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

Barbellerella

I like to direct people here to figure out how many calories they should be eating. This guy spent a lot of time laying it all out for us.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

jennco3

I will not lecture but I will say it is unsafe. No doctor, good doctor, will tell you it is ok. Never stay below 1200 a day.
My experience- I was doing something like that. And sure I ended up with a lot of lose on the scale. All was fine until i realized I was dizzy and it was too late. I ended up passing out. I was lucky and didnt suffer any heart damage. But I literally was starving. Ended up loosing my gallbladder and will forever have stomach problems.

emo1234

my personal trainer actually had me on a 900 calorie diet, i think i lost 1.5 kg in three weeks and that was it! he also had me doing 4 workouts a week were i would have to burn 900 calories. he was shocked that i didnt lose anything more. but it was way too low and in my opinioin really unproffesional to put me on a diet with so few calories. i was really cranky, tired and really stressed! trying to only eat that much. It did teach me how to cook low calorie and nutritional meals though. Like everyone here I believe that aiming between 1100- 1200 cals a day is for the best, its an amount that you can manage to consume and sustain for a life time. 900 calories is not something you can keep up.

elyelyse

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.

For someone making a change from a sedentary lifestyle, 30 min x 3 would be a huge Improvement and a great start. I thnk suggesting that someone just starting out try to do 1-2 hours a day is just setting someone up for failure.

fatmom51

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.

For someone making a change from a sedentary lifestyle, 30 min x 3 would be a huge Improvement and a great start. I thnk suggesting that someone just starting out try to do 1-2 hours a day is just setting someone up for failure.

^This. Any additional movement is good. As you get smaller and more fit, you'll be able to do more -- may even want to do more. I know it's frustrating to feel like you're at your breaking point, but really, dropping to 900 is not sustainable. The risk, beyond the long term risks to your body, are that you may get so tired of the deprivation (especially if the pounds don't start melting off) that you'll say ***-it and give up completely.
Because I stated in my goals that I wanted to lose 2 lbs. a week (my start weight was 256 and I'm 5'3", so I'm pretty close to your stats), my daily goal is set for 1,200 calories. That said, I frequently end up eating 1,500 to 1,600 (and sometimes even eat at my maintenance level of 2,060, like yesterday and Monday.) Still, I have been losing 2-3 pounds most weeks. (Sometimes I exercise a bit and eat back a fair amount of the calories, and those are the higher loss weeks, but even on the lower exercise weeks, I do OK.) Twice now, I've gained a little bit (1-2 lbs.) because I ate way over and had wine and didn't get much exercise, but that corrected itself the following week or within two weeks.
It can be done. Eat healthy. Take your time and you'll see results that will last and you'll develop an eating plan you can live with long-term. You didn't gain all the weight overnight and it's not going to come off overnight either. But if you lose steadily and slowly it will stay off. I'm finally getting it this time around.

jlohcook

I'm 5 ft 3, and been weighing between 110 - 120 most of my life, been eating 1200 - 1500 most of my life. Even with a sedentary job, there are times that I still feel hungry, and needing to eat 1800-2000, esp when I move around alot. Of course, this is not usual, once awhile. cannot imagine how anyone can live without eating much. Please do not starve yourself. And there is no need for supplements if you are eating right.

By starving yourself, you may lose weight, but will cause a lot of harm to your body in the long run.

elyelyse

People who have had weight loss surgeries eat like this all the time.

but they are typically under the care of a doctor who specializes in the field.

LorinaLynn

My 20 pound Pekingese eats about 500 calories a day. Surely you need more than two Pekingeses?!

emnk5308

Lots of people are going to tell you NO, DON'T...BUT
IF you do this WITH A DOCTOR. You're fine. When you start exercising, eat those calories back! Only a dr can tell you to go ahead with that low of a calorie limit.

LorinaLynn

People who have had weight loss surgeries eat like this all the time.

but they are typically under the care of a doctor who specializes in the field.

And only for a few short months, with meticulous attention to nutrition, then they start eating more. A friend who's more than a year post surgery eats 1200-1500, and she's just a little tiny thing at 4'11 and 115 pounds now.

Brook70

Bump

nxd10

I've been on a 650 cal a day diet for the last few weeks along with a light daily workout at the gym where I burn around 300 calories and have been losing 1-2 lbs a day so far on this plan. It's all about searching out low calorie foods that you like so that you can eat more of it. Make sure to take vitamins!!! Thats really important, otherwise your hair may start falling out. Some will warn you that its not healthy to eat like this, but being over weight isn't healthy either. People who have had weight loss surgeries eat like this all the time. This "semi-fast" is a good way to adjust your eating habbits as well because you get used to not eating alot or all the time. Good Luck!!

Your HAIR WILL FALL OUT??????!!!!! And that doesn't tell you something is wrong?

ksamml

This is an interesting write up on the the myths of starvation mode, read it yesterday and thought it might be relevant here.... It cites another few articles as well.

http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.co.nz/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

GreenEyedLady1

for your height, weight and age you should be eating no less than 1800 calories day. what you are losing is probably a lot of water weight.

sorry, 900 cals a day is not healthily sustainable. eat better and eat more. you will lose weight.

SonoraflowerKim

I hear your frustration!:explode:

I would strongly recommend that you consult a doctor first. Once you start working out on 900 calories...your body may decide that it is not happy with you and it may decide to start a "fat" reserve mode. The body is resilient and will fight at all cost to make sure that it is protected!

Working out requires that you eat more calories...your body needs to be fed in order to function correctly when you begin to lose weight while watching your calorie intake.

I had trained my body to survive on 1200 calories and I was doing seriously activity and working out sometimes 2 times a day and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't lose the last few pounds. Recently I found MFP and started using Fitbit, the two together help me understand the whole "food in, exercise in, and weight off" much better.

Think about what your goals are and how best to achieve them with results that you can live with and a plan that you can make a life changing habit of....good foods, eating right, and exercising!

I hope you find your answers and you begin a journey that will end in a positive area for you and your whole body!:flowerforyou:

JacksMom12

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.

Yep. That pretty much sums it up!

Irish_eyes75

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

seriously!

yaremis1979

900?! Please increase your intake and do more exercise and do not listen to anyone that actually supports you doing this.

JacksMom12

I've been on a 650 cal a day diet for the last few weeks along with a light daily workout at the gym where I burn around 300 calories and have been losing 1-2 lbs a day so far on this plan. It's all about searching out low calorie foods that you like so that you can eat more of it. Make sure to take vitamins!!! Thats really important, otherwise your hair may start falling out. Some will warn you that its not healthy to eat like this, but being over weight isn't healthy either. People who have had weight loss surgeries eat like this all the time. This "semi-fast" is a good way to adjust your eating habbits as well because you get used to not eating alot or all the time. Good Luck!!

Good plan. :-/

HashtagTraci

This is an interesting write up on the the myths of starvation mode, read it yesterday and thought it might be relevant here.... It cites another few articles as well.

http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.co.nz/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

great read! I couldn't agree more.. thanks for posting

Ash_ah_lee

It will be ok if you were netting 900 calories..

j_wilson2012

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!

You are not eating enough!! At this rate, you will make yourself sick.

Wow....that sounds bad. 400-900? diet pills? Do you not like food or something? DANG. Lose all the weight you want, but the lightheadedness is bad. Your head is tryin to tell you something. Read this:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/510468-why-do-i-get-nauseated-lightheaded-if-i-dont-eat/

RuthSweetTooth

You should start feeling like crap real soon.

suziecue66

Interesting data at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/item/diet-reverses-type-2-diabetes/ - 2 months on low calories. More fully described in http://www.diabetologia-journal.org/Lim.pdf 30 lbs loss in 8 weeks, 90% of which fat, 6 lbs regained 3 months after end of diet phase. Obviously done for a specific purpose - to achieve significant fat loss quickly - but worth a read.

The significant fat loss reversed type 2 diabetes.

wahmx3

DUH, do you realize how much you are harming your body, long term damage that you will never get back. Your heart, lungs, brain, and every other body organ needs calories.... don't deprive your body, if you want to live a healthy life, EAT enough to sustain your bodily functions including your heart beating and breathing!

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!

deadmittens

simple answer: no.

your hair will start to look like crap, you'll feel like crap, you'll be meaner/slower/moodier. Eat more, exercise more. Don't starve yourself, it's stupid.

megsmom2

Don't eat at unhealthy, unsustainable levels. Eat healthy real food, and eat enough of it to fuel your body. Move more. Drink water. Make this a new healthy way of life, not a diet. You might lose a bit slower, but you'll be healthier, and feel great and look great.

xHelloQuincyx

you feel okay

but you have no idea what you are doing to your body.

think about it

hiyomi

U crazy, not even girls that weigh 100 lbs eat that little, ur supposed to eat 1200 at the LEAST but since ur bigger u need to eat btwm 1900-1200 a day
I weigh 269, eat btwn 1500-1900 a day and exercise 4-5 time a week. I lose 1-3 pounds a week this way. Dieting does help you lose weight but very slowly, you need to exercise if you want to lose weight faster.

tamsinwhitfield

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!

You are not eating enough!! At this rate, you will make yourself sick.

To those saying Im not eating enough, When I was younger I used to only eat once a day, My whole life I've never had 'Natural hunger pains' I never feel hunger. I also take alot of vitamins to make up for the things Im not getting in my diet, yes I get dizzy sometimes but Its normally caused by other health issue's I have going on. Also I already struggle to force myself to eat 3 meals a day, just to get my calorie intake higher, So I do try 'listening' to my body, but apparently thats not healthy.....

You say this, but you still managed, at some point, to get up to 157lb. So presumably you had no problem not only eating to maintain your weight, but also no problem eating a prolonged excess in order to gain weight in the first place?