PEOPLE...EAT!!!

ChristaFall

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

You will either burn out, get injured from not feeding your body enough to repair the muscles that are being used all day, or you will gain it all back. Not trying to be mean or spiteful....i've been there done that. SEVERAL times. It took me 8 months to lose 37lbs and I fit into clothes that previously I only wore after starving myself then gaining it back. Slow and steady wins this race.

This isn't necessarily true. I know a lot of MFP members want to believe that everyone is exactly the same and must do exactly the same things to lose weight. But that simply isn't true. Not everyone of the same size needs the same amount of calories.

thank you for responding to this; I really just get sick of the haters who think if you don't do it my way you're doing it wrong and it's somehow unhealthy or dangerous. There is no one size fits all solution to diet or exercise or the diet industry wouldn't be a multi billion dollar one where people seem to get fatter every year anyway. Not everyone is weak or faint because of eating too little, sometimes it could he the freaking heat... HELLO it's 105 here and it's going to get hotter before the summer is over. Could lack of fuel be the problem? Maybe, but it's way better to make a suggestion based on your experience than to judge since you're not in their shoes and even reading a food diary if available doesn't tell the whole story.

EXACTLY! I eat less than 1200 calories..work out HARD every day, have more energy than I've every had and feel wonderful! I've been doing this for 4 years now..everyone is different!

steppingstones

Excellent!!!!

alladream

I also find it too bad that I can't find a single thread that doesn't eventually become some version of "oh hello somebody, you're wrong because blahblah" and then the people just sort of fall by the wayside and wank at each other in mean ways and don't address the original poster's concerns. I find it most unhelpful when sometimes people here have genuine questions or concerns and are looking for support, and others just shoot at each other around them--*shrug*.

homerjspartan

The fact is if you want to lose weight you have to eat exactly 1437 calories a day and do 34.6 minutes of cardio. Any more or less will not work at all, and you will turn into a giant slug. Also, for advanced weight loss you must dress as a nun and hum the theme to S.W.A.T. at least 3 hours a week.

thelovelyLIZ

I've actually increased my calories in the last month or so because a) I stopped counting b) I'm training for a half marathon and c) I've been lifting. Since doing so, I've had better luck building and maintaining muscle, and my weight has been sitting between 125-130, which I'm happy with. I eat between about 1400-1700 calories most days, more on my long run days (or the day after, depending on how I'm feeling). I have probably put on a couple pounds (though I should still be under 130) but that's mostly because it's hard to lose weight doing distance running, and I've been a little slack on my eating the last couple weeks. Your body needs fuel though.

olee67

I have to eat 4,000 calories some days... Some days, I don't eat more than 1600. 1600 calories to a guy like me is like 800 to a person half my size. I wouldn't do that every day, but, for some, 1200 calories might be the only way. If you lead a very sedentary life, it's the bare minimum you can eat (so science says).

I think all our original poster was trying to say, if you are showing signs of under eating, you're probably under eating.

I think the only thing that is the same for every person on here trying to lose or even gain weight is that you have to keep changing it up. Doing the same thing and eating the same thing every day isn't going to do it. Avoiding homostasis (a plateau) is the key to weight loss and the only way to avoid that is variety.

Me? I've been trying to reach or go over my goal this week. I've taken a total, 100%, break from exercise. I weighed 252 on Monday morning and weighed 247 today. I had been stuck in the low 250's for a while and this little change has shifted my metabolism to burning fat and not building muscle.

Please, keep chugging and taking care of yourselves people. We are all on here to lead healthy lives and get support. Although sometimes it may be misdirected, people do try and give support because we all want eachother to succeed.

Journey well all.

tmauck4472

The fact is if you want to lose weight you have to eat exactly 1437 calories a day and do 34.6 minutes of cardio. Any more or less will not work at all, and you will turn into a giant slug. Also, for advanced weight loss you must dress as a nun and hum the theme to S.W.A.T. at least 3 hours a week.

LMFAO I'm kinda sad now cause I'm NOT dressing as a nun and huming anything lol

KrystieNye

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!

THANK YOU! I get so frustrated seeing people do this to themselves! I may not be losing weight as fast as someone who eats 1,000 calories/day, but I feel WAY better and I know that my weight will STAY OFF in the long run because I plan on eating like this for the rest of my life. Here's to you for being the one to finally say something! :drinker:

tmauck4472

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!

THANK YOU! I get so frustrated seeing people do this to themselves! I may not be losing weight as fast as someone who eats 1,000 calories/day, but I feel WAY better and I know that my weight will STAY OFF in the long run because I plan on eating like this for the rest of my life. Here's to you for being the one to finally say something! :drinker:

Sorry to disappoint you but I function just fine on that. You may not, others may not, but others may. I also don't plan to eat this low forever, I will move things up when I feel the need, but not yet, I'm not ready to do it yet.

MaraDiaz

I feel dizzy and weak when it's hot no matter what I eat. In fact, I think that's why I tend to overeat this time of year. I'm trying to make those feelings go away. Allergies, I gots em.

Right now I am netting less than 1200. If I get dizzy and weak, I am going to up them. But at the moment this low carb, low calorie thing has me feeling pretty frisky compared to how I usually feel this time of year. I even went to a movie last night, wandered around WalMart (big deal since I'm a social phobe), then went for a run when I got home. Then I was awake for hours and couldn't sleep.

I figure my body has decided that I must have energy to hunt and gather. So I will use that energy to workout and be more outgoing. Thanks, body! More low cal, low carb days for you!

zoodalia

THIS!

chrismanforever

This is one of the reasons recording your food is so important. It's not just about making sure you don't over eat; eating enough is important, too.

My problem is that I'm so far off the reservation, calculating a diet can be difficult. I've been over-weight for as long as I can remember, so my perception of what normal eating habits are is a little screwy. I'm doing a lot of trial and error.

One thing that's worked for me is anticipating the level of activity I'm going to be doing on a given day. If you're working, for instance, you'll probably need between 2,000-2,500 calories, or more depending on the type of job/chore/active recreation you're doing. If you decide to spend the day watching T.V. or something, you could probably get away with 1,000-1,500. That's assuming your in between 200 and 300 pounds. For me, I'd add 500 calories. If you weigh less then 200, I'd say take away 500. Have a snack on hand, though. Just in case.

Phaedra2014

I've actually increased my calories in the last month or so because a) I stopped counting b) I'm training for a half marathon and c) I've been lifting. Since doing so, I've had better luck building and maintaining muscle, and my weight has been sitting between 125-130, which I'm happy with. I eat between about 1400-1700 calories most days, more on my long run days (or the day after, depending on how I'm feeling). I have probably put on a couple pounds (though I should still be under 130) but that's mostly because it's hard to lose weight doing distance running, and I've been a little slack on my eating the last couple weeks. Your body needs fuel though.

That's a really good post - empathetic and helpful.

ndmain1977

To be honest, I really don't think it matters if you're eating too few calories when you're on the weight loss portion of your diet.

My days are usually spent eating fewer than the 1345 calories I'm supposed to be eating daily according to this site. I could force myself to eat I suppose, but I don't want that to become a habit, since it took me sooooo long to get out of the habit of eating so fast that my body never had time to tell me it was time to stop eating.

When you are at your goal weight, and switching to a "maintenance" type life style, then the calories you eat are really going to matter. Of course, it will take some trial and error to find your sweet spot.

And honestly, telling someone that is proud of themselves for losing weight, that "Well, you're not doing it the right way, so you'll just gain it back!", is a really crappy thing to do.

HartJames

Again? I have learned the hard way to not give a flying f what other people are doing or not doing unless they are asking me specifically and I think they really want to know the honest blunt truth.

I lost 117 pound eating 1200-1350 cals a day and never eating exercise calories back. I also re-gained at lightening speed when I started putting bad foods back into my mouth because I had royally screwed my metabolism up. That's what happens when you canabalize muscle by eating below your reccomend net for too long.


Can you lose weight by eating super low cal? Sure, absolutely! Can you maintain that kind of weight-loss lifestyle long-term? Chances are pretty slim if you have the kind of body composition & tendencies that got you overweighting the first place. Trust, the second time around- those pounds I piled back on LOOK fatter, I wear a larger size than when I was at this weight 2 years ago. It's HARDER to lose these same pounds now as well.

Not worth it.

Also, losing weight too quickly = more loose skin (IMO).

crzyone

I EAT!! That's WHY I'm fat!~!!

meshashesha2012

i think people here are talking about 2 different things : consuming and netting. and also not taking into consideration how much stored fat and energy the person might have. Generally speaking the more weight you have to lose, the more it doesnt really matter what your net is.

i agree with needing to consume more than your BMR on a consistent basis to stay healthy., but NETTING is a different thing. I frequently NET under this mystical 1200 calorie number especially since some days I'm burning close to 2000 calories during my workouts.

I'm still losing at a safe pace, have no issues with weakness or catching vapors or anything else because I still have a significant amount of weight to lose.

crystut03

the site didnt set me at 1200 calories by default...it actually goes by what you weight and your BMR then it sets what it thinks you should eat...MFP is just another tool to aid in losing weight. If you find something that doesnt work for you then by any means change it and stick to something that does. Losing weight can be tricky and not as easy for you as it is for the next person. Research and try to find ways. But experts will all agree that exercising is a must and calories is a plus. However, for any person who is eatling less than 1000 to 1200 calories you are starvng yourself....of course you will lose weight but in the end it will be gained back...this isnt a theory but a proven fact....and you will eventually crash without getting proper sleep. Im just saying...DO what WORKS for YOU!!

ivikatasha

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!

THANK YOU! I get so frustrated seeing people do this to themselves! I may not be losing weight as fast as someone who eats 1,000 calories/day, but I feel WAY better and I know that my weight will STAY OFF in the long run because I plan on eating like this for the rest of my life. Here's to you for being the one to finally say something! :drinker:

If that works for you, then awesome! Keep doing it!

But it is not possible for you to know that you feel way better than everyone else who does it the other way. Unless you meant you feel way better because you have tried the 1,200 thing before, but even so, there are plenty of people in this thread that say they feel great on 1,200.

cmay89

Each person should show their food diaries to your doctor. Then he/she can tell you if you are eating too little or too much.

For me, 1200 is way too few net calories. I sleep 7-8 hours a night like a baby regardless, but when I eat at 1200 or under on a consistent basis, I lose so much energy and am constantly cranky and miserable.

HOWEVER

for those with a lot to lose, my parents (when both were extremely overweight) were told that it was best for them to get the weight off any way they could and once they were close to it, switch to eating a normal healthy diet. That approach worked for my mother but not my father. over time they both gained back a good portion of my weight, but my father gained it back faster.

But that approach should not be used for someone with 20 lbs or less to lose (per that doctor) healthy diets between 1200-2000 are more sustainable and easier to not get so far off track with.

I also am a person who hates extremes. It's not all black and white. If you are a person who can eat 4000 cal per day, bravo, I'm jealous. For those who eat less than 1000, I'm worried. But I will leave it at that. Both sides of the spectrum are too extreme for me and your body cannot keep itself in balance when there are such extremes. I believe in health and fitness and balance, not skinniness or doing anything you possibly can to attain said skinniness. Find a healthy medium and your body will thank you.

Again, ask your doctor if you are netting less than 1200. Let them look at your diary. Let them direct you in anything you need to do differently or let them justify your diet for you if they feel you are doing what you should.