Am I "technically" starving myself? Open diary.
Replies
-
If we are only to be looking at the past two days, then yes you are definitely eating far far too little. And, believe it or not, some of these people who you are now perceiving as snarky, are just trying to make that very point and are trying to help. Under eating is very unhealthy and completely unnecessary and sometimes people feel have to be direct in their disagreement about it. If you want to learn more about starvation mode go to this video here, it is an excellent explanation. http://www.leighpeele.com/starvation-modeAGAIN, I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE FOR THE NEW-COMERS THAT THE IHOP MEAL DAY WAS THE LAST HURRAH- THE ENDING OF THE OLD ME AND THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW ME.
Yes, it was not the best way to start things out, but I do not regret it...nor am I ashamed of it...
The day after, is when the NEW ME is beginning...
SO KINDLY take that in consideration before producing word vomit. Thank you. xD0 -
OP: This is a public forum where people are free to post on anything, just as people are free to start threads. Many times people will start threads and not like the responses and resort to name calling etc. it happens all of the time. (this thread is a perfect example) Sometimes responses are straight forward and not sugar coated in any way. It happens. You are asking for opinions and help, which is what people are trying to do for you. You stated, "I'm pretty new to all of this so any advice would be most appreciated.
" Keep your mind open OP. 0 -
What I see is disordered eating, i.e., going from feast to famine.
Learn how to eat in moderation, and learn how to incorporate fitness in your day.
The only way I could learn how to do this was to buy a food scale and weigh my food. I prepare most of my food at home, and that helps me to control my intake. I use MFP to calculate my recipes, and this is a huge help.
The best way to learn is through trial and error, ever learning from our errors. Good luck on your journey.0 -
In your past 3 days I see one day at about 3500, 1 day at 600, 1 day at 500. That averages out to 1533, which isn't a starvation number at all. If you constantly eat 600 and 500 every day without the higher days, then yes, you will end up starving yourself eventually. If you just weren't hungry that day due to eating a lot the previous day and sleeping in till 1, then I see nothing wrong with it. Just listen to your body. We can't avoid taking the iHop day into consideration because that probably had an effect on dampening your appetite the following day.
I'm guessing you will want to eat more than 600 most days. As others have said, it's the weekly average that matters. Your body can utilize glycogen stores on low days, when it has been fueled by higher calorie days and has that to draw from.0 -
First, if you go to your biopage and fill in the questions about height, weight, age, and activity level MFP is going to tell you how much your calorie intake should be to lose a healthy 2 lbs. a week. I started out on weight watchers 360 program. I weighed in at a whopping 404 lbs. Sticking to the point counting system they gave me, I only lost 8.2 lbs in 10 weeks. The my daughter told me about MFP. In the 2 weeks since I joined MFP I have lost 14.2 lbs. I try to get as close to my caloric allowance as I can. If you are a larger size lady like myself you'll see that we actually are allowed a little bit more cals than the average person. My point is, that these are professionals that have worked out a formula designed for the best results for you. If you go to low on the calories, yes you'll lose weight fast but it probably won't last because miracle fixes never do. I suggest that you give MFP's way a chance and see what the results are. I measure and weigh my food. If you snack it, track it. If you bite it, write it. If you nibble it, scribble it. If you hog it, log it. Oh yeah, on my suggested 2150 calories a day, I lost 6 the first week and 8.2 the next.0
-
In your past 3 days I see one day at about 3500, 1 day at 600, 1 day at 500. That averages out to 1533, which isn't a starvation number at all. If you constantly eat 600 and 500 every day without the higher days, then yes, you will end up starving yourself eventually. If you just weren't hungry that day due to eating a lot the previous day and sleeping in till 1, then I see nothing wrong with it. Just listen to your body. We can't avoid taking the iHop day into consideration because that probably had an effect on dampening your appetite the following day.
I'm guessing you will want to eat more than 600 most days. As others have said, it's the weekly average that matters. Your body can utilize glycogen stores on low days, when it has been fueled by higher calorie days and has that to draw from.
Thank you very much.
0 -
First, if you go to your biopage and fill in the questions about height, weight, age, and activity level MFP is going to tell you how much your calorie intake should be to lose a healthy 2 lbs. a week. I started out on weight watchers 360 program. I weighed in at a whopping 404 lbs. Sticking to the point counting system they gave me, I only lost 8.2 lbs in 10 weeks. The my daughter told me about MFP. In the 2 weeks since I joined MFP I have lost 14.2 lbs. I try to get as close to my caloric allowance as I can. If you are a larger size lady like myself you'll see that we actually are allowed a little bit more cals than the average person. My point is, that these are professionals that have worked out a formula designed for the best results for you. If you go to low on the calories, yes you'll lose weight fast but it probably won't last because miracle fixes never do. I suggest that you give MFP's way a chance and see what the results are. I measure and weigh my food. If you snack it, track it. If you bite it, write it. If you nibble it, scribble it. If you hog it, log it. Oh yeah, on my suggested 2150 calories a day, I lost 6 the first week and 8.2 the next.
Thank you.
That's a nice bit of inspiration there... thanks! 0 -
So, you've been actively changing your eating habits for the past 36 hours, right? The truth is that there is NO WAY we can give you accurate advice based on that little information. No, you should not eat the way you did yesterday regularly. And you'll get better results if your caloric intake is relatively constant because your body will come to know what it can expect each day, and thusly process food more efficiently. Other than that, we cannot predict if you're starving yourself or not, because we don't know what your eating habits will look like now that you're starting "for real". There simply isn't enough data there to tell us.0
-
The only way I could learn how to do this was to buy a food scale and weigh my food. I prepare most of my food at home, and that helps me to control my intake. I use MFP to calculate my recipes, and this is a huge help.
I think this is really important, especially at the beginning and especially for people who started at a pretty high weight. Our portion control stunk or we wouldn't have gotten large to start with. If you weigh and measure for a month or two, you'll be amazed at how good you get at eyeballing the appropriate portion sizes for things and then you don't have to be quite as strict about it.0 -
Hello Everyone,
I was just wondering if it was so bad if i'm not meeting the 1200 calorie intake minimal.
For example, I slept in till about 1:00 PM yesterday and only had like...626 calories clocked in for the day.
The official start was yesterday so i'm really counting the calories and what-not now.
Working extremely hard for my goal for fast results... haha
So I am very determined to stay under the daily goal or at the very most AT it.
Am I being too extreme though? Am I technically "starving" myself?
I'm pretty new to all of this so any advice would be most appreciated.
No, you're not starving yourself but you're very close.
At that calorie level you're at the level of treatment given to patients who are in a closely medically supervised plan to avoid life threatening obesity.
I would not intentionally eat at that calorie level, ever (and this is from someone who had a superb weight loss experience while eating 800 to 1k cals/day net.)
We can lose weight very safely at the 1200 calorie level so you might want to use that as your minimum level.0 -
Some days I like 2,500-3,000 calories. Some days, I eat like 1000. I go by weekly numbers, not daily, cause that is what works for me.
So long as your weekly deficit isn't more than 1-2 pounds (3,500-7,000 calories) you are fine.
this^
Calories in Calories out. A body doesn't loose a pound in a day...it looses over the course of a week or 10 days...an average is acceptable if isn't too low. The OP is obviously young and as the mother of a 18 year old I know that one day will not look like the next in the life of a young person. They just have too darn much going on to be consistant!
Congratulations on starting MissRaven...that is the first step to meeting your goal. Good luck to you!0 -
My lord, how did the human race survive without calorie counting?? Of course you can only eat when you are hungry, and stop when you are full, what a question! I know there are lots of "rules" out there when it comes to diet, especially in this community, and if you are new here it can seem confusing. But a little common sense goes a long way. Good luck.0
-
Some days I like 2,500-3,000 calories. Some days, I eat like 1000. I go by weekly numbers, not daily, cause that is what works for me.
So long as your weekly deficit isn't more than 1-2 pounds (3,500-7,000 calories) you are fine.
this^
Calories in Calories out. A body doesn't loose a pound in a day...it looses over the course of a week or 10 days...an average is acceptable if isn't too low. The OP is obviously young and as the mother of a 18 year old I know that one day will not look like the next in the life of a young person. They just have too darn much going on to be consistant!
Congratulations on starting MissRaven...that is the first step to meeting your goal. Good luck to you!
Thank you very much, I really appreciate your words. 0 -
Has anyone actually looked at the OPs diary before responding??? :huh:
Never mind yesterdays 600-odd cals day, plenty of days before are well over 3500+ with single meals over 1800+ cals.
What is your reasoning behind this?:noway:0 -
My lord, how did the human race survive without calorie counting?? Of course you can only eat when you are hungry, and stop when you are full, what a question! I know there are lots of "rules" out there when it comes to diet, especially in this community, and if you are new here it can seem confusing. But a little common sense goes a long way. Good luck.
I have common sense... -_-
I just thought it would be a good idea to reach out to the "community" and see what others have to say. Others that are more experienced than me.
Eating when you are hungry. And not eating when you are not, is a given.
If you read what was asked- you would have noticed that I was asking a question in regards to my body getting what it NEEDS.
Perhaps I wasn't specific enough.0 -
Has anyone actually looked at the OPs diary before responding??? :huh:
Never mind yesterdays 600-odd cals day, plenty of days before are well over 3500+ with single meals over 1800+ cals.
What is your reasoning behind this?:noway:
Did you read previous posts?0 -
Be as consistent as you can, and stay as close to your calorie goal for each day as possible. Some days, we all go over or under to an extent, but just get back on track. Each day is a new day. If you want to eat more, burn more calories through exercise. Take it one day at a time too. It has taken me almost a year to lose 35 pounds. Some lose it much quicker than I do or longer than I did, but we each are on our own journey.0
-
I do believe I've learned my lesson from reaching out to the community. LOL0
-
I was NOT being critical of you, sorry if you misunderstood - It is the nature of this online community and other dieting websites, with all the misinformation and quasi-science, that makes newbies think that if you eat below your BMR for one day or even 3, somehow your body just shuts down and goes into "starvation mode". Don't let anybody scare you into thinking that a few days without perfect macros, or a perfect calories count (calories being a questionable way to account for energy intake anyway) will throw you off your diet. You WERE being entirely rational when you suggested that you should just eat when you are hungry. It is the rest of the noise that is making you question that - I was basically just saying, go with your instinct here. If you aren't hungry, don't force yourself. Your body was designed to withstand all sorts of variance in energy intake.0
-
I was NOT being critical of you, sorry if you misunderstood - It is the nature of this online community and other dieting websites, with all the misinformation and quasi-science, that makes newbies think that if you eat below your BMR for one day or even 3, somehow your body just shuts down and goes into "starvation mode". Don't let anybody scare you into thinking that a few days without perfect macros, or a perfect calories count (calories being a questionable way to account for energy intake anyway) will throw you off your diet. You WERE being entirely rational when you suggested that you should just eat when you are hungry. It is the rest of the noise that is making you question that - I was basically just saying, go with your instinct here. If you aren't hungry, don't force yourself. Your body was designed to withstand all sorts of variance in energy intake.
Thanks0 -
Hi,
It looks like you have a lot a weight to lose, like me. I'm going for 115+ lbs total loss. I work with an registered dietician to determine my body's needs calorie-wise and food-wise.
Anyhow, she currently has me on 1800 cals/day. And on workout days, she tells me that if I can't eat back all of the cals, then I should at least try to net 1500 cals/day.
This may seem like a lot of cals, but it is working. I've lost 30 lbs already and am sure to be at 35 lbs by the end of this month.
I'm not saying that this is the solution for you and your needs, but perhaps a few more cals above the 1200 would be good for you to start, maybe up it a bit above the 1200 to see how you do. The bigger we are when we start to lose weight, the more calories we need to sustain our bodies normal functions and not lose muscle.
Good luck. :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi,
It looks like you have a lot a weight to lose, like me. I'm going for 115+ lbs total loss. I work with an registered dietician to determine my body's needs calorie-wise and food-wise.
Anyhow, she currently has me on 1800 cals/day. And on workout days, she tells me that if I can't eat back all of the cals, then I should at least try to net 1500 cals/day.
This may seem like a lot of cals, but it is working. I've lost 30 lbs already and am sure to be at 35 lbs by the end of this month.
I'm not saying that this is the solution for you and your needs, but perhaps a few more cals above the 1200 would be good for you to start, maybe up it a bit above the 1200 to see how you do. The bigger we are when we start to lose weight, the more calories we need to sustain our bodies normal functions and not lose muscle.
Good luck. :flowerforyou:
Thanks hun, I really appreciate that! :flowerforyou:0 -
Hello Everyone,
I was just wondering if it was so bad if i'm not meeting the 1200 calorie intake minimal.
For example, I slept in till about 1:00 PM yesterday and only had like...626 calories clocked in for the day.
The official start was yesterday so i'm really counting the calories and what-not now.
Working extremely hard for my goal for fast results... haha
So I am very determined to stay under the daily goal or at the very most AT it.
Am I being too extreme though? Am I technically "starving" myself?
I'm pretty new to all of this so any advice would be most appreciated.
Here's my 2 cents worth...Why and how did you choose 1200 calories? Do you exercise? What form of exercise do you do, if any? Fast results??? or a healthy lifestyle? How much lean protein do you get in in a day? Do you drink water? 48 to 64 ounces a day? Do you eat protein first, then vegetables, then fruit, then carbs, if you have any room?0 -
Hello Everyone,
I was just wondering if it was so bad if i'm not meeting the 1200 calorie intake minimal.
For example, I slept in till about 1:00 PM yesterday and only had like...626 calories clocked in for the day.
The official start was yesterday so i'm really counting the calories and what-not now.
Working extremely hard for my goal for fast results... haha
So I am very determined to stay under the daily goal or at the very most AT it.
Am I being too extreme though? Am I technically "starving" myself?
I'm pretty new to all of this so any advice would be most appreciated.
Here's my 2 cents worth...Why and how did you choose 1200 calories? Do you exercise? What form of exercise do you do, if any? Fast results??? or a healthy lifestyle? How much lean protein do you get in in a day? Do you drink water? 48 to 64 ounces a day? Do you eat protein first, then vegetables, then fruit, then carbs, if you have any room?
Why and How?: I didn't CHOOSE 1200 calories- it just says that 1200 calories is the minimal I should eat. You know, the whole:
"*Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories. Not only is it difficult to receive adequate nutrition at these calorie levels, but you could also be putting your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism and makes weight loss more difficult. We suggest increasing your calorie consumption to 1200 calories per day minimum. "
Exercise: For now, i'm probably going to focus more on my eating...rather than exercising. I've been told to take it easy, so i'm going to do what my body tells me. I plan on doing walking and more low-level workouts. To ease myself in.
Water: I drink loads of water. Either 8 or more a day.
I don't really have a specific order I eat protein and veggies in...0 -
Hey sweetie, I commend you for making positive changes in your life. If you would like to add me, you are welcome to. I've lost 70 lbs so far, so I'd be happy to talk to you more about it, what I do and how I do it, if you'd like.0
-
I looked over your diary. Honestly, I think you need to educate yourself about healthy food choices. You are logging, but in many instances you have carbs & other macros listed as "0", which is not giving you an accurate account of what you're consuming. You're eating (and drinking) far too much sugar and processed foods. I would be more concerned about the choices of foods you are making. Considering the food you are currently eating, and the inadequate intake (both caloric & nutrient-wise), I would be very concerned about your health over all. You cannot sustain health on this type of diet for very long. Please read up on nutrition, so you can understand the seriousness of all of this. It is not something to fool around with. You have control over what you choose to put into your body. You can do this!0
-
Why have you been told to take it easy? And if you are focusing on the food for now, you should take the time to calculate your BMR and TDEE and figure out a sustainable deficit and your ideal macro balance.Hello Everyone,
I was just wondering if it was so bad if i'm not meeting the 1200 calorie intake minimal.
For example, I slept in till about 1:00 PM yesterday and only had like...626 calories clocked in for the day.
The official start was yesterday so i'm really counting the calories and what-not now.
Working extremely hard for my goal for fast results... haha
So I am very determined to stay under the daily goal or at the very most AT it.
Am I being too extreme though? Am I technically "starving" myself?
I'm pretty new to all of this so any advice would be most appreciated.
Here's my 2 cents worth...Why and how did you choose 1200 calories? Do you exercise? What form of exercise do you do, if any? Fast results??? or a healthy lifestyle? How much lean protein do you get in in a day? Do you drink water? 48 to 64 ounces a day? Do you eat protein first, then vegetables, then fruit, then carbs, if you have any room?
Why and How?: I didn't CHOOSE 1200 calories- it just says that 1200 calories is the minimal I should eat. You know, the whole:
"*Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories. Not only is it difficult to receive adequate nutrition at these calorie levels, but you could also be putting your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism and makes weight loss more difficult. We suggest increasing your calorie consumption to 1200 calories per day minimum. "
Exercise: For now, i'm probably going to focus more on my eating...rather than exercising. I've been told to take it easy, so i'm going to do what my body tells me. I plan on doing walking and more low-level workouts. To ease myself in.
Water: I drink loads of water. Either 8 or more a day.
I don't really have a specific order I eat protein and veggies in...0 -
It appears that you've averaged 2200 calories per day for the past 4 days (not including today), so if you're goal is 1750, I'd say you're still overeating. The 1200 calorie mark, to me, is better looked at as an average, because it gives you a better overview of what you're REALLY taking in. So, I think more consistency would be easier on your body than wild fluctuations every other day. Now, personally, I still have days that I totally blow it, but, for the most part, I'm consistent the rest of the time; however, I do think this accounts for my slow weight loss.
*your*0 -
Start by reading this and make your plan based on facts and figures. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
Good luck.0 -
I looked over your diary. Honestly, I think you need to educate yourself about healthy food choices. You are logging, but in many instances you have carbs & other macros listed as "0", which is not giving you an accurate account of what you're consuming. You're eating (and drinking) far too much sugar and processed foods. I would be more concerned about the choices of foods you are making. Considering the food you are currently eating, and the inadequate intake (both caloric & nutrient-wise), I would be very concerned about your health over all. You cannot sustain health on this type of diet for very long. Please read up on nutrition, so you can understand the seriousness of all of this. It is not something to fool around with. You have control over what you choose to put into your body. You can do this!
And here I thought I was doing good.
Hopefully my partner will know more about this, which i'm sure he will.
Because I've been reading things but it just doesn't click that well with me I guess.
It's like...I need my hand held.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions