will you gain weight going under your calorie goal?

slk1954

Sara, in order to keep your metabolism revved up, you need to eat all or most all of your daily calories. If you should be taking in 1200 calories, then eat 1200 or as close as you can get. Your nutrition is key though. Make sure the calories you are eating are good in nutrition. Fruits, vegetables, fish. Check your intake of protein and fiber and even some fats. If you don't eat all your calories, your body will go into starvation mode and start storing fat, which will hamper your weight loss efforts and may even cause you to gain weight. Get on a good exercise regime, eat all your calories with some good nutrition sense and keep that metabolism revved up. Good luck, okay?

Changing__Christina

I think eating healthy is a relative term. I eat pretty healthy....lots of fruit and veggies, protein, and not alot of carb. My calories aren't always on point because I eat so much low calorie food. I workout alot and this puts me in the hole. I just think that if you change your diet and you exercise, you will see results. If you aren't seeing results...you are either gaining muscle or not doing something correctly. Good Luck!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

You need to NET (after exercise) 1200 calories. The good news is that it's not hard to do. Just eat whole eggs instead of whites; regular whole wheat bread instead of the 35 calorie stuff, etc. Your body needs fuel, and if you're close to your goal weight as someone else posted, not netting enough calories can cause your body to burn muscle instead of fat. People with more to lose can have a larger deficit, but if you're already slimmer then it's much better for your health to eat at a lower deficit. Remember it's not just about losing weight, it's about maintaining your health.

The reason people say you can gain doing this is that your body will get used to eating so little and then if you splurge or binge you'll gain weight faster. Technically if you ALWAYS stay that low you won't gain weight, but that doesn't make it healthy to do so.

purpleipod

Are you sure you aren't over estimating your calories burned?

lgraham92

Starvation mode is a myth.

Etheopia, Africa.

Stop spreading that garbage

KimberlyAllen54

I think that as long as you are eating your calories, then you are doing a great job. I do agree that you may need to eat a little more healthy like a real baked sweet potato instead of instant white potatoes. I think of my "earned calories" as a bonus, if I use them, good if I don't - that is even better. Look at Weight Watchers, they have bonus points for excercise and you could use them to have more food but you didn't have to use them if you did not want to. - They would also let you bank excercise points for a "special meal" at the end of the week or a eating out night. Hope that helps.

KarenBorter

eventually yes. and banking doesn't always work.

Starvation mode (for the 2nd poster in this thread) isn't a myth.

noexcuses84

all i do is try to eat anywhere from 1200-1400 cals a day. ur body won't go into starvation mode like this and any extra cals leftover is a little bonus! it's working for me and i can honestly say i'm eating more food now than i did before!

crysgwinn

35 calorie bread has a wierd texture; but tastes better if toasted.

Crashley04

35 Cal bread

I just found this tonight at walmart. The white is pretty impressive. (My husband hates wheat bread)

http://www.nicklesbakery.com/products/productCategory.php?category=Light 35

Usually I buy

http://www.auntmillies.com/Products/ProductView.aspx?prod=1357&cat=Breads

and I don't think it's too bad.

Zarebeth

Okay, it isn't stavation mode, per se. It's metabolism. And everyone's is different. Some people burn calories like Humvee's, some are like SUVs and passenger cars. I am a Smart Car. lol

But less than 1200 calories and you will lose good weight for a while and then you will STALL. The year before last, I was on a 1200 calorie a day diet working with an obesity doctor at the University of Minnesota. I lost 30 pounds, then stopped dead. I continued my 1200 calories a day for two more months with no more weight loss. Finally I gave up, then it all came back on because I was starving. I wasn't in a sustainable place for the long haul.

Eat your 1200 calories a day, minimum. I would say start higher, like 1400 to 1500 calories. Exercise is a bonus, but I don't reduce the calories because of it unless you work out at a very high intensity. Then when you hit that stall, you have something to give up, instead of your resolve! Your body will get used to whatever level you are on, no matter what it is... and stop your loss. When you get to that point you need some wiggle room to cut back. If you start out at less than 1200 calories, where are you going to cut back?

Not to mention, your body would rather waste muscle than fat when your metabolism stops. So you aren't doing yourself any favors. I have lost 11 pounds this month on 1500 calories a day, and I am insulin-resistant and have over 100 pounds to lose. When I stall, I will reduce my food intake 100 to 200 calories a day, and lose some more. That is the best way to do it, trust me.

This time I will get there. So can you!

1Timothy4v8

I have lost all my weight before and I am losing it fast now doing what you are doing,

I stay at 1500 a day, fruit and veggies are free, and most day's I burn about 1060 a day, I been at this for about a month and lost 21, I feel great, as long as I pick filling foods, like burtoes and stuff, I am content, I also been eating ice cream, if you are creative enough you can find foods that will keep you saticfied at 1500, however if you feel light headed or if any thing like that then you should up your calories, lesten to your body, and your tummy will shrink and you can go longer on less


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

HonkyTonks

You won't gain weight but you are risking losing lean muscle mass as well as fat. You lose that, you will have a lower metabolism, which means you'll need to eat less than your leaner peers in order to maintain the same weight. If you're happy to do that, then go ahead.
You have to ask yourself.. do I wanna look like this:



Or this



I know which I'd choose

robinogue

You won't gain weight but you are risking losing lean muscle mass as well as fat. You lose that, you will have a lower metabolism, which means you'll need to eat less than your leaner peers in order to maintain the same weight. If you're happy to do that, then go ahead.
You have to ask yourself.. do I wanna look like this:



Or this




Hey I resemble the first picture :embarassed:
I know which I'd choose

laackmannk

it is so frustrating! keep with it. listen to some of the good advise that is given to you. re-look at your food diary and adjust where needed. you may have to do something drastic like cut out ALL processed foods and processed sugars. also take a look at when you are eating your foods. you may not be eating the correct things before and after your work outs. it's possible that what you are eating something after your work outs that your body is hanging on to instead off continuing to burn off? although I'm not an expert but that is something that I have struggled with.

good luck!

HonkyTonks

aww robinogue.. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, just for me (I am currently overweight) my goal is to be very lean, because I want a fast metabolism as well (so I can eat more!!) lol

sbw2012

i'd love to comment back to each one of you! thanks so much for the advice everyone! i seen where someone put they're eating more than they did before maybe thats my problem! i went to the grocery today and got lots of fruits and vegetable to up my calories even more. i also worked out tonight and burned roughly 400+ calories. once again THANKS EVERYONE!

HorrorChix89

Or this



I know which I'd choose

Or this

At least she looks more like a female that the muscular chick

whitcappen

Okay make sure you eat 1200....when you enter your work out on your counter and it gives you more calories DONT EAT THEM BACK. I was doing that and wasn't really losing the weight so I talked to the doctor and she said that if you want to lose weight then don't eat these calories back. Just make sure that you eat 1200 so that your body can function!

jheath123

I like the 35 calorie bread...aunt Millie's makes a few different varieties like white, wheat, whole wheat and potato. The one bad thing about bread is the carbs that turn into sugar that can turn into fat....I am in an epic battle trying to keep carbs down. Even limiting bread a lot of other foods have carbs.