I keep coming out under!

Don't really understand your question? Are you eating enough. No. But you know that, are you trying to lose, gain, or maintain?
Your body is probably not getting all the nutrients it needs, do you have bad skin/hair/nails? You tired alot? Down to poor nutrition.

I have the opposite of your problem... I'm always hungry, lol. Anyways, 1,200 calories is the safe number to make sure your body isn't going into "starvation mode." If that happens, your metabolism basically slows down a bunch. Thus, if you were to eat normally again, you would probably gain more weight than a person who has a normal metabolism.

I sort of had your problem when I just started dieting/exercising. I went from 242 to 215 pounds in about 2 months, but found out I was starving myself (saw via blood/urine tests, where MANY things were not within normal ranges). So, I was losing weight, but obviously not in the best way. It took about 3 weeks of increasing my daily caloric intake for my metabolism to get back to normal.

Also, like niki said, you're probably not getting enough nutrients. Though, if you're really comfortable with how you're eating now and don't want to change, then I would suggest seeing a physician and getting some blood/urine tests done to see if your body is okay. If it is, then don't change what you're doing. If not, then make changes.

I usually net around 1000. Really I dont think thats less than I used to net years ago when I was pretty fit, but I didnt track calories and exercise then, so who knows for sure. I gained weight from waayy too much drinking, then bad food choices while drunk.

Now that I cut back on the booze, eat healthier, and track calories, Ive been losing weight on my 1200 goal. Im rarely hungry, and if I am its usually because I didnt pick very healthy choices earlier that would've filled me up. Those days I get maybe even slightly over 1200, rarely more than 1300. On days I eat healthy, and work out, I sometimes only net 800.

I dont feel weak. My hair and skin is as healthy as its been. My nails actually seem healthier. I do get tired often, but Ive had sleeping issues since I was very young.

Anyways, thats just my experience. I am in no way suggesting other people do the same, because that is not going to work for everyone. And to be fair I havent been doing this for THAT long. Just my 2 cents.

What I'm wondering is if it's really going to damage my body. I feel like if my body wanted more food, it would tell me that, but it doesn't. I'm always satisfied with what I eat throughout the day, and I never let myself go hungry. I'm trying to lose, as I put on a bit of weight after starting college, although I still live at home.
My hair is thick, down to my waist and shiny. My nails grow quickly, although break a lot (I just have weak nails and can't have them very long), and my skin is soft, never flaky and completely pimple free. I'm more tired now than I was in summer, but I also suffer seasonal depression so that's a big part of it.

yes it will damage your body.

VLCD - very low calorie diets = 800ish

CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS
Weight loss from very low-calorie diets in severely obese people has been associated with sudden death from ventricular arrhythmias. Major or rapid weight loss may damage the heart by decreasing muscle fiber size. In addition, deficiencies of protein, electrolytes and micro-nutrients, such as copper, magnesium and potassium, may contribute to a myofibrillar damage. "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported the findings of a 1992 study by Janis S Fisler suggesting that weight loss from very low-calorie diets provoked electrocardiogram abnormalities and precipitated acute and fatal arrhythmias in the obese subjects studied.

GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
Very low-calorie diets have been shown to affect gastrointestinal and cardiac organ systems. A 1988 study by Eleanor A Young, Ph.D., RD/LD used rats divided into two groups, one of which was fed a low-calorie diet with 23 percent total calories from protein, carbohydrate and fat. Final weights of total body, the liver, small intestines and heart were lower in the diet group and revealed a protein depletion of the gastrointestinal system with a decrease in body nitrogen stores, specifically cardiac muscle, as published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

GALLBLADDER STONES
Gallstones, which often develop in obese people, are most common after rapid weight loss. Weight loss may increase cholesterol levels in the gallbladder, which inhibit its ability to contract and expel bile. There may be a correlation with fat intake and gallstone formation as investigated in a 1998 study published in "Digestive Diseases and Sciences" using 272 moderately obese subjects with normal gallbladders who were given 900-calorie per day liquid diets for 13 weeks. The findings were that 17 percent of the group eating 16 g of fat daily developed stones with a weight loss of 18 kg , and 11.2 percent of the group eating 30 g of fat daily developed stones with similar weight loss. The experiment showed that substantial fat for rapid weight-reducing diets resulted in gallstone formation.

so your heart, guts, internal organs in general, your nails, teeth, skin - pretty much everything is in the firing line.

you need to eat more. your body isn't always right.


but hey, if all you really want is people to tell you that eating less than a 2 year old child is good for you, high five! you have nothing to worry about!*

*the above statement is false.

kelly, I agree with you, a, because you are right, and b, because you are smokin hot. just sayin.

What I'm wondering is if it's really going to damage my body. I feel like if my body wanted more food, it would tell me that, but it doesn't. I'm always satisfied with what I eat throughout the day, and I never let myself go hungry. I'm trying to lose, as I put on a bit of weight after starting college, although I still live at home.
My hair is thick, down to my waist and shiny. My nails grow quickly, although break a lot (I just have weak nails and can't have them very long), and my skin is soft, never flaky and completely pimple free. I'm more tired now than I was in summer, but I also suffer seasonal depression so that's a big part of it.

yes it will damage your body.

VLCD - very low calorie diets = 800ish

CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS
Weight loss from very low-calorie diets in severely obese people has been associated with sudden death from ventricular arrhythmias. Major or rapid weight loss may damage the heart by decreasing muscle fiber size. In addition, deficiencies of protein, electrolytes and micro-nutrients, such as copper, magnesium and potassium, may contribute to a myofibrillar damage. "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported the findings of a 1992 study by Janis S Fisler suggesting that weight loss from very low-calorie diets provoked electrocardiogram abnormalities and precipitated acute and fatal arrhythmias in the obese subjects studied.

GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
Very low-calorie diets have been shown to affect gastrointestinal and cardiac organ systems. A 1988 study by Eleanor A Young, Ph.D., RD/LD used rats divided into two groups, one of which was fed a low-calorie diet with 23 percent total calories from protein, carbohydrate and fat. Final weights of total body, the liver, small intestines and heart were lower in the diet group and revealed a protein depletion of the gastrointestinal system with a decrease in body nitrogen stores, specifically cardiac muscle, as published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

GALLBLADDER STONES
Gallstones, which often develop in obese people, are most common after rapid weight loss. Weight loss may increase cholesterol levels in the gallbladder, which inhibit its ability to contract and expel bile. There may be a correlation with fat intake and gallstone formation as investigated in a 1998 study published in "Digestive Diseases and Sciences" using 272 moderately obese subjects with normal gallbladders who were given 900-calorie per day liquid diets for 13 weeks. The findings were that 17 percent of the group eating 16 g of fat daily developed stones with a weight loss of 18 kg , and 11.2 percent of the group eating 30 g of fat daily developed stones with similar weight loss. The experiment showed that substantial fat for rapid weight-reducing diets resulted in gallstone formation.

so your heart, guts, internal organs in general, your nails, teeth, skin - pretty much everything is in the firing line.

you need to eat more. your body isn't always right.


but hey, if all you really want is people to tell you that eating less than a 2 year old child is good for you, high five! you have nothing to worry about!*

*the above statement is false.

I just went to the doctor and had a full work up - blood/urine/chem lab and a short psych. eval. ... Everything came back normal, with the exception of psych (I've had depression my whole life, so that I am not concerned about), and I've been eating this way for most of my adult life. What's your explanation for that....?

you asked a question. science answered. sorry its not the one you wanted.


*pat on the head* your totally doing it right. you only want to see the for argument, no worries. your 18. you haven't really had any adult life. perhaps you will be totally fine, or perhaps you will get to 30 with depleted muscle mass, osteoporosis and a heart murmur.

moral of the story? dont ask of you dont want to know. capiche?

OP has no clue what shes doing.

You arent hungry because of hormonal imbalances.

Take care of your body while you are young!
Take advantage of your hormonal state!
these girls have no clue the damage they are doing to their bodies now by restricting calories 1k+ below TDEE when they probably dont have the energy stores to compensate.

They think "I'll be fine! i'm young!" only to find out in their late 20s that they cant have children or they have newly acquired adrenal or CNS issues.

To get in shape you need to force the body to change using proper stress!
If you want a sleek sexy toned body you need to build lean muscle and lose fat.
To build muscle you need building blocks in the form of food or drugs.
you eating the way you do is only going to make you skinny-fat!
Then youll make a post like "Skinny-fat! How do I fix this?!"
And we say "Eat you dummy!!! And lift heavy stuff!"
But instead youll probably tell me i'm crazy and dont know what i'm talking about.
Meanwhile you spin your wheels while we get in shape.

OP has no clue what shes doing.

You arent hungry because of hormonal imbalances.

Take care of your body while you are young!
Take advantage of your hormonal state!
these girls have no clue the damage they are doing to their bodies now by restricting calories 1k+ below TDEE when they probably dont have the energy stores to compensate.

They think "I'll be fine! i'm young!" only to find out in their late 20s that they cant have children or they have newly acquired adrenal or CNS issues.

To get in shape you need to force the body to change using proper stress!
If you want a sleek sexy toned body you need to build lean muscle and lose fat.
To build muscle you need building blocks in the form of food or drugs.
you eating the way you do is only going to make you skinny-fat!
Then youll make a post like "Skinny-fat! How do I fix this?!"
And we say "Eat you dummy!!! And lift heavy stuff!"
But instead youll probably tell me i'm crazy and dont know what i'm talking about.
Meanwhile you spin your wheels while we get in shape.

cant fight it, dan knows what hes talking about. smart *kitten*. haha.

Just want to add that I often net slightly under 1200, but I go over some days too, which does a bit even out the days I went under.
Also want to add the days I have netted around 800, were days that I burned a very high amount of calories working out that day. Net calories, not eaten.

As for what your body needs metabolism-wise, there are actual clinical tests that you can do to determine your BMR; it could be that you're one of those people who simply have a really low metabolism rate. However, unless you know this for sure, there's no reason to think you're any different from the rest of the herd, and in that case eating under 1200 kcal per day is probably not enough.

I'm going to add something in regards to BMR/RMR testing that many people need to consider. If you participate in a Resting Metabolic Rate test while chronically restricting calories, the number estimated will be your ADJUSTED RMR - not actual RMR. You would realize this after upping calories to the maximum amount until you have managed to maintain body weight for at least two to three months [at said caloric amount] and then take a second RMR test. The result can be a RMR reading several 100 calories higher than the initial score the longer you allow RMR to return to optimal levels - this will be your true RMR.

What I'm wondering is if it's really going to damage my body. I feel like if my body wanted more food, it would tell me that, but it doesn't. I'm always satisfied with what I eat throughout the day, and I never let myself go hungry. I'm trying to lose, as I put on a bit of weight after starting college, although I still live at home.
My hair is thick, down to my waist and shiny. My nails grow quickly, although break a lot (I just have weak nails and can't have them very long), and my skin is soft, never flaky and completely pimple free. I'm more tired now than I was in summer, but I also suffer seasonal depression so that's a big part of it.

yes it will damage your body.

VLCD - very low calorie diets = 800ish

CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS
Weight loss from very low-calorie diets in severely obese people has been associated with sudden death from ventricular arrhythmias. Major or rapid weight loss may damage the heart by decreasing muscle fiber size. In addition, deficiencies of protein, electrolytes and micro-nutrients, such as copper, magnesium and potassium, may contribute to a myofibrillar damage. "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported the findings of a 1992 study by Janis S Fisler suggesting that weight loss from very low-calorie diets provoked electrocardiogram abnormalities and precipitated acute and fatal arrhythmias in the obese subjects studied.

GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
Very low-calorie diets have been shown to affect gastrointestinal and cardiac organ systems. A 1988 study by Eleanor A Young, Ph.D., RD/LD used rats divided into two groups, one of which was fed a low-calorie diet with 23 percent total calories from protein, carbohydrate and fat. Final weights of total body, the liver, small intestines and heart were lower in the diet group and revealed a protein depletion of the gastrointestinal system with a decrease in body nitrogen stores, specifically cardiac muscle, as published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

GALLBLADDER STONES
Gallstones, which often develop in obese people, are most common after rapid weight loss. Weight loss may increase cholesterol levels in the gallbladder, which inhibit its ability to contract and expel bile. There may be a correlation with fat intake and gallstone formation as investigated in a 1998 study published in "Digestive Diseases and Sciences" using 272 moderately obese subjects with normal gallbladders who were given 900-calorie per day liquid diets for 13 weeks. The findings were that 17 percent of the group eating 16 g of fat daily developed stones with a weight loss of 18 kg , and 11.2 percent of the group eating 30 g of fat daily developed stones with similar weight loss. The experiment showed that substantial fat for rapid weight-reducing diets resulted in gallstone formation.

so your heart, guts, internal organs in general, your nails, teeth, skin - pretty much everything is in the firing line.

you need to eat more. your body isn't always right.


but hey, if all you really want is people to tell you that eating less than a 2 year old child is good for you, high five! you have nothing to worry about!*

*the above statement is false.

I just went to the doctor and had a full work up - blood/urine/chem lab and a short psych. eval. ... Everything came back normal, with the exception of psych (I've had depression my whole life, so that I am not concerned about), and I've been eating this way for most of my adult life. What's your explanation for that....?

you asked a question. science answered. sorry its not the one you wanted.


*pat on the head* your totally doing it right. you only want to see the for argument, no worries. your 18. you haven't really had any adult life. perhaps you will be totally fine, or perhaps you will get to 30 with depleted muscle mass, osteoporosis and a heart murmur.

moral of the story? dont ask of you dont want to know. capiche?

Let's not talk about who is or is not an adult.... I've been caring for my elderly, sickly father since I was 10 years old, my parents got divorced and she washed her hands of him. I've seen him through four heart surgeries, two back surgeries and several other procedures. I have had to keep tabs on his meds, the food we buy, make sure he's doing his exercises and keep track of his blood pressure, for the better half of my life. To add to this, I now having to take on most of the responsibility for driving and chores because he's going blind and my two older brothers have little to no interest in being engaged in what's going on with him, for stupid, albeit personal reasons.

So the true moral of the story, I believe, is not to make ignorant statements about people you assume to know anything about, lol.

Secondly, I would never encourage anyone to net a few calories as possible. That's silly, and I don't believe I ever said anything to that effect.

Well you didn't give this impression in your initial post. You talked about sleeping most of the day and going out with friends so I think we could be forgiven for not knowing the ins and outs of your life in better detail.