making calories

ash_ho_ley

I'm really struggling to make 1200 calories, and have been significantly under since starting my diet. However I am eating 3 meals a day, plus 2-3 snacks a day, and I'm never hungry???! I also work out for at least an hour a day on top of all my other daily activities. Can eating under my calories be detrimental? Should I really strive to eat at least 1200 a day? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

BrianSharpe

Yes, one of the reasons that VLCD (very low calorie diets) are not considered healthy is that your body adapts to the reduced intake; semi-starvation becomes the new normal. Your body needs a certain amount of energy for day to day functioning, if that fuel isn't coming from food your body will eventually start consuming lean muscle mass which further reduces your daily caloric needs (hence the references you'll see to messed up metabolism) - when you return to a more normal diet the weight magically reappears, even if you're eating less than you had previously.

The long term to key to success is is a balanced diet with a modest caloric deficit and exercise.

If you're struggling to meet your calorie targets try adding some good, high calorie snacks (50g of almonds has about 290 cal & 10g of protein)

ash_ho_ley

Thanks for your response, I've been reading through some of these topics and kind of getting a better understanding of caloric intake, and it's starting to make sense lol.