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

coffeeMAME · June 2013

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?

tubzzy77 · June 2013

yeah bro. Take a week off. It's okay.

susannamarie · June 2013

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 · June 2013

Eat more calories. Still eat healthy choices, just eat more.

LuckyFur · June 2013

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 · June 2013

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 · June 2013

Yeah. Eat at maintenance for a while.

coffeeMAME · June 2013

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 · June 2013

Congratulations on how awesome you've done already! Your plan of 1800 sounds great for a little while.

halleymw · June 2013

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 · June 2013

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 · June 2013

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 · June 2013

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 · June 2013

Exercise more and eat those calories back.

emergencytennis · June 2013

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 · June 2013

Peanut butter sammich and a glass of milk.

coffeeMAME · June 2013

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 · June 2013

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 · June 2013

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 · June 2013

Mix it up and try a class. Zumba is fun. So is kickboxing.

55in13 · June 2013

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.

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

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