For how long can one stay on a low calorie diet?

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coffeeMAME
coffeeMAME Posts: 23 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been cutting calories to around 1500 a day for almost two years. I have lost 140 pounds so far. I know this is not that unhealthy to do, and I am losing at a normal rate, but I have been slowly feeling worse and worse, weaker and weaker. I have been to the doctor and am not anemic, so I am not sure what it is; she said maybe I should take a break from the diet. But I really don't want to stop until I have hit my goal. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Replies

  • tubzzy77
    tubzzy77 Posts: 104 Member
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    yeah bro. Take a week off. It's okay.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Definitely a break would be reasonable. Are you eating exercise calories? If you're not, starting to eat them may help with the feeling of ugh.
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
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    Eat more calories. Still eat healthy choices, just eat more.
  • LuckyFur
    LuckyFur Posts: 96
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    Any kind of deficit is a strain on the body. You may need to take a few weeks or a month and eat at maintenance to gain strength. If I am feeling sick or anything, I always take a day or two to eat at maintenance and give my body the nutrition it needs to fight off the illness. You've been at a deficit for so long, it is good to give your body a break.

    You can probably start slowly upping your calories as well, just in general.
  • gogoboobzilla
    gogoboobzilla Posts: 91 Member
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    Eat more calories. Still eat healthy choices, just eat more.

    This. You'll probably still feel like crap if you eat more calories but eat junk. Splurge some, yeah, but make sure you're eating stuff that gives you all of the nutrients you need to help with your fatigue.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    Yeah. Eat at maintenance for a while.
  • coffeeMAME
    coffeeMAME Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for the advice. I haven't been eating exercise calories, but I don't really do any 'real' exercise, just walk a few miles a day on the treadmill. I don't think I really burn much doing it so I've never really bothered to think about it.

    I will try to bring myself back up to a normal range. I don't even know what that would be now, since when I started this I was probably doing like 3,000 calories per day. Maybe 1800? I don't want to overdo it and make myself sick eating too much.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Congratulations on how awesome you've done already! Your plan of 1800 sounds great for a little while.
  • halleymw
    halleymw Posts: 246 Member
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    I would suggest you figure out your actual maintenence as opposed to just guessing at 1800 Use something like fat2fitradio or scoobys workshop.
    Mike
  • alwayskungfu
    alwayskungfu Posts: 92
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    Thanks for the advice. I haven't been eating exercise calories, but I don't really do any 'real' exercise, just walk a few miles a day on the treadmill. I don't think I really burn much doing it so I've never really bothered to think about it.

    I will try to bring myself back up to a normal range. I don't even know what that would be now, since when I started this I was probably doing like 3,000 calories per day. Maybe 1800? I don't want to overdo it and make myself sick eating too much.


    Do you have a chance to go outside, treadmills are fine, but fresh air and (if its nice) sunshine are the best tonic. start meditation and deep breathing, look into tia chi, activities that give you energy, we all need Yin and Yang
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    Thanks for the advice. I haven't been eating exercise calories, but I don't really do any 'real' exercise, just walk a few miles a day on the treadmill. I don't think I really burn much doing it so I've never really bothered to think about it.

    I will try to bring myself back up to a normal range. I don't even know what that would be now, since when I started this I was probably doing like 3,000 calories per day. Maybe 1800? I don't want to overdo it and make myself sick eating too much.


    Do you have a chance to go outside, treadmills are fine, but fresh air and (if its nice) sunshine are the best tonic. start meditation and deep breathing, look into tia chi, activities that give you energy, we all need Yin and Yang

    ^^ this

    I think getting in shape will help a lot. The calorie burn is just a side benefit.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Take a diet break.

    Dieting is a form of stress. Stress accumulates. It needs to be released at some point or you will outrun your recovery capacity. That will be counter productive and can lead to adrenal fatigue.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    Exercise more and eat those calories back.
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
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    Are you very far from your goal weight? I don't have any experience but I have read a lot of people on here saying that one should eat closer to maintenance the closer one gets to goal weight - sort of sneak up on it?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Peanut butter sammich and a glass of milk.
  • coffeeMAME
    coffeeMAME Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for the advice. I haven't been eating exercise calories, but I don't really do any 'real' exercise, just walk a few miles a day on the treadmill. I don't think I really burn much doing it so I've never really bothered to think about it.

    I will try to bring myself back up to a normal range. I don't even know what that would be now, since when I started this I was probably doing like 3,000 calories per day. Maybe 1800? I don't want to overdo it and make myself sick eating too much.


    Do you have a chance to go outside, treadmills are fine, but fresh air and (if its nice) sunshine are the best tonic. start meditation and deep breathing, look into tia chi, activities that give you energy, we all need Yin and Yang

    ^^ this

    I think getting in shape will help a lot. The calorie burn is just a side benefit.


    Yeah, I have been trying to do walk/jogs outside a couple times a week. Its not much, but I exercise more now than I ever have before, figured that was a part of what was making my feel so tired and just generally crappy. But I have been feeling super stressed out and anxious for no obvious reason other than the diet, so I was thinking of maybe starting up yoga or something.
  • coffeeMAME
    coffeeMAME Posts: 23 Member
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    Are you very far from your goal weight? I don't have any experience but I have read a lot of people on here saying that one should eat closer to maintenance the closer one gets to goal weight - sort of sneak up on it?

    I don't really have a set goal, the main thing was to get from "morbidly obese" to "normal", so I am about 30lbs away from that.. am thinking of losing up to 60 more though. But for me that doesn't seem like all that much, which is why its frustrating; rather than take a break altogether I would rather keep losing, even if its at a slower rate...
  • coffeeMAME
    coffeeMAME Posts: 23 Member
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    I would suggest you figure out your actual maintenence as opposed to just guessing at 1800 Use something like fat2fitradio or scoobys workshop.
    Mike

    Yeah, maintenance makes sense, but mine is actually pretty high because I am still so heavy, and I really don't want to be eating an unhealthy amount of calories. So I was thinking 1800, because its a healthy amount for someone my age and height (22, 5'5)... and my fairly low activity level.
  • Drunkenduckie
    Drunkenduckie Posts: 5 Member
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    Mix it up and try a class. Zumba is fun. So is kickboxing.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    Are you very far from your goal weight? I don't have any experience but I have read a lot of people on here saying that one should eat closer to maintenance the closer one gets to goal weight - sort of sneak up on it?
    I am switching into that phase now. It is partly because I am worried that if I go from 2 lbs a week to a dead stop I will have trouble figuring out the right amounts and have some wild swings. So I figure I should try to lose a pound a week for a week or two, then half a pound for the remaining weeks. It is also because I am now trying a lot harder to tone the core and upper body. I have that "skinny fat" thing now. My stomach is nearly flat, but it still jiggles. To the OP - that is a major reason to incorporate some exercise in.

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