Is it safe to not eat unless hungry?

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  • Avalonis
    Avalonis Posts: 1,540 Member
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    Well, you would say that "listening to your body" would be foolish if it told you to eat 5 donuts, right? So listening when it tells you to eat 600 cals is just as foolish. Chronic lack of appetite can be a signal of severely decreased metabolism. A couple of threads that may help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    Thanks, saved me the time. Good post.
  • Inspiredtobe
    Inspiredtobe Posts: 53 Member
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    ignore this post LOL
  • Inspiredtobe
    Inspiredtobe Posts: 53 Member
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    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    Yea it's fine if you don't want to tone your muscles, you could just do cardio exercises to burn fat. But in my opinion, toning muscles looks good especially in a bikini. LOL. (one of my goals) But you should at least do some exercises. It could be video exercises if you're more of an indoor person or you could go out and swim, hike, tennis, biking, etc. You could even clean, do some lawn work, wash your car, etc. Anything to get your heart rate up and keeping it constant will burn calories! Working out feels great and a good way to reach your goal faster. As much as I hated working out, it grows on ya. xD
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
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    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    You are correct that losing muscle is extremely unhealthy. Just a thought, the line "I am not hungry" is a very common one used by anorexics. Have you talked to a nutritionist about the fuel you are giving your body?

    I gained muscle through a past job, and am hoping to take it off. i haven't spoken with a nutritionist about this, but what I eat is extremely healthy. I live in a very health conscious city (most grocery stores are health-food stores), so I typically eat very low calorie foods simply by preference. I am positive I am not anorexic, as I used to be very thin until some stressful situations in my life caused me to overeat...:/
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    You are correct that losing muscle is extremely unhealthy. Just a thought, the line "I am not hungry" is a very common one used by anorexics. Have you talked to a nutritionist about the fuel you are giving your body?

    Agreed - It's really concerning to hear someone say they "don't want any muscle". Muscles are vital to have a healthy body. People with weak muscles are more likely to have frequent injuries, poor bone health, etc. It sounds like your goal weight isn't completely unrealistic given your short size (though I'm certainly not qualified to make that assessment), but you're going to be asking for trouble if you don't pay attention to your muscle mass - at that low of a weight you really need a healthy lean muscle mass. The last thing you want is to be "skinny-fat" at that low of a weight and experience problems due to weak muscles.
  • daisymae9801
    daisymae9801 Posts: 208 Member
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    I know this is a random question, but do you really like pigeons?
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
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    1200 is not a hard and fast rule, although many people will treat it like that. The 1200 calorie rule comes into play because it is generally considered to be the lowest amount of calories you could probably ingest and have a balanced diet complete with all of the nutrients needed for health. If you are smaller, you could need less, however, I wouldn't advise doing this without a doctor or nutritionist's approval and plan. 600, though, is probably too low for anyone on a consistent basis. Every now and again, it will not hurt anyone.
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
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    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    Yea it's fine if you don't want to tone your muscles, you could just do cardio exercises to burn fat. But in my opinion, toning muscles looks good especially in a bikini. LOL. (one of my goals) But you should at least do some exercises. It could be video exercises if you're more of an indoor person or you could go out and swim, hike, tennis, biking, etc. You could even clean, do some lawn work, wash your car, etc. Anything to get your heart rate up and keeping it constant will burn calories! Working out feels great and a good way to reach your goal faster. As much as I hated working out, it grows on ya. xD

    Oh thank you for the ideas...I didnt think of cleaning haha! xD I think I look rather odd with muscle, which is why I don't want it :/ I like being pale, and pale with a six pack looks really odd on me lol. ^.^
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
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    I know this is a random question, but do you really like pigeons?

    That...is random haha. I love pigeons. I have a pet pigeon I saved off the streets (can't survive in the wild), but he is staying at a friends until I graduate college. :smile:
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
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    1200 is not a hard and fast rule, although many people will treat it like that. The 1200 calorie rule comes into play because it is generally considered to be the lowest amount of calories you could probably ingest and have a balanced diet complete with all of the nutrients needed for health. If you are smaller, you could need less, however, I wouldn't advise doing this without a doctor or nutritionist's approval and plan. 600, though, is probably too low for anyone on a consistent basis. Every now and again, it will not hurt anyone.

    Thank you. I am interested in seeing a nutritionist...but I'm not sure if it would work out right now, as I will be leaving the country for the year and the food/lifestyle will be different there...I will ask my doctor, however, what she thinks of the calories I consume since I have an appointment with her next month :smile: Thank you everyone.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    If you are really only eating 500 calories and not feeling hungry that could signal some medical issues. Either that or you are not really eating a healthy balance of food. It doesn't seem like you could get enough protein, carbs and fat on just 500 calories a day. And all of those are necessary to be healthy.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    Trust me, you want muscle tone!! Muscle does not weigh anymore than fat, it just takes up less room so your body will LOOK better even if the scale is the exact same weigh. Don't stress about the number so much. I'm guessing what you mean by not wanting muscle is you don't want to look like a female body builder. You have to do a lot of strength training to get like that. But exercising and doing strength training a couple of times a week will not make your body look like that.
    Exercising is good for your cardiovascular health, so you need to do it. I don't get why you want to lose weight but say you don't exercise. Doesn't really make sense - the only reason it would make sense is if you were injured and couldn't physically exercise.
    You sound like you have some problems understanding nutrition, so maybe take a nutrition class or speak to a nutritionist.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I net 1200 cals and I am 5'5" I don't think the rule applies to someone who is 4'9". I actually very much believe in eating when you are hungry. Like you, I eat breakfast, but after that only eat when I feel my stomach rumbling. It works for me.

    Also, I have shrunk an inch apparently in the last 3 years. You can lose height through compression of cartilage, it's not necessarily bone loss.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    I net 1200 cals and I am 5'5" I don't think the rule applies to someone who is 4'9". I actually very much believe in eating when you are hungry. Like you, I eat breakfast, but after that only eat when I feel my stomach rumbling. It works for me.

    Also, I have shrunk an inch apparently in the last 3 years. You can lose height through compression of cartilage, it's not necessarily bone loss.

    1200 would not necessarily apply to someone at 4'9"...however, 600 is still not appropriate, for anyone, at any time.

    Compression of cartilege does happen...but not in 21 yr olds unless they are ELITE athletes doing MAJOR damage to their joints.
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
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    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    Trust me, you want muscle tone!! Muscle does not weigh anymore than fat, it just takes up less room so your body will LOOK better even if the scale is the exact same weigh. Don't stress about the number so much. I'm guessing what you mean by not wanting muscle is you don't want to look like a female body builder. You have to do a lot of strength training to get like that. But exercising and doing strength training a couple of times a week will not make your body look like that.
    Exercising is good for your cardiovascular health, so you need to do it. I don't get why you want to lose weight but say you don't exercise. Doesn't really make sense - the only reason it would make sense is if you were injured and couldn't physically exercise.
    You sound like you have some problems understanding nutrition, so maybe take a nutrition class or speak to a nutritionist.

    Thank you! I just don't want any real tone at all. I think it looks good on other people, but it just isn't something I want for myself. I don't exercise much, but i want to lose weight that I gained through over eating. Thank you for all the help :)
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
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    I net 1200 cals and I am 5'5" I don't think the rule applies to someone who is 4'9". I actually very much believe in eating when you are hungry. Like you, I eat breakfast, but after that only eat when I feel my stomach rumbling. It works for me.

    Also, I have shrunk an inch apparently in the last 3 years. You can lose height through compression of cartilage, it's not necessarily bone loss.


    Thank you for the personal insight. I really appreciate someone to relate to.
    I am thinking it could be due to my past job, where I had to lift things much heavier than myself...maybe the catching sick thing just added on to it ^.^

    I'm not quite sure, but I am healthy in that aspect.

    ladyhawk00 (didn't want to quote since I've been doing too much haha): I agree. I will try and find a happy medium, even if that means eating more than I feel like eating. 600 is the lowest I usually go, so I don't think it will be too hard. Thank you everyone again :smile:
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    [Thank you! I just don't want any real tone at all. I think it looks good on other people, but it just isn't something I want for myself. I don't exercise much, but i want to lose weight that I gained through over eating. Thank you for all the help :)

    FYI - not wanting much muscle definition/tone/obvious muscles (a six pack like you mentioned in a previous post) is very different from not wanting "any muscles" as you said in another previous post.

    In case you missed my 1st reply - healthy muscles are essential for a healthy body. They prevent injury and help support bone health. Even if you don't want to do anything that will give you visible "bulk" - you *really* need to make sure you're eating enough to prevent loss of muscle mass and to do exercise to support cardiorespiratory health. Most cardio exercises will NOT cause muscle growth/bulk, especially if you're in a calorie deficit - but eating enough calories (including protein) and doing some exercise that engages your muscles will help ensure you're at least maintaining an adequate amount of muscle mass to prevent general injury and musculoskeletal and heart-muscle-related problems.
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
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    [Thank you! I just don't want any real tone at all. I think it looks good on other people, but it just isn't something I want for myself. I don't exercise much, but i want to lose weight that I gained through over eating. Thank you for all the help :)

    FYI - not wanting much muscle definition/tone/obvious muscles (a six pack like you mentioned in a previous post) is very different from not wanting "any muscles" as you said in another previous post.

    In case you missed my 1st reply - healthy muscles are essential for a healthy body. They prevent injury and help support bone health. Even if you don't want to do anything that will give you visible "bulk" - you *really* need to make sure you're eating enough to prevent loss of muscle mass and to do exercise to support cardiorespiratory health. Most cardio exercises will NOT cause muscle growth/bulk, especially if you're in a calorie deficit - but eating enough calories (including protein) and doing some exercise that engages your muscles will help ensure you're at least maintaining an adequate amount of muscle mass to prevent general injury and musculoskeletal and heart-muscle-related problems.

    Thank you accountantboi! You really clarified what I meant to say, since I'm not always the most clear in what I say :smile: Yes, I just dont visible muscles. I will do cardio exercise without worry now. Probably cleaning the house a lot more too. I appreciate your kind advice, it really is helping me.
  • rdmelinda
    rdmelinda Posts: 5 Member
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    In general for 4 ft. 9 in. a healthy weight range is 86-115 pounds (which corresponds to a BMI of 18.6 to 24.9). http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
    It's a pretty wide range taking into account different amounts of bone mass and muscle. Also in general it is considered most healthy to eat somewhere between 3 to 6 times per day. If you eat in the morning, have an afternoon snack and eat dinner, that would be 3. Some people do better with 3, others do better with 4, 5, or 6 (for example 3 small meals and 3 snacks). Not everyone should eat 6 times per day. We should all listen to our hunger as long as we are meeting our bodies' needs for carb, protein, fat, vitamins, mineals and water. :) It is true that stronger muscles are good for bones, and healthy heart and lungs are always good. Six packs are not required (but can look nice!). Good luck in your quest for health...if you were healthy at your previous weight and you want to get back to it after a period of overeating, more power to you! And you should look for a Registered Dietitian...a nutritionist might have a PhD or just be a vitamin salesperson. :)
  • ajl2
    ajl2 Posts: 40 Member
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    Your Basal Metabolic rate according to your current height and weight and age is 1124 calories per day. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating. Your Basal Metabolic Rate does not include the calories you burn from normal daily activities or exercise.

    To put it another way, 1124 calories is the amount of calories you need to SURVIVE if you were to do absolutely nothing but sit on your butt all day. If you are only eating 600 calories every day you are eventually going to kill yourself.

    I really feel that you probably have an eating disorder and you should seek help.

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