Can't eat over 800 calories a day.
Replies
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This thread makes me want to cry.
Instead, I'm going to go consume at least 800 calories worth of sushi for lunch.0 -
What happened to support on this site? Geez people, she is asking for help and answering to rebutal all of your "ideas". OP, I COMPLETELY understand where you are coming from, I have a food scale and measure and weigh everything that goes in my mouth and for the first 4 weeks I was on here I ate 1200 cals a day and gained 5 lbs. I stick to around 800 now and exercise and usually end up negative or even with my net at the end of the day. THIS IS WHAT WORKS FOR ME! You may be in the same pool. I eat and I don't skimp when I do. I eat high fiber and low calorie raw fruits and veggies that have less calories in them than it takes for my body to process. Just because I don't eat 1200 calories doesn't mean I am not eating until I am full or that I am starving myself. I am just making smarter decisions about what I am putting in my mouth rather than eating for the calories. If this is what works for your body and you are not having blood sugar lows or not able to exercise due to no energy or you are having health issues develop, then go for it. I have been on this regiment to lose my last 31 lbs for about 4 months and am completely healthy. Feel free to add me, I will support you as much as possible and give advice.0
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Then most likely you have a thyroid issue, or retain water with the higher caloric intake due to higher glycogen stores.
I would suggest trying to eat 1400 cals or so for 5-6 weeks, you may gain the first week or 2. If after the 5-6 weeks you are not getting results make adjustments from there.
I agree with this...have you talked to your doctor? I have thyroid issues as well as insulin resistance and pcos..I do have to eat differently..but then i average about 1500 cals a day..before working out...You may want to get checked out..0 -
I agree about upping your calories. But more then that I would see a nutrionist/doctor. They can give you suggestions about foods to help speed up your metabolism.
I'm going to go back to eating my chocolate cake now :happy:0 -
I'm going to say eat more as well. I know different strokes for different folks and all that, but there isn't really many reasons/conditions for someone to have such a low caloric intake.
Give it time. Don't up your calories for a week, see a gain, freak out and quit - give it ample time. As others have said, you may have been eating too little for too long and your body is all sad and pissed about it.
And, if you don't buy that reasoning, go see a doctor and have your thyroid and all that other mumbo jumbo tested. Most women want to blame it on that, anyhow. I'm not saying you're blaming it on that but it seems like every woman I know who doesn't see an immediate result is automatically blaming it on her thyroid.0 -
Opening your diary would allow for much more constructive responses.
I read your profile - it seems that your weight gain, at least in part, has a medical base. My first advice is to chat with your doctor and see if they can guide you in the appropriate direction.
The other issue is that you may have destroyed your metabolism from dieting the wrong way...by eating far too few cals and now your body is refusing to eat more without gaining. I have this issue....it's not fun!
All of us are different....some of us have far lower caloric needs than others...it's just the way our bodies have become....
Good luck!0 -
Are you short?
I have a similar thing, If I ate the recommended daily allowance for a woman I'd be the size of an elephant! I'm only 5ft and have come to the conclusion that since I am the size of a child that I can only ever eat child portions and have to eat a lot less than 'normal' height people.
That's no excuse. My girlfriend is 4'11" and NEEDS to eat WAY more than 800 kcal/day to maintain, more than double that actually. Since she is so active and has a lot of LBM, she has to fuel her body.0 -
my mustache needs more than 800 cals/day0
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What happened to support on this site? Geez people, she is asking for help and answering to rebutal all of your "ideas". OP, I COMPLETELY understand where you are coming from, I have a food scale and measure and weigh everything that goes in my mouth and for the first 4 weeks I was on here I ate 1200 cals a day and gained 5 lbs. I stick to around 800 now and exercise and usually end up negative or even with my net at the end of the day. THIS IS WHAT WORKS FOR ME! You may be in the same pool. I eat and I don't skimp when I do. I eat high fiber and low calorie raw fruits and veggies that have less calories in them than it takes for my body to process. Just because I don't eat 1200 calories doesn't mean I am not eating until I am full or that I am starving myself. I am just making smarter decisions about what I am putting in my mouth rather than eating for the calories. If this is what works for your body and you are not having blood sugar lows or not able to exercise due to no energy or you are having health issues develop, then go for it. I have been on this regiment to lose my last 31 lbs for about 4 months and am completely healthy. Feel free to add me, I will support you as much as possible and give advice.
Most everyone that has responded has given advice, no more than you have. Just because its not the same advice you would give does not mean people are not being supportive. She asked a question, she is getting answers, its up to her to decide what to do with the information. Chill out.0 -
This short thing is total BS. Please stop talking about it.
<---- 5 feet tall and eats way more than 800 a day.0 -
^^ This is better than anything I could say. I recommend this.Please read this
http://www.7layerliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/feastorfamine.pdf
My guess is that you have been on a low calorie diet for so long that any surplus in energy that your body is receiving it is treating as a feast and storing whatever it can.I had experience with this in the past.Growing up i ate whatever i want,i was a dancer and i typically burned whatever i ate.As i grew older ie from teens to 20s -i became relatively sedentary-still eating the same calories so i gained weight.Now instead of increasing my activity-i just reduced my intake to 800 calories a day-i lost 30 pounds in 3 months-then my body held on to every inch of fat it can.whenever I have had energy surges(ie parties/holidays) my body stored more and more fat though i was very active.It took me almost a year to slowly increase my intake from 800 to 2200.i increase 200 calories for every few weeks until the weight went up and came back down(between 160 and 164).now at 2200 i dont gain anymore,ie the weight has stabilized.making a small cut out of maintenance will have safe fat loss,this is not a quick process.
You just have to train your body to function at a particular calorie intake.It does need patience and not freaking out looking at the gains on the scale.It only a matter of time until the body gets used to it.Good luck.
PS:IF you wonder how i arrived at 2200 to calculate energy required you can use this site
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/0 -
Are you short?
I have a similar thing, If I ate the recommended daily allowance for a woman I'd be the size of an elephant! I'm only 5ft and have come to the conclusion that since I am the size of a child that I can only ever eat child portions and have to eat a lot less than 'normal' height people.
I'm not short, actually tall for a woman, 5ft 8in. But I am getting older, and had my children at a very young age, so my body seems to think I am older than I am.0 -
You can say whatever you want, but statistically speaking, even short, petite adult women who are active and engaging in 3-5 days of exercise will need considerably more than 800 calories to maintain weight. If they are capable of doing so, then either: they have depressed their RMR and hormones to such a degree due to chronic calorie restriction that they are full on a fraction of what they should be consuming; or they have a medical condition such as hypothyroidism.What happened to support on this site? Geez people, she is asking for help and answering to rebutal all of your "ideas". OP, I COMPLETELY understand where you are coming from, I have a food scale and measure and weigh everything that goes in my mouth and for the first 4 weeks I was on here I ate 1200 cals a day and gained 5 lbs. I stick to around 800 now and exercise and usually end up negative or even with my net at the end of the day. THIS IS WHAT WORKS FOR ME! You may be in the same pool. I eat and I don't skimp when I do. I eat high fiber and low calorie raw fruits and veggies that have less calories in them than it takes for my body to process. Just because I don't eat 1200 calories doesn't mean I am not eating until I am full or that I am starving myself. I am just making smarter decisions about what I am putting in my mouth rather than eating for the calories. If this is what works for your body and you are not having blood sugar lows or not able to exercise due to no energy or you are having health issues develop, then go for it. I have been on this regiment to lose my last 31 lbs for about 4 months and am completely healthy. Feel free to add me, I will support you as much as possible and give advice.0 -
Your body is all screwed up from eating so little all the time that it doesn't know what to do when you start feeding it healthy amounts... Just eat more for a while and stop stepping on the scale.0
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She didn't ask for support, she asked for advice. That's what is being given.What happened to support on this site? Geez people, she is asking for help and answering to rebutal all of your "ideas". OP, I COMPLETELY understand where you are coming from, I have a food scale and measure and weigh everything that goes in my mouth and for the first 4 weeks I was on here I ate 1200 cals a day and gained 5 lbs. I stick to around 800 now and exercise and usually end up negative or even with my net at the end of the day. THIS IS WHAT WORKS FOR ME! You may be in the same pool. I eat and I don't skimp when I do. I eat high fiber and low calorie raw fruits and veggies that have less calories in them than it takes for my body to process. Just because I don't eat 1200 calories doesn't mean I am not eating until I am full or that I am starving myself. I am just making smarter decisions about what I am putting in my mouth rather than eating for the calories. If this is what works for your body and you are not having blood sugar lows or not able to exercise due to no energy or you are having health issues develop, then go for it. I have been on this regiment to lose my last 31 lbs for about 4 months and am completely healthy. Feel free to add me, I will support you as much as possible and give advice.0 -
Assuming you do not have any medical conditions that would interfere, my first guess is that you are not counting calories correctly (estimation errors) and/or you are not allowing enough time (ex: weigh yourself in a few days, see 1 lb of water weight and panic assuming you gained fat).
Those are my blunt guesses.
^ What Mr.Steel said.
OP you are seeing water and glycogen stores causing you to "gain weight". It isn't fat though.
Joe.....please explain further for us rookies.......
please and thank you0 -
This short thing is total BS. Please stop talking about it.
<---- 5 feet tall and eats way more than 800 a day.
Shorter people generally have less mass, which requires less energy, hence the lower BMR. Just because you eat more doesn't mean you're the rule
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Impossible
<
4'11'' and maintenance at 2000 calories.
Or you are really bad at calculating calories, or you totally shot your metabolism to hell. You do not gain weight at 1200 calories....bloated....yes absolutly, fat .....absolutly not.0 -
^ I agree with this reply. You have no place deciding what is or isn't support, and just because you think you have the correct advice for her doesn't mean it will be the most helpful to her. I think a lot of the other replies are valid and I think it's great that the OP has so much support, so she can think clearly and weigh her options for deciding what to do next.What happened to support on this site? Geez people, she is asking for help and answering to rebutal all of your "ideas". OP, I COMPLETELY understand where you are coming from, I have a food scale and measure and weigh everything that goes in my mouth and for the first 4 weeks I was on here I ate 1200 cals a day and gained 5 lbs. I stick to around 800 now and exercise and usually end up negative or even with my net at the end of the day. THIS IS WHAT WORKS FOR ME! You may be in the same pool. I eat and I don't skimp when I do. I eat high fiber and low calorie raw fruits and veggies that have less calories in them than it takes for my body to process. Just because I don't eat 1200 calories doesn't mean I am not eating until I am full or that I am starving myself. I am just making smarter decisions about what I am putting in my mouth rather than eating for the calories. If this is what works for your body and you are not having blood sugar lows or not able to exercise due to no energy or you are having health issues develop, then go for it. I have been on this regiment to lose my last 31 lbs for about 4 months and am completely healthy. Feel free to add me, I will support you as much as possible and give advice.
Most everyone that has responded has given advice, no more than you have. Just because its not the same advice you would give does not mean people are not being supportive. She asked a question, she is getting answers, its up to her to decide what to do with the information. Chill out.0 -
Are you short?
I have a similar thing, If I ate the recommended daily allowance for a woman I'd be the size of an elephant! I'm only 5ft and have come to the conclusion that since I am the size of a child that I can only ever eat child portions and have to eat a lot less than 'normal' height people.
I'm not short, actually tall for a woman, 5ft 8in. But I am getting older, and had my children at a very young age, so my body seems to think I am older than I am.
I am 5' 8", weigh 158lbs and I eat at least 1500 (I'm on LG so I cycle up to 2300) calories a day. I do not care so much about the scale, I am trying to lose body fat, not weight. I would definitely say 800 is way too little. If it is a medical issue, then a visit with your doctor would be good to evaluate if this is entirely medical, however, my money is on that you are way under eating your calories and your body is not happy with that.0 -
I am in the same boat as you. I was always thin until I had my third child (17 years ago). It took years to get within 10 pounds of my pre baby weight. I have managed to maintain the weight until 3 years ago when menopause hit at 50. Now I have ballooned to my all time high. I have always eaten fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, and fish, with some red meat and lean chicken, and exercise 3 times a week for 30 minutes. My blood work is normal. I went to a nutritionist, lost 5 pounds and maintained after that on her program, and she couldn't understand why. She advised just to exercise 5-7 times a week. A co-worker told me About this site so i started keeping track of my food, and doubled my exercise time from 30 to 60 minutes, but still only 3 days a week. I eat between 750- 900 calories a day, and finally am able to loose some weight. I started August 13 and have lost 12 pounds. I am NOT starving, i feel fine, but I truly believe my body just does not need that much food. I am 5' 7" and look my best between 135 a 140. That is my goal. Some of us, especially as we get older, just don't need as much food. And truthfully, if you are not eating junk, sweets, and starches, the fruits and veggies are lower in calories and you can eat plenty to fill up and not feel hungry. It is working for me. If it works for you, stop listening to everyone else. I know 1200 calories is too much food for me. I can't even eat that much in a day unless it is cookies and cake!!0
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This short thing is total BS. Please stop talking about it.
<---- 5 feet tall and eats way more than 800 a day.
Shorter people generally have less mass, which requires less energy, hence the lower BMR. Just because you eat more doesn't mean you're the rule
My BMR is 1123ish. it does not make sense to eat 800 cals a day especially with exercise and normal daily activity. Yes, obviously I have less mass, (91# LBM to be exact) but that still requires a minimum of 1200+.0 -
Your height itself has nothing to do with how many calories you require. Your lean body mass, base metabolism (BMR) and further, total energy expenditure (TDEE) are the variables that you should be looking at.
A woman who is 4'11" and 200lbs is going to have a very different caloric requirement to maintain her weight than a woman at 4'11" and 100lbs.
I would do research on your BMR and TDEE and set up a nutritional plan for yourself, with a strong focus on eating whole foods rather than just a calorie allocation (water retention due to sodium intake is not a fun variable to introduce). Then, you need to make sure you stick to your plan for at least a month before you give up and say "1200 calories is making me fat". It takes time to see a positive trend after you change a variable in your life. You may see a gain on the scale for a while. Don't lose heart, just keep going. Remember that your body's natural reaction to change is to quickly store fat for survival. it's imperative that you give yourself a chance to adjust. Being hungry is not necessary to lose and maintain your weight.0 -
Your height itself has nothing to do with how many calories you require. Your lean body mass, base metabolism (BMR) and further, total energy expenditure (TDEE) are the variables that you should be looking at.
A woman who is 4'11" and 200lbs is going to have a very different caloric requirement to maintain her weight than a woman at 4'11" and 100lbs.
I would do research on your BMR and TDEE and set up a nutritional plan for yourself, with a strong focus on eating whole foods rather than just a calorie allocation (water retention due to sodium intake is not a fun variable to introduce). Then, you need to make sure you stick to your plan for at least a month before you give up and say "1200 calories is making me fat". It takes time to see a positive trend after you change a variable in your life. You may see a gain on the scale for a while. Don't lose heart, just keep going. Remember that your body's natural reaction to change is to quickly store fat for survival. it's imperative that you give yourself a chance to adjust. Being hungry is not necessary to lose and maintain your weight.
What is this logic???0 -
My guess based on personal experience is that you aren't eating enough. If you start eating more, you probably WILL see some weight gain at first. But, if you keep it up your body will adjust.
I'm also a proponent of weight lifting.0 -
~whew~
I was just happy to make it through this entire thread without seeing the words "starvation mode"
Carry on...0 -
I struggled for three years trying to lose weight on a lower calorie diet - even though in the back of my mind, I knew I wasn't eating enough. I used a simple calorie calculator that I looked up on Google to determine my calorie intake for MAINTENANCE, not weight loss. I subtracted about a hundred calories to round it down to a nice even number and compensate for mis-measurements. Then, I go on a walk for an hour to an hour and a half most days. I get between 4 and 5 miles in at least 4 times a week, but not more than 6.
In order to eat that healthy calorie number, I had to RAISE my calorie intake by over 600 calories a day, and I lost 5 pounds the first week after struggling for that three years to budge a single ounce.
The hype is all true - if you don't eat "enough" but you eat enough not to starve to death, your body compensates by reducing your metabolism drastically.
I am 5'5", and my diary is public. You are welcome to look at it. I will admit that my calorie choices have not been the best the last two or three days, so have mercy, please!
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I read your profile and you state you have been skinny your entire life, even while having children. Am I correct to assume that perhaps throughout your adult life you have been likely eating below what you typically would to maintain weight? If so, then over the years your Resting Metabolic Rate has decline causing you to be full on very little. Another reason you may experience this problem is due to the medical issue of your glands.
I agree with this. When I cut back calories drastically for years, the first thing that happened (according to my nutritionist) was my metabolism slowed down. When I started eating normal again, it took awhile for my body to adjust to the higher intake.0 -
go based on #'s and facts maybe!!?? what is your bmr what is your tdee??
also.. you have already lost 19#'s on here.. (shows on your ticker) so how was that done?! by how many calories??
were you doing 1200 cal a day with that wt loss or?? i know/heard that if you are TOO low to start wtih .. it can throw your metabolism off... you should DEF Not be 'gaining wt ' when you eat 900 cals a day!?!?! thats not squat.. esp w/exercise and such.. SOMETHING isnt adding up..0 -
I struggled for three years trying to lose weight on a lower calorie diet - even though in the back of my mind, I knew I wasn't eating enough. I used a simple calorie calculator that I looked up on Google to determine my calorie intake for MAINTENANCE, not weight loss. I subtracted about a hundred calories to round it down to a nice even number and compensate for mis-measurements. Then, I go on a walk for an hour to an hour and a half most days. I get between 4 and 5 miles in at least 4 times a week, but not more than 6.
In order to eat that healthy calorie number, I had to RAISE my calorie intake by over 600 calories a day, and I lost 5 pounds the first week after struggling for that three years to budge a single ounce.
The hype is all true - if you don't eat "enough" but you eat enough not to starve to death, your body compensates by reducing your metabolism drastically.
I am 5'5", and my diary is public. You are welcome to look at it. I will admit that my calorie choices have not been the best the last two or three days, so have mercy, please!
^^^^^ good info here!!! wow 3yrs and nada huh?!?! so glad your loosing now and grubin more!.. ive heard that quote.. you hafta eat to loose!... I have a "friend" on here on mfp... shes been on mfp 3 times longer then me.. and has lost a pound less then I! and we are near same wt as well... and she does NOT eat enough.. she never eats any exercise cals back.. and is only averaging like 900 a day.. and i KNOW shes shot down her metabolism0
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