1000 cals ever good?

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bettyboopo
bettyboopo Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, i have been logging for around 8 weeks now. Originally i started eating 1200 cals a day, but i was seeing no weight loss at all, so i tried increasing my calories to 1400 and still no weight loss, even a bit of a gain. So i tried 1000 cals a day for a week and i started losing, but i've heard from everyone that eating this little is really bad for you and can make you go into starvation mode? I'm only small, 5'3 and small boned. Is it possible that i need to eat this little to lose weight? Surely its different for everyone. Some advice please people :) xxx

Replies

  • marywilsoncline
    marywilsoncline Posts: 301 Member
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    Hi, I've always heard below 1200 calories a day for anybody is not good.
  • Emagali74
    Emagali74 Posts: 132 Member
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    what does mfp recommend? I think if you are smaller then you can go below the 1200 but you would have to see your gp to confirm/make sure.

    I would be interested to see what other people say on this......
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
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    Please DON'T try 1000 , its a road to nowhere what are you going to if that stops working ? your putting your health at risk .

    i'm not surprised you saw an increase in weight when you went from 1000 to 1400 ,(maybe you did not give to long enough) please be kind to your body. Its about change of life style not a "DIET"

    Are you eating enough? Are you eating your exersise calories?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit

    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

    This is just a part of it! please read the link above
  • hsnider29
    hsnider29 Posts: 394 Member
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    With my personal experience I would say no, it is not ok. After I had my daughter I lost about 40 lbs by eating 1,000-1,200 calories per day and light walking. The weight came off pretty quickly and I stopped logging for a while but continued to eat healthy. Somehow 10 lbs crept back on. My body fat % is extremely high at 30% while my BMI is within the normal range for my height and weight.

    While I was losing weight, I was losing lean muscle and my metabolism slowed to a crawl. My body has become very efficient at storing fat. I am actually fatter than before I lost my 40 lbs if that makes any kind of sense,

    So now I have upped my base cals to 1300 and am eating back my exercise calories. I'm going to the gym 5-6 times a week and strength training 3 days with cardio (30 minutes) every day I go. Sunday's are usually rest days. I've been at this for almost 3 weeks and while I haven't lost any weight I haven't gained any either. My pants are a little looser.

    If your looking for quick weightloss and possible regaining, then yes but if your trying for something you can maintain for the rest of your life I would reevaluate eating only 1,000 calories.
  • Luandanielle1979
    Luandanielle1979 Posts: 747 Member
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    I have dieted in the past and it was quite popular to eat 1000 cals when your were dieting.Even my mum used to do it. It was seen as a healthy to do it. I know now It was a very low amount. I lost weight every week not drastically and my hair didnt fall out or I didnt feel ill. Its just that now with all the research and health awareness Its not advised at all.

    A friend of mine who is very tiny framed and hasd always been so still doesnt eat over a 1000 ever and mangages to go to the gym full of beans every day. She actually has a great figure and she says its enough for her and she isnt losing weight. She eats huge salads and plates of veg, chicken and fish and oats at breakfast. She still has the odd snack but because the majority of her plate is full of veggies they dont contain enough calories to bump it up anymore.

    What works for one doesnt work for another. I would advise that you have 1200 and just give it chance to kick in. Good luck x
  • bella8282
    bella8282 Posts: 188 Member
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    You will not go into starvation mode!!
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
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    1200 is a baseline. Starvation number is totally variable person to person, its just around 1200 that it happens. Ensure that you have enough energy to make it through the day, you are not having any major health concerns, and maybe after about a month, ensure that your blood pressure is ok. If 1000 cals works for you, thats not too low
  • bettyboopo
    bettyboopo Posts: 15 Member
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    Thanks for your replies guys. morganadk2 i didn't go from 1000 to 1400, i went from 1200 to 1400 to see if eating more would help me lose and it didn't, it made me gain. I tried eating 1200 for around 6 weeks and i didn't lose anything. I'm not overweight, my bmi is 25, but i'm not happy with the way i look so hence me trying to lose weight. Its all so confusing! Surely it can't be the same for everyone, i just feel like i'm wasting my time eating 1200 cals a day when i'm not losing at all xxxx

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