< 1000 calories a day....is it really healthy??

amarie35

I KNOW that everyone wants to lose weight. But, why choose to do it the unhealthy way? Losing weight takes time. You just can't starve your body for weeks, lose weight, & expect the results to be healthy.

I know that some of you who eat under 1000 calories a day, have had eating disorders and are trying to recover from that. To those, I congratulate. Everytime I see a calorie increase in your diaries, I feel so proud of you. I know @ times, it is a challenge for you to eat, but you do it. You may not eat 1200 calories a day, you may not eat 800, but compared to what you were eating, you are doing awesome.

But, to those of you who are eating under 1000 calories because you think it will help you to lose weight faster, you are doing more harm to your body than good. You need @ least 1200 calories a day, more if you are active. Some exercise & burn 700 or more calories a day. And yet, choose to eat so little. If you fall in that catagory, do you honestly think it is healthy? And if so, how is it healthy? Maybe I'm missing out on something.

Please don't think that I'm trying to criticize anyone because I'm not. I am here to support in anyway that I can. I'm just trying to understand the whole concept of eating less than 1000 calories a day.

krisvtx8777

Hey just tell me what to eat, I will have what your having! You look AMAZING!

McKayMachina

The general rule of thumb is 10 calories for every pound. So, if you're trying for 120 lbs., eat 1200. For 130 lbs., eat 1300. Etc. I've seen some ultra-shorties net 900-1000 calories and that's actually okay. If you're 4'10" and aiming for a goal weight of 92 lbs., that's totally healthy.

But in general, unless someone is in the extreme upper or lower height range, your advice is sound.

Long-term, extreme calorie deficits above and beyond what MFP has already factored in is the surest way to stall your metabolism and make yourself sick.

Good luck to all!

Elzecat

HALLE-FREAKIN-LUJAH :drinker:

I sometimes have to struggle to get to 1200 especially after a great workout, but I really try. I want my body to be a little smaller too, but also to be healthy. Maybe it's just me, but I get really irritated when I see people (especially a lot of really young women) who are so excited and praise people when they see one of their MFP buddies has been "under goal" for the day and they don't pay attention to the fact that that person is eating MAYBE 1000 cals a day of fast food (pretty much one meal) and then exercising like a fiend on top of that...I worry about their health. (this is the same way I feel when I see people who advocate starvation type quickie diets)

hotpickles

I'm pretty sure I fell into this category at one point in my life. It was about 11 years ago, and I knew nothing about calories, exercise calories, calories burnt, etc etc. I was working at the time and hanging out with people at work who were constantly on the go - either work-wise or party-wise. Yes, I wanted to lose weight, so I figured this was the way to do it.

Let me see, a typical day for me was as follows: Breakfast was black coffee. Lunch was raw veggies or a low-fat sub. Snack was an oat cake. Dinner was broccoli and chicken breast. I thought I had it all under control. I was shocked when I wasn't loosing a pound. Not only did I not loose weight, but I gained some terrible acne, which I think was my body's way of rebelling.

The thing is, I had no idea. No clue at all. I look back at it now and wonder how I could have possibly not known that I wasn't eating enough. It's hard to believe, but it's the honest truth. I just didn't know any better. It was online fitness sites that helped me learn the importance of healthy eating and proper nutrition.

hotpickles

I'm pretty sure I fell into this category at one point in my life. It was about 11 years ago, and I knew nothing about calories, exercise calories, calories burnt, etc etc. I was working at the time and hanging out with people at work who were constantly on the go - either work-wise or party-wise. Yes, I wanted to lose weight, so I figured this was the way to do it.

Let me see, a typical day for me was as follows: Breakfast was black coffee. Lunch was raw veggies or a low-fat sub. Snack was an oat cake. Dinner was broccoli and chicken breast. I thought I had it all under control. I was shocked when I wasn't loosing a pound. Not only did I not loose weight, but I gained some terrible acne, which I think was my body's way of rebelling.

The thing is, I had no idea. No clue at all. I look back at it now and wonder how I could have possibly not known that I wasn't eating enough. It's hard to believe, but it's the honest truth. I just didn't know any better. It was online fitness sites that helped me learn the importance of healthy eating and proper nutrition.

amarie35

Hey just tell me what to eat, I will have what your having! You look AMAZING!

Thank you! =D

Frappuzzino

I get around 1,100 a day, but I can't help it. I don't do it because I want to lose weight. I eat when I'm hungry and I eat low carb, which restricts my calories to some extent but I make sure that I never go hungry.

Naomi91

Hey just tell me what to eat, I will have what your having! You look AMAZING!

I second that! ;D

roma0104

It is NOT healthy, eating too close to your BMR will result in a plateau; your body stops burning fat because it thinks there is a famine happening and will burn muscle instead and hold its fat reserves at almost any costs. Never eat less then BMR*1.2 or you will set yourself to fail, if you are within 20 pounds of your goal weight you probably cannot do it through diet modification only, you will have to exercise to make the deficit.

Naomi91

I get around 1,100 a day, but I can't help it. I don't do it because I want to lose weight. I eat when I'm hungry and I eat low carb, which restricts my calories to some extent but I make sure that I never go hungry.

It can be really hard to get all you calories on low carb! Im getting some PB tomorrow as a calorie filler

im2spooky4u

Very well said, thank you for posting this. It drives me nuts when I see people who are trying to lose weight starve themselves. Then they complain later when they gain it all back that they're sick of yo-yo dieting. But sometimes there's just no getting through to people, they keep doing it no matter what they're told.

srp2011

I'm on the short end of the scale (5'0), so I do aim for about 1100 cal/day, but try to make sure I eat as many nutrient rich foods as possible, plus a multivitamin and calcium. I also travel and eat out frequently enough that I go over my calorie goals at least 1-2 times per week, so I think it averages out. I never heard the 10 cal/pound theory, but that actually makes sense and fits for me. I don't really lose if I eat a minimum of 1200. I agree though that for most people, they should not be going under 1200.

McKayMachina

It is NOT healthy, eating too close to your BMR will result in a plateau; your body stops burning fat because it thinks there is a famine happening and will burn muscle instead and hold its fat reserves at almost any costs. Never eat less then BMR*1.2 or you will set yourself to fail, if you are within 20 pounds of your goal weight you probably cannot do it through diet modification only, you will have to exercise to make the deficit.

Uhhh...my BMR times 1.2 is equal to maintenance calories. This is not legitimate weight loss advice. Where did you hear this?

jhardenbergh

It depends on the situation, I am being monitored by a dr every week, I eat 5 meals a day and am never hungry, I eat about 1000-1100 a day, usually burn between 250-400 calories a day in exercise. My doctor is very happy with the progress. Every couple weeks I ask him if I should eat more and he says stick to the plan. Do you need to? I say I don't really feel hungry, sometimes I am trying to squeeze that last meal in at 10 or 1030. The only time I get hungry is if I eat breakfast earlier than usual say around 6 am, but then not eat lunch til 1130 or 12. I try to eat every 3 1/2 hrs to 4 hrs.

jhardenbergh

It depends on the situation, I am being monitored by a dr every week, I eat 5 meals a day and am never hungry, I eat about 1000-1100 a day, usually burn between 250-400 calories a day in exercise. My doctor is very happy with the progress. Every couple weeks I ask him if I should eat more and he says stick to the plan. Do you need to? I say I don't really feel hungry, sometimes I am trying to squeeze that last meal in at 10 or 1030. The only time I get hungry is if I eat breakfast earlier than usual say around 6 am, but then not eat lunch til 1130 or 12. I try to eat every 3 1/2 hrs to 4 hrs.

I have been losing on average of 5 lbs/week for the last 12 weeks.

Frappuzzino

It depends on the situation, I am being monitored by a dr every week, I eat 5 meals a day and am never hungry, I eat about 1000-1100 a day, usually burn between 250-400 calories a day in exercise. My doctor is very happy with the progress. Every couple weeks I ask him if I should eat more and he says stick to the plan. Do you need to? I say I don't really feel hungry, sometimes I am trying to squeeze that last meal in at 10 or 1030. The only time I get hungry is if I eat breakfast earlier than usual say around 6 am, but then not eat lunch til 1130 or 12. I try to eat every 3 1/2 hrs to 4 hrs.

Thank you for your input! Everybody's body is different, so varying by a few hundred calories isn't bad.

Mads1997

Please help me understand how someone says they struggle to eat 1000 or 1200 calories and end up needing to lose weight? I have wondered everytime I see someone write that.

nuttmeg44

I stick between 1100 - 1200 a day. I have done this for a couple years now and have lost 47 pounds.... not going to stop until I reach my goal

funkyspunky871

Please help me understand how someone says they struggle to eat 1000 or 1200 calories and end up needing to lose weight? I have wondered everytime I see someone write that.

I've wondered the same. :P

katschi

Please help me understand how someone says they struggle to eat 1000 or 1200 calories and end up needing to lose weight? I have wondered everytime I see someone write that.

It's called denial.