1200 Calories a day, a ton of cardio and GAINING? !

KenosFeoh

High cardio and low calories = loss of muscle mass. You are actually losing lean body tissue on that plan.

RiannonC

One question:

Do you care about your health or a number on a scale more?

My health, before I sound like too much of a whiner I will add that I FEEL 100% better since i started eating clean and excersizing nomatter what weight. And regardless of the number on the scale will never go back to my previous lifestyle, however I was looking forward to dropping some pounds when I started and thus am a little "blah" about that...

The reason I asked is because you're being entirely unhealthy. I don't harp on people not eating or JUST eating 1,200 if they aren't working out and don't lead an active lifestyle, however, you seem to be.

I guess you might not realize the damage you are doing to your body by eating 900 calories a day and burning 300-500 of those on a work out. Do you really think 400-600ish calories is enough per day to sustain healthy bodily functions for long periods of time? Do you suppose that eventually, if you continue on this course your body might start to break down?

Is seeing a number on a scale really worth it?

If you want to lose weight, listen to the people who are tell you to fuel your body by netting more calories and adding strength training.

Everyone's blanket response is "eat more, lift more heavy weights!" (seems like that is the blanket respons to ANY post lately) But if you look at OP's original post and actually read it, you will see she is already lifting. And if she has a severe thyroid or hormonal problem, the only thing eating more will do is cause weight gain. Gaining weight on 1200 calories a day at OP's height and weight, and with the amount of exercise she is doing, is beyond normal metabolic slowdown from eating too little. I would seriously say that a doctor's advice and thyroid testing is the best course of action. There are plenty of people with metabolic issues who can't just bump their calories up to MFP's recommendations and lose weight. You have to determine the underlying problem before recommending a solution.

jharb2

Can you really believe that eating 900 net a day is healthy? All you have to do is read all the posts regarding this issue. Educate yourself. When your body isn't getting enough literally you go into 'starvation' mode and lose your appetite, your metabolism slows down and your body holds onto anything it can. Your body is a machine that needs fuel. You need a minimum amount of calories (lowest being 1200) and that means you eat back all your excercise calories. If you were to do this long term you would have hair loss., poor teeth, bad skin and organ damage. It is not healthy!!!!

RobinvdM

The kneejerk reaction to most people saying I can't lose weight on less than 1200 winds up being "go see a dr and see if your thyroid is acting up!" How about we review the facts before we run up a medical bill? She is 5'7" and is doing some serious working out with cardio and lifting. Maintaining a 1200 calorie baseline (and not eating back all those calories) will cause more long term issues. You are simply wasting away the muscles you are trying to build. Sure you can hit the drs, run up a med bill then try the eating more calories - but wouldn't it be cheaper to first try to up the cals to a more reasonable level and if things don't work out after a set period of time THEN go consult a dr and get their medical input on it.

For tips on what makes a more reasonable level check out:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

or use an online calc like
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

or
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Educating yourself on the weightloss journey is critical. Good luck.

RiannonC

The kneejerk reaction to most people saying I can't lose weight on less than 1200 winds up being "go see a dr and see if your thyroid is acting up!" How about we review the facts before we run up a medical bill? She is 5'7" and is doing some serious working out with cardio and lifting. Maintaining a 1200 calorie baseline (and not eating back all those calories) will cause more long term issues. You are simply wasting away the muscles you are trying to build. Sure you can hit the drs, run up a med bill then try the eating more calories - but wouldn't it be cheaper to first try to up the cals to a more reasonable level and if things don't work out after a set period of time THEN go consult a dr and get their medical input on it.

For tips on what makes a more reasonable level check out:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

or use an online calc like
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

or
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Educating yourself on the weightloss journey is critical. Good luck.

Usually my first response is not "go see a doctor" but there are more extreme circumstances here than we normally see in these types of posts. First, the people making this type of post are usually shorter and smaller and therefore would reasonably be expected to have a slower metabolism. Second, OP's activity level is quite high. Third, most people making a post like this haven't usually stuck to a plan as long. OP has been on the 1200-1400 calorie plan since last summer, which is about 3/4 of a year! Clearly there is a problem here beyond normal metabolic slowdown from calorie reduction.


And I don't know if OP has medical insurance, but if one is covered by insurance it is not actually that expensive to see a doctor and at least get their opinion as to what might be going on.

Jocolette

The kneejerk reaction to most people saying I can't lose weight on less than 1200 winds up being "go see a dr and see if your thyroid is acting up!" How about we review the facts before we run up a medical bill? She is 5'7" and is doing some serious working out with cardio and lifting. Maintaining a 1200 calorie baseline (and not eating back all those calories) will cause more long term issues. You are simply wasting away the muscles you are trying to build. Sure you can hit the drs, run up a med bill then try the eating more calories - but wouldn't it be cheaper to first try to up the cals to a more reasonable level and if things don't work out after a set period of time THEN go consult a dr and get their medical input on it.

For tips on what makes a more reasonable level check out:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

or use an online calc like
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

or
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Educating yourself on the weightloss journey is critical. Good luck.

I Know i am not wasting away muscle. I have built a large amount of muscle in a relatively short period of time. (can.I include pics in these posts? ? ) and I know this is may hard to believe but I weighing amd measuring my food to a T so i can try an isolate what the issue is, and assure myself I am not eating more then i think i am eating. I am in no damger of wasting away thats for sure and whem I met my boyfriend last summer he suggested the same thing all you guys are suggesting, upping my intake to 12 to 1500 cals a day to loose weight vs my previous 800 cal per day dirty diet. Ive tried this for the last 7 month period and I gain weight. I just recently set MFP setting to 900 cals of clean food a day to see if i could shock my system into loosing some poundage. I feel like I have tried everything and the advice i get really hasnt worked. I am not looking for a quick fix but feel like im missing something here.

mchammer73

Ya know, I'm no fitness guru but I can tell you what I've observed in my own body. I run 3-4x/week (15-20 ttl miles) and was happy that running helped me drop 15 lbs and keep them off for over a year. By last spring, my weight loss stalled so I decided to add yoga 2-3x/week as my cross-training. I've only lost about 5 more pounds doing it, but I can tell you I definitely notice a better difference in how my weight distributes. When I lift weights, I get really bulky - yoga stretches me out and has made a difference in my waist circumference, gotten rid of the bra bulge and has eliminated that stupid knee fat! It's also helped me work thorugh the typical run-related injuries that crop up in knees, ankles, etc. It could be that your body needs a change - try changing out the lifting for a new workout and see if that shakes things up. I'm on here to lose the last 15 lbs, which wasn't happening w/o counting calories :-( I needed some tough love!!!
Good luck!

BaconMD

I just recently set MFP setting to 900 cals
...
feel like im missing something here.

Yes, you are missing like another 900 calories.

leighdiane91

I am 5'6 and I eat 1800 cals a day and don't work out as much as you, and I also eat some of my exercise calories back....EAT MORE! I have lost 17 lbs eating way more than you do. Please please see the Roadmap and follow it.

wahmx3

You're starving yourself and as a result your body is holding on to every shred of fat/nutrition it can, rather than burning it off. I would guess if you start eating more (ie, bumping up to ~1500 cals/day) you will start to drop pounds after 3-4 weeks.

Based on the last week or so of your diary, you need to increase fats and protein... you're WAY low on those.

Cut WAY back on the cardio, increase intensity in the lifting.

Totally agree with all of this, stop yourself and fuel your body before you do damage to your body organs.

Yup! What they said ^^^^

mixedfeelings

The kneejerk reaction to most people saying I can't lose weight on less than 1200 winds up being "go see a dr and see if your thyroid is acting up!" How about we review the facts before we run up a medical bill? She is 5'7" and is doing some serious working out with cardio and lifting. Maintaining a 1200 calorie baseline (and not eating back all those calories) will cause more long term issues. You are simply wasting away the muscles you are trying to build. Sure you can hit the drs, run up a med bill then try the eating more calories - but wouldn't it be cheaper to first try to up the cals to a more reasonable level and if things don't work out after a set period of time THEN go consult a dr and get their medical input on it.

For tips on what makes a more reasonable level check out:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

or use an online calc like
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

or
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Educating yourself on the weightloss journey is critical. Good luck.

I Know i am not wasting away muscle. I have built a large amount of muscle in a relatively short period of time. (can.I include pics in these posts? ? ) and I know this is may hard to believe but I weighing amd measuring my food to a T so i can try an isolate what the issue is, and assure myself I am not eating more then i think i am eating. I am in no damger of wasting away thats for sure and whem I met my boyfriend last summer he suggested the same thing all you guys are suggesting, upping my intake to 12 to 1500 cals a day to loose weight vs my previous 800 cal per day dirty diet. Ive tried this for the last 7 month period and I gain weight. I just recently set MFP setting to 900 cals of clean food a day to see if i could shock my system into loosing some poundage. I feel like I have tried everything and the advice i get really hasnt worked. I am not looking for a quick fix but feel like im missing something here.

Remember you should be netting around 1200-1500, so if you aim for 1500 net, burn 500 a day you need to consume around 2000 calories.

I lost 48lbs last year and ate more than I have done in years. I went from eating around 700-1000 calories a day in the week and around 2000 at weekends to eating anywhere from 1500-2500 a day depending on my activity and lost.

Like I mentioned before I dieted like you did around a decade ago I was down to 600 and the weight eventually stopping coming off and I was also unable to move. Then whenever I ate a little more I gained but I needed to eat and I ballooned.

As mentioned before, follow this:

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

RobinvdM

SNIP
First, the people making this type of post are usually shorter and smaller and therefore would reasonably be expected to have a slower metabolism. Second, OP's activity level is quite high. Third, most people making a post like this haven't usually stuck to a plan as long. OP has been on the 1200-1400 calorie plan since last summer, which is about 3/4 of a year!

SNIP

First, she is 21 and has very little to lose if her ticker on her profile is any indication.
Second, she said she was eating only 1200 a day and then reduced it to 900.
Third, she is my height and way younger.

I have been on the '(move more to) eat more to weigh less' bandwagon from the second I heard about it. It makes complete sense to figure out what your estimated BMR is, and if you want to be fanciful, find out the BMR of your ideal weight and never eat below those numbers. If you are working out - eat those calories back, your body wants you to eat.

I never said the OP would waste away, what I said was her lean body mass is going to be devoured by a very hungry body looking for adequate fuel for all the work she is doing. There is only one way to prevent that - proper nutrition, which is (to my understanding with everything I have been reading) impossible to accomplish on 900 calories a day.

OP you weight less than me, you are far more active than I am, you are WAY younger (dammit all,) and I am losing weight on 1600 calories a day. If you don't want to dive straight into the "big numbers" you will see for the recommended calorie intake then inch it up by 100 count increments, but you are only going to frustrate yourself since that will make it take even longer before your body believes you are serious about feeding it again.

Jump in. Your weight is going to bounce for the first week, maybe 2 but if you buckle in for 4 weeks you will see a difference.

If not, go pop off to a dr and a nutritionist if that will ease your conscience. Good luck.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

One question:

Do you care about your health or a number on a scale more?

My health, before I sound like too much of a whiner I will add that I FEEL 100% better since i started eating clean and excersizing nomatter what weight. And regardless of the number on the scale will never go back to my previous lifestyle, however I was looking forward to dropping some pounds when I started and thus am a little "blah" about that...

The reason I asked is because you're being entirely unhealthy. I don't harp on people not eating or JUST eating 1,200 if they aren't working out and don't lead an active lifestyle, however, you seem to be.

I guess you might not realize the damage you are doing to your body by eating 900 calories a day and burning 300-500 of those on a work out. Do you really think 400-600ish calories is enough per day to sustain healthy bodily functions for long periods of time? Do you suppose that eventually, if you continue on this course your body might start to break down?

Is seeing a number on a scale really worth it?

If you want to lose weight, listen to the people who are tell you to fuel your body by netting more calories and adding strength training.

Everyone's blanket response is "eat more, lift more heavy weights!" (seems like that is the blanket respons to ANY post lately) But if you look at OP's original post and actually read it, you will see she is already lifting. And if she has a severe thyroid or hormonal problem, the only thing eating more will do is cause weight gain. Gaining weight on 1200 calories a day at OP's height and weight, and with the amount of exercise she is doing, is beyond normal metabolic slowdown from eating too little. I would seriously say that a doctor's advice and thyroid testing is the best course of action. There are plenty of people with metabolic issues who can't just bump their calories up to MFP's recommendations and lose weight. You have to determine the underlying problem before recommending a solution.

I'm sorry, where did I say to lift heavy? I said STRENGTH training, didn't I? Like you know, YOGA instead of intense cardio because it burns less calories. Calories she needs since she's netting 400-600. Maybe YOU should learn to read responses before you respond like a know it all.

Let me break down what is happening here:

She's 5'7 147 pounds to start. She IS a healthy weight to start, the likelihood that she has a thyroid or hormonal problem is probably not great given those facts. To get MFP to set you to 1,200 calories you have to set your goal to 2 pounds per week. That is not realistic given how little weight she has to lose. Anyone who is happy to resort to netting 400-600 calories per day to lose weight does have a problem, most likely an eating disorder.

ETA: She says she was eating 800-900 calories before starting the journey to lose weight, it's very likely her body got used to doing with less and she's having a hard time losing weight because she's messed her metabolism up after consistently under eating.

Jocolette

She's 5'7 147 pounds to start. She IS a healthy weight to start, the likelihood that she has a thyroid or hormonal problem is probably not great given those facts. To get MFP to set you to 1,200 calories you have to set your goal to 2 pounds per week. That is not realistic given how little weight she has to lose. Anyone who is happy to resort to netting 400-600 calories per day to lose weight does have a problem, most likely an eating disorder. ETA: She says she was eating 800-900 calories before starting the journey to lose weight, it's very likely her body got used to doing with less and she's having a hard time losing weight because she's messed her metabolism up after consistently under eating.

Even though I was a healthy weight to start I was unhappy about the amount of fat on my body. If i was 147, same size and ripped I would be happy. I have seen progress in my body composition but still striving for more. I have never had an issue with having an eating disorder that sides toward anorexia/bulemia but previously (age 16to 19) struggled with "emotional eating". I am trying to come to a happy medium and have improved a lot by taking my emotions off my plate so to speak but now am, apparently eating unhealthy way lesser amounts of food. Sigh. I will be increasing my jntake again before seeing a doctor and.sticking with it for 4 weeks to see how things go. I looked up my TDEE and it is supposedly somewhere around 2800 LMAO which does mean I am not fueling myself properly and should definietly give my head a shake. Thank you all.

RiannonC

One question:

Do you care about your health or a number on a scale more?

My health, before I sound like too much of a whiner I will add that I FEEL 100% better since i started eating clean and excersizing nomatter what weight. And regardless of the number on the scale will never go back to my previous lifestyle, however I was looking forward to dropping some pounds when I started and thus am a little "blah" about that...

The reason I asked is because you're being entirely unhealthy. I don't harp on people not eating or JUST eating 1,200 if they aren't working out and don't lead an active lifestyle, however, you seem to be.

I guess you might not realize the damage you are doing to your body by eating 900 calories a day and burning 300-500 of those on a work out. Do you really think 400-600ish calories is enough per day to sustain healthy bodily functions for long periods of time? Do you suppose that eventually, if you continue on this course your body might start to break down?

Is seeing a number on a scale really worth it?

If you want to lose weight, listen to the people who are tell you to fuel your body by netting more calories and adding strength training.

Everyone's blanket response is "eat more, lift more heavy weights!" (seems like that is the blanket respons to ANY post lately) But if you look at OP's original post and actually read it, you will see she is already lifting. And if she has a severe thyroid or hormonal problem, the only thing eating more will do is cause weight gain. Gaining weight on 1200 calories a day at OP's height and weight, and with the amount of exercise she is doing, is beyond normal metabolic slowdown from eating too little. I would seriously say that a doctor's advice and thyroid testing is the best course of action. There are plenty of people with metabolic issues who can't just bump their calories up to MFP's recommendations and lose weight. You have to determine the underlying problem before recommending a solution.

I'm sorry, where did I say to lift heavy? I said STRENGTH training, didn't I? Like you know, YOGA instead of intense cardio because it burns less calories. Calories she needs since she's netting 400-600. Maybe YOU should learn to read responses before you respond like a know it all.

Let me break down what is happening here:

She's 5'7 147 pounds to start. She IS a healthy weight to start, the likelihood that she has a thyroid or hormonal problem is probably not great given those facts. To get MFP to set you to 1,200 calories you have to set your goal to 2 pounds per week. That is not realistic given how little weight she has to lose. Anyone who is happy to resort to netting 400-600 calories per day to lose weight does have a problem, most likely an eating disorder.

ETA: She says she was eating 800-900 calories before starting the journey to lose weight, it's very likely her body got used to doing with less and she's having a hard time losing weight because she's messed her metabolism up after consistently under eating.

No need to take offense, I merely stated what has been a common trend in the responses in this thread. Nowhere did I imply that I know everything. And most people don't consider yoga "strength training." It's not exactly the prototypical association with that phrase.

There are actually plenty of people who have thyroid or metabolic disorders and are still at a normal weight. Either they are getting by eating very little (as it sounds like OP has been doing) or they have not gained very much weight yet but may do so in the future. I have known such people personally.

Also, nowhere in any of my posts does it state or imply that eating such a low amount of calories is ideal or healthy. What I do think, however, is that you can't automatically assume that eating MORE calories is going to fix everything. People overestimate the effect of metabolic slowdown. If someone is MAINTAINING on 900 calories a day, gaining at 1200, if they up calories to a healthy normal amount like 1800 or so, they will probably experience significant weight gain, even with the metabolism speeding up a bit to accommodate the greater caloric intake. I don't want to see that happen to OP, it sounds like it would make her unhappy, hence my recommendation to see a doctor to determine if hormone therapy or thyroid supplementation is in order. Hopefully this makes my position more clear.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

One question:

Do you care about your health or a number on a scale more?

My health, before I sound like too much of a whiner I will add that I FEEL 100% better since i started eating clean and excersizing nomatter what weight. And regardless of the number on the scale will never go back to my previous lifestyle, however I was looking forward to dropping some pounds when I started and thus am a little "blah" about that...

The reason I asked is because you're being entirely unhealthy. I don't harp on people not eating or JUST eating 1,200 if they aren't working out and don't lead an active lifestyle, however, you seem to be.

I guess you might not realize the damage you are doing to your body by eating 900 calories a day and burning 300-500 of those on a work out. Do you really think 400-600ish calories is enough per day to sustain healthy bodily functions for long periods of time? Do you suppose that eventually, if you continue on this course your body might start to break down?

Is seeing a number on a scale really worth it?

If you want to lose weight, listen to the people who are tell you to fuel your body by netting more calories and adding strength training.

Everyone's blanket response is "eat more, lift more heavy weights!" (seems like that is the blanket respons to ANY post lately) But if you look at OP's original post and actually read it, you will see she is already lifting. And if she has a severe thyroid or hormonal problem, the only thing eating more will do is cause weight gain. Gaining weight on 1200 calories a day at OP's height and weight, and with the amount of exercise she is doing, is beyond normal metabolic slowdown from eating too little. I would seriously say that a doctor's advice and thyroid testing is the best course of action. There are plenty of people with metabolic issues who can't just bump their calories up to MFP's recommendations and lose weight. You have to determine the underlying problem before recommending a solution.

I'm sorry, where did I say to lift heavy? I said STRENGTH training, didn't I? Like you know, YOGA instead of intense cardio because it burns less calories. Calories she needs since she's netting 400-600. Maybe YOU should learn to read responses before you respond like a know it all.

Let me break down what is happening here:

She's 5'7 147 pounds to start. She IS a healthy weight to start, the likelihood that she has a thyroid or hormonal problem is probably not great given those facts. To get MFP to set you to 1,200 calories you have to set your goal to 2 pounds per week. That is not realistic given how little weight she has to lose. Anyone who is happy to resort to netting 400-600 calories per day to lose weight does have a problem, most likely an eating disorder.

ETA: She says she was eating 800-900 calories before starting the journey to lose weight, it's very likely her body got used to doing with less and she's having a hard time losing weight because she's messed her metabolism up after consistently under eating.

No need to take offense, I merely stated what has been a common trend in the responses in this thread. Nowhere did I imply that I know everything. And most people don't consider yoga "strength training." It's not exactly the prototypical association with that phrase.

There are actually plenty of people who have thyroid or metabolic disorders and are still at a normal weight. Either they are getting by eating very little (as it sounds like OP has been doing) or they have not gained very much weight yet but may do so in the future. I have known such people personally.

Also, nowhere in any of my posts does it state or imply that eating such a low amount of calories is ideal or healthy. What I do think, however, is that you can't automatically assume that eating MORE calories is going to fix everything. People overestimate the effect of metabolic slowdown. If someone is MAINTAINING on 900 calories a day, gaining at 1200, if they up calories to a healthy normal amount like 1800 or so, they will probably experience significant weight gain, even with the metabolism speeding up a bit to accommodate the greater caloric intake. I don't want to see that happen to OP, it sounds like it would make her unhappy, hence my recommendation to see a doctor to determine if hormone therapy or thyroid supplementation is in order. Hopefully this makes my position more clear.

I guess maybe you don't understand how forums work? If you quote somebody, imply they said something they didn't (when there actually are plenty of other posts that actually did, word or word), you're going to get a defensive response. Period.

Strength training is basically any activity that uses resistance -- "lifting heavy" or whatever is strength training, but it's FAR from the only type. Your limited understanding is not my problem. I engaged with you over the "pregnant women are gaining too much weight" thread, so I think you chose my post even though it had nothing to do with what you had to say.

It's highly unlikely this woman is experiencing anything other than the reality of what happens when you don't eat enough calories for an extended period of time. Not that she should take my word for that -- but when somebody is writing details that very clearly indicate disordered thinking about food, making suggestions that it could be something medical is just not helpful. It provides justification for a negative behavior. "Oh I must have a slow (fill in the blank) I should just cut more and see". Do you see the point? If what she was doing was healthy, then your answer would be completely valid, but because it was so clearly unhealthy, your answer was misguided. And yeah, she might gain weight -- that's what I asked initially if she wanted to be healthy or see a certain number on the scale more. To correct the damage, she might gain weight. Usually aren't "happy" about gaining weight, sometimes you have to look critically at what is informing your notions of happiness. See my point? Maybe?

Of course she should go to a doctor. Everyone should if they have a health concern.

OP, I didn't mean to imply had a specific eating disorder - I just meant to suggest that you had disordered thinking about food, I went back to clarify but the edit option was gone.

mareeee1234

1200 Calories a day, a ton of cardio and GAINING? !

EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!

Now, I'm doing an 8 week metabolism re-set eating at tdee - I have 2 weeks to go!
I now do cardio twice a week and weights 3x a week (Stronglifts program)

^ I advise you do something like this, and maybe consider a metabolism reset !!!!!!

mareeee1234

Read my profile of you like!

devil_in_a_blue_dress

She's 5'7 147 pounds to start. She IS a healthy weight to start, the likelihood that she has a thyroid or hormonal problem is probably not great given those facts. To get MFP to set you to 1,200 calories you have to set your goal to 2 pounds per week. That is not realistic given how little weight she has to lose. Anyone who is happy to resort to netting 400-600 calories per day to lose weight does have a problem, most likely an eating disorder. ETA: She says she was eating 800-900 calories before starting the journey to lose weight, it's very likely her body got used to doing with less and she's having a hard time losing weight because she's messed her metabolism up after consistently under eating.

Even though I was a healthy weight to start I was unhappy about the amount of fat on my body. If i was 147, same size and ripped I would be happy. I have seen progress in my body composition but still striving for more. I have never had an issue with having an eating disorder that sides toward anorexia/bulemia but previously (age 16to 19) struggled with "emotional eating". I am trying to come to a happy medium and have improved a lot by taking my emotions off my plate so to speak but now am, apparently eating unhealthy way lesser amounts of food. Sigh. I will be increasing my jntake again before seeing a doctor and.sticking with it for 4 weeks to see how things go. I looked up my TDEE and it is supposedly somewhere around 2800 LMAO which does mean I am not fueling myself properly and should definietly give my head a shake. Thank you all.

I don't know how long you were eating 800-900 calories, but just know that it can take some time to level out. Meaning you might gain weight as you increase your calories. This is why I asked you if you wanted to be healthy or see a certain number on the scale. Seriously, think about how long your body had to think 900 calories was "normal" it will take it some time for your to adjust to a new "normal". Just take care of yourself, OP.

shanthinathan

I think you with your cardio and strength training, the burn our calory, would probably exceed the 1200 calory, so basically your got to take in more cause your calory goal before exercise is 1200 and since you burn out for eg 1200, you need to take in more than 1200 a day.

My goal is 1200 a day and i too do heavy cardio daily, I noticed my scale does not decrease and is stagnant, I found out that when u burn more, u need to increase the diet too .