1000 calories or less a day

jennifershoo

... I feel fantastic - and since I'm not dead or feeling ANY ill effects, including hunger...

You're kidding, right? First of all, if you were dead, you wouldn't be able to write on this board. Talk about the obvious *sigh*.
And you're a nurse but don't know that you can have cancer for months before feeling any symptoms? And by the time you do feel the symptoms, it's usually too late.

gleechick609

And as an EDIT: Look how much nutrition courses have actually changed since like 20/30yrs ago... Not much at all... Our food has become worst, we are gaining weight more and more because of the bad quality of food we now get, but still use outdated nutrition training courses.

You gain weight from the overconsumption of calories and macros with no activity to balance it out (AKA creating a calorie surplus.)

EbbySoo

OP I'm so glad you started upping your calorie intake and started to try to find something sustainable for yourself. To the people defending less than 1kcal diets, I give you this...

jessiepilot

... I feel fantastic - and since I'm not dead or feeling ANY ill effects, including hunger...

You're kidding, right? First of all, if you were dead, you wouldn't be able to write on this board. Talk about the obvious *sigh*.
And you're a nurse but don't know that you can have cancer for months before feeling any symptoms? And by the time you do feel the symptoms, it's usually too late.

OK then. I'm out - back to the primal/Paleo boards where those no competition or anger because someone doesn't agree with you! it works for me, end of story - I didnt ask anyone else to do it just passing on something that works for me. And the dead comment was me being facetious - duh!

ninerbuff

I've heard of all these arguments from "pro" dieters of every type in the market place. People will do what they think is right for them regardless what science may show.
Here's what science will show you. If you don't eat enough calories to sustain your bodies functions (and your body will dictate that not you) it will learn to cope by doing what it needs to survive. To reserve energy, it will "rid" itself of calorie expending tissue and this will usually be lean muscle.
Macroutrients are great. Some will depress hormone production ghrelin which will also depress appetite. But having no appetite doesn't mean you DON'T need the calories. Anorexics emphatically will state that they are never hungry.
Keep it real. Don't undertake a diet just to lose weight. Diets don't work. Adopt a lifestyle that you know you can live with the rest of your life. I eat junkfood and processed foods. I eat high calorie foods. All in moderation with the assurance that I get in all my essentials first, and also that I get in exercise and plenty of rest. Doing it this way has kept my weight within 10lbs for the last 25 years and kept it enjoyable. I view life as one to be enjoyed and not just to systematically consume foods that are only good for you. Heck it that's all it took, then NO ONE who eats perfect should ever have any disease or illness, but we all know that's not the case.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

lilojoke

OP I'm so glad you started upping your calorie intake and started to try to find something sustainable for yourself. To the people defending less than 1kcal diets, I give you this...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAI have fallen and can't get up!

EbbySoo

I've heard of all these arguments from "pro" dieters of every type in the market place. People will do what they think is right for them regardless what science may show.
Here's what science will show you. If you don't eat enough calories to sustain your bodies functions (and your body will dictate that not you) it will learn to cope by doing what it needs to survive. To reserve energy, it will "rid" itself of calorie expending tissue and this will usually be lean muscle.
Macroutrients are great. Some will depress hormone production ghrelin which will also depress appetite. But having no appetite doesn't mean you DON'T need the calories. Anorexics emphatically will state that they are never hungry.
Keep it real. Don't undertake a diet just to lose weight. Diets don't work. Adopt a lifestyle that you know you can live with the rest of your life. I eat junkfood and processed foods. I eat high calorie foods. All in moderation with the assurance that I get in all my essentials first, and also that I get in exercise and plenty of rest. Doing it this way has kept my weight within 10lbs for the last 25 years and kept it enjoyable. I view life as one to be enjoyed and not just to systematically consume foods that are only good for you. Heck it that's all it took, then NO ONE who eats perfect should ever have any disease or illness, but we all know that's not the case.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Cheers to this!

ninerbuff

I feel fantastic - and since I'm not dead or feeling ANY ill effects, including hunger, I would say I can survive on exactly what I am consuming - maybe you or anyone else could not but that's the beauty of us all - we're all different and finding what works for you is the key - how about a little support instead of telling me to eat more! It never ceases to surprise me how snarky people can be when they have anonymity and the safety of sitting at home behind a computer screen! And I have quite a few doc friends who live the same lifestyle as I do and don't get crazy about the 1200 calories minimum a day - why do you even care what someone else does? I am not hurting anyone just a little plug for Primal since its pretty munched changed my life!

Heck, HCG proponents don't hurt anyone either...............they just want to plug their diets in too.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Jambe

I eat between 1200 and 1500 cals a day regularly. I just make sure I get all my nutrients in doing so. Healthy fats. potassium. Vitamins. Fiber. Been dropping fat %, waist, and increasing weights/tone. Im also probably much larger 191lbs atm. Feel pretty damn good once I adjusted to ketones. Jobs physically demanding, too.

Helps if you research a bit and look at foods as more than just high or low cals.

I will say this, though. When i do eat closer to maintenance, My performance increases quicker and I recover faster from workouts.

Maintenance or excess well. Just gets nuts, energy wise But of course, I dont lose any fat... which is the point of the deficit to begin with. When Im done, course ill just adjust my protein to carb/fat ratios to hit maintenance. And eat better foods mm cheerios and oatmeal...

jessiepilot

I feel fantastic - and since I'm not dead or feeling ANY ill effects, including hunger, I would say I can survive on exactly what I am consuming - maybe you or anyone else could not but that's the beauty of us all - we're all different and finding what works for you is the key - how about a little support instead of telling me to eat more! It never ceases to surprise me how snarky people can be when they have anonymity and the safety of sitting at home behind a computer screen! And I have quite a few doc friends who live the same lifestyle as I do and don't get crazy about the 1200 calories minimum a day - why do you even care what someone else does? I am not hurting anyone just a little plug for Primal since its pretty munched changed my life!

Heck, HCG proponents don't hurt anyone either...............they just want to plug their diets in too.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member

and some people just want to tear down whatever your diet or lifestyle is because it's not the same as theirs or what they believe in people, to each their own, what works for you is awesome for you and the same for me! peace love and sugar free lollipops! lmao

gleechick609

I feel fantastic - and since I'm not dead or feeling ANY ill effects, including hunger, I would say I can survive on exactly what I am consuming - maybe you or anyone else could not but that's the beauty of us all - we're all different and finding what works for you is the key - how about a little support instead of telling me to eat more! It never ceases to surprise me how snarky people can be when they have anonymity and the safety of sitting at home behind a computer screen! And I have quite a few doc friends who live the same lifestyle as I do and don't get crazy about the 1200 calories minimum a day - why do you even care what someone else does? I am not hurting anyone just a little plug for Primal since its pretty munched changed my life!

Heck, HCG proponents don't hurt anyone either...............they just want to plug their diets in too.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member

and some people just want to tear down whatever your diet or lifestyle is because it's not the same as theirs or what they believe in! Jesus people, to each their own, what works for you is awesome for you and the same for me! peace love and sugar free lollipops! lmao

We are "tearing" down fad diets because most of us have "been there and done that." Ever think that some of us are trying to save you the hassle of what can be expected in the long run?? But, do as you wish. One day, you will see your doctor for routine blood work and s/he will tell you that you need to see an endocrinologist because your thyroid panel is too low. You can thank the 1000 calorie diet, Primal and HGC diet for it!

SublimelyMe

Excellent post. I'm so glad you wrote about your experience.

I've existed on really painfully low diets. I'm ashamed to admit though that - in the past - I've happily indulged in a daily intake of less than 900. Did I suffer for it? Yes. In many ways and the effects were not all immediate.

Extreme dieting felt right. I accepted it and the horrible consequences too. It just became normal.

And then I got stressed. I became an adult. Started eating out every other week, having a few drinks with the girls. My once a week 'treat' of vodka and diet coke (too much of it) and my bi-weekly treat of a meal out didn't stop me from being 'good' the rest of the time. But I started gaining weight. Fast. In a year I gained 5st.

I moved to London and lived with an aunt and uncle. I was pretty much bound to their existing eating habits, which made me feel physically sick at the time. Why on earth would I want to eat brown toast and beans for breakfast? What did I need lunch for? How was I going to start losing weight again?

I went into panic, but there wasn't much I could do other than escape every meal and that was never going to happen, so I joined a gym. But at 18st, that wasn't fun although it was my last resort(!). Within about 9 months, I'd lost the 5st I gained, started to really love going to the gym and began some sort of good relationship with food.

I maintained for a while after that, then lost another stone. In my final year of uni, I got stressed again, obsessed and started to cut back on calories, drastically. I gained 2st. I started my business, did well, managed to eat normally - I mean, probably closer to 1500 cals - and got more movement into my life again and lost 1st. 3yrs later my business started to fold, I got stressed and the only thing left for me to control was my food. So I chose not to eat breakfast or dinner.

I had memory loss, frequent blackouts - some of which I didn't even remember, I'd get exhausted and deny it, because it felt normal...and then I complained to the doctor about almost drowning in the bath because I kept falling asleep. Stupidly I didn't think this had anything to do with the low level of calories I was eating.

My doctor (of 25yrs) told me to change my lifestyle - including my eating habits - or expect to die in the bath, black out and fall down some stairs or face some other uncertain but nasty fatality.

I now eat between 1300-1500 cals per day (recommended 1200 but I eat some of my exercise calories too). Sometimes I feel guilty, but then I look at what I've eaten, the things I've made in the kitchen from scratch and the exercise I've done and I remind myself that I DO have control, but in a different way now.

I'm not saying 'don't do this' or 'don't do that'. I'm saying...listen to your body and don't forget what normal feels like. You can't defy your own body.

Lissakaye81

I remember reading an interview with a supermodel, sorry cant remember her name, she is still alive, was big during the reign of Naomi cambell, Linda evangelist, when George micheal did his freedom video. Anyway she lived off some insanely low calorie "diet" for many years of her career. Then after retireing she started eating a little more, and suffered I think 3 heart attacks. Didn't even know she had had the 1st one till a few days later too. Well come to find out her diet for so long had caused horrible damage to her heart. So many years later her bad lifestyle choices were literally killing her.

Lissakaye81

Here's one model http://www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/fashion/Carre-Otis.html She did a lot of drugs that contribute too. But look @ heart problems among certain groups expected to stay thin like ballerinas, super models, gymnasts, figure skater, race jockeys, you will see an astonishing trend among heart health and VLCDs

Oni7Tsunami

thank you for sharing your story.

BlaireV

Thank you for sharing this. I hope and pray you will soon feel comfortable eating above 1000. You ate <1000 for so long so of course it's going to feel wrong or weird when you eat more. Feel free to add me as a friend if you would like some more support xo

Malaika946

Thank you for sharing. Good luck on the weight loss journey. Be strong you can do it!

Beezil

I've heard of all these arguments from "pro" dieters of every type in the market place. People will do what they think is right for them regardless what science may show.
Here's what science will show you. If you don't eat enough calories to sustain your bodies functions (and your body will dictate that not you) it will learn to cope by doing what it needs to survive. To reserve energy, it will "rid" itself of calorie expending tissue and this will usually be lean muscle.
Macroutrients are great. Some will depress hormone production ghrelin which will also depress appetite. But having no appetite doesn't mean you DON'T need the calories. Anorexics emphatically will state that they are never hungry.
Keep it real. Don't undertake a diet just to lose weight. Diets don't work. Adopt a lifestyle that you know you can live with the rest of your life. I eat junkfood and processed foods. I eat high calorie foods. All in moderation with the assurance that I get in all my essentials first, and also that I get in exercise and plenty of rest. Doing it this way has kept my weight within 10lbs for the last 25 years and kept it enjoyable. I view life as one to be enjoyed and not just to systematically consume foods that are only good for you. Heck it that's all it took, then NO ONE who eats perfect should ever have any disease or illness, but we all know that's not the case.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Helloitsdan

I recently switched (2 weeks ago) to the Primal lifestyle and although my calorie goal on here is 1200 without trying, just by sticking to Primal I find I am around 900 calories almost every day and I feel fantastic - Primal doesn't focus on calories but I track them on here because I like to stay accountable as to what I am eating and have a general clue as to my nutrient breakdown. I think it all depends on your body and lifestyle and what works for you - if I felt deprived or like I was starving myself I would NEVER be able to stick to it. I know that from years and years of experience. it's not about calories it's about overall balance. I'm a nurse practitioner so believe me if I felt like my body wasn't right I'd abort mission on Primal - but so far I never felt better and never fell into an easier lifestyle change for ME.

You are on the Skinny-Fat diet!
Awesome!

#truth

funkycamper

Thank you, OP and SublimelyMe, for sharing your stories. I wish you both the best and I'm sorry some VLC advocates felt the need to come in here and trash the discussion. You're both very brave for sharing your experience and for confronting the issue in your lives and working to correct it.