Slightly alarmed

abbylady
abbylady Posts: 26 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been on MFP for a while now. Counting calories, making sure I'm getting enough to eat, eating healthy foods, etc. I, like many others on this website, was given the 1,200 limit to my calories. Due to bodily evidence, I know now that this is not healthy for me at all.

I was typing an email a little bit ago and just casually glanced at my nails when I noticed it. My nails, always very smooth, have very visible striations in them -- a sign of malnutrition. Now, I understand that every body is different, but I almost started to cry at the very idea that my body wasn't getting enough to eat. I almost always finish my day around 1200-1300 calories and eat more if I'm doing an extensive work out, sometimes as much as 1700-1800. My diet consists of regular amounts of protein in the form of chicken or beef every day. I eat nothing but fruits and vegetables with meals or for snacks. I drink water with an occasional diet soda during the week. I eat consistently throughout the day, light meals with snacks in between. I get a consistent amount of sleep and exercise. Quite frankly, I should be getting gold stars for my habits. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

It occurs to me that I could be freaking out about something small, but I am terrified at the very idea of not getting enough nutrition. I am also scared of putting on the weight that I've lost. I made an appointment to meet with my doctor next week to discuss it. I'm worried that this has effected other parts of my body that I have not noticed yet.

I would really appreciate comments. Again, I recognize that every body is different and that I must not be doing something right somewhere. In the mean time, I have decided to eat more. I just can't take the risk.

Replies

  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    > It occurs to me that I could be freaking out about something small

    /thread

    Take pre natal vitamins. They're good for your nails.
  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
    I don't know...my nails have those and I have been trying to maintain my weight since July so I eat quite a bit more, actually since October I have been on a daily net goal of 2600.

    This gives me more opportunity for more nutrients but I just track my macros currently to ensure I get enough protein and fiber and am not overboard on fat, salt, etc.

    I personally don't think you have to net 1200 calories to lose weight but that is from my personal experience...with exercise I lost no more weight at net 1600 than I did at net 2100 over the course of my experiments.

    I recommend you eat at a net goal of a 1 pound loss per week, then 1/2 pound per week for the last 10 pounds or so. You will still get results and have more wiggle room in your diet for the fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods you feel your body is craving or you are depriving yourself of.

    Best of luck to you :)
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Are you eating enough fat?
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Brush your teeth
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    More likely a protein deficiency. MFP defaults you to 15% protein intake and you say you want to lose 2 lbs a week... that leads to 45 grams of protein a day, all of which you're probably not eating because you're trying to stick to an unrealistically low calorie diet. Then, if you're exercising, you're wrecking your nails even more. When I started, I was hitting it hard a couple hours a day and eating quite a lot, at least 2000 calories a day but my nails suffered for it. They're still not quite back to normal, btw although i've been keeping my protein intake up for 5 months or more now. it took 6 months for me to notice it, so i figured it'd be just as long to fix it.

    Prenatal vitamins are an option. A multi vitamin would not be unwise. Protein supplement is an option. Best idea is to change your settings to lose 1 lb a week and MFP will have you set at a more reasonable 1700 ish calories. Then meet and or exceed your protein goals and make sure you fulfill most of the rest of your calories with some serious whole food goodness.

    I'm not saying YOU are doing this, but I see people on here who eat 1200 calories of Wendy's and prepackaged crap a day and I think...well no wonder your hair is falling out and your fingernails are breaking off. LOL. On a VLCD you really really need to make every calorie count. You can't eat cake and a spicy chicken sandwich and a sweet tea every day and not do some kind of harm to your body.

    For the record I'm never a fan of a 1200 calorie diet. It's too restrictive and generally a bad idea unless you're very very obese. Even then I think it's dumb but it's not so dangerous then.

Categories