Terrified to actually eat the 1200, let alone net 1200
shanonwho
Posts: 6 Member
I weighed 212.8 when I started using MFP. I have lost 17lbs in 10 1/2 weeks, now at 195.8. I am glad for the loss, was really happy when the scale started with a 1 and not a 2. However.... I have been reading a ton of posts saying not to eat too few calories. I average somewhere between 800-1000 a day, and don't eat back my calories burned. In my head I have a battle going on. I'm worried that eating too few calories has caused my metabolism to slow down, possibly sabotaging my efforts. I want to try to eat the 1200, but do NOT want to gain back any of those pounds I fought so hard to lose. I do circuit training with my very fit husband, which includes weights, body weight, and cardio. 4-5 days a week. Looking back at my weekly logs, I always have a deficit on my net calories of about 3500-4900. One week was 6878. I need to know, either that its ok to eat 800-1000 a day because I am losing, just slowly, or if I really need to eat 1200 or 1200 plus the calories I burn.
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Replies
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The 40 lbs lost on my tracker includes weight I lost before using MFP.0
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You might gain weight temporarily BUT you will lose it and continue to lose in a healthy manner rather than plateauing as many do when they follow VLCDs.
I gained about 2kg going from VLCD to 1200 per day but they were gone in two weeks. I've also been losing ever since.0 -
"Terrified"? What in hell are you scared of????0
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Read this and start eat
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-20130 -
You need to net at least 1200. You know there is already a deficit built into MFP, so if you are showing a deficit of 3500 on here, your actual calorie deficit is much much bigger.0
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I had a problem not losing and then I started eating exercise calories back. This has helped me out.0
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"Terrified"? What in hell are you scared of????
Lol thank you, why do people say terrified all the time, is it that serious??0 -
I was/still am going through this exact same situation. It comes down to this: Eat not enough, possibly damage your metabolism in the future but continue to lose weight now or eat enough, possibly gain a few pounds back, but continue to lose weight in the long run. I chose the second option. I was eating around probably 900-1000 a day but I've slowly been working my way up to 1200-1300 calories. Try adding 50 calories a day. I wouldn't risk eating as little as 1000 calories for much longer. I haven't gained any weight by adding calories in slowly, but I don't eat my exercise calories back. Good luck!0
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Try it for 4-6 weeks. You might get an initial gain for the first 2 or so, but it should come back off plus some if you give it enough time.
If it doesn't work out, then you might want to go to a doctor and have some tests done. Also keep in mind that even 1200 might not be enough for you.
For a little perspective: I started MFP @ 218lbs on March 13. Today I am 195.6lbs. I eat anywhere from 1700 - 2000 + (total intake depending on how active I am for the day) and I have everything set (fitbit & MFP) for a 500 calorie deficit. I don't do crazy insane long workouts. Usually only 20-40 mins of cardio (including circuit training occasionally) and I'm going to start adding stronglifts 5x5. I have 2-3 rest days a week.
Now I know each of us is different. For all I know, my metabolism could be slightly higher than normal. Hard to say. But I do think you should try eating more.0 -
Try to eat things that are healthy with a bit higher healthy fats, like avocados, I think bananas also have a higher calorie amount, that way you hit a higher calorie, because weighing about 190 your body uses more energy to just live and breathe and walk around so you really need to up your calorie intake. I know it's scary, and I went from 150 to about 125 with eating too less calories and not eating back what I worked off, and I'm back up to 144. So I seriously advise you to look over what you can change and hopefully make a better decision! I'll be here for you if you'd like encouragement!! I just know how upset I am with myself that I gained back weight once I felt comfortable and it's a horrible feeling:/0
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I would be terrified NOT to up your calories to a reasonable level.
17lbs in 10.5 weeks doing 4-5 days of fairly intense workouts? That amount of work -- giving your body the nutrients it needs to do so -- can absolutely shred fat off your body. Instead you've lost 17lbs and most of it was likely not fat loss.
You could be down 20 lbs or more of body fat by now.0 -
Hi I'm Rachel...after I gave birth to my son, I weighed 202, I felt awful. I was an athlete before hand, jiu jitsu brown belt , but always had weight issues , always! So I decided to start dieting , I also restricted severely , I lost 62 lbs , but was not healthy, I drank coffee all day and barely ate...one day I woke up, and couldn't restrict anymore..I literally couldn't control myself , I ate everything and anything !!! I couldn't stop myself ....well ended up gaining back about 20 lbs .... So yes I lost the 62 lbs but was seriously unhealthy ..so to make a long story short, now I'm on here trying to do things the right way! I'm trying to learn how to eat good, exercise ,etc... So I can learn how to be healthy for life!!! I couldn't restrict forever, that's not going to last forever. It will end badly somehow , health, maybe eating disorder , gaining weight back... Whatever ..but either way , that's my story ....so what I'm trying to say is , I want to learn how to be healthy forever and make a life style change. I wish you the best , and you can request me if you want ..I just wanted to share my story with you , cuz I really messed myself up by restricting ..now I can't lose a pound ,my metabolism is all screwed up... So I wish I would've eaten healthy before, cuz then I wouldn't be dealing with this now... I apologize in advance for any typos , I'm on a tablet so it's hard to type:)0
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You need to eat more. You are not even eating enough for basic body functions which means that in an effort to supply your organs with the energy they need to function your body will cannibalize your muscles. So yeah you will lose weight but you will lose a lot of muscle right along with the fat loss.
I'm eating at a net of 1630 a day and have lost 8 lbs in the past two months after being on a plateau for a couple of months. Food is there to fuel your body. It is not the enermy.0 -
Read this and start eat
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
This was really informative and helped to make sense of where some of these numbers come from.0 -
Scared, I know what you mean dear. But you do need to eat those calories. The reason is because I used to weigh about 165 llbs, and I eat 1200-1110 a day and worked out. I lost it all obviously but my body could no longer go with that little food and I ate more and a gained half back.
So eat before its too late.0 -
Scared, I know what you mean dear. But you do need to eat those calories. The reason is because I used to weigh about 165 llbs, and I eat 1200-1110 a day and worked out. I lost it all obviously but my body could no longer go with that little food and I ate more and a gained half back.
So eat before its too late.
This is what happened to me...I'm really bad at expressing myself through writing , but this is what I was trying to say!!! Exactly what I meant!!!!!!!!0 -
I would strongly suggest eating more and taking up heavier weight lifting twice a week. I went from eating around 1200 - 1400 calories a day with twice a month binges (from hunger / cravings), to eating 1600 calories a day and losing weight - or 1900 to maintain.
The difference to my metabolism from the increased food AND activity has been amazing. I held on to a lot of muscle tone while feeling satisfied after meals.
At 1200 calories my body would hit the wall during workouts and I would be mentally fatigued.
So yes, I might worry about your body getting adapted to fewer calories. Ideally you want it to be adapted to maintaining weight effortlessly while eating more calories. If nothing else sneak a 1500 calorie day into your food plan every few days, just to start getting it used to more food.0 -
I would be terrified NOT to up your calories to a reasonable level.
17lbs in 10.5 weeks doing 4-5 days of fairly intense workouts? That amount of work -- giving your body the nutrients it needs to do so -- can absolutely shred fat off your body. Instead you've lost 17lbs and most of it was likely not fat loss.
You could be down 20 lbs or more of body fat by now.
Listen to this guy, he knows his ****.0 -
I started out at 200 pounds in Janurary. I've been consistently eating 1550 cals (and over that sometimes with treat meals like Chinese food). I eat back most of my exercise calories and I workout 3 days a week. I've lost 25+ pounds. So, don't be afraid to eat more, it will be good for you!
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If you're losing weight at 1000 calories and continue to lose, there's no reason to worry. 1200 calories is not written in stone anywhere; some people need to consume less calories to function than others. I think you should keep doing what you're doing- it's seems to be working. Congratulations on your weight loss!0
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Do you want to weigh less or do you want to be healthier?
If all you want is to weigh less, get a chainsaw and lop off your arm. Voila. You weigh less. Congratulations!
If you want to be healthier, you have to push your body. Change happens on the fringes, on the edges. To get there you need fuel.
If you want to drive a hundred miles in a car you have a choice: Give it 2 gallons of gas. Strip out all the seats. Get rid of the AC. No radio. Windows up. No spare tire. Accelerate at 3.3 mph and don't go above 55. You might make it.
or
Give it a full tank, crank up the tunes, and FLY.
Your body is the same.0 -
To the people asking what she's "terrified" about and what the big deal is, back off. Yes, it really can be that big of a problem for some people, and being snarky to them is NOT helpful. If you must be dismissive, take it elsewhere.
OP... What you're doing right now is not sustainable. Yes, you'll lose a ton of weight very quickly, but eventually you will stall out if you keep doing this.
Think of the body as a kitchen. Your daily food, the stuff you actually eat, is what's in the "fridge" for immediate use. Muscle tissue is what's in the cupboards (takes a little more work, but usable). Fat tissue, the stuff you consciously want to lose, is in the pantry, where we store shelf-stable foods that take a lot more work to turn into an edible meal, things that will sustain us in the winter when fresh easy food is not readily available. What the body stores in the pantry is the emergency supplies. If you know you need what's in the pantry to survive the winter, you don't touch it in the fall, not even if the crops fail. That's the way the body works.
By consistently eating that low, you are effectively telling the body that there's a food shortage. Your body has no clue there's a full refrigerator in the next room, it only knows about the food you actually eat. When there's a food shortage, the body uses the fridge first (what you eat), then gets into the cupboards (muscle tissue), and only in extreme circumstances (think concentration camps) will the body tap into the emergency stores in the pantry. Long before that happens, the body starts to metabolize muscle tissue in order to fuel the vital organs. Because muscle tissue requires more energy to keep running than fat tissue does, this muscle loss slows down the metabolism, enabling the body to run longer on less fuel. That's how anorexics can maintain their weight on seemingly nothing. The body adapts so that you don't die. This is why simply cutting calories is not a sustainable weight loss program. As your metabolism slows, you have to keep cutting in order to keep losing, and before too long you get into eating disorder territory.
You need to eat enough, for long enough, that your body kicks over into "It's late spring, there's food everywhere, I don't have to conserve fuel". Yes, you need to eat at a deficit, but at a relatively small one so that the body feels safe using up the fat stores from the pantry to supply the little bit it can't find in the refrigerator. Yes, you may gain a bit at first (some do, I didn't), but it won't be much and it won't hang around long.
A previous poster linked you to the In Place of a Road Map 3.0 thread. Go, read it, do it. I started at 240 pounds in mid-February, and most of what I've lost is since I started following that program. Check out my diary. I *net* over 1900 calories a day, and I have been slowly, steadily losing weight for months. The diary usually shows me coming in 3-500 under my goal because I like the freedom to nibble here and there without having to track every single bite, but I assure you I'm consuming those calories. I'm having a little trouble recently because I've been getting too much sodium, but that's an easy fix. If you page back a bit in the diary, you'll note I am by no means a health food nut. There's chocolate, bread, cheese, even occasional soda and alcohol. There's also a lot of fresh produce, greek yogurt, and simply-prepared meat. You don't have to deprive yourself, you don't have to go hungry, you just have to eat enough.
I have struggled with being overweight almost my whole life. I have had doctor after doctor preach the low-cal approach, along with low carb, low fat, low sugar, low this that and the other thing, and you know what? None of it worked, because I was slowly starving myself and didn't know it. When the last doctor told me I had to eat 1000 calories a day (that's eat, not net), I tried it and survived for a week before the migraines told me it was NOT going to work. I started doing IPOARM, and even with my medical issues, I've successfully lost more weight than I ever managed to take off doing low cal.
Food isn't the enemy. All things in moderation, honey, done right food can be your very best friend in this journey.0 -
I weighed 212.8 when I started using MFP. I have lost 17lbs in 10 1/2 weeks, now at 195.8. I am glad for the loss, was really happy when the scale started with a 1 and not a 2. However.... I have been reading a ton of posts saying not to eat too few calories. I average somewhere between 800-1000 a day, and don't eat back my calories burned. In my head I have a battle going on. I'm worried that eating too few calories has caused my metabolism to slow down, possibly sabotaging my efforts. I want to try to eat the 1200, but do NOT want to gain back any of those pounds I fought so hard to lose. I do circuit training with my very fit husband, which includes weights, body weight, and cardio. 4-5 days a week. Looking back at my weekly logs, I always have a deficit on my net calories of about 3500-4900. One week was 6878. I need to know, either that its ok to eat 800-1000 a day because I am losing, just slowly, or if I really need to eat 1200 or 1200 plus the calories I burn.
I think we all want fast weight loss, I use to too when I was younger, but I found it harder to keep off back then and now I get why. Here is some info that might help your situation.
Here is a guy that knows about nutrition and that talks about why eating such low net calories can be damaging. My friend showed me and it's an eye opener when he explains your metabolism. He even suggests a slow way to start to bring your metabolism back up but its a slow weekly process, especially if its been low net calories for a while. It's free to watch and short/informative.
heres the link: http://www.biolayne.com/nutrition/biolayne-video-log-15-metabolic-damage-v2-0-metabolic-capacity/
Here is an example of my day. My goal is 1200 calories when I dont work out but I net 1600-2100 Depending if I workout and the calories burned and I even have a "free day" on my diet once a week to keep my sanity and metabolism going and I lose 1.5-2.5lbs a week (currently weigh 148). You can lose weight and still not starve yourself, in fact it's encouraged not to deny your body what it needs, and it needs fuel.
Hope this helps and really check out the video it's really good and informative0 -
When I started on here I went through the same thing of only eating 800-1000 calories. I did that for about 2 weeks and found that although I was losing weight, I had no energy. I bumped myself up to 1200-1600 and felt much better. My loss progress didn't really slow after the increase in calories, but it didn't quicken either.
I hope you find what works for you! 0 -
Food is not the enemy. Calories are not the enemy. Over-eating and under-eating are two extremes, and it's not uncommon for people that have problems with food & weight to see the world in extremes. Try to find the middle ground so that you can take care of your body by giving it the energy and nourishment it needs.0
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You're fine. As long as the calories you eat primarily come from healthy foods, you have enough energy, and you find this sustainable there's no problem. It's a myth that your metabolism shuts down at a low level of calories. Even people who fast long-term (which I'm not recommending) experience a limited amount of metabolism-slowing and they continue to lose weight.
It never hurts to get checked out by a doctor or to see a Registered Dietitian if you can, but I would recommend that to anyone at any weight.0 -
You have explained this very well - thank you! There is a group on MFP called "eat more to loose more", the group essentially shares this same philosophy that eating very low cal is not only not sustainable but also damaging in the long run. It's a hard concept to accept to eat more when you want to loose weight but it's true. But it's only part of the issue the other part that matters is what you are eating, nutritious food that fuels your body and metabolism is what's needed.0
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I'm having the same trouble ...just can't seem to eat enough ...not because i'm afraid..trying to do better,i never would eat breakfast at all now I make myself...maybe we could help each other try0
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