400 Net Calories for the Day: Scary Behavior

laus_8882

Odds are, if someone's eating at a really alarming calorie deficit they're already in the throes of an eating disorder and nothing you say will help them, or it will be a little experiment tried for a week or two before the realisation sets in that eating so little and exercising to extremes is not a very nice use of anyone's time. Of course, it could just be that there are a number of petite women on here who do best at 1200 calories a day regardless of their exercise. Maybe their 1200 calories are so full of fibre and protein that they don't care to eat anymore than is comfortable. Maybe they're saving their calories for a few glasses of wine and a nice meal on the weekend. Please don't worry about the little ladies and their health. You've got to be really, really dedicated to your eating disorder to suffer long term problems. But if it makes you feel better, I've lost hair because of issues with iron. I was eating far more than 1200 calories a day.

Tbh, I see a lot of men here trying to... well, rescue the poor, misguided women. Some of them are openly hostile to a way of eating that doesn't involve chugging multiple protein shakes and eating a few dozen chickens worth of meat in a single day. You just have to look at some of the ridiculous threads "ZOMG CARDIO MAKES U FATTTTTTTTTT LIFT OR DIE B*TCHES" to see that there are some really misguided nutjobs who think that their silly habits are better than other people's silly habits. Why don't all the rescuers sit down, discuss just how little they agree on, and set about rescuing each other?

Cristofori44

Odds are, if someone's eating at a really alarming calorie deficit they're already in the throes of an eating disorder and nothing you say will help them, or it will be a little experiment tried for a week or two before the realisation sets in that eating so little and exercising to extremes is not a very nice use of anyone's time. Of course, it could just be that there are a number of petite women on here who do best at 1200 calories a day regardless of their exercise. Maybe their 1200 calories are so full of fibre and protein that they don't care to eat anymore than is comfortable. Maybe they're saving their calories for a few glasses of wine and a nice meal on the weekend. Please don't worry about the little ladies and their health. You've got to be really, really dedicated to your eating disorder to suffer long term problems. But if it makes you feel better, I've lost hair because of issues with iron. I was eating far more than 1200 calories a day.

Tbh, I see a lot of men here trying to... well, rescue the poor, misguided women. Some of them are openly hostile to a way of eating that doesn't involve chugging multiple protein shakes and eating a few dozen chickens worth of meat in a single day. You just have to look at some of the ridiculous threads "ZOMG CARDIO MAKES U FATTTTTTTTTT LIFT OR DIE B*TCHES" to see that there are some really misguided nutjobs who think that their silly habits are better than other people's silly habits. Why don't all the rescuers sit down, discuss just how little they agree on, and set about rescuing each other?

Well that's not me--I am not into protein shakes. I do strength train but as an equal complement to cardio. I believe both are wise.

Again, another logical fallacy:

Person 1. This is alarming behavior.
Person 2. Shut up and concentrate on yourself, and by the way, you're just another protein-shake lunkhead.

So in addition to you saying to ignore the problem, you offer an additional fallacy of an ad hominem guilt-by-association attack.

Next...

laus_8882

Odds are, if someone's eating at a really alarming calorie deficit they're already in the throes of an eating disorder and nothing you say will help them, or it will be a little experiment tried for a week or two before the realisation sets in that eating so little and exercising to extremes is not a very nice use of anyone's time. Of course, it could just be that there are a number of petite women on here who do best at 1200 calories a day regardless of their exercise. Maybe their 1200 calories are so full of fibre and protein that they don't care to eat anymore than is comfortable. Maybe they're saving their calories for a few glasses of wine and a nice meal on the weekend. Please don't worry about the little ladies and their health. You've got to be really, really dedicated to your eating disorder to suffer long term problems. But if it makes you feel better, I've lost hair because of issues with iron. I was eating far more than 1200 calories a day.

Tbh, I see a lot of men here trying to... well, rescue the poor, misguided women. Some of them are openly hostile to a way of eating that doesn't involve chugging multiple protein shakes and eating a few dozen chickens worth of meat in a single day. You just have to look at some of the ridiculous threads "ZOMG CARDIO MAKES U FATTTTTTTTTT LIFT OR DIE B*TCHES" to see that there are some really misguided nutjobs who think that their silly habits are better than other people's silly habits. Why don't all the rescuers sit down, discuss just how little they agree on, and set about rescuing each other?

Well that's not me--I am not into protein shakes. I do strength train but as an equal complement to cardio. I believe both are wise.

Again, another logical fallacy:

Person 1. This is alarming behavior.
Person 2. Shut up and concentrate on yourself, and by the way, you're just another protein-shake lunkhead.

So in addition to you saying to ignore the problem, you offer an additional fallacy of an ad hominem guilt-by-association attack.

Next...

Oh, has someone been gotten himself a first year logic textbook from Ebay? Congrats, great purchase! AAAAAA+ would deal with buyer again!!!111!!!

Here's an idea: you can't fix anyone who isn't you and unless 1200cal a day dieters are all over the forums pushing their silly ideas, you've no reason to call them out for behaviour you find offputting. Just look at the pretty pictures, and stay out of these women's diaries. When you go about white knighting down a well trodden path you start to look like the sort of guy who wishes he was better endowed, you know? Now go and rescue these poor men who lift with bad form and are set for a couple of acl tears and poorly treated muscle strain. You need to let them know that a fructose free diet saves no one from the horrors of Youtube instructional vids and a garage setup. Go, save!

moonlightturk

Question, What if the person is like me, and we do our work out at the end of the day, I'm talking 7-8pm, the food cut off for me is no later than 7pm. What to do?

To be blunt you stop buying into stupid rumors about how anything you eat after 7 PM turns into fat

Because frankly it is BS. If you eat 300 calories at 7 AM it is the SAME exact thing as eating and 9 PM. But if you are like me and work out at night it's actually BETTER to eat late at night because most people will tell you eating up to an hour after your work out is the best time

If you refuse to eat after 7 PM even, which unless you have some health reason, there is no reason to...then you need to eat more during the day or at least drink a protein shake after you work out.

---

You guys who are in the NEGATIVE are NOT helping yourselves. You cannot maintain this life style. YOu're putting your body in starvation mode. You are STARVING your body. Yeah you'll lose a bunch of weight but you'll only enjoy it for so long before you A. End up in the hospital with a heart attack or organ failure or severely low blood pressure. Or B. Stop being able to maintain that life style and start eating normally again and gain back a ton of weight.

I've been there and I've done that .

I actually had a diagnosed ED so it just pisses me off when I see these people actually TRYING to "become anorexic" this isn't some crash diet. Starving yourself isn't some way to feel better about yourself or look good or control your life. If you honestly feel like you have to starve your body for whatever reason get help right now.

No doctor would EVER *EVER* recommend someone eats less then 1200 calories a day. It would NEVER happen. That would be a doctor telling someone to STARVE themselves.

Believe me. I've seen girls come up with excuses you wouldn't even believe to eat nothing. But the fact remains simple. Anything less then 1200 is not enough and if you're at negative calories you are headed down a very long, dangerous miserable and life threatening path.

Luxxmundi

I have some days where I only net around 800 calories, but there is usually a good reason why. I have an american bulldog that needs walking three times a day, plus a 7 month old baby to run around after, walk everywhere and sometimes its difficult to prepare the best foods, and end up eating soemthing heavy and stodgy which fills me up and can be made quickly. I've got better lately, preparing more food when my daughter is asleep, but its a balancing act. Some nights I don't even get to think about dinner until 9pm, then its just too late.

Cristofori44

Odds are, if someone's eating at a really alarming calorie deficit they're already in the throes of an eating disorder and nothing you say will help them, or it will be a little experiment tried for a week or two before the realisation sets in that eating so little and exercising to extremes is not a very nice use of anyone's time. Of course, it could just be that there are a number of petite women on here who do best at 1200 calories a day regardless of their exercise. Maybe their 1200 calories are so full of fibre and protein that they don't care to eat anymore than is comfortable. Maybe they're saving their calories for a few glasses of wine and a nice meal on the weekend. Please don't worry about the little ladies and their health. You've got to be really, really dedicated to your eating disorder to suffer long term problems. But if it makes you feel better, I've lost hair because of issues with iron. I was eating far more than 1200 calories a day.

Tbh, I see a lot of men here trying to... well, rescue the poor, misguided women. Some of them are openly hostile to a way of eating that doesn't involve chugging multiple protein shakes and eating a few dozen chickens worth of meat in a single day. You just have to look at some of the ridiculous threads "ZOMG CARDIO MAKES U FATTTTTTTTTT LIFT OR DIE B*TCHES" to see that there are some really misguided nutjobs who think that their silly habits are better than other people's silly habits. Why don't all the rescuers sit down, discuss just how little they agree on, and set about rescuing each other?

Well that's not me--I am not into protein shakes. I do strength train but as an equal complement to cardio. I believe both are wise.

Again, another logical fallacy:

Person 1. This is alarming behavior.
Person 2. Shut up and concentrate on yourself, and by the way, you're just another protein-shake lunkhead.

So in addition to you saying to ignore the problem, you offer an additional fallacy of an ad hominem guilt-by-association attack.

Next...

Oh, has someone been gotten himself a first year logic textbook from Ebay? Congrats, great purchase! AAAAAA+ would deal with buyer again!!!111!!!

Here's an idea: you can't fix anyone who isn't you and unless 1200cal a day dieters are all over the forums pushing their silly ideas, you've no reason to call them out for behaviour you find offputting. Just look at the pretty pictures, and stay out of these women's diaries. When you go about white knighting down a well trodden path you start to look like the sort of guy who wishes he was better endowed, you know? Now go and rescue these poor men who lift with bad form and are set for a couple of acl tears and poorly treated muscle strain. You need to let them know that a fructose free diet saves no one from the horrors of Youtube instructional vids and a garage setup. Go, save!

At the risk of disappointing you, unfortunately Ebay was out of logic textbooks when I was studying in law school and I had to learn the old-fashioned way.

One thing I learned is that when dealing with someone who displays a high-school level of discourse by engaging in personal character attacks--against forum rules by the way--the temptation is to stoop to their sophomoric level and return the insults, thus fueling the Jerry Springer direction that the high-school speaker wishes to direct the argument-- jokes about ****s, about all men being the same, and so forth. I fear you'd just continue with insults instead of arguments, and so devolve the conversation to the intellectual level of fart jokes.

I would ask you to address the original point--what is it about eating 1,000 calories a day and netting 400 that is healthy?--but as you seem incapable of doing that, I will simply ask for you to grow up.

laus_8882

Odds are, if someone's eating at a really alarming calorie deficit they're already in the throes of an eating disorder and nothing you say will help them, or it will be a little experiment tried for a week or two before the realisation sets in that eating so little and exercising to extremes is not a very nice use of anyone's time. Of course, it could just be that there are a number of petite women on here who do best at 1200 calories a day regardless of their exercise. Maybe their 1200 calories are so full of fibre and protein that they don't care to eat anymore than is comfortable. Maybe they're saving their calories for a few glasses of wine and a nice meal on the weekend. Please don't worry about the little ladies and their health. You've got to be really, really dedicated to your eating disorder to suffer long term problems. But if it makes you feel better, I've lost hair because of issues with iron. I was eating far more than 1200 calories a day.

Tbh, I see a lot of men here trying to... well, rescue the poor, misguided women. Some of them are openly hostile to a way of eating that doesn't involve chugging multiple protein shakes and eating a few dozen chickens worth of meat in a single day. You just have to look at some of the ridiculous threads "ZOMG CARDIO MAKES U FATTTTTTTTTT LIFT OR DIE B*TCHES" to see that there are some really misguided nutjobs who think that their silly habits are better than other people's silly habits. Why don't all the rescuers sit down, discuss just how little they agree on, and set about rescuing each other?

Well that's not me--I am not into protein shakes. I do strength train but as an equal complement to cardio. I believe both are wise.

Again, another logical fallacy:

Person 1. This is alarming behavior.
Person 2. Shut up and concentrate on yourself, and by the way, you're just another protein-shake lunkhead.

So in addition to you saying to ignore the problem, you offer an additional fallacy of an ad hominem guilt-by-association attack.

Next...

Oh, has someone been gotten himself a first year logic textbook from Ebay? Congrats, great purchase! AAAAAA+ would deal with buyer again!!!111!!!

Here's an idea: you can't fix anyone who isn't you and unless 1200cal a day dieters are all over the forums pushing their silly ideas, you've no reason to call them out for behaviour you find offputting. Just look at the pretty pictures, and stay out of these women's diaries. When you go about white knighting down a well trodden path you start to look like the sort of guy who wishes he was better endowed, you know? Now go and rescue these poor men who lift with bad form and are set for a couple of acl tears and poorly treated muscle strain. You need to let them know that a fructose free diet saves no one from the horrors of Youtube instructional vids and a garage setup. Go, save!

At the risk of disappointing you, unfortunately Ebay was out of logic textbooks when I was studying in law school and I had to learn the old-fashioned way.

One thing I learned is that when dealing with someone who displays a high-school level of discourse by engaging in personal character attacks--against forum rules by the way--the temptation is to stoop to their sophomoric level and return the insults, thus fueling the Jerry Springer direction that the high-school speaker wishes to direct the argument-- jokes about ****s, about all men being the same, and so forth. I fear you'd just continue with insults instead of arguments, and so devolve the conversation to the intellectual level of fart jokes.

I would ask you to address the original point--what is it about eating 1,000 calories a day and netting 400 that is healthy?--but as you seem incapable of doing that, I will simply ask for you to grow up.

What was it that made you think I view low calorie diets as being healthy or even sustainable? Was it when I labelled the practice silly? For a lawyer you're not very good at picking out details beyond butthurt drama. Law isn't my field but a fair few of my friends did law while I skulking around the labs and my goodness... they'd not have made it far with your brilliant mind.

Seriously, the 1200 calorie a day thing is done at least once a week. It's always sad little men objecting to the diaries of random dieters, invariably women, and wanting to rescue them from what is apparently a few calories shy of a Malian peasant's daily rations. Never do I see the white knighters trying to rescue heavy lifters with poor form. For me, a lower back injury (or worse) is a darn site more serious than a few days of grumpiness because Slimfast really is the worst diet in the world.

That said, I'm going to go now and make sure I net 1200 calories via steak tartare and possibly sautéed chicken livers. I don't have any pre-weight gain pics in my profile though, so you needn't worry about saving me from parasites and purines. Best to you!

ShreddedTweet

Do please stop with the 'logical fallacy' drivel. You're not impressing anyone. I assume you think we're all knuckle-dragging troglodytes? We're not. There are a lot of clever people on this site who don't need you to teach them anything.

Angelpacheco

Bottom line is MFP is supposed to be a place everyone can come to get support & track their weight-loss.

There are days when I will only eat 500 cals for the day. It's something that happens from time to time. Plus PLEASE remember that sometimes medical problems prevent a person from eating from time to time. I have MS & when I am having a "Flare" of some sort I can eat little to nothing for days or weeks. MS fatigue can keep me on bed asleep for days or weeks. I force myself to drink something.

I think if it's daily maybe instead of "Bashing" these people "Educate" them. Don't support the "Un"healthy eating habits but teach new ones. Express concern..... Sometimes it just might be they need that.

I love this site & have met some very nice, supportive, kind people.

determinedbutlazy

I have the same worries. People on my Flist only get a certain number of strikes where I will show concern and advise them on how to increase their calorie intake and then I just dump them... I like to support people but essentially I am here for me and I can't deal with people purposefully undereating, over exercising and then ignoring my concerns.
Life is too short.

quixoteQ

It's always sad little men objecting to the diaries of random dieters, invariably women

What's your thing about little men? You need to get out of your lab a bit. Overreact much? Even if the OP has a bit of a hero complex, he's completely right that you stepped in here simply to make some poor ad hominem arguments, and to save the people you told the OP not to save. Ease up on your bad self. Take some deep breaths, and, when you're ready, come back and join the discussion.

KristinD1977

OP... I like threads like this. I'm often tempted to hold on to most of my exercise calories to speed up weight loss and net around 800 or 900 (though I never eat under 1200). I am a stress eater and put on most of my extra pounds since Oct. 2011; I get impatient because this is not the body that I recognize in the mirror and want to look/feel like myself again.
I occasionally get fixated on the scale and discouraged if I do not see a loss (even if I'm maintaining). I wonder if I'm capable of continuing to lose weight at all (which, of course, I am). There are times when I need a reality check and I come looking for it. I read posts about under eating and think about my long term goal and it reassures me that netting 1200 is a good place to be for health and success.

tmauck4472

I have the same worries. People on my Flist only get a certain number of strikes where I will show concern and advise them on how to increase their calorie intake and then I just dump them... I like to support people but essentially I am here for me and I can't deal with people purposefully undereating, over exercising and then ignoring my concerns.
Life is too short.

They are your concerns and if they aren't my concerns then you don't matter much in the scheme of MY DIET. Jesus it's not your life or your diet so why creep on people who do what they have to do for them.

paintlisapurple

Well there is absolutely nooooooo wayyyy I could net my goal on exercise days... I can't eat thaaaaat much...Today for instance my net was 359...my goal is 1290...I have trouble getting there most days. Before I started this program, I didn't even realize how little I was eating.

Not to pick on you, but this is the segment of the population I worry about. I know a 30 yr old woman who, ever since college, grossed about 900 calories daily and then burned about 500 through exercise. She recently tested her metabolism and hormone function - her insulin and glucagon levels were lopsided to the degree that inhibited fat metabolism during exercise. In addition, the hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin were compromised as well so she was unable to feel the need to eat. She tried multiple times to eat up to her maintenance calories but, because of the metabolic damage she caused herself, she'd gain weight and return to severely restricting her caloric intake again. So, for her, calorie restriction wasn't just something she utilized to lose weight temporarily, she became paranoid and still to this day eats like that and has not reached her goal weight.

I don't feel picked on at all thanks. Its obvious that you can give "constructive criticism" so I invite you to look at my food diary and come up with suggestions. I could use all of the help that I can get. (BTW I'm 42 and eating more now than ever. I'm working really hard to become healthier and do not want that to go to waste.)

eriemer

In my view, I think you should STFU. If you don't like how your MFP friends eat and exercise, don't friend them. PERIOD. It is really not up to you to be the "I know whats better for you then you do" advocate.

That being said, I personally don't agree with ppl eating less then 900 calories regularly (intake not net) and choose not to friend ppl who do. It is very, very rare for a healthy adult to actually starve or become malnurished by eating over 1000 calories with good nutrition. Also, some ppl may actually want to slow their metabolism, right now their are several studies about low calorie diets to do that exact thing! What are they finding? Ppl living longer and healthier....hmmm kind of contradicts the msg your putting out there? I'm sure MD's and scientists that run these studies know just a little bit more then you. I have yet to see a "net calorie and malnutrition" study.

MsKeelah919

The MFP plan is very conservative. I wouldn't worry too much about other peoples' diets. Most of us at 1200 are at shallow deficits of 500 or so, so I don't believe there's anything wrong with using exercise to up your deficit to 1000-ish, when you feel like.

How do you guys even know what other people are doing? Monitoring friends or something? I waste a lot of time here but I can't imagine perusing diaries counting up 'net' calories and vegetable 'servings' and all the other things I see threads here about.

And then there's THAT. Thank you for saying this.

Erica27511

Really....this... again... Yes, we know it happens, yes we know it's wrong, is there anything you can do about it? Nope. Concentrate on yourself.

yup

vytamindi

Question, What if the person is like me, and we do our work out at the end of the day, I'm talking 7-8pm, the food cut off for me is no later than 7pm. What to do?

Don't rely on that 7pm as religion. I've broken that rule in the entire 20 yrs I've maintained my weight loss!

For me my cutoff is 8. I have to take medicine that reacts with food, and my two choices are to take it at midnight, or skip my coffee in the morning. I NEEDS MY COFFEE!!!

stylistchik

This is why I closed my diary. I got sick of people commenting with dumb stuff - why do you care what other people are eating? Who says they logged everything properly or had a bad binge the night before and were trying to "make up" for it? Or maybe they don't understand the whole net cals and automatic deficit thing yet. It's fine to have friends for inspiration/motivation but if their behavior bothers you stop looking at it!

hippie_spirit

How do you guys even know what other people are doing? Monitoring friends or something? I waste a lot of time here but I can't imagine perusing diaries counting up 'net' calories and vegetable 'servings' and all the other things I see threads here about.
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^^ this