Am I being unhealthy (starvation mode ?)

blmiller22
blmiller22 Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am currently on day 4 of my diet and every time I log it says I'm going to put myself in starvation mode cause I eat like 1100 calories instead of the 1200 (for backround: I'm 5'6" 199lbs which is a 32.1 BMI aka obese) I don't feel like I'm starving myself in fact I'm finding it difficult to eat anymore! I think I have a well balanced diet......this is what I had yesterday

Breakfast-oatmeal 2 1/2 cups prepared with watermelon (ik its alotta oatmeal but I like it lol)
Lunch-I had grilled chicken in a wheat pita with lettus tomatos and greek cumber sauce (yall call it tatziki or whatever lol) with about 20 baby carrots
Supper- a chicken salad (I use lemon juice as a dressing) and cucumbers

Anddddd my calorie thing says I'm putting myself in starvation, I don't feel hungry cause I fill myself with veggies do I HAVE to eat more to be "healthy"

Replies

  • Siannah
    Siannah Posts: 456 Member
    Personally I think 1100 cals is very low (too low) for someone your height and weight. You won't go into starvation mode after just 4 days, but I definitely think you should read a few threads here and do some research. There really is no need to go that low in calories in order to lose weight.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Put fats back into your diet! Your body needs them for proper functioning!

    Add some nuts to your oatmeal and/ or some sesame oil to your chicken salad.
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
    Personally I think 1100 cals is very low (too low) for someone your height and weight. You won't go into starvation mode after just 4 days, but I definitely think you should read a few threads here and do some research. There really is no need to go that low in calories in order to lose weight.

    Agreed. You can definitely eat considerably more and still lose weight, and it would be healthier in the long run. Maybe add some nuts to your menu, or natural peanut butter with celery. If you like carrots, maybe eat them with hummus. People will argue endlessly on whether 1200 is acceptable, or too low, and they will argue whether or not "starvation mode" is real. Personally, I try to eat between 1200-1500. Sometimes I eat more, sometimes less. When I stick with that, it works. Every person is different of course, but I would recommend adding some healthy cals in there.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    You don't need to eat that little to lose weight.
  • fiferize
    fiferize Posts: 141
    maybe some more protein you dont want to get protein deficient!
  • KrysGettinFit
    KrysGettinFit Posts: 131 Member
    I am your height and weigh 149 and I have eaten 1300-1500 calories for the past 5 months and have lost 21 pounds. You definitely should be eating more. Try having snacks during the day, fruits and veggies usually are good.
  • fiferize
    fiferize Posts: 141
    Healthy fats yes! They are also good for your hair and skin.
  • fiferize
    fiferize Posts: 141
    Avacado, Almonds, Cashews, things of that nature.
  • mzjessicaxo
    mzjessicaxo Posts: 330 Member
    Yes, you are eating too little. If anything you are harming your body because what you are putting into it, it's storing as fat. I would say aim for 1400 to be honest, you will still lose weight but much healthier.
  • edencrannon
    edencrannon Posts: 34 Member
    I am currently on day 4 of my diet and every time I log it says I'm going to put myself in starvation mode cause I eat like 1100 calories instead of the 1200 (for backround: I'm 5'6" 199lbs which is a 32.1 BMI aka obese) I don't feel like I'm starving myself in fact I'm finding it difficult to eat anymore! I think I have a well balanced diet......this is what I had yesterday

    Breakfast-oatmeal 2 1/2 cups prepared with watermelon (ik its alotta oatmeal but I like it lol)
    Lunch-I had grilled chicken in a wheat pita with lettus tomatos and greek cumber sauce (yall call it tatziki or whatever lol) with about 20 baby carrots
    Supper- a chicken salad (I use lemon juice as a dressing) and cucumbers

    Anddddd my calorie thing says I'm putting myself in starvation, I don't feel hungry cause I fill myself with veggies do I HAVE to eat more to be "healthy"
    Well... I'm 5'4 and weigh 175 lbs and I eat about the same as u only less healthy! I too don't feel hungry and feel that I need to stop my mindless eating just for the sake of it! Maybe have a wee treat at weekends to take u up a few hundred and put a little fat in!! Mine is slightly different as I've now been told I'm wheat intolerant so mines gonna be more protein and probably fats! So I've gotta be careful and need more pulses, seeds etc in my diet!!
    Good luck Hun
    Donna xxx
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
    1,100 does seem low, but if you hit like 1,198, I wouldn't give that much though, a couple calories less or more won't hurt you, you're still eating a calorie deficient, and you're still giving yourself an approximate of 1,200

    Now while you may see results at this low level, they will be short lived, raising your calories a bit higher than 1,100 will do you wonders :3
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Dip your carrots in some hummus at lunch. Put some avocado on your pita. Add nuts or honey to your oatmeal. Use a full fat dressing on your salad or an ounce of cheese. It really doesn't take much to bump up your calories by a few hundred with healthy food.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Why are you eating so little? I am the same height and weight as you and eat 1500 plus exercise calories.

    You should be eating much more than 1200 cals. Add a glass of juice to your breakfast or a glass of milk. Add in snacks... snack on nuts, apple with peanut butter, etc. Add some healthy fats to your day... *kitten* more protein.. more veggies... try to get your calories up even more.

    Continuing on eating 1100 calories in a day will cause you to lose more muscle than you would if you were eating proper amounts.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Put fats back into your diet! Your body needs them for proper functioning!

    Add some nuts to your oatmeal and/ or some sesame oil to your chicken salad.

    This ^^ I saw very little fat in your diet. A little peanut butter, a handful of nuts, avocado on your salad, cook in olive oil, etc. Any one of those will put you over 1200.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    If I was a 5'6", 200 lb. woman with a goal weight of 130 lbs., I'd eat between 1,300 and 1,430 calories a day (10 - 11 calories per lb. of my goal weight) while doing some reasonable amount of strength training and cardiovascular work.

    I'd reach my goal in 1 year or less.
  • emills1970
    emills1970 Posts: 118 Member
    bump for later
  • starvinkevin
    starvinkevin Posts: 331
    If you're diet is predominantly carbs you probably are - a ketogenic diet where you eat lots of protein and fat will help prevent you from losing too much lean body mass.
  • Energizer06
    Energizer06 Posts: 311 Member
    YEP!
    Custom BMR Calculation


    Entered information: 20 year old female, 66 inches tall, weighing 199 pounds, BMI of 32.1 (Obese).

    From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 150 lbs.


    Harris-Benedict Formula


    There are a few different methods to calculating yourbasal metabolic rate (BMR). One of the most popular, developed in the early 1900's is called the Harris-Benedict formula. Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1737 calories.


    How Many Calories Should I Eat?


    Based on your goal weight, the following chart was generated. The chart shows the number of calories that you should eat on a daily basis to reach your goal weight. At Fat 2 Fit Radio we advocate eating like the thin, healthy person that you want to become. The calorie levels you see in the chart are not extreme, but they do create that all important caloric deficit that is required to get you to your goal weight in a safe manner. Once you reach your goal weight, you will continue eating the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight. You'll never be on a diet again.

    Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.



    Activity Level

    Daily Calories



    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job)

    1829



    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)

    2096



    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)

    2362



    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)

    2629



    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    You should definitely be eating more calories, you can get them in using more calorie dense foods and also you probably are not getting even close to your needed daily nutrient intake which can cause some very serious health problems (google about vitamin and mineral deficiencies to find out what can happen). At the very minimum you should eat your BMR calories and have a multivitamin.
  • edencrannon
    edencrannon Posts: 34 Member
    If you're diet is predominantly carbs you probably are - a ketogenic diet where you eat lots of protein and fat will help prevent you from losing too much lean body mass.
    I didn't know this, it's great... Thanks xxx

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