900 calories and gaining weight

Acg67

You have to eat AT LEAST 1200 a day, otherwise your body will go into starvation mode and it will store whatever it gets.
Eat good healthy food every couple of hours to keep your digestive system active and make sure you don't starve yourself.

Please stop making things up, you're not helping anyone

This is basic science fact.

Also it's what someone with a Phd in nutrition (aka my nutritionist) has told me.

Oh it's a fact? Get a new nutritionist if they spout such garbage. Are you telling me if you ate 1199cals you'd suddenly go into starvation mode and start gaining weight? Setting some arbitrary number that you can't eat under without taking into consideration, ht/wt, age etc etc is silly talk.

mfpcopine

900 is probably too low, especially if you don't know how to construct a healthy diet and aren't supervised by an expert. If you go up to 1200, fine. But don't eat 1200 calories worth of "cardboard." Eat good food.

bjdavid53

You probably have not gained weight, since that would be impossible with this low of calories.

I didn't see how tall you are. When people say 1200 calories minimum, that is a generalization. If you are short (which I am), you can't expect to lose weight on 2,000 calories, unless you are exercising to a great extent. My doctor recommended 1000 calories & I have been losing. It is slow, but she said that since I am in menopause, it will take time. I only need to lose 30 pounds, so it isn't like I am seriously obese & this was still her recommendation.

alexis831

You have to eat AT LEAST 1200 a day, otherwise your body will go into starvation mode and it will store whatever it gets.
Eat good healthy food every couple of hours to keep your digestive system active and make sure you don't starve yourself.

Please stop making things up, you're not helping anyone

This is basic science fact.

Also it's what someone with a Phd in nutrition (aka my nutritionist) has told me.

Oh it's a fact? Get a new nutritionist if they spout such garbage. Are you telling me if you ate 1199cals you'd suddenly go into starvation mode and start gaining weight? Setting some arbitrary number that you can't eat under without taking into consideration, ht/wt, age etc etc is silly talk.

HAH! That is what I was sayin!

beansprouts

See a nutritionist. EAT MORE and EXERCISE!

A Good nutritionalist would be the first to tell you that it is better to be eating 900 calories or high quality nutritious food than to be eating 1200 to 2400 calories of worthless junk food!

datenshi

I don't get how the whole "starvation mode" thing works. Ya know, how if you eat under so many calories a day, or none at all, your metabolism will go down and you wont lose weight? But if it's true, how are people with liKe anorexia nervosa so skinny?
26 Replies (Because they keep eating less. When they eat more they gain weight because their metabolism is so slow.

If you under eat, your metabolism adapts and is more energy efficient i.e. it shuts down non-essential processes to focus on keeping you alive with what little calories you give it. Because they eat like 300-500 cals a day and your body can only do so much to adapt to a starvation level of cals.

I don't care for the term "starvation mode". Basically it is metabolic adaption and happens to all dieters to some degree. If your body considers itself in a famine, it will decrease the amount of cals you burn to a certain extent and start burning muscle instead of fat as it takes more to support and you can't have that if you are in a famine. There are also a whole lot of hormonal things that happen when you diet and your body tends to "defend" your starting weight. Someone who has "dieted down" to 140 lbs tends to burn less cals to maintain that 140 lbs then another person who is at that weight naturally and never dieted to get there. The whole process is very complex and everyone's body is differentActually not all anorexics actually eat that low. Some eat in the 500-1200 range and still end up very underweight and sick. If someone is tall then they need more calories naturally so if they normally maintain on 2000 or more then eating 1400 can lead to anorexia. Yes it is true that as your body adapts you have to eat less to keep losing because your body will fight to keep you alive. Also many anorexics actually have a hard time gaining. Sometimes the weight initially come on faster and then the metabolism will kick in and/or they become hyper-metabolic (metabolism goes into hyper burn essentially) and they need more to get to a healthy weight. Most end up needing 2000 or more calories to repair damage and restore weight.

Also a person who is overweight who drops weight very quickly in an unhealthy manner can still be in the healthy weight range but suffer all the same effects as a person who is classed as anorexic. You can pack all the nutrients you want into your diet but if you don't eat enough your body doesn't have the fuel to use them efficiently. Basically eating as little as possible and losing as fast as possible puts strain on the body and can do damage. Slow and steady wins the race and keeps off the yo-yo ride.

More important than the metabolism stalling out is the fact that if your body is not getting enough fuel it has to take it from your muscles and bones. You want to eat above your BMR but below your daily burn and exercise to maintain the muscle you have throughout the weight loss journey. Its not just about reaching a number its about attaining/maintaining a strong healthy body that will carry you for a lifetime.

This is a very well written and logical explanation. I hope many read this and learn.

BrianSharpe

Now, since your body feels you are starving it will want to get rid of the one thing that is using the most calories, which is muscle. So your body will start eating the muscle and store anything that you eat as fat.

What an absolutely inaccurate statement. If you're eating at a caloric deficit your body will not store additional fat. Forget the starvation mode myth. Your body's fuel sources are glucose first (dietary intake, stored glycogen) , fat and once your body fat % drops low enough muscle.

To the OP it is impossible for you to be gaining fat at 900 cal per day.

rprussell2004

You have to eat AT LEAST 1200 a day, otherwise your body will go into starvation mode and it will store whatever it gets.
Eat good healthy food every couple of hours to keep your digestive system active and make sure you don't starve yourself.

Let's use another term rather than "starvation mode".
Call it "stifled metabolism".

Anyway, she needs to eat more. We all agree.

Perfect term I am using that from now on.

I second, I have read starvation mode about 30 times in this topic.

My brain is going into starvation mode.

XXXMinnieXXX

whether starvation mode is real or not, there is no need to be eating so little calories. I eat 1500 calories a day, feel full of energy, can work out well, get all my nutrients in, still have a treat if i want one and lose lots of weight. I'd really struggle to focus on anything if i was eating 900 calories a day. (let alone look after a newborn if that's your baby) please eat more... x

alexis831

You have to eat AT LEAST 1200 a day, otherwise your body will go into starvation mode and it will store whatever it gets.
Eat good healthy food every couple of hours to keep your digestive system active and make sure you don't starve yourself.

Let's use another term rather than "starvation mode".
Call it "stifled metabolism".

Anyway, she needs to eat more. We all agree.

Perfect term I am using that from now on.

I second, I have read starvation mode about 30 times in this topic.

My brain is going into starvation mode.

Oh My Goodness... NOW THAT WAS FUNNY!

Twiztedbeing

I feel, that with the little information we know about the OP. We can assume that 1200 is a "SAFE" number for now. We cannot determine what she needs because we do not really know that much about her. The only thing we can say besides its a safe number is to make sure its healthy foods and lots of water. I say its safe because its "recommended" by MFP and by countless people who have success stories on here and you wont gain weight off of it.

Hearts_2015

please help I hate this 900 calories of cardboard for four days and gained two pounds!!! not really carboard eggs protein bars etc

:flowerforyou: Hon, If you're looking to lose 105 lbs. (if I read your ticker correctly), you most defnitely need to likely eat double that amount to nourish and fuel your body. Lots of article on this site to help understand the why and how.

It looks like others have shared some ideas, be patient and the weight loss will come and it will come by doing it the healthy way and that will also give you much more chance to keep the weight off permanently.

Hearts

12by311

Eat more, have you been eating that low for long?
I'm in recovery for anorexia now but back when I wasn't trying to recover, even so much as an apple would cause me to gain a pound the next day. Think about it logically though, you haven't eaten 7,000 calories so it isn't REAL weight, it's water weight. I never thought I would ever be one of those people who could just lose weight eating loads but I can now(I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm trying to maintain), I eat 2000+ calories now and I have been dropping a pound most weeks.
If this is about your health then without sounding harsh, stop making your health worse by eating that low. Sure people want to see results fast, we don't like waiting do we? But it wouldn't be sustainable then would it? Focus on your health and giving your body the nourishment it needs, it will thank you for it:)

Great response.

12by311

Also, OP, it's been 4 days? Please don't be so impatient.

danabromley

I used to think eating less would make me loose weight. Boy was I wrong, coming here mfp has helped me realize that I now eat more and have lost 12 pounds since I started coming here. Please eat more you'll see a difference.

Prudiddy

Your supposed to eat at least 1200 a day.. try upping your calories and see if it helps, I know it's scary doing that, but it really can help.

I would like to do this but im scared of gaining weight because thats what happened before. I will need a little extra support choosing the right kinds/types of food, look at my diary and tell me what you think i should add.

mfpcopine

You probably have not gained weight, since that would be impossible with this low of calories.

I didn't see how tall you are. When people say 1200 calories minimum, that is a generalization. If you are short (which I am), you can't expect to lose weight on 2,000 calories, unless you are exercising to a great extent. My doctor recommended 1000 calories & I have been losing. It is slow, but she said that since I am in menopause, it will take time. I only need to lose 30 pounds, so it isn't like I am seriously obese & this was still her recommendation.

You're right. People have different requirements. I'm recovering from an injury and have gone down from 104 to a relatively stable 102 by eating around 1150 for the last few months. (I had plenty of days when I went well over.)

When I can vigorously exercise again (I hope) I'll burn more calories. But I could never lose weight on 2000 calories a day. I'm 5'2". Once at a spa I went from 92 or 93 to 90 on a 1400 a day plan. I was there for four days.

beansprouts

I don't get how the whole "starvation mode" thing works. Ya know, how if you eat under so many calories a day, or none at all, your metabolism will go down and you wont lose weight? But if it's true, how are people with liKe anorexia nervosa so skinny?
26 Replies (Because they keep eating less. When they eat more they gain weight because their metabolism is so slow.

If you under eat, your metabolism adapts and is more energy efficient i.e. it shuts down non-essential processes to focus on
I don't care for the term "starvation mode". Basically it is metabolic adaption and happens to all dieters to some degree. If your body consi
ders itself in a famine, it will decrease the amount of cals you burn to a certain extent and start burning muscle instead of fat as it takes more to support and you can't have that if you are in a famine. There are also a whole lot of hormonal things that happen when you diet and your body tends to "defend" your starting weight. Someone who has "dieted down" to 140 lbs tends to burn less cals to maintain that 140 lbs then another person who is at that weight naturally and never dieted to get there. The whole process is very complex and everyone's body is differentActually not all anorexics actually eat that low. Some eat in the 500-1200 range and still end up very underweight and sick. If someone is tall then they need more calories naturally so if they normally maintain on 2000 or more then eating 1400 can lead to anorexia. Yes it is true that as your body adapts you have to eat less to keep losing because your body will fight to keep you alive. Also many anorexics actually have a hard time gaining. Sometimes the weight initially come on faster and then the metabolism will kick in and/or they become hyper-metabolic (metabolism goes into hyper burn essentially) and they need more to get to a healthy weight. Most end up needing 2000 or more calories to repair damage and restore weight.

Also a person who is overweight who drops weight very quickly in an unhealthy manner can still be in the healthy weight range but suffer all the same effects as a person who is classed as anorexic. You can pack all the nutrients you want into your diet but if you don't eat enough your body doesn't have the fuel to use them efficiently. Basically eating as little as possible and losing as fast as possible puts strain on the body and can do damage. Slow and steady wins the race and keeps off the yo-yo ride.

More important than the metabolism stalling out is the fact that if your body is not getting enough fuel it has to take it from your muscles and bones. You want to eat above your BMR but below your daily burn and exercise to maintain the muscle you have throughout the weight loss journey. Its not just about reaching a number its about attaining/maintaining a strong healthy body that will carry you for a lifetime.

This is a very well written and logical explanation. I hope many read this and learn.

I disagree because once again...this analysis relies on the mistaken belief that calories and execise alone can provide a boost to metabolism...but the truth is that food choices can provide a boost to your metabolism
too. For example...your body uses more energy (calories) eating a whote apple than drinking the processed apple juice. Your body burns more calories trying to digest a cucumber than it burns trying to digest a calorie rich cheese burger. Bad over processed food slows metabolism too!

Crochetluvr

I feel, that with the little information we know about the OP. We can assume that 1200 is a "SAFE" number for now. We cannot determine what she needs because we do not really know that much about her. The only thing we can say besides its a safe number is to make sure its healthy foods and lots of water. I say its safe because its "recommended" by MFP and by countless people who have success stories on here and you wont gain weight off of it.

Amen!

Prudiddy

This is is very informational!!! Thanks.