900 calories diet - can i go on for it for months ?

Freeurheart

HI All

I just need your assistance .. finally i decided to loose my heavy weight that bothered me a lot for a long time.. i am 29 yrs od, 5"0 tall and was 254 Lbs ... started for a 22 days now,i lost 12 poinds and i am follwoing a " 900 calories diet "

till now i feel OK with no issue, i am balancing my meal to contain a very low level of fats, but a adequate level of carbs and proteins .. just i am not exercising much as already i am working 7 hrs/ day and at this level of calories when i return home i feel like o_0

i am planning to go forward with a light exercise plan ( light jogging 30 min a day on my tredmill ) starting from next week

anyway .. just i need your opition ... is going forward at this level will hurt my health by any means ? i was reading a lot of topics over the net about this low diet calories and how its not good for the health .. is it true or just a myth ?



Thanks

Sara

OTchic

wow ur eating 900 calories and now you want to workout to burn some of those 900 calories not good. shoot for netting 1200 at least. trust me once you start to work out you will feel a difference and ur body will want more food.

DanaDark

So long as you meet all your nutritional needs... but at 900 calories... I doubt it.

You will do significantly more harm than good.

I suggest you follow with MFP's tools and ensure you get a decent portion of protein.

kaydensmom12

It sounds like you are fed up with your weight, so I suggest a long term solution. The long term solution that I suggest is making your daily calorie goal something sustainable, I would make your daily goal netting between 13-1500 calories per day. Find out your bmr, your tdee and eat between them. Why do a "diet" when you can change your lifestyle, something that really is sustainable, something that won't drain and strain your body. When you change your lifestyle, you eat healthier and you won't quit doing that once you drop the weight.

As for exercise, start off walking. Then progress from there. You do not need to exercise daily, make your weekly goal sustainable also. I make my exercise goal for 3x/wk, and if I can go more I do. You do not want to stress yourself out too much. Yes eating 900 cals/day would make you drop weight faster, but will most likely stress your organs, and you will be losing lean muscle, which you don't want. You may even gain the weight + some back when you start eating normally again.

Don't make a short term "diet", make a long term, lifelong, lifestyle change.

Edit to say, that if you are not meeting your nutritional needs, then yes your body can be damaged. You can certainly give yourself nutritional deficiencies by a 900 cal diet.

Potassium is responsible for muscle contractions, so lack of it will effect all muscles, including the heart! You can develop arrythmias, which means that the pumping action of the heart that pumps blood to all of your body, including your brain, may not be able to pump efficiently.

Iron is important for red blood cells, low iron can mean anemia.

Calcium is needed for muscle movements, and also bone strength.

Vitamin C is needed for immunity and healing.

So yes deficiencies in only these vitamins/minerals can lead to heart arrythmias, anemia, osteoporosis, and poor healing. These are just a few of possible complications. No, not everyone will develop deficiencies, but are you getting all of your nutrients? I know that some people eat 3000 cals of unhealthy food and do not get theirs, but a low calorie diet makes it less plausible to get all of your nutrients.

strutdivastrut

Too. low. i feel woozy with eating 1600. calories imagine 900.good luck

caraiselite

less carbs!!!
more fat, veg, protein.

caraiselite

also, fat does not make you fat.. and at 900 cals, you'll need fat and fibre to keep you full.

j_wilson2012

How about 700? Maybe 600? Truth is, if you deprive your body of calories, it will react negatively. It is like tellin a 4 year old that he cant read a book because he colors in them. I say, increase your intake, as well as your workout. If you have nothing else going on besides work, then you can EASILY fit in about 1-2 hours of working out. It is all just a choice. If you have other obligations, then you are going to have to work that out. 30 min a day of "light" workout is not going to cut it. I work out about 10-12 hours a week, and eat over 10,000 calories easy. I am 5'8", 215. By the end of this week, I am aiming for 212. Put simply, If you work out more, and burn more calories, you can eat more. Just reduce the fat, and increase the proteins and fibers. If you eat the same amount of cake as opposed to carrots, or a salad, you will not do anything.

Too Much Sugar destroys any kind of diet. No Ifs ands or buts.

Vegetables give your body potassium, which allows your body to regulate its sodium level. Eliminate Chips, sweets, fast food, top ramen, and un-lean ground beef, along with other things. Eat lean, and stay consistent. You will do fine.

DontStopB_Leakin

To the OP, yea 900 cals is no problem. Until you hit a plateau in two weeks. Then you're going to assume you need to shave off more calories. So you go down to 800. Then that plateau comes back in, let's say, three weeks. Then you assume "Well , I need to shave off more." So you go down to 700.....and on and on and on. Then, one day, you die.

ironanimal

Can you eat 900 calories a day? Why is this even a question? Why would you want to when you could eat at a reasonable deficit to lose weight and actually improve your health?

ElizabethRoad

Please consult a doctor. You should definitely not do it without medical supervision.

kristinacottle

Obviously not. Don't try to lose weight on 900 cals a day if you can't maintain it for the rest of your life. :noway:

beattie1

It sounds like you are fed up with your weight, so I suggest a long term solution. The long term solution that I suggest is making your daily calorie goal something sustainable, I would make your daily goal netting between 13-1500 calories per day. Find out your bmr, your tdee and eat between them. Why do a "diet" when you can change your lifestyle, something that really is sustainable, something that won't drain and strain your body. When you change your lifestyle, you eat healthier and you won't quit doing that once you drop the weight.

As for exercise, start off walking. Then progress from there. You do not need to exercise daily, make your weekly goal sustainable also. I make my exercise goal for 3x/wk, and if I can go more I do. You do not want to stress yourself out too much. Yes eating 900 cals/day would make you drop weight faster, but will most likely stress your organs, and you will be losing lean muscle, which you don't want. You may even gain the weight + some back when you start eating normally again.

Don't make a short term "diet", make a long term, lifelong, lifestyle change.

Edit to say, that if you are not meeting your nutritional needs, then yes your body can be damaged. You can certainly give yourself nutritional deficiencies by a 900 cal diet.

Potassium is responsible for muscle contractions, so lack of it will effect all muscles, including the heart! You can develop arrythmias, which means that the pumping action of the heart that pumps blood to all of your body, including your brain, may not be able to pump efficiently.

Iron is important for red blood cells, low iron can mean anemia.

Calcium is needed for muscle movements, and also bone strength.

Vitamin C is needed for immunity and healing.

So yes deficiencies in only these vitamins/minerals can lead to heart arrythmias, anemia, osteoporosis, and poor healing. These are just a few of possible complications. No, not everyone will develop deficiencies, but are you getting all of your nutrients? I know that some people eat 3000 cals of unhealthy food and do not get theirs, but a low calorie diet makes it less plausible to get all of your nutrients.

This is the best reply so far. For long term health you need more than 900 calories a day, even if you were just lying in bed all day. It's scary having a lot of weight to lose and I can understand that you want it gone as quick as possible. The problem is that if you try to stick to a too-restrictive diet after a while your craving for food - enough food to fuel your body - becomes overwhelming, you eat more than you meant to, you feel you've blown it now and then you binge. Then you feel like a failure and binge some more.

You need to make smaller changes - adopt not a "diet" but a "healthy lifestyle" that you can keep up for the year or so it may well take to lose the excess weight you're carrying around - and keep up to avoid regaining that weight you lost as soon as you go back to your old eating habits.

albayin

You probably could do it for the 30 days but you might feel light headed, hungry, grumpy and can't wait the 30th day to come and binge...If you see immediate result you might go a few days more but if you are not seeing result...it's all over..

I wish I had known better when I first cut my calories to bare minimum (1200) I did lose a few pounds but then they all came back now I am back to square one...

There are lots of useful information in this site so please take some good time to read through and find the best way for yourself. Good luck!

nxd10

You will do significantly more harm than good.

I suggest you follow with MFP's tools and ensure you get a decent portion of protein.

Like they said.

You want to change your life, not just your body short term. And you want to keep the weight off that you lose, not g o on yo yo diets for life.

Take it slow. Use the tools. Eat your calories.

You could probably start at 1.5 or 2 pounds a week if you have a lot to lose. If you keep it up, you should do it.

The older I've gotten the more I've regretted the dumb ways I mistreated my body when I was young. It catches up to you eventually. That's not just the weight we GAIN. It's also how we try to lose that extra weight.

nxd10

Im 5'2 and weight 142lbs I currently eat 400-900 calories a day [depending on my mood] I've been doing this for a month, and lately I've been starting to get lightheaded, although Im sure I've lost some weight due to doing this. I would also recommend if you were planning to do this, to buy iron supplements and other vitamins!

Of COURSE you're lightheaded! LISTEN to your body. It needs more than vitamins and iron! It needs calories!

yarwell

I wouldn't aim for very low fats, there are fats and fat soluble vitamins that you need for health. Eating low fat stuff usually means high carb which isn't a great recipe for weight loss or health. So plenty of protein - 100g is only 400 calories, a decent amount of fat (30g is 270 calories) and carbs for the balance.

At your weight you can sustain a reasonably large deficit for some length of time. However at your height etc 900 calories may only be a 500 calorie deficit once your BMR reflects your reduced food intake.

You'll be hearing lots of largely groundless scaremongering here, discuss your diet with a doctor or dietician and consider using supplements to ensure your minerals and vitamins are covered. Many people successfully lose weight at 800 or 900 or less calories a day, particularly shorter women who aren't into exercise in a big way. 6 to 8 weeks is probably a sensible duration for such an approach, then ramp up to a higher intake for a period to stabilise and see where you are.

If you're looking to shed 80+ pounds the "low deficit" approach will be condemning you to an eternity of calorie counting, so I agree with your approach.

yarwell

Im 5'2 and weight 142lbs I currently eat 400-900 calories a day [depending on my mood] I've been doing this for a month, and lately I've been starting to get lightheaded, although Im sure I've lost some weight due to doing this. I would also recommend if you were planning to do this, to buy iron supplements and other vitamins!

Not sure how accurate your diary is, but your protein intake is very low. Try to keep it over 50g at least (that's only 200 calories).

denmark979

i find when i do the 1200 calories, i don't lose that much weight. its all based upon your own bmr. so some people will tell you not too but one size doesn't fit all. its all about your body. i now know what works for mine. i have to get pretty low in calories to get weight loss. i went back to my diaries and found what works for me. but you need to supplement!!!!!

HorseWithNoName27

You COULD go on it for months, sure.
You will be miserable, hungry, fighting cravings and probably give in eventually to temptation.

I tried Medifast, a 1000-calorie low-carb diet. Lasted about five weeks before I said, "Screw this" and went back to Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.

Fast forward to now (about three months later), I've only been counting calories, eating healthier food (fruit, veggies, lean meat, whole grain, etc) for TWO weeks and I feel so much better. I don't go crazy with cravings. I don't hate eating. And I don't eat out of overpriced, sh*tty packets either.

You have a lot of choices in front of you. The most drastic one is not necessarily the best one.

Remember...95% of people who diet, gain the weight back. Why? Because they do crazy things that aren't sustainable in the first place. Grapefruit diet! Cabbage soup diet! Prepackaged mail-order food diet! 900-calorie diet!

Choose what you can maintain.

gogonunubean

Most members here, myself included, seem to avoid crash or starvation diets and go for sustainable long terms results. 900 calories a day, especially if you are burning more off from exercise is too low to sustain healthy bodily functions.

In order to work out what level you should be eating at you need to consider your BMR. It takes, for your stats, roughly 1800 calories just for your body to runs its basic systems. 900 calories just cannot provide the energy you need, which is why you feel low. Then your body will be so desperate, you will binge or if you come off it, your body will hold onto every calorie you take in and you will balloon back up.

Trust me, I have tried many low calorie diets - the control it took made me feel powerful (until I fell off the wagon!). Unfortunately they never made me feel slim!