is not eating enough cals stalling my weight loss??? HELP ME

daddysgrl

Howdy folks,

I wanted to offer a brief explanation for the locking of this thread.

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jezzydoll

trust me it HELPS! Otherwise you are putting yourself in starvation mode. it isn't healthy. you need to re enter your weight into MFP and see what it says you should be eating now that you have lost so much weight. hope this helped. add me if you want

delilah47

If you were eating extremely low calories, your body entered starvation mode. It's fine for losing weight fast, but after you start eating ANYTHING, your body is going to store, store, store! It's afraid you will starve again. You need to start eating healthy meals with at least 1200 calories a day. Eventually your body will sigh in relief and start dropping pounds again.

witchy_wife

Your body is trying to tell you something, please listen to it.

nicolemarie1978

I think you're eating way too few calories! Your body has probably gone into starvation mode.

AmberJo1984

With that extreme of low calories, your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to all of the weight you do have for energy. Your body needs the nutrients.

erickirb

Wow. Instead of worrying about a plateau I would seek help as a VLCD such as yours with exercise added, is or may be the beginning of an eating disorder.

Not eating enough can lower your metabolism, but you should still lose eating that little, just less than you would expect to lose based on a caloric deficit from the TDEE that MFP calculated for you. And a larger % of your loss will come from lean muscle vs. fat, the larger your deficit is (the less you eat)

Stpjudge

It sounds like you may have hit a plateau. I recommend maintaining your exercise program but increasing you calories to 1000-1200 (or more) for a few weeks and see if anything changes.

ErinBeth7

I'd start at 1200 at the least. You can lose on more calories if you're making healthy food choices.

hiker359

Everything works; nothing works forever. You've got to do something different and eating *less* isn't it since you're at the dangerous end of how much you're eating at anyway. What kind of life do you expect to have only eating that much every day? Do you plan to eat this way for the rest of your life? How do you expect your body to get he nutrients it needs from 500-700 calories a day? Think a little and maybe your eyes will open.

MSeel1984

I ended up adjusting my weight loss goal to 1/2 lb/week instead of 1 lb/week, which provided more calories.

It was counter-intuitive for me too but now that I increased the calories, I'm seeing my body looking more toned and less "flabby"...it hasn't even been that long.

I'm also less grouchy and more energetic. It worked for me. Whether or not it will do the same for you, I don't know.

I didn't have a lot to lose to begin with but it's made all the difference for me.

SheilaN1976

wow that is nowhere near enough calories consumed for healthy weight loss.

amculver1

I have been on a low calorie regimen for several years and I have stopped loosing weight also. I read all the message boards about the starvation myth and that we need to eat more to weigh less. Okay, I started upping my calories and I have gained about 5 pounds. Some say that is to be expected. So now I am going to go back to low calories and see what happens. The problem I had with low calories was I was waking up at night starving. Really don't know if the starvation thing is true.

killingtheantagonist

Here's the thing, you need to be eating at least your BMR in calories everyday.
If anything, eat 1200 calories a day.
To figure out your BMR, y ou can check in the tools section on this site or check here: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Better safe than sorry.

prismperfect

Yes, that's just not healthy. To compare I lost 30 lbs in 9 months, and that's just by going on MFP as a guide and exercising a couple of times a week. I do cheat days all the time as well, I could have worked a bit harder and lost more but I need to keep my sanity/happiness.
I know it's not as much as you lost, but it's only 17 lbs off, just proves that you don't need to go to extremes to still lose weight.

thoeting

I've been EXACTLY where you are - and I do mean exactly. I refused to eat more than 700 calories a day - and I would only eat in the morning and early afternoon. My reasons may not match yours, but I was working on developing a pretty solid eating disorder. As it is, I got away with a minor one.

You have to eat. YOU HAVE TO EAT.I cannot say it any plainer.

I PROMISE you that you will not gain weight in the long run. Not with the amount of exercise you do.

Look at my diary ( I know I haven't logged much in the past few days - I was away and internett was sketch) but look at my July/August. I lost about 10 pounds in 10 weeks. Weight that I hadn't been able to lose on a restricted diet. Some days I'll eat 1800 calories, some days 2000 -- it depends on my TDEE

Say screw it and go up to 1500 calories of good quality food - don't cheat your way up with chips or sweets. Good stuff, as much as you want. You will be so surprised at how awesome it tastes and how full you get. You might gain a couple three pounds in the first week, MIGHT, but it will come off after that

And you will be so surprised at how great you feel and how much better your work outs are

Seriously....go eat

runningfromzombies

I've lost 47 lbs in 8 months through extreme low cals (500-700) and exercise. I've stopped losing completely! I exercise 6 days a week for about 50 mins. I know I'm being stubborn but I just don't see how eating MORE can help

If you don't see how eating more can help, consider this: you have stopped seeing results. You are probably hungry, tired, grouchy, and sick of not seeing results. (I know I would be. I would be ready to eat my own FEET if I had been living on 500-700 calories a day.) Since you've spent all this time and energy to NOT see results, you might as well try something else, even if you're not convinced it can work. I would go to this group here and read the sticky threads, especially about TDEE and BMR, and for you, I would really suggest a metabolic reset, too: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less.

Alternatively, I would also suggest seeing a doctor. 500-700 calories a day? For 8 months? While exercising 6 days a week for 50 minutes a day? You are defining an eating disorder. Please seek help.

hiker359

The problem I had with low calories was I was waking up at night starving. Really don't know if the starvation thing is true.

*laughs* Wait...are you serious?

lizziebeth1028

I've lost 47 lbs in 8 months through extreme low cals (500-700) and exercise. I've stopped losing completely! I exercise 6 days a week for about 50 mins. I know I'm being stubborn but I just don't see how eating MORE can help

I just posted to good articles on the forums regarding this topic - 'eat more to lose weight' and 'eating too few calories'. I would encourage you to read them and rethink your calorie goal!!!!!

WendyTerry420

I've lost 47 lbs in 8 months through extreme low cals (500-700) and exercise. I've stopped losing completely! I exercise 6 days a week for about 50 mins. I know I'm being stubborn but I just don't see how eating MORE can help

I'm not sure why it makes sense to think you can function as a human being while starving. :huh:

ObtainingBalance

http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/Eat-More-to-Lose-Weight.htm

coopjg

Please eat more

tzuris

I've lost 47 lbs in 8 months through extreme low cals (500-700) and exercise. I've stopped losing completely! I exercise 6 days a week for about 50 mins. I know I'm being stubborn but I just don't see how eating MORE can help

I just posted to good articles on the forums regarding this topic - 'eat more to lose weight' and 'eating too few calories'. I would encourage you to read them and rethink your calorie goal!!!!!

I second this. If that's the calorie intake BEFORE exercise and not after, that's seriously dangerous. Your net calories would be even lower than what's listed. You should definitely check out the eat more to lose weight forum that was linked.

bulbadoof

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

Put in your height and weight and everything else applicable here. The number it gives you is the number of calories you can eat without gaining or losing weight. Now take that number and subtract 500 calories from it. Eat that amount of calories daily and you'll lose a pound a week, no prob. As for why you've stopped losing weight eating less calories - your body is a vehicle. It needs fuel to run. You're not giving it enough fuel, so it's forcing itself to use less fuel to compensate.

I'm gonna tell you something you're not gonna like. If you up your calories even below your TDEE, you will gain a few pounds, because your body is used to running on less fuel and will store the fuel in case you start starving it again. BUT - and this 'but' is important - after your body trusts you to give it the amount of fuel it needs to run again, you will lose weight steadily, consistently, and sustainably.

You've burnt yourself out going too far too fast and right now you have to take a pit stop to be able to keep going. But lucky for you, it's not a race, honey. Take your time to get back on track - you'll be glad you did.

tnjackso1

wow, I do understand how you may want to get the weight off quick but you didn't gain it over night and with healthy weight loss you want lose it over night either... Regroup and let's do this thing the healthy way! You will appreciate it in the end and your body will be much happier and tell you with great weight loss results from giving it fuel to run off of.

konerusp

oh yeah lady.I did an 800 cal diet for 3 months and lost 30 pounds,then 500 calorie diet for few more months and lost 20 more pounds.It took me so much time to regain my metabolism and to be able to eat normal without gaining.I reached a point that an extra 100 cal in my diet i was gaining weight.my body held on to every inch of fat it can.

Please read this
http://www.7layerliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/feastorfamine.pdf

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/core_march_8.htm


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 increased 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.

CatMagnet71

47 pounds in 8 months by eating that little? I ended up losing 85 pounds in that amount of time, exercising about as much as you do and eating 1500-1600 calories a day.

Sweetie, you HAVE to eat more, because you're in starvation mode. Your metabolism, even with the exercise has GOT to be majorly slow at this point because you've been depriving it of nutrients. Yeah, you may gain a little short-term, but long-term, your body will thank you for it!

gguynes

Short answer, It could be part of the problem... I'll give you my take, but I'm just learning...

I continue to hit plateaus in my weight loss efforts so I began reading more about the subject... There are at least two ways where your eating habits can hurt you...
1 - if you continue to eat too little, your body will adjust by slowing down your metabolism (whenever possible) to store energy in the body because it believes you are starving it. When your metabolism is high, you're burning calories.
2 - depending on how you eat, your body may create more insulin than needed to turn energy into fat for storage...
3 - keeping your metabolism high throughout the day helps you continue burning calories throughout the day; and building off of the first two items, it keeps your insulin in check and prevents fat storage because it doesn't think its being starved.

Hope that helps...

escloflowneCHANGED

47 pounds in 8 months by eating that little? I ended up losing 85 pounds in that amount of time, exercising about as much as you do and eating 1500-1600 calories a day.

Sweetie, you HAVE to eat more, because you're in starvation mode. Your metabolism, even with the exercise has GOT to be majorly slow at this point because you've been depriving it of nutrients. Yeah, you may gain a little short-term, but long-term, your body will thank you for it!

I lost 73lbs in 8 months eating 1500-2000 net calories a day and eating back all my exercise calories, some days I ate 3000 calories. I don't get why people do this to themselves lol

MemphisKitten

You have to up your metabolism by eating MORE FOOD MORE OFTEN or you won't lose any more weight. Your body is in starvation mode and is holding onto everything you eat bc your calorie count is so low. Wouldn't it be nice to eat almost 2000 cals a day and still lose weight? Boost your metabolism and you can! Friend me or message me if you're interested.

thistimeismytime

I've lost 47 lbs in 8 months through extreme low cals (500-700) and exercise. I've stopped losing completely! I exercise 6 days a week for about 50 mins. I know I'm being stubborn but I just don't see how eating MORE can help

I am almost speechless. I can't believe you did that to your poor body for 8 whole months. And NOW you wonder why you're experiencing the effects of a metabolic slowdown?!? You have done much more harm than good. Please start fueling your body appropriately, focus on getting healthy, and put away the scale for a few months while your body attempts to repair the damage that's been done.