PEOPLE WITH VERY LOW CAL INTAKE

tameko2

The thing is, if you eat too few calories you will still lose weight. That's how anorexia works.
The double edge is that you will also lose muscle mass.
I frequently can't eat at work or get a lunch break, so I made sure to target some high-calorie protein items that I incorporate into my meals. (Salmon, for instance, or chicken breasts.) It's important to eat a minimum 1200 if you want to maintain muscle while working off the fat. If you just want a lower weight number, eating too few calories will still accomplish that. Because your scale weighs more than just fat- it weighs EVERYTHING you gain or lose including stomach contents, muscle, water retention, etc.

this is a good post - I'd rather eat 1700 calories a day and be lean than eat 1100 calories a day and be flabby but a lower scale weight. Sure I could diet down to 120 lbs. I'd look like crap. I'm going to look a thousand times better at 145 and 18% body fat than I would at 120 and 23% bodyfat (or whatever it would be) . And I'll get to eat way more food every day.

evansproudmama

OKay *gulp* I better not get stoned to death here but yes sometimes after working out my net calories is at 850-950. There are days I go all the way to 1200 (or more depending on how much I worked out that day) but I dont see the point in forcing myself to eat if im not hungry. Most of the time I hit 1000-1100 calories (before exercise) and generally my exercise is walking so I dont feel im going to go into starvation mode or anything like that. Its worked for me, I make sure to get my protein and fiber and I feel okay so I think your fine as long as your listening to your body and not starving yourself. Do whats right for you.

karenwill2

I have always seen that under 1000 is a warning sign of an eating disorder. Women need at least 1200 cals per day. My MIL's doc told her that if you want to weigh 120 lbs you eat 1200 cals. If you want to weigh 150 eat 1500 cals per day as a general rule that is easy to follow.

killagb

I hope I am not being misinformed...I posted something very similar to this a couple of days ago...Some people said NO! under 1200 is too low....and some are eating like only 800 and thats ok?? I want to know what is best. Somebody please message me with the truth lol!

The truth is eating more is far more sustainable and you still get the results. Far too many people are brainwashed into thinking you need to starve to lose weight, which is completely untrue. I have eaten my goals pretty consistently and I eat back most if not all of my exercise calories and since July 7th or so, I've dropped 21lbs doing just what I described.

tinywithaBIGheart

i agree100% with your decision I'm only having less than 800 cals per day

when i eat low calories , i make sure i get enough protien . I try to eat a lot of veggies , fruit , fish and chicken . On weekends i do splurge tho :blushing:

Rae6503

I eat 2000 or more calories a day. Just sayin'.

gardenimp

If you are eating under 1200 calories a day, you are in starvation mode and your body is cannibalizing your muscle tissue to survive. As soon as you fall off this wagon, you will gain the weight back, but it will all be fat, no muscles. This endless cycle of crash dieting and gaining it all back has devistating effect on the body.

Please check this out, http://www.fat2fitradio.com. There are alot of calculators on here, but start with the BMR calculator. (ie what your body needs everyday just to survive)

Take it from a 20 year crash dieter, you are doing your body a world of damage, not to mention your metabolism. I finally got that through my thick head, please don't take that long to see the light.

vim_n_vigor

i agree100% with your decision I'm only having less than 800 cals per day

when i eat low calories , i make sure i get enough protien . I try to eat a lot of veggies , fruit , fish and chicken . On weekends i do splurge tho :blushing:

ON less than 800 calories per day, you are not eating a lot of anything. Please eat more for your health and to allow your young body to do the things it is supposed to be doing so you can lead a long and healthy life. The problem with poor choices now is that you will pay for them throughout your life, not just for a short time now.

Kym1610

I generally eat between 900-1100 cals, listen to your body. 1200 is not a magic fit everyone number. At the end of the day you have to find what works for you. I generally eat a lot of veggies (I am not vegertarian) and not get 1200 in veggies I would need to to eat a little of 2kg's a day... it's just not going to happen.

As I said find what works for you

kykykenna

Part of my reason for joining was to learn to eat my calories because I was never hungry. The lack of huger came from getting used to starving my body. When I joined, I tried to hit 1200 no matter what and it makes a difference - the weight from starving dropped off and I've been far happier. I don't suggest going below 1200 - your body needs that much just to run it's functions. (: (And never go below 500 a day! It's very scary to do so and not healthy at all).

EXACTLY the same here!!!!! Feels good, huh???

Fit4_Life

I eat around 1100 per day, exercise 5 days a week and I eat very well, take mulit vitamins. I feel the best I have ever felt! and I am steadily losing weight and bodyfat! I rarely get hungry after my 1100 calories, so I go with how my body feels!
I m sure you will get a few haters on this post, but just do what your body is comfortable with! Everyone is different!

Haters? Hmmm...don't really consider it "hate" when we want to help people be healthy.

1100 calories is one thing. Less than 800 is completely different...

I agree with the helping statement. Why would that be considered "hate" when people are looking for advice? Hmmmm..

Iamfit4life

How many different ways do you need to be told it's not healthy to eat under 1200 calores.
You ladies are doing your bodies a disservice.


And like another in this thread I can eat atleast 2000 calories, and that's usually healthy food.

Take care of yourselves.

stanvoodoo

1200 minimum unless under Doctors orders.

Sure you may feel fine and no it doesn't matter is if you alot to lose. Your body will store everything trying to hold on because you are starving it.

When it does burn it burns muscle not fat.......this does not help you in any way.

The occassional dip is fine but it is not a healthy lifestyle.

Additonally, the 1200 means net not eat 1200 and burn 1000 calories a day, you will end up in the same position down the road.

Eat lots of lean protein, fiber and drink a min of 64oz of water per day. Limit your fat, simple carbs and sodium and exercise often. With this you will feel better and look better too and in the process you will be building lean muscle and burning fat. Which leads to a much healthier lifestyle.

Lots of threads on this if you want to review but best is call your doctor or see a nutritionist!

Best of Luck!

carriann2012

I think everyone is different and I am no expert, but a while ago I was eating around 1,000 calories a day and lost maybe one pound over the coarse of two weeks plus I excerised very little if any at all. Now I excercise everyday!!! sometimes 30 minutes or sometimes an hour and I all I do is walk and I walk fast and up hills. I eat 1500 calories plus more if I have to due to excercise calories and I am loosing 1/2 a pound to 1 pound a week. So the 1,000 calorie thing did not work for me. I know I am loosing slowly but I know it's better for you this way.

:happy:

killagb

You only have 9 more pounds to lose, I noticed. When you get that close to a target weight, starving yourself is going to absolutely slow your progress. In fact you'll probably find as I do, that if you indulge here and there responsibly, it can help your metabolism.

acraft83

When I started though MFP told me my cals per day should be 1200. So if I never go lower like some users have suggested then how am I going to keep losing weight. I have lost 21 so far and I plan to go down to 1100 when I get to 25lbs lost. Then I plan to finish at 1000 at another 20lbs and remain at that calorie intake indefinitely. Now I am hearing maybe that's not safe.

modernfemme

Anyone else notice from this thread that everyone vouching to eat more as lost significantly more weight than those who say "listen to your body?"

bloodbank

Anyone else notice from this thread that everyone vouching to eat more as lost significantly more weight than those who say "listen to your body?"

Funny how that works, hey? The ones who say "well it's working for me!" or "listen to your body!" are so often the ones who've lost 10 lbs or less.

killagb

When I started though MFP told me my cals per day should be 1200. So if I never go lower like some users have suggested then how am I going to keep losing weight. I have lost 21 so far and I plan to go down to 1100 when I get to 25lbs lost. Then I plan to finish at 1000 at another 20lbs and remain at that calorie intake indefinitely. Now I am hearing maybe that's not safe.

MFP already has a built in deficit of calories. Your goal represents what you should eat to maintain the level of deficit that MFP set up for you. For instance...if you have it set to lose 1lb/week and your intake goal is 1200 cals/day, that means as long as you are under 1700 calories per day, you are still going to lose weight! The reasoning behind this is, 3500 calories = 1lb, MFP builds in a daily deficit of 500 per day to get to the 3500 a week, which is 1 pound. With all of that said, if you go over your 'goal' by less than what the built in deficit is, you will still lose weight, just not as fast if it's over the goal. Hope that makes sense :bigsmile:

kcmartian

The MFP calculator doesn't take into account any exercise you do (at least when it sets the goal calorie intake for you).

For example, with my stats (H: 5'6", W: 169), MFP told me to eat 1200 calories as well. It also says I burn 1900 calories a day from just doing normal actvities (no working out).

If I calculate this weekly, my weekly deficit is 4900 calories, which would let me lose about 1.5 lbs a week. Awesome, right?

However, if I do any exercise at all, then this gets fishy. I work out 6 times a week and burn about 660 calories each time. So that's about 4000 calories.

If I continue to eat only 1200 calories a day, my weekly deficit would be close to 9000 calories. That is NOT a healthy deficit to have, especially in the long run and when I get close to my goal weight.

So my really long post is basically to illustrate that it's not simple and you have to constantly adjust and readjust depending on what you do.