Too few calories?

crj029

This past week I got really sick with a horrible cold and I was not eating much nor was I working out because I felt like complete crap. I mostly slept and watched TV. Here and there I would have a few saltine crackers and a bowl of soup but that would be it for the day because I had no appetite. I obviously lost weight over the week because I was not eating a lot but now that I am feeling better I have noticed that I am still not eating 1200 calories. I am always under my 1200 calories but I am not hungry. I am still losing weight but I am not sure if it is healthy. I have also started to work out again and I feel much better.

Should I lower my calorie intake or continue to keep my calorie goal at 1200?

sleepytexan

Here is a post of mine from another similar thread:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

MaximalLife

This past week I got really sick with a horrible cold and I was not eating much nor was I working out because I felt like complete crap. I mostly slept and watched TV. Here and there I would have a few saltine crackers and a bowl of soup but that would be it for the day because I had no appetite. I obviously lost weight over the week because I was not eating a lot but now that I am feeling better I have noticed that I am still not eating 1200 calories. I am always under my 1200 calories but I am not hungry. I am still losing weight but I am not sure if it is healthy. I have also started to work out again and I feel much better.

Should I lower my calorie intake or continue to keep my calorie goal at 1200?

No, don't sabotage your progress.

Simply stated MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week. That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up. Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories. Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be? In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more. Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount of weight each week.
Be efficient. Exercise hard and eat back the calories. The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.

bnice2every1

Your appetite will come back. Just keep exercising and eating a balanced diet of 1200 calories - anything less and you will mess up your metabolism.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Your stomach might be used to eating less because you've been sick (I have been also so I can relate) and it might be tempting to see those scale numbers drop, but that doesn't make it healthy for you in the long run. Keep your calories around 1200 and try to gradually increase what you're eating until you get there. Your stomach will accommodate the gradual change more easily and your metabolism will thank you. Take care