Not eating enough calories, will this hurt in the long run?

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brh2010
brh2010 Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
Hey all, I'm 27 years old, male, weight is 237 lbs and my goal is 190.

According to MFP I should be eating about 1800 net calories a day, however I only usually eat around 1400-1500 cal/day (I faithfully track everyday), and this is BEFORE exercise. So my net calorie consumption is probably closer to 1100-1200/day

Will this hurt in the long run? Will this cause me to not lose weight? If so, what are some things I can eat that will help boost my calorie intake? I usually finish dinner with about 500 cal left, but I don't know what to eat. Thanks!

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    In the long run, yes it can be detrimental. The rule of thumb for women is a minimum of 1200 per day, and that's net calories, so as a guy, netting 1200 or less is pretty low.

    Check out this thread for help in figuring things out - I found it very helpful: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • brh2010
    brh2010 Posts: 9
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    Thanks. I'm not intentionally eating so few calories. I just eat a lot of low calorie foods throughout the day (fruit, veggies, lean deli meat, etc). And by the time I've eaten my 3 meals and 3 snacks and it's bedtime I still have about 300-400 calories left to eat.
  • kima1144
    kima1144 Posts: 28
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    DID U ALLWAYS EAT THAT LITTLE IM 238 AT 1830 CALS I USE THEM ALL AND STILL FEEL HUNGRY SOMETIMES
  • brh2010
    brh2010 Posts: 9
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    No. I used to a whole lot, but I've kinda trained my body to adapt to my current eating schedule. I'm not really "STARVING" at the end of the day, but I'm not exactly "full" either. I'm content.
  • texastango
    texastango Posts: 309
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    Hey all, I'm 27 years old, male, weight is 237 lbs and my goal is 190.

    According to MFP I should be eating about 1800 net calories a day, however I only usually eat around 1400-1500 cal/day (I faithfully track everyday), and this is BEFORE exercise. So my net calorie consumption is probably closer to 1100-1200/day

    Will this hurt in the long run? Will this cause me to not lose weight? If so, what are some things I can eat that will help boost my calorie intake? I usually finish dinner with about 500 cal left, but I don't know what to eat. Thanks!

    Quick answer: No - you'll survive as long as you are eating balanced meals. I did this for 6 months. It worked fine.

    More detail (or if I had to do it again): The problem is not whether it works. It does. I needed to see results to keep me motivated. It worked. I stayed motivated. Just realize that you'll not only lose fat, but muscle in the process. In the long run, that's not healthy! Really not healthy. So when I was done I started building muscle back. Just look at the profile comparison photo I have here and how I got too skinny and where I am today.

    It's hard to build muscle and lose weight. Body recomposition is a bit different' - lose fat and convert to muscle.

    It still takes a concerted effort.

    So short answer is you can do it and it will work fine. Up fiber, protein, heart healthy fats (mono/polyunsaturated omega 3) and drop the carbs lower and maintain low saturated fat. Trust me...it works. Good luck!
  • brh2010
    brh2010 Posts: 9
    Options
    Hey all, I'm 27 years old, male, weight is 237 lbs and my goal is 190.

    According to MFP I should be eating about 1800 net calories a day, however I only usually eat around 1400-1500 cal/day (I faithfully track everyday), and this is BEFORE exercise. So my net calorie consumption is probably closer to 1100-1200/day

    Will this hurt in the long run? Will this cause me to not lose weight? If so, what are some things I can eat that will help boost my calorie intake? I usually finish dinner with about 500 cal left, but I don't know what to eat. Thanks!

    Quick answer: No - you'll survive as long as you are eating balanced meals. I did this for 6 months. It worked fine.

    More detail (or if I had to do it again): The problem is not whether it works. It does. I needed to see results to keep me motivated. It worked. I stayed motivated. Just realize that you'll not only lose fat, but muscle in the process. In the long run, that's not healthy! Really not healthy. So when I was done I started building muscle back. Just look at the profile comparison photo I have here and how I got too skinny and where I am today.

    It's hard to build muscle and lose weight. Body recomposition is a bit different' - lose fat and convert to muscle.

    It still takes a concerted effort.

    So short answer is you can do it and it will work fine. Up fiber, protein, heart healthy fats (mono/polyunsaturated omega 3) and drop the carbs lower and maintain low saturated fat. Trust me...it works. Good luck!


    Thanks for the tips. I'd consider my diet pretty balanced. Here's an example of my daily diet:

    1. Breakfast: 1/2 cup quaker steel cut oats and 1 banana (275 cal)

    2. Mid-morning snack: Apple (80 ca)

    3. Lunch: 4 oz low-sodium oven roasted chicken (deli meat), 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 cup brown rice (350-ish cal)

    4. Afternoon snack: oatmeal raisin cookie and apple (280 cal)

    5. Dinner: 2 low-fat Flatbread pizzas (single serving) and 1 cup broccoli & cauliflower mix (550-ish cal)
  • tkbronico
    tkbronico Posts: 58
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    If you are strength training at all maybe consider adding some extra protein which will give you the calories you are looking for. Add some peanut butter to your apple, or some protein powder, yogurt and fruit wo your oatmeal. I generally have a protein shake before bed too (1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, protein powder and 1/2 cup water). Just some thoughts! Good luck!
  • brh2010
    brh2010 Posts: 9
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    If you are strength training at all maybe consider adding some extra protein which will give you the calories you are looking for. Add some peanut butter to your apple, or some protein powder, yogurt and fruit wo your oatmeal. I generally have a protein shake before bed too (1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, protein powder and 1/2 cup water). Just some thoughts! Good luck!

    Thanks for the tips. I'm not strength training, my exercise consists mostly of walking/cycling. But I'll look at adding some peanut butte, etc to my diet.
  • livelifebreath
    livelifebreath Posts: 14 Member
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    I did this when I first started and I was really tired all the time. I try to enjoy life and lose along the way. I think doing this hardcore is great at first it gets your body started. Then if you continue to do this you will no feel well and have a weakened immune system. Just try making sure you eat clean as possible. I don't mean buying all organic ,but buying whole foods. I hope this helps.

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