were to do nothing but lay in bed all day. Unless you *are* actually laying in bed all day, you should be eating more than that amount, certainly not less. Also, as the other user said, at 120 pounds you have absolutely no need to lose weight. Finally, your body is your own and it is up to you to decide to be happy with it, and that is a choice you must consciously make. I'm honestly very concerned about your relationship with your mother (and HER relationship with body image) if she is guilt tripping you in to thinking that you should be losing weight when your weight is already fairly low.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    1000 calories is not enough, and yes, you are doing bad things to your health. Weakness and dizziness are signs that you are not eating enough.

    Your BMR is the number of calories you would need to live if you were in a coma. Your TDEE is the amount of calories you need to eat per day to keep your body functioning and fuel your body for physical activity. Doing a quick calculation based on what you told us, your TDEE is around 2135. For weight loss, the calorie deficit is subtracted from the TDEE, not the BMR.

    However, you are on the low end of weight for your height. Why are you trying to lose weight? Generally when people are already slim but not happy with their body, a body recomp or bulk/cut cycle to add more muscle/less fat is more in line with their goal body than a lower number on the scale.

    If you truly are concerned that you might be developing an eating disorder, please get help.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Your BMR (Basal Meabolic Rate) is not your maintenance calories, your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is - and it is usually at least 20% higher than your BMR,

    Why are you looking to lose weight at your weight/height?
  • TudorRose2013
    TudorRose2013 Posts: 25 Member
    I don't know what BMR calculator you used, but all of the ones I used shows your BMR to be between 1352-1400+ calories per day. You do realize that that is the amount of calories your body burns if you were just laying in bed all day, don't you?! If you go to work/school, out for a walk, or ANY sort of exercise, then you are burning MUCH, much more than that amount. Eating BELOW your BMR is not at all healthy. At 5' 7", 120lbs, you are very close to being underweight. PLEASE think twice about eating only 900-1000 calories a day. Feeling weak and dizzy is a clear sign you aren't eating enough. Please give your body the nourishment it needs. It's admirable to want to eat a healthy diet, but please just eat more of those healthy foods you enjoy. Take the focus of losing weight and instead focus on nourishing your body and getting fit and strong.
  • jennythehuman
    jennythehuman Posts: 5 Member
    The reason I started this diet (along with strength training in addition to my usual Pilates) was to look leaner. I'm actually trying to build more muscle which is why I'm eating more protein than before. I wanted to lose fat so my new muscles could be visible because right now they're hidden by fat. So I'm not looking to lose weight, just fat.

    And wow was I misinformed about BMR. All the other threads and magazines I read never mentioned TDEE and kind of acted like BMR was the end all be all so thank you for that bit of information! Obviously, I am still very new at this...
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 674 Member
    The reason I started this diet (along with strength training in addition to my usual Pilates) was to look leaner. I'm actually trying to build more muscle which is why I'm eating more protein than before. I wanted to lose fat so my new muscles could be visible because right now they're hidden by fat. So I'm not looking to lose weight, just fat.

    And wow was I misinformed about BMR. All the other threads and magazines I read never mentioned TDEE and kind of acted like BMR was the end all be all so thank you for that bit of information! Obviously, I am still very new at this...

    If you goal is to lose fat and gain muscle you need to eat at least at your maintenance. Eating as low as you are - even with the increase protein will not feed your muscle properly. Look at the Scooby link already posted. There is a lot of good information there and will help with your specific goal.

    Edited to add that gaining muscle actually won't happen unless you eat at a surplus. But I think I know what you mean and what you want is to eat at maintenance and lift heavy, That will get you the look you want.
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
    To get a better handle on things, I suggest you read through this:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    You'll want to continue focusing on strength training to drop body fat percentage, but you can work on that at maintenance calories since you're not really trying to lose weight, just fat.
  • MicheleWE
    MicheleWE Posts: 179 Member
    Yes, I'd defiantly say you need to eat more. Dieting so extreme will more than likely cause problems with your metabolism that could cause you a lot of grief as you age. Losing weight on such a low calorie diet eats away at your lean body mass. The less lean body mass (muscle) you have the slower your metabolism gets. The slower your metabolism is the less you can eat to maintain your weight and to lose you have to get even more extreme. You want to lose fat, not lean body mass, but if your body is under stress from a low calorie diet it will hang onto the fat and burn your muscle.

    Don't risk sacrificing your future body's health by living for immediate weight loss today. You can still lose weight today at a slower pace without going so extreme if you will allow yourself time and not be in a hurry. Your body will burn the fat if you eat a higher calorie diet that is closer to maintenance, it just takes time. It's worth it though.

    Check out http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/#projectedweightloss. There is a calculator that can help you figure out a good calorie range for yourself that will allow you to lose weight without putting yourself in a danger zone. You can still eat clean even when you eat more and an easy way to add more calories would be simply to cook your eggs or drizzle your pasta with extra virgin olive or coconut oil. Also adding nuts, seeds and fruits if you like them would help you get to a better calorie level. Adding protein is important because that helps retain muscle as you lose weight and by the way you described your diet you need some more protein.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    The reason I started this diet (along with strength training in addition to my usual Pilates) was to look leaner. I'm actually trying to build more muscle which is why I'm eating more protein than before. I wanted to lose fat so my new muscles could be visible because right now they're hidden by fat. So I'm not looking to lose weight, just fat.

    And wow was I misinformed about BMR. All the other threads and magazines I read never mentioned TDEE and kind of acted like BMR was the end all be all so thank you for that bit of information! Obviously, I am still very new at this...

    Do you happen to know your body fat percentage? It sounds like you would benefit from a bulk/cut cycle. This article is a good example of the difference in muscle definition from this approach, obviously you can tailor your results to the look you want:

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • jennythehuman
    jennythehuman Posts: 5 Member
    The links are SO informative, THANK YOU MYFITNESSPAL COMMUNITY! I really wish I'd discovered this forum earlier because now I feel like I just ruined my "healthy streak" of exercising...

    Now to go eat a banana to hopefully get rid of the dizziness since I apparently have tons of calories to spare.
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
    It's a process. We all had to learn how it works. Don't be mad at yourself :) Good luck and share your success stories!
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
    Feeling off is the best indicator that some changes are needed.

    My wife is about your height, and most of her life she's been around 110 (before two pregnancies, now 115 with a one year old). Very healthy, and physically active. Simply a very small person! Of course her BMI is out of whack but that thing should not be taken as gospel, merely as an indicator. Her doctor has zero concerns with her, except for her iron since she's mostly vegetarian and needs to keep an eye on it.

    So I wouldn't focus on weight, but on how you feel. More importantly, most people don't really want to weigh less - just look better. They are not the same thing at all, since you can be light but lacking tone, losing hair from malnourishment, etc.
  • jennythehuman
    jennythehuman Posts: 5 Member
    This link is basically what I tried to do. Her story is very inspiring, thank you for this!!
  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
    Muscles do help burn fat (even when you're resting and not doing anything) so just do weight lifting/resistance training while eating at your maintenance TDEE. As you build muscles, you'll naturally lose fat at the same time when you're not working out. I don't think you really need to lose weight either; I think you should eat more according to your body weight. You can still eat "clean" but you just need to increase calorie intake if you want to build muscle and burn fat. You're already feeling the effects of not eating enough so why keep doing it?
  • jennetsullivan
    jennetsullivan Posts: 37 Member
    To get a better handle on things, I suggest you read through this:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    You'll want to continue focusing on strength training to drop body fat percentage, but you can work on that at maintenance calories since you're not really trying to lose weight, just fat.

    I second this link... it helped me understand what I was doing wrong!! If you're wanting to bulk up it's more important to get lots of healthy calories than it is to minimize them. Think of it like your body having the adequate fuel to build more sexy muscles!
  • PapaChanoli
    PapaChanoli Posts: 178 Member
    I think you've got some very good advice in this thread, but I heard some things that raised red flags too. You should speak with a doctor about your nutrition if at all possible, but also about your body image. I will not pretend to know whether or not your body image is healthy, and from your responses you appear to be learning fast and taking the good advice given, but still a doctor will help you feel confident that you're making healthy choices. If a doc refers you to a qualified nutritionist, even better.

    This community is awesome, but the numbers you gave and the symptoms you expressed caused me concern. While the people here are awesome, nobody here will be better for your health and confidence than a professional.
  • jennythehuman
    jennythehuman Posts: 5 Member
    Thank you for the encouragement, the kindness and the great advice! Also I think talking to a professional is a great idea, especially to avoid anemia and being "obsessed" with getting leaner. Once again, thank you all!
  • PapaChanoli
    PapaChanoli Posts: 178 Member
    Thank you for the encouragement, the kindness and the great advice! Also I think talking to a professional is a great idea, especially to avoid anemia and being "obsessed" with getting leaner. Once again, thank you all!

    I'm sure I can speak for others in saying that we wish you nothing but the best.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I have been eating between 900 and 1300 calories a day for a couple of months, and I spoke to my doctor about it a couple of weeks ago, and asked him whether it was too low. He said that as long as I am eating around 1000 calories a day, that he was okay with it. With that being said, I carry significantly more weight than you. You might want to talk to your doctor. I don't think 1000 calories a day is ALARMINGLY low, but it is fairly low, and it is a good idea to have some medical advice if you're going to continue with it.

    But at 5'7, I think you're nuts to go below 120 lbs. =P
    No offense intended, but your doctor is wrong.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    The reason I started this diet (along with strength training in addition to my usual Pilates) was to look leaner. I'm actually trying to build more muscle which is why I'm eating more protein than before. I wanted to lose fat so my new muscles could be visible because right now they're hidden by fat. So I'm not looking to lose weight, just fat.

    And wow was I misinformed about BMR. All the other threads and magazines I read never mentioned TDEE and kind of acted like BMR was the end all be all so thank you for that bit of information! Obviously, I am still very new at this...
    Just keep reading and educating yourself. Read the stickies in the different forums, as they contain excellent information.

    If you want to look leaner and build muscle, you need to eat at maintenance and start some heavy weight lifting. I have been weight lifting for a year--while I was losing weight and then while I've been trying to maintain over the last six months--and I can't believe the amazing changes in my body. I have lost several inches and look more toned, and I'm 44 pounds lighter from eating at a deficit. Take measurements, as they are the real teller.

    You really don;t need to lose weight, so concentrate on eating enough to support your activity level.
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    To be blunt, I see a lot of red flags in your post. Especially the part about being a perfectionist (common trait in people who go on to develop eating disorders).

    1000 is a bit low. Even if you don't go below 900, that's still a pretty big deficit. Not everyone who starves does so on less than 900 calories. In fact, the average person with anorexia or atypical anorexia restricts to around 800-1000 calories. Any doctor that would say 1000 calories is okay... is not a doctor I would trust.

    To put it gently. Red flags:
    -Self proclaimed perfectionist
    -Never in the mood to eat
    -Not enjoying sweets anymore
    -Down four lbs already, and by your wording it seems you haven't been dieting long
    -1000 calories, 900 at the least
    -120 lbs (I can't imagine you need to lose much at that weight, and you probably shouldn't even eat below 1500 at that weight)
    -Never in the mood to eat

    That you're here, you clearly realize this is a problem. It could be related to anemia. It could be the early stages of an eating disorder. Early in my eating disorder, I never felt hungry. I lost my appetite. I didn't want to eat snacks anymore. I was (and still am) a perfectionist. I, also, started out restricting to about 900-1100. What I'm saying is, loss of appetite could be related to a physical health problem, or it could be the early signs of a disorder. None of us will be able to help you with either. I doubt you are malnourished yet, but if you keep eating 900-1000 calories a day, you could be.

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