Eating under 700 calories? :o

GreenEyedDork
GreenEyedDork Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay I need some help..
Lets say someone was eating under 700 calories a day, sometimes under 600. Because of depression.
We all know this isn't healthy, but personally I don't believe in starvation mode until you are severely underweight.
This person lost 6 lbs in 1 week. but wanted to start eating healthy again.
If she just one day started eating 1200-1300 calories like she's supposed to. would she gain all the weight back?
Yesterday she ate 1,250 calories but also drank a lot of water and the scale read she gained 2.6 pounds.. is it because of her lack or nutrition or water weight and to much sodium?

I don't want any mean comments or anyone saying how terrible she was abusing her body because it wont make a difference.. I just need some advice on this.
Thanks in advance and feel free to add me :)
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Replies

  • GreenEyedDork
    GreenEyedDork Posts: 42 Member
    And I will add this person is 5' 5" and 230ish lbs if that matters at all
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
    Water Weight, 1250 calories isn't even half a pound of fat.
  • mdraper60
    mdraper60 Posts: 101 Member
    Upping calories will probably show a gain at first but will adjust itself after a few weeks. It would be due to water weight I would think. In order to actually gain 2.6 pounds, she would have had to eat 9100 calories over her maintenance calories.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    It really does not matter what your personal believes is, eating 700 calories is extremely bad for your health...But anyways, the gain on the sccale is water weight - at that height and weight even 1250 is still not even close, but it's a good start....
  • roiLEI1554
    roiLEI1554 Posts: 143
    water weight and bloating probably! her weight will probably fluctuate depending on how much she eats, what she eats, how much she drinks, and when she weighs

    good luck to your friend. i hope she'll be able to overcome depression
    best of luck!
  • futuremrsevers
    futuremrsevers Posts: 39
    My suggestion: Have her weigh in the morning right before the shower and after she has used the restroom. This is more accurate because most food and water will have been digested and mostly moved it way out. If you weight at the end of the day, you're weighing what you have ate all day too.
    Also, 1200 doesn't seem like enough for a woman of her size. I don't know how to calculate it, but it seems low to me.
    Also... EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE!
    If she gets that body moving, she will start seeing results quicker, and in a healthier/non-starving way!
    Also, assuming she is a friend or family member... having someone there to help her through the depression is key! So good for you for taking the first step in helping her!
    But if this is actually yourself you are talking about, you don't have to hide... MFP is a huge family that is here to help and support each other.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    water. scientifically and mathematically is is pretty much impossible to actually gain 2.6 Lbs of fat in a day. Your maintenance level of calories is probably 1800-2000...more if you exercise regularly. Let's assume your maintenance is 2000 calories...to gain even 1 Lb of actual fat (3,500 calories over maintenance) you'd have to consume 5,500 calories...a far cry from your 1250.

    Also, not going to harp on it, but 700 calories is not healthy, regardless of what you personally believe or not...starvation mode being irrelevant. You can not get proper nutrition with 700 calories...by proper nutrition I mean all of your vitamins and minerals, adequate essential fat, and protein. You're malnourishing your body...or your "friend" is.
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    Okay I need some help..
    Lets say someone was eating under 700 calories a day, sometimes under 600. Because of depression.
    We all know this isn't healthy, but personally I don't believe in starvation mode until you are severely underweight.
    This person lost 6 lbs in 1 week. but wanted to start eating healthy again.
    If she just one day started eating 1200-1300 calories like she's supposed to. would she gain all the weight back?
    Yesterday she ate 1,250 calories but also drank a lot of water and the scale read she gained 2.6 pounds.. is it because of her lack or nutrition or water weight and to much sodium?

    I don't want any mean comments or anyone saying how terrible she was abusing her body because it wont make a difference.. I just need some advice on this.
    Thanks in advance and feel free to add me :)

    I think upping her calories to AT LEAST 1200 is a fabulous idea and maybe she could add in a bit of exercise as well as exercise is the best cure for depression.... :0)
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    When you severely restrict your muscles are emptied of glycogen, which also holds water. Glycogen is an immediate energy source so it's not anything bad. When you eat in surplus to what you're used to, the glycogen stores are at least partially refilled and thus you gain "weight" in the form of glycogen and assosciated water retention.

    TL;DR = weight goes up, but you're not fatter.

    And do try to encourage to increase 'her' calorie intake gradually. Assuming she's about your age, she'll do a lot of long term damage to her musculature, CNS, organs, hair, teeth and bones at such a low intake - when your body needs more energy than you give it, it takes it from the body and there is a limit to how much fat it can metabolise per day for that purpose. After that, you basically start eating yourself.
  • thedietguru
    thedietguru Posts: 29
    You can not believe in starvation mode all you want but it's absolutely true. At 700 calories a day, she's destroying her hormonal profile and her body will hoard fat like never before. She's creating the perfect fat storage machine.

    She needs to reverse diet.. slowly adding in 100 calories a week. I wouldn't even workout again until calories were at least at 1500. This will just tell the body it needs yet more energy that it doesn't have and and lower metabolism further.

    Lose weight by going slightly under your TDEE.. end of story. She's on less calories than a pro female body builder right before a show! Her thyroid output will be permanently ruined if she continues.
  • TedStout
    TedStout Posts: 241
    You don't have "real" weight gain or loss of 2.6 pounds in a day. Ever. You can eat like a horse and weigh 5 more at any given time, but that passes (literally). No lie...I "gained" 9 lbs one weekend. It came off within the week. Water weight is huge...sodium will cause a lot of fluctuation.

    As for thr 700 calorie...I just don't see how that could be healthy, but I am not a doctor.
  • Bjoyz
    Bjoyz Posts: 24 Member
    I think she will do well with AT LEAST 1200 calories a day. The nutrients may help boost her mood, especially if she's eating a lot of "clean" food.

    You should also suggest going on walks to her. It may help her mood as well. Plus, it could be something you do with her so you can both benefit.

    Best of luck.
  • jessilee119
    jessilee119 Posts: 444 Member
    I'm not an expert, but maybe her body also gained the weight because it was such a jump in calories. For me, I was so used to eating more calories that 1250 would seem low to me, but for someone who's used to only eating around 700 calories then 1250 is going to seem like so much more to her body. Since her body was used to less, she may have shocked her system and should have gradually increased calories by 100 for several days to a week until she reached her desired calories.

    It's great to hear, though, that she is taking steps to eating healthier.
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    Plugging the numbers you gave into the BMR calculator at Fat2fitradio.com, and making up an age of 25, BMR for the person is 1844, sedentary is 2213. This person did not gain 2.6 lbs of fat in a day. It's water weight and food weight as it's making its way through the GI system.

    The person you described needs to seek help for her depression before she starts worrying about her weight. I can speak from experience. Once I faced my depression and sought help, I was able to focus on my body and my eating and exercise. Once I did that, the weight has been coming off for the past 7 months.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    This might be a useful read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut
  • futuremrsevers
    futuremrsevers Posts: 39
    I wouldn't listen to these people. I eat 400 - 900 and I am fine. Twice a month I go out to eat with friends and can eat up to 3000. I gain a pound or two but it is just water. It goes away with some exercise and a waterpill (because I can retain water like a mofo). Do what you have to.

    Oh my LORD! I wouldn't suggest this :/
  • bzmom
    bzmom Posts: 1,332 Member
    :noway:
    I wouldn't listen to these people. I eat 400 - 900 and I am fine. Twice a month I go out to eat with friends and can eat up to 3000. I gain a pound or two but it is just water. It goes away with some exercise and a waterpill (because I can retain water like a mofo). Do what you have to.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Health>weight loss get priorties straight its not worth it if you look sick take care of your body and it will take care of you
  • jsuaccounting
    jsuaccounting Posts: 189 Member
    I understand that when you undereat (dieting in general but anytime your carbs go low) you use up the glycogen in your tissues - the associated water will also be released. Then when you go back on maintainence you will quickly plump up your muscles with glycogen again. This is not 'fat loss' or 'fat gain'. This is what people call 'water weight'. Fat is more permanant storeage. It is said to take about a 3500 calorie surplus on top of maintainence to create one pound of fat.

    Therefore, if you are still in a deficit (1300 calories) - you should not gain the 6 lbs back. You should steadily lose maybe a pound a week.
  • Ashwee87
    Ashwee87 Posts: 695 Member
    I wouldn't listen to these people. I eat 400 - 900 and I am fine. Twice a month I go out to eat with friends and can eat up to 3000. I gain a pound or two but it is just water. It goes away with some exercise and a waterpill (because I can retain water like a mofo). Do what you have to.
    No, no no no no NO!!

    Just NO!

    You need help and you should NEVER suggest an EATING DISORDER to someone. My god, I can't believe this post here....
  • gonnamakeanewaccount
    gonnamakeanewaccount Posts: 642 Member
    Let's get real here. We all know that the person you are referring to in this post is yourself. It's okay to ask for help, but you have to own up to it.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    I wouldn't listen to these people. I eat 400 - 900 and I am fine. Twice a month I go out to eat with friends and can eat up to 3000. I gain a pound or two but it is just water. It goes away with some exercise and a waterpill (because I can retain water like a mofo). Do what you have to.

    Starting to sound like an eating disorder O.o def don't do this
  • omanitshann
    omanitshann Posts: 179
    She may possibly gain a small amount of weight at first, but it doesn't matter, because in the end she will be healthier, and lose more than she would have had she stuck to the under 700 calorie thing.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    I wouldn't listen to these people. I eat 400 - 900 and I am fine. Twice a month I go out to eat with friends and can eat up to 3000. I gain a pound or two but it is just water. It goes away with some exercise and a waterpill (because I can retain water like a mofo). Do what you have to.

    What is the definition of fine? Even if the person were bedridden it wouldn't be enough nutrition and calories.
    this is a recipe for disaster. This is straight ED behavior.
  • teagirlmedium
    teagirlmedium Posts: 679 Member
    She won't gain all the weight back if she only eats like you said one day a weak. If she weighed herself after she ate then it is the food and water in her stomach that added that weight. Also how accurate is her scale? If the scale is old then she may need a knew one. Almost 3 pounds in a day does not sound right to me. Good luck to her.
  • gonnamakeanewaccount
    gonnamakeanewaccount Posts: 642 Member
    I wouldn't listen to these people. I eat 400 - 900 and I am fine. Twice a month I go out to eat with friends and can eat up to 3000. I gain a pound or two but it is just water. It goes away with some exercise and a waterpill (because I can retain water like a mofo). Do what you have to.

    Sounds like a bulimic to me.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
  • Morninglory81
    Morninglory81 Posts: 1,190 Member
    I wouldn't listen to these people. I eat 400 - 900 and I am fine. Twice a month I go out to eat with friends and can eat up to 3000. I gain a pound or two but it is just water. It goes away with some exercise and a waterpill (because I can retain water like a mofo). Do what you have to.
    This person is asking for help and wanting to increase her calories.

    OP as already said water and food weight nothing more.
  • adenium11
    adenium11 Posts: 173 Member

    The person you described needs to seek help for her depression before she starts worrying about her weight. I can speak from experience. Once I faced my depression and sought help, I was able to focus on my body and my eating and exercise. Once I did that, the weight has been coming off for the past 7 months.

    I agree here. Unless this person understands why they are depressed and deals with that.. there is NO way to live a healthy life instantly with diet and exercise. Healthy choices nutritional and exercise wise will definitely assist with the depressed feeling.. but you cant run away from what you're trying to fix..
  • kimmie185
    kimmie185 Posts: 550 Member
    I wouldn't listen to these people. I eat 400 - 900 and I am fine. Twice a month I go out to eat with friends and can eat up to 3000. I gain a pound or two but it is just water. It goes away with some exercise and a waterpill (because I can retain water like a mofo). Do what you have to.
    No, no no no no NO!!

    Just NO!

    You need help and you should NEVER suggest an EATING DISORDER to someone. My god, I can't believe this post here....

    I agree. 400 kcal a day seriously? How do you properly function?
    Now there have been instances where I would be sick, and just can't eat. I would never intentionally only eat 400 kcal a day though. :noway:

    400-900 is starving yourself
    3000+ is probably the binge eating after your tired of starving yourself.... :indifferent:

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