Eating 500 calories a day or 1200?

SaraB313
SaraB313 Posts: 15
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everybody :)

I started losing weight at 216 pounds when i decided to eat 500 calories a day. I lost weight over a few months and now i am at 198. I haven't lost any more and im actually GAINING. I was 193 then it went to 195 and today i am 198 all since this month started.
Im eating healthy foods, no butter/oil, bread, pasta etc.. and im a vegetarian. Basically im not eating anything that would cause me to gain.

Should i up my calories to 1200? Im 5'7, female, 198 and my bmr is 1758.

Help please!
«13

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Actually you should up your calories to your BMR.
  • angelique_redhead
    angelique_redhead Posts: 782 Member
    I'd be eating at least 1200 personally. Good luck!
  • briannadunn
    briannadunn Posts: 841 Member
    You should up it slowly and exercise around 30 minutes a day. If you do that you should be able to get up to 1400 to 1700 calories a day and still lose weight.
  • lynn14
    lynn14 Posts: 116
    I would agree! You need to eat more! When your body feels like it is starving, it will hold onto the weight.
    So....eat more! Make them healthy choices and stick to it!! It will get better! And remember to drink lots of water and move everyday!
  • MagicalLeopleurodon
    MagicalLeopleurodon Posts: 623 Member
    Yikes! 500 calories for months?

    Get at least your BMR sweetie.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    You have likely lost lean body mass and damaged your body's ability to function properly (as shown by the weight gain on only 500 calories).

    In my opinion, you should never eat below your BMR, and even if you are 100% sedentary, you should eat MORE than your BMR.
  • Harlequin16
    Harlequin16 Posts: 102 Member
    agree with the first comment, you should up your cals to your bmr
  • luckyclover78
    luckyclover78 Posts: 115 Member
    If you start that low there is really no way to keep cutting back. You need to eat at least your BMR.
  • boilerbabe69
    boilerbabe69 Posts: 27
    I was eating about 800 calories and did the same thing. I did a restart and upped my calories to 1800 for a few weeks and then went to 1200. I am losing again. I was plateaued before for almost a month. Up your calories and make sure you are intaking enough protein. Keep asking questions on here and you will be flooded with info that you can sort thru. Keep trying and good luck.
  • peasantsong
    peasantsong Posts: 107 Member
    What the what? 500 cals a day is what I ate when I was anorexic. And I, too, gained weight on it after a while. Are you suffering from an eating disorder? If so, I greatly encourage you to seek the advice of a therapist and a nutritionist.
  • petitegreek
    petitegreek Posts: 144 Member
    500 calories is definitely too little.

    I am experiencing difficulties staying UNDER 1,200 calories some days, even when I exercise. By dinner time, I am only left with 300-400 calories for the day. Help???

    EDIT: I do eat healthy throughout the day. Also, I am 4'10, female, my BMR is 1528, and currently weigh 164 pounds. My short-term goal is to weigh 155 pounds by May.
  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    What the what? 500 cals a day is what I ate when I was anorexic. And I, too, gained weight on it after a while. Are you suffering from an eating disorder? If so, I greatly encourage you to seek the advice of a therapist and a nutritionist.

    Im not suffering from an eating disorder. Ive been obese all my life and previously have done crazier diets than this. But i will up my calories because i am gaining fast.
  • TNR32
    TNR32 Posts: 110 Member
    Up your calories and start eating healthy fats like olive oil and peanut butter please fat will not make you fat and eating at your bmr will not make you fat. Protein=lean mass Carbs=energy Fat=everything else
  • peasantsong
    peasantsong Posts: 107 Member
    What the what? 500 cals a day is what I ate when I was anorexic. And I, too, gained weight on it after a while. Are you suffering from an eating disorder? If so, I greatly encourage you to seek the advice of a therapist and a nutritionist.

    Im not suffering from an eating disorder. Ive been obese all my life and previously have done crazier diets than this. But i will up my calories because i am gaining fast.

    I'm very glad to hear that. Of course, I'm sure you knew this already and if you didn't, I'm sure you know it now, but I would encourage you to avoid so called "fad" diets in the future. As a former anorexic, I can tell you that the only result of these kinds of extremely low-calorie diets is loss of muscle. Which means that once I gained the weight back (which I most definitely did, and then some), I didn't look as nice as I had previously looked at higher weights. Instead of being 140lbs with a 26" waist for instance, I was 140lbs with a 30" waist. It's not sustainable and it doesn't make you look or feel good. So what's the point?
  • MJH2
    MJH2 Posts: 55 Member
    Oh my goodness, you MUST eat to loose. I've lost 171lbs and one of the hardest things for me to learn when I started my life changing plan at 328lbs, was that I had to eat everyday, all day. I eat a very lean, high protein, low carb/sodium diet of 1450 calories. I am 5'3, 45 years old, and I can tell you when I eat under 1200 calories I gain every time. Because of my job I've eaten under 1000 calories for 4 of the last 7 days and I've gained. It is imparative that you eat all of your recommended calories.

    Good Luck, feel free to friend me if you need additional support.
  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    Im slowly learning lol i guess ive been just scared to end up gaining if i went into the thousands for calories. I dont know.. i automatically thought you need to a lot less calories.
    Thank you!! :)
  • garbagecop
    garbagecop Posts: 2 Member
    I read this on another forum and found it very helpful.

    The general rule of thumb is:
    1) you need 10 calories per pound to maintain your current weight wtihout exercise.
    2) it takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. of stored fat.

    One way to figure out your caloric intake on a diet is by taking your weight and multiplying it by 10 which gives you the MINIMUM amount of calories your body needs daily to sustain its current weight by doing nothing but basic body functions.

    Then, if you want to set your goal at 1 lb. of weight loss per week, you would have to reduce your intake by 500 calories per day (500 x 7 = 3,500 calories). If you exercise, the calories expended can be eaten or banked. The latter should cause you to lose weight more quickly.

    Example: Let's say you weigh 200 pounds. Your body is probably taking in 2,000 calories per day. If you want to lose 1 lb. per week, you would have to cut your intake by 500 calories, leaving 1,500 calories per day.

    Don't scrimp on these calories. In the beginning, you can eat at this level and still lose weight. You'll have to continue droppng your target as you progress and, eventually, you'll have no where to go but to add more exercise. You'll be at this for awhile so you have to think ahead. The people who rush into it trying to get the weight off as quickly as possible inevitably hit a wall before they hit their goal and have to readjust. (It sounds like this is where you are now.) Doing it more responsibly will make it easier for you later.

    I also read somewhere that the A.M.A. had written that women should not consume less than 1,200 calories per day and men should not consume less than 1,800.

    Try to get most of your carbs from plant sources. It forces you to eat clean and get proper nutrients. Also remember to drink plenty of water. Excess protein taxes the kidneys and water helps to flush them. And, fat holds a lot of toxins. Help your body flush those toxins by drinking plenty of water.

    I hope this helps.

    Lynn O.
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
    Can you share your diary? Then we could offer ways to increase calories safely. 500 is scary. Don't eat 1200 because of a book or a website, do what works for you. 500 isn't at the moment, and probably isn't safe at your weight. Try eating a controlled 1200 and see what happens. I'd even advise going up to 1400, without eating exercise calories back. Try, try and try again but be happy and comfortable with the food. Are you logging olive oil? I used to think you didn' t have to, but with 1 tablespoon being as much as 140 calories, it can add up. Also, if you are vegetarian, usually the oil and bread that vegetarians like to eat will easily get them at least at 1000 calories. Are you sure your only at 500?
  • petitegreek
    petitegreek Posts: 144 Member
    Lynn,

    What a GREAT post!! Thank you so much. This really made me understand things a lot more when it comes to caloric intake and exercising in order to see weight loss.
  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    Can you share your diary? Then we could offer ways to increase calories safely. 500 is scary. Don't eat 1200 because of a book or a website, do what works for you. 500 isn't at the moment, and probably isn't safe at your weight. Try eating a controlled 1200 and see what happens. I'd even advise going up to 1400, without eating exercise calories back. Try, try and try again but be happy and comfortable with the food. Are you logging olive oil? I used to think you didn' t have to, but with 1 tablespoon being as much as 140 calories, it can add up. Also, if you are vegetarian, usually the oil and bread that vegetarians like to eat will easily get them at least at 1000 calories. Are you sure your only at 500?

    Yes I was doing 500. I'd log everything that I'd eat. I don't eat any oils or bread of any kind. I would make sure that I didn't eat any oil because I would make my own food and everything having low calories. I tried to have a natural food diet except for once in a while I would eat boca vegan burgers (just the patty, no bun)
  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    I'm going to start at 1200 tomorrow and see how it works.

    Thanks guys!
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    500 calories?

    tumblr_mhvab9UzIH1rcpscwo1_500.gif
  • valeriewxy
    valeriewxy Posts: 418 Member
    I'm going to start at 1200 tomorrow and see how it works.

    Thanks guys!

    I'm glad you decided to go with 1200 :) the first 2 months I started, I ate at 1200 cals. Then I went on holiday and ate at an ave of 2000ish cals (maintained my weight over 3 weeks). Now I'm back, and eating at 1300, considering upping to about 1400 cals since I haven't lost much and my new BMR is apparently 1370 :)

    I hope this all works out for you! ^^ Good luck.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    I eat 1800 calories a day and I am losing weight easily and I only weigh 146.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    500 won't do anything! upppppp it.
  • alexisu96
    alexisu96 Posts: 103 Member
    Dang, 500 for months. How did you do ot?? I would have eventually eaten one of my kids!! Up to 1200 and at some point you could go higher once you fix your metabolism
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
    I'm going to start at 1200 tomorrow and see how it works.

    Thanks guys!

    Awesome! But don't be discouraged if you initially see a gain. That can happen when you come off a low cal diet as your body adjusts but stick with it and give it time and it will balance out in the end. Good luck! :-)
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
    As everyone else has said, you need to eat more. Your body is starting to shut down and going into conservation mode. Try 1200 for a bit, but even at that, you will still end up plateauing and having to increase your calorie intake. After a few years being on this site, I see this happen over and over. Food is energy, and what we eat is just as important as calorie counting. Nourish the body :)
  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    Dang, 500 for months. How did you do ot?? I would have eventually eaten one of my kids!! Up to 1200 and at some point you could go higher once you fix your metabolism

    I actually found it really easy. I would eat every four hours and I was pretty full eating that many calories. Been Doing 500 since September
  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    I'm going to start at 1200 tomorrow and see how it works.

    Thanks guys!

    Awesome! But don't be discouraged if you initially see a gain. That can happen when you come off a low cal diet as your body adjusts but stick with it and give it time and it will balance out in the end. Good luck! :-)

    Thanks :)

Categories