Is it safe to eat 1,000 calories a day and no more?

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  • jonzo21
    jonzo21 Posts: 446 Member
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    are you exercising as well? you really shouldn't go under 1200 calories (without exercise). If you DO exercise, and you burn say, 200 calories and only eat 1000, technically you only gave your body 800 calories to function. Everyone's bodies are different but at the very least it needs 1200 to function. Have you checked your BMR (theres a calculator on this site) this is the base amount your body needs to function if you were basically just sleep or be in a coma all day. By not getting enough, your body is going to slow its metabolism, which means it will freak out and store calories as fat because it thinks it won't have energy later. Which also means it will become harder to burn fat and you will wonder why you aren't losing anymore weight. You probably feel you can't eat more than 1000 because you are not used to it now. Sounds like your metabolism has already decreased. You have to get it jump started again. Eat calorie rich foods like nuts, fruits, proteins so that it doesn't seem like you're eating much but you are still getting enough calories. I like the idea another user posted about "zig zagging" your diet.
  • Rain_Howard
    Rain_Howard Posts: 155
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    If you want an educated answer talk to a doctor or a licensed nutritionist. Seriously, getting health advice from an Internet forum, not the greatest idea.
  • YoullGainYourWings
    YoullGainYourWings Posts: 4
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    no! your body needs a certain amount just to keeo your vital organs functioning! you need to be eating above 1200!!!
  • YoullGainYourWings
    YoullGainYourWings Posts: 4
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    no! your body needs a certain amount just to keeo your vital organs functioning! you need to be eating above 1200!!!
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    If you're really not hungry and it isn't because you're taking diet pills, I wonder if the blood test to check for metabolism issues would be a good idea? Maybe you're not burning as many calories as you should be?
  • Erindipitous
    Erindipitous Posts: 1,234 Member
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    Never.
  • sweetie89207
    sweetie89207 Posts: 361
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    not really a good idea...heres what i suggest...find foods that are high in good fats! those monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats...these foods are also very high in calories so if u just eat some of these maybe 200 calories worth- you will get the right about of calories ur body needs to work and will be adding good fats (WHICH IN FACT- have been medically proven to help people lose weight)

    try it out girl...dont allow ur body to shrink away in a bad way because it isnt getting the right amount and correct nutrients it needs!
  • SummerFun2011
    SummerFun2011 Posts: 105
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    If you want an educated answer talk to a doctor or a licensed nutritionist. Seriously, getting health advice from an Internet forum, not the greatest idea.

    I don't think it takes a doctor to know that 1,000 calories is not enough. There are many educated people that use this site. :flowerforyou:
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    I don't feel hungry at all, that's why I don't want to eat.

    Oh - it's because you started Phentermine yesterday.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/403603-how-long-does-it-take-phentermine-to-work

    If you take an stimulant that won't allow you to eat enough calories - then you go in conservation mode causing you to not lose weight - I would say it's not a successful strategy.
  • allaboutaleah
    allaboutaleah Posts: 79
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    the minimum any1 should eat is 1,200 calories a day, otherwise your body will go into starvation mode, and store fat instead of burn it
  • amp5622
    amp5622 Posts: 14 Member
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    I am also 5 feet tall and I am supposed to eat 1200 calories a day. Since I am in school right now, I am not as active as I used to be yet my body needs at least 1700-1800 calories just to function. Therefore, a deficit would be 1200 to lose a pound a week. I understand that sometimes it is difficult to eat when you aren't used to eating more than a certain amount at a time but this is where snacking can come into play.. Eat the right types of foods yet eat in small meals throughout the day. This helps to get your calorie intake up and you'll have more energy as well, trust me. I work on a horse farm and during the summers especially when we get really busy I would usually only eat once a day and drink coffee the rest of the time. When I actually sat down and figured it out I was only eating about 600 calories a day, including cream from my coffees.. No wonder why I was always exhausted, it wasn't from the work (I'm used to it), it was because I wasn't giving my body any energy at all! You need to keep your calories up so your body actually has fuel to use and burn, which in turn, is going to help you lose weight in the end! Just make yourself eat those last few calories to get up to 1200 AT LEAST!! You'll feel much better.. don't try to starve yourself into losing weight.
  • sarahkatara
    sarahkatara Posts: 826 Member
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    I would recommend speaking with a nutritionist. if you have eating issues or an eating disorder, i understand that from personal experience. but at this point it sounds like you need someone to tell you the hard facts and help you pick yourself up and become healthy. it's not easy to do alone but it can be done. a nutritionist will answer your questions and can make recommendations based on your particular situation. I hope you can find the peace that you deserve, in health.
  • ogottwald
    ogottwald Posts: 60 Member
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    No! Stick with your MFP plan. Rapid weight loss by starving is not fun, unhealthy, and when you stop the weight will come back quickly.
  • LelliAmi
    LelliAmi Posts: 327 Member
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    I don't think it will hurt as long as you're getting all your food groups and stuff like that, but it's really hard. I've tried it before and i can never do it for more than a day at a time.
  • Rain_Howard
    Rain_Howard Posts: 155
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    If you want an educated answer talk to a doctor or a licensed nutritionist. Seriously, getting health advice from an Internet forum, not the greatest idea.

    I don't think it takes a doctor to know that 1,000 calories is not enough. There are many educated people that use this site. :flowerforyou:

    Many people are on calorie restricted diets of less than 1000 a day. There is no shortage of people on here who think they are educated. Very few if any that actually are.
  • satcom1
    satcom1 Posts: 13 Member
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    No it isn't healthy, especially at your height and weight, it could even be dangerous. Your metabolism will slow to a crawl and you will go into starvation mode and your body will re-absorb muscle along with fat. I suggest you calculate through the chart and attempt to lose at a much slower rate and take in more calories. A 1000 calorie diet is unsustainable for good health.
  • keiraev
    keiraev Posts: 695 Member
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    In the long term no, it's neither safe nor sustainable.
  • jonzo21
    jonzo21 Posts: 446 Member
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    If you want an educated answer talk to a doctor or a licensed nutritionist.

    ^this^
    we can only give so much accurate information, and everyone's body will be different. It is well known there is a certain amount you need to function (this is why there are all the BMR calculators out there) and if you are eating under that, its definitely unhealthy.
    Seriously, getting health advice from an Internet forum, not the greatest idea.

    Maybe not the "greatest" idea because there is conflicting information. Some people say no, you need to eat more. Some people say do what your body wants. But you will find because of all the success stories and research people have done on here, there is some good general information. Like what I said, look at your BMR. Just because your body seems fine eating 1000 calories doesn't mean it really is fine doing that. "doing what your body feels" is not always the right way to go, because our bodies change as we lose weight, our needs change. We may not be aware of the things our body really needs. For example, before joining this site I thought i was perfectly fine drinking less water than I should have been. My body was used to just drinking sodas, teas, etc. But now that i've increased my water intake, and drink pure water, I feel better and more refreshed throughout the day. So yes listen to your body but also realize there are some things our bodies may not tell us directly. It may not be directly telling you to eat more than 1000 calories because its used to that, just like I was used to low water consumption.
  • SummerFun2011
    SummerFun2011 Posts: 105
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    If you want an educated answer talk to a doctor or a licensed nutritionist. Seriously, getting health advice from an Internet forum, not the greatest idea.

    I don't think it takes a doctor to know that 1,000 calories is not enough. There are many educated people that use this site. :flowerforyou:

    Many people are on calorie restricted diets of less than 1000 a day. There is no shortage of people on here who think they are educated. Very few if any that actually are.

    I have seen a few users that have degrees or are working on them though. So i know there are some for sure :smile: :smile:
    And many that have studies to back up what they say. Always has been good enough for me.:drinker: :drinker:
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
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    I feel like people are too quick to throw out "starvation mode" but in this case your body must be in serious starvation mode. To have your body used to eating barely 1000 calories and being overweight at that level of caloric intake means your metabolism is pretty messed up. Good news is, you can fix it... Bad news it wont happen overnight and you may gain before you start losing when your body is getting used to being fueled properly. There is a good article called "obesity at 700 calories a day" that sums it all up basically if you wanna google it.

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