Am I starving myself?

sepedian
sepedian Posts: 1
edited December 2024 in Introduce Yourself
I started this about 3 weeks ago and immediately saw changes... on the scale that is. I lost about 4 pounds, but of course water weight. Everything seemed to be going great but this week I found myself gaining weight!
I have my daily calorie intake set at 1,200 but sometimes this seems like too much food!
I also exercise on a regular basis.
The thing is, I don't even eat my 1,200 calories a day, so I thought maybe my body is in starvation mode or something.
If I start eating the recommended 1,200 calories a day will I actually see results or will I gain weight?

also... I'm 4' 11"

Replies

  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    1200 cals is the minimum recommended, but you are on the shorter side, so I'm not sure if you need that many. My doctor told me to eat 1400 and I'm 6'2. I have been losing so slow, so I'm thinking maybe I need to eat more. If you're not losing and eating way less than 1200, I would say you should add more cals and see how that makes you feel.
  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
    For my first few weeks, I went back and forth on the scale. It's natural; your body is trying to preserve itself. It doesn't know you are trying to lose weight! Give your body time to adjust.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    it's not too much--and no, that's not likely enough calories. increase your fat intake if you're stuffed--avocado, olive oil, flaxseed, fatty fish. all great!
  • Docholiday11x
    Docholiday11x Posts: 27
    most likely in starvation mode. i did the same thing when i first started dieting. I've found that myfitnesspal's recommend caloric recommendation is just a bit low especially for an active individual. If your weight loss has come to a halt or slowed down try raising your intake to maintenance for at least a week to get your metabolism up and going again. Then very slowly lowering your calories from there. Try going 200 calories below maintenance then another 200 when you hit a sticking point. Here's a link to one of the best daily requirement calculators that I've found. http://www.tigerfitness.com/category-s/408.htm
  • xSophia19
    xSophia19 Posts: 1,536 Member
    1200 cals a day is low enough, anything lower than that and you are putting your body into starvation mod, which you will gain weight.. To lose weight, i stick to 1500 a day :) and it seems to be working well
  • Jishmeister
    Jishmeister Posts: 108
    1200 calories is the recommended amount of calories for birds that live off of bird seeds. Do your body a favor and eat at your bmr. Or you can just subtract 100 calories from your bmr to lose a little extra weight. 1200 is the absolute minimum, frankly I think it's too low...I think the absolute minimum should be at least 1400. That's just me though.

    To answer your question: Yes, you are starving yourself.
  • starblancois
    starblancois Posts: 1
    Sometimes I feel stuffed with about roughly 900 calories and 8-9 glasses of water. My carbs and protein intake is usually good, but I do fall short on the fat %.... I will try the healthy fats as someone recommended below….avocadoes, olive oil, etc…thanks!
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