Under-eating - do you comment or not?

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  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Hodgetwins voice - "Let them do whatever the **** they wanna do!"

    Jokes aside. I don't even bother anymore. Most are so wrapped in broscience, they will continue down the road of destruction. Sometimes the best lessons are taught when you fail.
  • FatStoatLondon
    FatStoatLondon Posts: 197 Member
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    I wouldn't comment: it's their business what they do with their bodies. If they sent me a private message, that would be different.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    I'm constantly seeing people eating ridiculously low calories on here, especially though not exclusively newbies. On my first 4 or 5 days on here back in March I also under ate as I didn't know any better, though I did feel crap and a bit weak from it. Thankfully I saw some very helpful posts on BMR and TDEE and made some really good MFP pals so this under-eating mistake was corrected quickly. I firmly believe you got to lose weight in a controlled manner, especially if you want to hold onto as much muscle as possible. When I see people under-eating sometimes I point it out and sometimes I don't - it's like I feel bad for saying something which might appear negative if I do , especially when the under-eaters have just posted their 'success story' but also feel a bit bad if I say nothing at all as that person might not realise that what they're doing is not optimal. Also tbh sometimes I think what's the point, it gets weary to keep seeing so many people making the same mistake.

    I realise the 1200 cals or less a day people will say that's just my opinion - and that's true, but it's the opinion I got by looking at countless websites and informative posts from people with more experience and healthier stronger physiques than me - that's all one can do really - is to try to get informed as possible.

    Anyway I digress - so if you believe in eating right and having a moderate calorie deficit (if you have 50+ lbs to lose - not suggesting a moderate deficit btw) when trying to lose weight/lose fat do you comment on people who are under-eating or do you just keep stum!

    It all depends what you consider "undereating" is.

    Regarding your actual question, no I do not comment on a person undereating, it really is not my place to do so unless they specifically ask me and then I will take a look.
  • Linbo93
    Linbo93 Posts: 229 Member
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    I keep my mouth shut. If they wanted my advice, they'd ask. If they spam my news feed with any pro eating disorder type of talk, I'll delete them. There's enough information on this site to help them learn why to eat more, so I feel like I'd just be preaching to the choir. Plus, humans have a tendency to not hear something until they're ready to hear it. So, I mind my own.
  • twinmom1993
    twinmom1993 Posts: 52
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    my caloric intake is always saying under and that im not eating enough. but i agree with the person that says i just cant eat that much more food. i have a personal goal of eating 1400 calories a day and most days i keep around 1200 or 1300 i have been at this for almost a month and i continue to lose weight. im by far not hungry. i did have a day that i only ate like 650 cal and gained 2 lbs. so im very conscious to keep around 1200-1300. i dont count my exercise as free calories, so i pay no attention to the "net" calories. i eat about every 2-3 hours but i dont eat after 8pm...
  • GloynByw
    GloynByw Posts: 24 Member
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    1200 calories is low for a lot of people, but please keep in mind there are some very small, lightly framed girls here, where 1200 calories may only be giving us a small calorie deficit.

    Agree completely. I'm only 4ft10 and sometimes don't always need 1200 in my day.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    1200 calories is low for a lot of people, but please keep in mind there are some very small, lightly framed girls here, where 1200 calories may only be giving us a small calorie deficit.

    Agree completely. I'm only 4ft10 and sometimes don't always need 1200 in my day.
    I am assuming you don't do nothing the whole day then?
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    didn't comment, just deleted off my friends list.
    There's been a couple like that and it's not up to me to judge as our goals were obviously very different. So with one click of the button, away they were........

    Yes, I used to do the same with those that were quite insistent that I could eat 3000 calories per day and still lose. They got on my nerves because it never worked for me.

    Hence why sticking on 1200 calories per day for six and a half months got me to my goal it was also great I never plateaued or went into any starvation mode and could continue my running.
  • Moana41
    Moana41 Posts: 35
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    I comment if people are constantly eating too few calories. I can't stand when someone post that they had four items of food, totalled 800 calories or so and others write WTG or Great Job.

    I agree, we're more or less encouraging them to eat less when we know it's not ideal if done constantly. We're not really being a supportive friend if we're commending them on their lack of calorie intake once they complete their diaries. Let them know you're concerned for them but also careful not to be too judgmental. One thing I can't stand is judgmental people, we don't know the full story as to why they choose to eat less, could be for a number of reasons ie, sickness, shift work can throw your meal plans out of wack.
  • HannahsReturnToFitness
    HannahsReturnToFitness Posts: 86 Member
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    I think it is a matter of personal opinion. What one person sees as under eating another person does not. What one persons body needs to function, another persons does not.

    I genuinely find it very hard to consume above 1000 calories and from my food diary anyone would see that I have a healthy balanced diet and my calorie consumption works for me. Just because someone has a low calorie diet does not mean they are under eating. You can decide for yourself whether someone is starving themself or whether they are eating a balanced diet. . I do not believe in forcing down high calories for the sake of it.

    I do not use a calorie deficit to lose weight but do it through exercise and toning up.
  • leahartmann
    leahartmann Posts: 415
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    I said that I would comment earlier. I meant, as other mentioned, that I would send them a private message. I don´t just comment for a single day, I do it if it´s looks like a habbit. I to have days of under-eating. I don´t have that many friends, and those I got I consider close friends. If they don´t response, I wouln´t keep telling them. Untill now, I only had posive reactions, where friends told me thanks or told me why they were under-eating.
  • bazfitness
    bazfitness Posts: 275 Member
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    @emhargs Yeah i agree that 1200 is ok for some very small framed women who are overweight. or even less in some particular cases such as GloynByw. 1200 is just a reference point as it's the minimum recommendation on MFP - too low a recommendation for most of us imo, but ok for a minority I agree.

    Well can see a lot of mixed opinions on whether you should comment or not and can understand it from both perspectives, hence my original post.

    I certainly am done commenting when it's likely or pure obvious that the poster has already seen this under-eating advice before and has chosen to ignore or doesn't believe it - then indeed it's their life, their body, their choice! I might comment just very occasionally from now on if I think someone's a newbie or just unaware, that I guess is a happy compromise.
  • GloynByw
    GloynByw Posts: 24 Member
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    1200 calories is low for a lot of people, but please keep in mind there are some very small, lightly framed girls here, where 1200 calories may only be giving us a small calorie deficit.

    Agree completely. I'm only 4ft10 and sometimes don't always need 1200 in my day.
    I am assuming you don't do nothing the whole day then?

    Don't do 'nothing'? My BMR is 1100 and I have a sedentary job which involves sitting in front of a screen all day. One of the reasons I got overweight in the first place was because I was eating the same food as my 6ft tall husband who is a construction worker. I am losing weight slowly but surely (about 0.5 pounds a week) and I am happy with my progress. I eat my allocated calories, get a balanced diet and I exercise in the gym.
  • llsand
    llsand Posts: 87
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    I’m actually almost always under my calorie goal and this is essentially because i’m on the Dukan diet. I eat as much as I want but the calorie content of my food it not high ( on the Dukan diet you eat mainly protein and vegetables ). I talk about it on my main page and most people on my list are either thinking of joining or doing the same diet. The very rare people that forget and point out that it’s pretty low I kindly remind. I very much appreciate the gesture and reassure them that when my goal will be met, not only will they see my eating habits come to a more normal pace but my daily calorie suggestion from MFP will be higher. I find that those who notice that type of thing and say it are the real support. Those are the people I want on my support team to help me gradually have and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
  • Samstudent88
    Samstudent88 Posts: 135
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    I try to eat 1200.....I eat over sometimes it just depends on how hungry I am, but if you're not hungry....how can you force yourself to eat and not feel ill?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    sometimes i have commented that a person could eat back their exercise calories if they dont do so and have a very low net, but generally i just delete friends who have a very low cal diet. i have more friends who have the same goals as me now i'm maintaining anyway.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    People shoot themselves in the foot with this most obvious form of self-sabotage.
    It's part guilt and self-hate mixed with impatience.

    I have resolved to warn once, and if somebody persists in the absurd notion of crash dieting, I BLOCK them.
    It hurts me to see somebody do that to themselves.
    Oprah Winfrey is a perfect example of an intelligent lady who just can't seem to get it. Most people, like Oprah, will yoyo diet their whole life.

    Sad...
  • hypallage
    hypallage Posts: 624 Member
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    I occasionally do - only to people on my friends list though.

    It does depend on whether they are doing it as a one off or whether it is consistent. What I don't like is people commenting saying "great day" etc when people are netting 500 / 600 calories.
    (I must admit I did net -300 the other day - I didn't complete my day though so it didn't show up. I normally net around 1600!!
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I begged her three times to stop with the 900 calorie days. She then made it so that I couldn't see her diary. I haven't taken her off my friends list, but I don't comment on anything anymore except when she asks people how they feel about specific diets or weight loss tactics. I've considered removing her because I know what she's doing and I find it painful to me, personally, that someone would be so traumatized by weight they'd go to extremes to lose it, but I figured I accepted her friendship request so I shouldn't say goodbye.
  • PrinnyBomb
    PrinnyBomb Posts: 196 Member
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    If it's occasional and you have a bit of background on the person, I'll usually ignore it (i.e. they're ill, tired etc). However if it is contstant, I agree with another poster and I just delete them. May sound harsh but we're all here for our own reasons and it's not our job to 'educate others'.

    Plus who are any of us to advise people? We're all different.

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