PEOPLE...EAT!!!

mcarter99

All of that is right around 1200 calories, give or take. Subtract the usual 400+ calories I burn doing cardio and weight lifting, then I have a good deficit going on.

Makes it very clear to me that you have no clue how calories work and that you don't realize the detriment you are doing to your body. The 1200 calorie goal is already an EXTREME deficit from the amount you should be eating to maintain. To add even more deficit on top of that is starvation. Have fun when you gain all your weight back. I hope you seriously consider looking into what you are doing to your body with an unbiased view before you seriously damage your health.

So you have no idea this person's size and yet you know that 1200 is an EXTREME deficit for her? Not to mention, she's not trying to MAINTAIN, she's trying to lose.

I have never run across a forum with so much misinformation.

Babyvett

The bottom line for a lot of people seems to be "but I'm losing weight!!! It MUST be right" well ok, so you're losing weight. And possibly doing damage to your one and only body that could take a long time to show up. I personally would rather do this slower and paying closer attention to nutrition. Id lose weight on 700 calories net, for a while....ive done it before. Learned the hard way---it comes back and brings friends with it. This time, I'm being sensible. And healthy.

^^^ Agree 100%,

My jaw dropped today because someone who friended me on here congratulated me for being under my target calories yesterday. I ended up eating right around 1000 calories and I was being congratulated. The irony is, I joined this because I have to eat more - because for YEARS I Have eaten too few calories and I have done major damage to my body. Yes, Starvation mode does occur.. and yes, it can, over long term, cause problems. I am right now on heart medications to protect my heart because of what I have done. And the entire time I was causing these problems, I thought everything was okay, that I was healthy. And recovery isn't as easy as just picking up a fork and eating - I'm learning that the hard way as well.. Don't make the same mistakes I have made. My blood work looks like it belongs to a 50 year old woman who ate fast food every day of their life..

CoderGal

The bottom line for a lot of people seems to be "but I'm losing weight!!! It MUST be right" well ok, so you're losing weight. And possibly doing damage to your one and only body that could take a long time to show up. I personally would rather do this slower and paying closer attention to nutrition. Id lose weight on 700 calories net, for a while....ive done it before. Learned the hard way---it comes back and brings friends with it. This time, I'm being sensible. And healthy.

^^^ Agree 100%,

My jaw dropped today because someone who friended me on here congratulated me for being under my target calories yesterday. I ended up eating right around 1000 calories and I was being congratulated. The irony is, I joined this because I have to eat more - because for YEARS I Have eaten too few calories and I have done major damage to my body. Yes, Starvation mode does occur.. and yes, it can, over long term, cause problems. I am right now on heart medications to protect my heart because of what I have done. And the entire time I was causing these problems, I thought everything was okay, that I was healthy. And recovery isn't as easy as just picking up a fork and eating - I'm learning that the hard way as well.. Don't make the same mistakes I have made. My blood work looks like it belongs to a 50 year old woman who ate fast food every day of their life..

I have gotten this before and seen others get it. Basically all i see is congrats! You are sick and cannot eat
..good job. Can't imagine someone self concious about their weight would feel after getting a msg like that. It basically oozes hey fatso I think what you ate before is to much.

peachyxoxoxo

My concern with such a low calorie diet is that you may not be getting adequate protein. That's extremely important, especially if you're exercising and trying to lose weight. The reason I eat a higher calorie diet is to prevent loss of lean body mass. If you are eating too little, it is far too easy to lose some muscle mass along with the fat.

roachhaley

You wouldn't die eating 1300 calories a day. That is just funny to me.

Bobby_Clerici

The self-sabotage is rampant.
It used to really bother me, but I am no longer going to beat my head against those too daft to take ownership of their health.
You see it in these forums daily.
And what's bad are the scammers who exploit this tendency in well intentioned but misguided consumers.
LOSE WEIGHT FAST!
That's the mantra due to the low brow attention span of the average person. It's sad.
All I do now is put out the truth and let the cards fall where they may. I wish each person I know will fail "GOOD LUCK":flowerforyou:
I no longer argue what is already settled.

phatty4dayz

Threads like this ALWAYS go round and round. While I do agree with the OP, I also agree with those who said that everyone is different. When I eat back my exercise calories, I lose weight. I also know that some this doesn't work for everyone. So I say try a few things and stick with what works for you.

Phaedra2014

I think it also depends on what the daily 1,200 calories are composed of. If a person uses those calories toward high protein and high fiber content foods, then yes you feel full, have energy and don't want anymore.

It's easy to use up calories on pasta, bread, potatoes and desserts but these leave us hungry for more food.

I think everyone's 1,200 or 1,300 calorie food diary is different. Maybe we need to compare those to see what's going on?

Articeluvsmemphis

It seams like every post I've ready today about someone being dizzy, not feeling good, not losing weight, not having energy, etc is because they are eating less than 1,200 net calories. If your goal is 1,300 calories (which I would die on by the way) and you burn 700 calories through exercise that means you really only at 600 calories for the day! Your body can not function on that!

*gasp* you're telling me you need to eat to feel well AND lose weight? surely those things don't go together

beachlover317

We need to cross reference all the people who are eating too little with how many times they have lost weight and then put it back on and then some. (Sorry for the run on sentence) Then maybe they will understand. I started MFP in March. I have lost 36 pounds. The first two months I did the "1200 or less at the end of the day" program. Suddenly after I would exercise, I would start feeling weak and dizzy in the afternoons. I bumped up my calories to 1300 -1400 and still lose about 2 pounds a week. Love being full and eating healthy. Just sayin' And I have lost weight many times with very restricted calories! Could not maintain it for any long period of time and then put it all back on.

aleshai

I've only been on here for five days and initially didn't know I was supposed to eat my exercise calories. I was eating 1200 calories which is my target goal and working out 40 minutes daily. I entered 30 minutes of daily exercise as a goal, so I thought it would be entered into my consumption needs. Anyways, I am definitely not starving myself. I would never reduce my food to the point where I felt weak, dizzy, hungry, or faint. I also have a good 50 pounds to lose so isn't that fat supposed to be utilized by my body to make up any deficit?? I have lean protein with every meal, eat fruits and veggies and whole grains and drink lots of water. I also don't deprive myself of fats and will eat out without much restriction.
Is it better to meet your calorie target and not work out? Or work out and consume more calories? Either way, you are building a deficit to lose weight.
I also take a multi-vitamin and a calcium/magnesium supplement as well as a probiotic. I am not interested in starving myself. I am simply trying to be healthy, work out, and lose weight and certainly not more than two pounds a week.

manderson27

If someone posts (and they do)

"I feel weak, have no energy and am getting dizzy spells, I excercise like mad and eat 1200 cals a day still not losing weight. Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong please?"

People look at their diary, see they are actually netting way under 1200 surely the correct response is "Eat more". Simply because that might solve the cause of the dizziness and lack of energy.

It isn't about people "shouting" at the op or even about people wanting her to "do it their way" it is just common sense to eliminate the obvious cause of a problem first then move on to less obvious like thyroid issues etc.

coquetona

Wow do people ever get defensive around here. The bottom line is to do what works for YOU. However, if you log on here with posts like what the OP was describing, you have to expect posts like this one to come up. The OP wasn't bashing everyone eating less than 1200 calories, just the ones that post about feeling like crap and are complaining about it. If you eat 1200 calories and aren't whining then all the power to you if that's what you want to do. )

What's working for me? Eating 1800-2000 calories a day and exercising at least five days a week. I did the whole 1200 calories a day thing and for me, I had the symptoms like the OP is talking about. For ten years I lost and regained the same 15-20 lbs over and over again. I'm now 25 and weigh a few lbs less than I did in 9th grade and 15-30 lbs less than my fluctuating weight from the ages of 15-25. I have never felt better and would never go back. For me, I hated eating 1200 calories a day and doing cardio (I could not sustain this lifestyle). I much prefer the 2000 calories a day with strength training. In the long run you need to do what makes you happy and healthy.

coquetona

If someone posts (and they do)

"I feel weak, have no energy and am getting dizzy spells, I excercise like mad and eat 1200 cals a day still not losing weight. Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong please?"

People look at their diary, see they are actually netting way under 1200 surely the correct response is "Eat more". Simply because that might solve the cause of the dizziness and lack of energy.

It isn't about people "shouting" at the op or even about people wanting her to "do it their way" it is just common sense to eliminate the obvious cause of a problem first then move on to less obvious like thyroid issues etc.

Love this!

wahmx3

I love this and so true..... 2 year olds can run but only for a short time, need to nap and need about 12 hours of sleep at night. Sure, losing weight varies from person to person but the basic part of how our bodies work is the same for everyone, no matter our age or sex.

Everyone has a BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate. This is the number of calories your body needs to function and be inactive-think digestion, blood flow and organ functions. Once you add in activity of any kind,you have to consume more to offset that activity. Now, if you eat below your BMR ( which for most women is 1500 cals per day) your body goes into starvation mode. Your body begins to store fat as fuel and burn lean muscle mass, this muscle mass comes from your heart, liver, lungs and brain. When your body exhausts those stores, it will then move onto the fat stores.

I am not going to debate starvation mode as it means different things to different people.

i eat under 1200 almost every day walk 5 miles almost every morning not to mention a job where i walk , lift . climb ladders for 8-10 hrs a day not to mention swim when i can at least 3 days aweek and i have lost 20 lbs have the energy level of a 2 yr old and now find that i need way less sleep than before

2 year olds don't have a lot of energy. They take lots of naps and cannot do anything with good endurance. And they are super cranky when they don't get enough sleep.

Just sayin....

mcarter99

Everyone has a BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate. This is the number of calories your body needs to function and be inactive-think digestion, blood flow and organ functions. Once you add in activity of any kind,you have to consume more to offset that activity. Now, if you eat below your BMR ( which for most women is 1500 cals per day) your body goes into starvation mode. Your body begins to store fat as fuel and burn lean muscle mass, this muscle mass comes from your heart, liver, lungs and brain. When your body exhausts those stores, it will then move onto the fat stores.

Have you ever seen Survivor or The Biggest Loser? Oddly, they've all lost their fat at the end, not their brains, hearts, livers, lungs or structural muscle.

Casey45

Seems to me that a licensed dietician who contracted with MFP webmaster to have one of those banner ads would make a killing here.

Better than those damn "5 Foods NOT to eat to reduce belly fat" with a pic of a banana. Poor banana. No idea what the other four are, but I feel badly for them too.

amivox

It seams like every post I've ready today about someone being dizzy, not feeling good, not losing weight, not having energy, etc is because they are eating less than 1,200 net calories. If your goal is 1,300 calories (which I would die on by the way) and you burn 700 calories through exercise that means you really only at 600 calories for the day! Your body can not function on that!

You would only "really be only at 600 calories for the day" if you had no excess weight to lose and/or your body could not use yesterday's calories to fuel today's activities.

Not everyone here is starving and stupid.

95% of dieters re-gain so even if you spend 2 years losing 20 lbs. don't feel totally immune. Most dieters are not 'crash dieters'. 1200/day is not a 'crash diet', despite how uncomfortable some may be at it.

I haven't read the posts about people being dizzy, etc. What I've read all morning is the poor people so confused over whether they're supposed to listen to MFP, eat more, eat less, net this, gross that. Because the diet plan here is too complex and the forum is so full of misinformation like EAT MORE, starvation mode, your body is a car that needs filled up daily, you'll wreck your metabolism, you have to 'eat back', etc.

95% of DIETERS... thats the keyword. If you are doing this whole thing the healthy and slow way, its not considered a diet. Its a lifestyle change. I regularly eat 2100 calories a day. I am losing about 0.5 lbs a week. That is slow, gradual weight loss. 1-2 lbs a weeks is actually pretty fast for weight loss. Its not considered slow. Shows like Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition and Biggest Loser make it seem like you need to lose weight fast. Those shows aren't really realistic. Those people aren't dealing with the same things that we are, they are being medically supervised, and they have access to personal trainers that will work them to the point of total exhaustion. Those are extreme cases with extremely obese people. They are able to eat less because of all the fat stores on their body. People who aren't extremely overweight should not be aiming for such a dramatic weight loss in such a short period of time. It not only unhealthy for your body, but it becomes a struggle with your mentality, as well.

Before you go jumping all over me telling me that it isn't the same for everyone, believe me when I say, it really is... I recovered from an eating disorder, dudes. I did the undereating thing. I dropped weight, while also becoming super unhealthy because my body was pretty much eating away at itself, and then if I tried to eat anything I gained weight like crazy because my metabolism was completely shot. Now I am losing weight and its slower, but its so much more healthier. Aside from seeing my weight drop on the scale, I see muscle definition, I have dropped inches, my hair looks amazeballs, my skin looks radiant, and I am not a cranky beeyotch all the time. I understand that we are a society that wants instant gratification, but there are a lot of other things to focus on besides just the number on the scale. My weight loss has slowed a bit the past few weeks, but I am still losing. Studies have shown that losing weight at a slower pace actually does have a better chance for the loss to be long term, as opposed to crash dieting and then gaining it all back. You can't maintain a crash diet forever.

amivox

My main concern about eating so little (other than the health issues) is what happens when you go to maintenance? If you stay so low for so long, don't you think you will have a hard time eating a proper maintenace level? Eating so little is definitely going to affect your metabolism. How long term will that be? I don't have the answers to this, but I think the question bears asking.

What health issues are there at 1200/day? Not forum myths, actual documented health issues? There is a lot of support for low calorie diets being very good for you. They're linked to increased longevity.

When you go to maintenance you eat at a maintenance level. Why would that be hard? Your metabolism isn't harmed, which is why pretty much every respected diet plan allows people to eat at that level. You burn a little less while at a deficit but it's slight and temporary. You lose some lean body mass but it's unavoidable with weight loss and you can build it back.

You can lose FAT while preserving lean mass. Its when you focus strictly on the weight that it becomes a problem. If you are eating plenty of food, doing some sort of strength training, and also doing some cardio, you will lose FAT (notice I didn't say weight) while maintaining/gaining lean muscle mass. Seriously, just google "How to lose fat without losing muscle." You can look at any one of the hundreds of sites that disprove your statement.

paulsmisses

It's true. In reality, if you're doing that, then this site is of little use to you. You might as well just call it what it is - a crash diet. That said, sometimes I do eat less than my limit, but that's because I've found that when I exercise, I have less of an appetite.

me too, i love exercising but lose my apetite when i do!