Eating too little?

10036

Hey everyone, just joined the site a couple days ago. I've been tracking my food and exercise. I'm F 5'2'' and weigh ~148lb. I walk my dog 3 times a week for 30 min to an hour.

MFP says I need about 1200 calories to lose 1 lb a week. When I exercise, it goes up to about 1400. I was a bit surprised when I learned that I'd be eating 1200 calories, as I thought a good calorie intake was more around 2000.

Anyway, my tracker keeps saying I might be in "starvation mode" because I'm eating too few calories. I feel that I've been eating like this for a long time--I don't eat that much. Should I actually be increasing my calorie intake? I've read part of the thread on starvation mode, and I'm still a bit confused. I think my goal is to be healthy around 125lb or something.

Thank you so much,
cpruss

saw030

I think that 1200 is the minimum MFP will recommend. If you are close to that you should be fine, but I would eat less then 1100. Good luck!

AlissaAngelo

I would personally never recommend going below the 1200 calories. Are you working out more than the walking your dog for 30 minutes? If so, depending on activity level and your weight, I wouldn't go below 1400 a day. My rule of thumb has always been if you are actively working out at least 3 to 5 times a week, multiply your body weight x 10. So when I weighed 150 lbs, I was eating 1500 calories and working out 5 days a week (2 cardio, 3 weights). As I lost weight, I adjusted but never went below 1300 to 1400 calories. With my activity level, my body just won't allow it... I get too hungry.

Anything below 1200 is going to set your body into starvation mode.... especially if you are exercising!

I hope this helps you out! If you need more help, feel free to friend me on here....

Alissa
http://www.alissaangelo.com

ladyraven68

Hey everyone, just joined the site a couple days ago. I've been tracking my food and exercise. I'm F 5'2'' and weigh ~148lb. I walk my dog 3 times a week for 30 min to an hour.

MFP says I need about 1200 calories to lose 1 lb a week. When I exercise, it goes up to about 1400. I was a bit surprised when I learned that I'd be eating 1200 calories, as I thought a good calorie intake was more around 2000.

Anyway, my tracker keeps saying I might be in "starvation mode" because I'm eating too few calories. I feel that I've been eating like this for a long time--I don't eat that much. Should I actually be increasing my calorie intake? I've read part of the thread on starvation mode, and I'm still a bit confused. I think my goal is to be healthy around 125lb or something.

Thank you so much,
cpruss

I'm 4ft 11, and it gave me 1200 too for a 1lb loss per week - I changed it to 1400 and have lost 7lb in 3 weeks.

If it's giving you the warning it sounds like you are not achieving the 1200 target.

If you open up your food diary people will be able to look and give some advice.

10036

Thanks guys. I work at a computer most of the day so I only really exercise when I walk my dog and do Yoga before bed. Yes, the counter says that 1200 is the minimum, before it notifies you about "starvation mode." I have opened my food diary if anyone is curious or wouldn't mind telling me what I should be doing.

I guess I'll just have to see what happens in a couple weeks. I don't feel that I've eaten more than 1400-1600 calories regularly for a long period of time, yet I've put on weight. Possibly it's just the fact that I'm eating the wrong foods and that I haven't been walking my dog regularly?