Are calories really important?

sheeriolove

Everyday when I click "Complete This Entry", after completing my food diary for that day, it says I'm "Eating Too Few Calories" and how it can be considered "Starvation". The reason I don't eat 1,200 calories a day is because when I feel I'm close to going over my daily carb, sodium, sugar, and fat levels, I don't eat anything else. So, is meeting my daily calorie goal important to health and weight loss? ~Thanks :drinker:

126siany

Everyday when I click "Complete This Entry", after completing my food diary for that day, it says I'm "Eating Too Few Calories" and how it can be considered "Starvation". The reason I don't eat 1,200 calories a day is because when I feel I'm close to going over my daily carb, sodium, sugar, and fat levels, I don't eat anything else. So, is meeting my daily calorie goal important to health and weight loss? ~Thanks :drinker:

You are eating FAR too few calories. I picked three random days in your diary and saw totals of less than 500 to 700. If you go on like this you are going to have major issues. That is anorexic eating.

Eat your 1200 calories, which is already a very low calorie goal and difficult to get proper nutrition within. Don't worry about the nutritional split for now. Don't ever worry about the MFP's sugar numbers.

3laine75

Yes it's important to health - why else would there be a warning telling you it's bad for your health?!

tiptoethruthetulips

You are eating quite low some days only about 600 or 700cals. This is not meeting your nutritional requirements at all.

Calories do matter and its fine to eat to deficit (by a reasonable amount) to lose weight but when people substantially and consistently under eat the body will eventually use muscle for energy.

chrissyrenee1029

Everyday when I click "Complete This Entry", after completing my food diary for that day, it says I'm "Eating Too Few Calories" and how it can be considered "Starvation". The reason I don't eat 1,200 calories a day is because when I feel I'm close to going over my daily carb, sodium, sugar, and fat levels, I don't eat anything else. So, is meeting my daily calorie goal important to health and weight loss? ~Thanks :drinker:

Because your body needs a certain number of calories at minimum to perform basic bodily functions. Based on your intake, you're not eating nearly enough calories.

brianpperkins

They are only important if you like living.

You've reached 1000 or more total calories twice in the last ten days. So far to day you've netted 42 calories according to your diary (assuming you've logged both food and exercise accurately).

That's without getting into the math that resulted in a 1200 calorie daily goal and if that target actually makes sense or if you just kept increasing weight loss goals until it stopped giving you a lower daily number.

JingleMuffin

"TOPIC: Are calories really important?"

To live, yes.

geebusuk

Calories should come first.

I wouldn't stress over what makes those calories up.

Unfortunately the MFP app is rather unnecessarily alarmist over stuff like sat-fat.

When you've got calories sorted, I'd make sure you get plenty of protein to promote lean body mass retention (keeping muscle, burning fat)

I wouldn't be worrying about other elements until you've got those and exercise etc sorted.

j4nash

Yes, they are.

littlefoot612

Your calories are pretty low some days. Also some of the things you are eating are packaged foods (Nature Valley bars) which will tend to have higher fat, sugar and carbs. That could be why you're reaching your macros targets well before your calorie target.

PrissyPisces

Are you SURE that's why your calories are that low? You seem to be developing an eating disorder. To be honest, you should worry MORE about meeting your calorie goal, than going over carbs, sugar, protein, fats, etc.

It DOES indeed matter! Calories are the biggest factor in weight loss, weight gain, and maintenance. You can find ways to meet your calorie goals, while going over NOTHING. I've done it. Calories are ENERGY, and you're not getting enough.

serindipte

That 1200 already includes a deficit. You aren't coming anywhere near your protein minimum and it doesn't really matter if you go over on carbs/fat as long as you're eating at a deficit.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

SnuggleSmacks

When you don't supply your body with enough fuel, it starts using itself as fuel...as in, you lose muscle. You know what's a very important muscle? Your heart. You can actually lose heart tissue from not eating enough. The damage can be permanent.

Also, you know what the number one side effect of anorexic or very low calorie diets is? Gallstones. I've had them, they're not fun. They hurt as much as kidney stones or child birth, and can strike at any time, and can be life-threatening.

You know the second side effect? Crappy hair and skin. So you go through all that suffering to look good, and then you don't look good at all. You're all sallow and dry and washed out and get wrinkles and your hair is dull and greasy and YOU CAN EVEN GROW MORE HAIR ON SKIN WHERE YOU DON'T WANT IT like on your face. Yes, you can grown a fine white beard from not eating enough.

So yes, it's important that you eat enough. This stuff won't happen over night, you can probably get away with it for a short time, but keep it up and your body could change in ways that you never intended.

sheeriolove

No i dont think its an eating disorder to be healthy

chrissyrenee1029

No i dont think its an eating disorder to be healthy

The point is that in order to be healthy in the long term, you have to consume enough calories to ensure your body functions properly. That's not going to happen on 700 calories a day.

seltzermint555

Your calories are pretty low some days. Also some of the things you are eating are packaged foods (Nature Valley bars) which will tend to have higher fat, sugar and carbs. That could be why you're reaching your macros targets well before your calorie target.

This.

Also...from a totally "vain" point of view, if your goal is losing weight sometimes it really will slow down when you eat too few calories. Yes it sounds crazy and many people will argue with me. But I was losing 1.5 lb per week for several months and then for awhile I got super busy with work and other stuff, and for about 1 month I was eating 1100-1250 cal/day and I lost 1 lb in a month...instead of the usual 5-6 lb I was losing before. Went back to eating more and my losses resumed.

There's no need to eat less than 1200 calories.

PennyVonDread

Yes, it is important. Basic function like breathing and keeping your heart beating, maintaining a normal average body temperature, and even mobility (not counting exercise) DO burn up a certain amount of calories in a day. 1200 is a minimum recommendation to maintain healthy function and is well below your maintenance calories (so you will lose weight even eating up to 1200). You can go over carbs/sugars a little bit if you need to do so. Besides, eating too small a defecit will result in loss of muscle and bone which will eventually backfire. Eat enough to try to maintain muscle mass so your metabolism stays strong as you lose weight. For most people, what they really want to achive is a lower BODY FAT%, not just a smaller number on a scale. Fat loss is the key and it takes a while. Even adding a spoonful of peanut butter or something at the end of the day (that is, if you're full, otherwise eat a small meal) can be beneficial. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.

kessler4130

If your diary is accurate, you are going to damage yourself, bad. Your body is very good at doing what it does, surviving, but if you continue to neglect your fats and protein to the extent you have been ..... Ok for one second just forget the calories, they don't exist, you need 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass, and fat, well most would recommend 0.4 grams per lb of lean body mass. Your body will take care of itself if your fat is to low, it can make up the deficit, but it cannot make protein, you will lose more lean body mass, lowering your basal metabolic rate and just continue to do more damage. I honestly do not know how you can even function on those macros.

3dogsrunning

Everyone else has already answered the calorie thing. I just wanted to add - the fat goal should be considered a minimum, not a maximum. Same with protein.
The sodium recommendation is on the very low side. Unless you have a medical condition, I would not worry about going over.

Sugar is for added sugars. Unfortunately this program does not differentiate between added sugar and naturally found sugars. I don't even track sugar because I track carbs and that is included. But if you want, just check the sources of your sugar. If you are getting a lot of sugar from foods that have little nutritional value, you may want to consider changing them.

Eating too little is not healthy.

EvgeniZyntx

No i dont think its an eating disorder to be healthy

So, on the few days I checked you are eating 35g of protein or less. This is only healthy long-term if you are about this big...