400 Net Calories for the Day: Scary Behavior

Bobby_Clerici

Just quietly unfriend them. No need to watch a train wreck .

Yep....only I leave a hearty "I can NOT support your STARVATION DIET!"

harriet_tubman

the best part about working out is getting to eat more.

valmb2

Ok, so someone tell me, if I eat 1200 calories, and work out and burn like 300 calories, do i have to eat those 300 calories too? Or am I all set with the 1200 I already ate? BTW, I am new at this.

70davis

Bump

Donners185

I was on a VLCD (very low calorie diet) for 8 weeks over a year ago before i joined MFP seriously. Although i lost 2 stone it made me very ill. Low blood sugar, low blood pressure, hair loss, weakened nails and skin, etc. Last week i sucessfully grew my nails past the tips of my fingers without them breaking or peeling off, for the first time in over a year and they are still going!! Unfortunately i have a huge ball of fuzz growing from my crown and hairline where my hair is growing back but realistically its my own fault so i just have to deal with it. And hopefully it won't take too long to grow back properly. I def won't be dropping my cals that low ever again!

justal313

My net is set to 1200, I have been trying as of late to be no more than 100 under that amount. I exercise everyday and consume somewhere between 1700 and 2000 calories. Since I now go to the gym after 9:00p and I know what my night snack is going to be, I can plan my exercise very tight to my goal, calories burned wise. I like to leave about 70-100 calories "on the table" to have a cushion against estimation errors. I did have a day where I netted that low but I had food poisoning and couldn't eat that day.

xxcandywrathxx

! Dont say im starving myself because Im not!, I eat a lot of food and because its all healthy there isn't a lot of calories.
Take today:
1 bowl of porridge - no sugar. with milk. -
1 big cup of coffee -
1 big cup of tea - no sugar -
3 cups of cooked vegetables -
half a big tin of tuna -
a medium sized Salad
Carrot sticks -
another bowl of porridge - no sugar- with milk.-
and im barely over 1200 cals.

then I also burn around 500 cals at the gym, mainly because im trying to improve my fitness. Not just lose weight.

So my net is often around 450.

Excuse me for trying to get fitter and not eating every second.

fromfattytohealthy

When I get my net calories up to 1200 (after eating 1400+ calories, and burning off the rest), I find that I don't lose weight. It was back when my net calories were 800-1000 that I was losing a healthy 1-2 pounds a week. I was drilled with the 1200 net calories thing, and I finally did it, and stopped losing weight.

Everyone is different, and, for some people, it works. However, I don't think that eating 1000 is healthy on its own. Like, how can anyone be satisfied with 1000 calories a day :laugh: Food is way too good to not eat more than that.

mcrowe1016

Anddd some of us have genuine eating disorders. Just so you know, having a net above 300 kills me. Negative net makes me happy.

Seeing as how you call it an eating DISORDER, you already know it is not healthy. So are you suprised if someone points out that eating so little is unhealthy?

tabbyhuber

so I am new and I don't know if anyone has asked this--
when you work out at the gym it gives you a number for calories burned, but the same workout on the app says it was more, which is more accurate? The machine asks for age but not weight so I don't know if you burn more calories based on weight as well...I still haven't been able to figure out what net calories and everything are-I am definitely trying to lose weight, but I don't know if I am doing it right based on net cals or what...

justal313

so I am new and I don't know if anyone has asked this--
when you work out at the gym it gives you a number for calories burned, but the same workout on the app says it was more, which is more accurate? The machine asks for age but not weight so I don't know if you burn more calories based on weight as well...I still haven't been able to figure out what net calories and everything are-I am definitely trying to lose weight, but I don't know if I am doing it right based on net cals or what...

I have a heart rate monitor. Before I got it, I took the number from the gym machine because it was lower, considerably lower than MFP. Once I got my Heart Rate monitor I find that the HRM is ususally slightly lower than MFP (sometimes about 15% lower) but sometimes about 5% higher. A heartrate monitor gives you the closest to reality so it's what I go with. I have a polar FT4 which I got from Amazon for about 65 dollars. You can do cheaper if you look around online but I had GCs so it was kinda free.

If you don't have a HRM I'd split the difference between MFP and the gym machines.

tmauck4472

! Dont say im starving myself because Im not!, I eat a lot of food and because its all healthy there isn't a lot of calories.
Take today:
1 bowl of porridge - no sugar. with milk. -
1 big cup of coffee -
1 big cup of tea - no sugar -
3 cups of cooked vegetables -
half a big tin of tuna -
a medium sized Salad
Carrot sticks -
another bowl of porridge - no sugar- with milk.-
and im barely over 1200 cals.

then I also burn around 500 cals at the gym, mainly because im trying to improve my fitness. Not just lose weight.

So my net is often around 450.

Excuse me for trying to get fitter and not eating every second.

For me your doing just fine hell I have days (today will be one of those days when I'm done with Zumba and the Y) that I'm in the negative. I'm not gonna force myself to eat when I'm not hungry just because I burned a crap load of calories working out. I even ate chinese today and I'll still be in the negative amounts, whatever

Kymaaa3

duh!:blushing:

Dreas70

Hi, I am new to myfittness pal, I am 42, wanting to lose 15 more lbs, get back to around 125 which is healthy for me. I was in the Army 7 years ago. I know its maybe not realistic to get to the exact same shape, but would like to anyway. I dont usually eat 1200 calories a day tho, that seems like ALOT of food to me..... I just walked 2 miles and it deducted the calories i burned, so does it want me to eat another 400 today?

chivalryder

birdieaz

I was on 1200 calories per day for most of my major weight loss, but I ate every single calorie, AND every single over-estimated exercise calorie. I would have fainted had I not, I think. I don't know how people do that shiz.

Yeah I just wonder about the long-term complications for people: low blood sugar, their body feeding off itself and reducing lean muscle mass, or else their teeth, hair and organs. I don't think people realize the net number is already built in with a weight loss.

A girl who was on a VLCD for extended periods of time posted her side effects on a thread once -- hair loss, bad breath, etc. I only did 1200/day for like 4 months. If you keep it up for long periods of time hair loss and other weird stuff does kick in.

I've done perfectly fine on 1200 for 8 months, as you can see by my pic my hair is something I'm NOT losing LOL However I DO eat back a portion of my exercise calories on workout days.
But I do think a lot has to do with your body type...my BMR is barely 1300 because I'm small, sedentary and ahem old...well 33 but around here that feels old.

MuscleJunkieK8

Im dealing with this right now with a painful disease I have. My body can't handle all of the food and instead "throws it out". So I spend my days sleeping, walking, and trying to eat. Not my problem, and I would never wish this upon anyone.

6 months ago I was running/jogging miles a day, doing great weight regimens, and eating about 1500 calories. I miss that. And I hope that I heal quickly. Because eating so little and being so exhausted all the time is NOT FUN!!!

leodru

I see it as well and am disturbed by the under eating I see. It leads to yo-to
Dieting but they start in a worse place because the have destroyed muscle. I figure if someone "friends" me
On here then they are looking for support- support isn't always "wtg". Sometimes honesty is good too. I won't support what I don't agree with but I don't lecture either. I try to help where I can and to the best of my ability. It's all we can do.

chelbivandine

I would like to say that I net 800 calories a day at the most. I eat a lot and and I exercise a lot. The only type of eating disorder I have ever had in my life was eating too much. The way I eat I could see me eating like this everyday for the rest of my life. I dont think there is anything wrong with the way I eat and have talked to many nutrionists who aggree. It is not all about your calorie intake. It about vitamins, minerals, and healthy food you take in. I am in better health eating they way I am now than I have ever been and I have had my doctor tell me so.

stephdeeable

Just because someone is morbidly obese and can carry a larger deficit, doesn't mean we should. I started at 320 pounds, and I know if I ate 1200 calories, or even 1500, the weight would fall of off me like crazy. I could probably reach my goal in a year or less eating that way. But I also doubt I would last a year eating that way. I even recently changed my goal to 1 pound a week rather than 2 to make it even more sustainable for myself. It'd be nice to lose weight fast, but I'm concentrating on my long term success, such as being able to keep my weight off forever.

If people want to net 400 calories, it does concern me, but there's not much I can do. The vast majority of them won't be able to sustain that diet, or will gain their weight back, or will develop medical problems from it. They will learn.

tbellamy1

It scares me also. And even though MFP sets calories very low it will alos warn you when your numbers aren't adding up. But people still ignore that warning because the scale is moving and moving fast. They are only looking at the "right now" results and not looking at the long term effects of VLCD. People are so caught up in fast results when it the slow and steady that wins the race.

Sweet_Pea0107

I was on 1200 calories per day for most of my major weight loss, but I ate every single calorie, AND every single over-estimated exercise calorie. I would have fainted had I not, I think. I don't know how people do that shiz.

Yeah I just wonder about the long-term complications for people: low blood sugar, their body feeding off itself and reducing lean muscle mass, or else their teeth, hair and organs. I don't think people realize the net number is already built in with a weight loss.

A girl who was on a VLCD for extended periods of time posted her side effects on a thread once -- hair loss, bad breath, etc. I only did 1200/day for like 4 months. If you keep it up for long periods of time hair loss and other weird stuff does kick in.

I was on vlcd for years and as a result I now have heart problems I will live with for the rest of my life. Let them hit rock bottom. Until then it is pretty much like trying to argue with a brick wall. They think they are fooling their bodies but the body will take what it needs, be it from fat stores, muscle and even vital organs.

Sweet_Pea0107

Anddd some of us have genuine eating disorders. Just so you know, having a net above 300 kills me. Negative net makes me happy.

Honestly this is not the place for you. You need help to get over your food issues.

Sweet_Pea0107

WLS patients! We are not talking about you! Your bodies have been modified for lower calorie intake and you are under doctors supervision! Unfortunately their are a lot of naive people who will have to hit rock bottom before they listen.

onyxgirl17

wtf why would we bring this old topic back

cmriverside

I would like to say that I net 800 calories a day at the most. I eat a lot and and I exercise a lot. The only type of eating disorder I have ever had in my life was eating too much. The way I eat I could see me eating like this everyday for the rest of my life. I dont think there is anything wrong with the way I eat and have talked to many nutrionists who aggree. It is not all about your calorie intake. It about vitamins, minerals, and healthy food you take in. I am in better health eating they way I am now than I have ever been and I have had my doctor tell me so.

Thanks for dragging up an old topic.


But, WTH??

I dont think there is anything wrong with the way I eat and have talked to many nutrionists who aggree.

If the first nutritionist agreed with you, why did you need many more? I call BS. No nutritionist worth his or her salt would recommend this as healthy.

But thanks for playing.

beachlover317

I would like to say that I net 800 calories a day at the most. I eat a lot and and I exercise a lot. The only type of eating disorder I have ever had in my life was eating too much. The way I eat I could see me eating like this everyday for the rest of my life. I dont think there is anything wrong with the way I eat and have talked to many nutrionists who aggree. It is not all about your calorie intake. It about vitamins, minerals, and healthy food you take in. I am in better health eating they way I am now than I have ever been and I have had my doctor tell me so.

Thanks for dragging up an old topic.


But, WTH??

I dont think there is anything wrong with the way I eat and have talked to many nutrionists who aggree.

If the first nutritionist agreed with you, why did you need many more? I call BS. No nutritionist worth his or her salt would recommend this as healthy.

But thanks for playing.

I call bs as well. Been on MFP since July 2012 and you've only lost how much?? Yes, it's really working for you. :noway:

gauchogirl

While I get where the OP is going, and agree, in the sense that vitamins/minerals/etc. will not be met, we ALL HAVE EXCESS FAT on our bodies. It's how human bodies work. You can eat, even at "negative net calories" and still get ENOUGH CALORIES because our bodies pull them from our fat stores (if you aren't already at scary low BF percentages!) That's why fat stores exist, as reserve for low calorie times. Now, this isn't necessarily a healthy way to live, it's for emergencies, and someone shouldn't be using this as a method on a long term basis. Again, the nutrition needs probably aren't being met, but you can't possibly know what other people do outside of what they log here. They could not be logging everything, they could not have accurate weight or exercise numbers entered, it could be a calculated short term thing. You just don't know.

ETA: I am NOT RECOMMENDING this approach I am merely stating that it isn't exactly as dire as the OP makes it sound, when it's (very) infrequent and/or accidental. Trying to live this way is NOT HEALTHY.

bridgelene

.....and I wonder what kind of health problems they will develop later on because they deprived their body of the necessary energy and nutrients for so long. Bad teeth, brittle hair, organ complications; general weakness; lack of strength and energy to carry out basic tasks---the list could go on.

Worried about a lot of scary short-term thinking.

Exactly. Look up the physical side effects of anorexia. Even if not anorexia nervosa, ED-NOS can have a lot of the same things depending on what the person is doing. My gf was down to an unhealthy 80lbs (on a "big" day) at 5'1". She never technically was considered to have anorexia by the diagnostic criteria as her menses never stopped even though she was very sick, but her official diagnosis was ED-NOS. Even now, she has many, many long term health issues that stuck around afterwards. I have a friend who got down to about 65lbs at 5'2" and had a heart attack before age 21.

Long story, I choose not to give enouraging words to people who are consistently that low (and mostly will not keep them around), 'though I do have a friend here who *is* temporarily on a lower calorie diet under her hospital's, doctors, and dietician's supervision for reasons that are NOT weight loss. She sees them very regularly, and I'm comfortable with this myself.

I look at a friend's diary to give constructive comments, if I'm going to comment.

And yes, it is their health issue if they have an eating disorder, but the thing with community and friendship is concern for other's well being. Positive and negative.

lunglady

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.

Really!