please explain the problem with low calories...

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Replies

  • songservant
    songservant Posts: 1
    Hi...in the words of my Dr and from experience - not enough calories slows down your metabolism. Your body requires enough calories in order to stay functioning properly. Too few calories sends a signal to your body that it is starving and your body slows the metabolism down so it can use those few calories to sustain itself. I spent a few years with way to low calories. I would only eat 900 and that was hard. I gained a tremendous amount of weight. The harderst part for me when starting my journey was eating enough calories. I eat 5 times a day now and maintain at least 1300 calories. That with 90 minutes of daily exercise my metabolism is on the rise and the weight is coming off. Slowly but surely. 66 lbs in one year. Hope that helps.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    However, if your BMR is 1,400, that means that if you were lying there for 24 hours in a coma, that's how many calories your body would NEED just to keep you alive.

    You ought to read how BMR is measured. Hint - the subjects aren't in a coma. Second hint - using 1400 calories does not mean you have to eat 1400 calories, especially if you're trying to use up your fat reserves.

    I love it when people use this emotive "coma" crap in their posts, it allows us to dismiss the rest of it as emotive ill-founded claptrap without reading it.
  • phyllisjoyce
    phyllisjoyce Posts: 3
    I also under-eat thinking I would speed things along. Having read all the above info I will now use my 1200 calories a day. Thanks for all the good advice. :wink:
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    All it does is **** with your metabolism and hormones over an extended period of time.. otherwise it's fine if you're already where you want to be.
  • Fit_Natasha
    Fit_Natasha Posts: 83 Member
    [/quote]

    Who is this fictional person with a TDEE of 1400?
    [/quote]

    I never said that 1400 is TDEE. My TDEE is 1652, minus 25% would put me into the 1239 calories, my BMR is 1201. I am trying to stick to it since May and not loosing much at all. I do have slow metabolism due to my thyroid, and saw the information that with my condition to loose the weight I should go 200 cal lower than my BMR, which would put me in a 1000 calories. I am afraid to go that low, but on the other hand, I've been eating within 1260 for the last four month and not much results.
  • Fit_Natasha
    Fit_Natasha Posts: 83 Member

    Scientific research says 1200 calories seems to be the threshold below which you should not go on a consistent basis. Perhaps, instead of listening to people simply with a "title" maybe you should instead rely on people like scientists who actually study things like this. Talk to a registered dietician, someone who actually might know something, who actually studied something about it, who actually do have experience with it.

    I think they key here is on a consistent basis. My question is: can you still eat 1200 calories to loose 10 lb and they up your calories intake to 1300 - 1400 to maintain the weight? It doesn't seems like it will do a tremendous amount of damage if you stick to this plan for 2-3 month, as long as your protein, fats and carbs balanced. Am I wrong?

    Do the math. If you lose 10 pounds at 1200 calories, but your maintenance is 1400, that means you have a 200 calorie a day deficit. At 3500 calories/pound, that is 35,000 calories. At 200 calories per day, it would take you 175 days or just short of 6 months to lose those 10 pounds.

    In the end, it's all math.

    Thanks a lot, I guess I never thought that way. I'll try to stick to it for the next 6 month.
  • Itsmebob
    Itsmebob Posts: 13
    IN because I have never seen a low calorie thread take such a turn. Bravo to the OP for having an open mind and thanks so much to Achaila for sharing your story. I wish you the best in your recovery.

    So much great information!
    Achaila's posts should be read by all
    Thanks Achaila, Great Job!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member

    Who is this fictional person with a TDEE of 1400?

    I never said that 1400 is TDEE. My TDEE is 1652, minus 25% would put me into the 1239 calories, my BMR is 1201. I am trying to stick to it since May and not loosing much at all. I do have slow metabolism due to my thyroid, and saw the information that with my condition to loose the weight I should go 200 cal lower than my BMR, which would put me in a 1000 calories. I am afraid to go that low, but on the other hand, I've been eating within 1260 for the last four month and not much results.

    With only 10 pounds to lose, a 25% cut is way too aggressive. 20% is the norm for most people unless they are obese, and then when you get to less than 20 pounds from your goal you should decrease it to 15% and 10% and gradually ease into maintenance. If your TDEE is 1652 then you wouldn't eat 1300-1400 for maintenance, you would eat 1652 for maintenance. I would suggest trying to eat at 1652 - 10% for 6-8 weeks and see if that helps. However, with your thyroid issues, your TDEE may not be really 1652.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    At 1200, for most people, you're not eating enough. Your body goes into starvation mode, which then means it struggles to hold onto every single pound and it's harder for you to lose weight. When you do lose weight, it tends to be muscle mass, not fat. Bad all around.

    The body does not go into starvation mode and it most certainly does not hold onto every single pound. This myth really needs to be put to bed it is absolutely ridiculous.

    To the OP, 1200 calories per day is fine, it is vitally important that the correct nutrients are consumed though.
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    what everyone else said ^
    It's harmful because your body uses up more calories in a camatose state rather than what you are eating. Which will hurt your body in the long run. Especially at your height, eating lower than 1200calories a day could be incredibly damaging.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    However, if your BMR is 1,400, that means that if you were lying there for 24 hours in a coma, that's how many calories your body would NEED just to keep you alive.

    You ought to read how BMR is measured. Hint - the subjects aren't in a coma. Second hint - using 1400 calories does not mean you have to eat 1400 calories, especially if you're trying to use up your fat reserves.

    I love it when people use this emotive "coma" crap in their posts, it allows us to dismiss the rest of it as emotive ill-founded claptrap without reading it.

    It's just an example. Not to be taken seriously. It's meant to make people realize, that this means not moving around, or doing any of the crap that we do on a day to day basis. Most people don't lay around the house for 24 hours, unless they're ill. Not meant to be taken so literally.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    what everyone else said ^
    It's harmful because your body uses up more calories in a camatose state rather than what you are eating. Which will hurt your body in the long run. Especially at your height, eating lower than 1200calories a day could be incredibly damaging.

    Yes, ^^^this!
  • BillyOwens
    BillyOwens Posts: 2 Member
    Don't get fixed on the numbers. I am 49 years old 5'10 very fit work out 4 hours on weights. I started 6 weeks ago and have lost 30 pounds so far. I am in 1000 calories a day, but maintain high protein at least 100 gr per day. I have only list about 2 % muscle mass. My water intake is about 12+ cups per day, my goal is at least 1 gallon per day.

    Take a good multi vitamin.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    However, if your BMR is 1,400, that means that if you were lying there for 24 hours in a coma, that's how many calories your body would NEED just to keep you alive.

    You ought to read how BMR is measured. Hint - the subjects aren't in a coma. Second hint - using 1400 calories does not mean you have to eat 1400 calories, especially if you're trying to use up your fat reserves.

    I love it when people use this emotive "coma" crap in their posts, it allows us to dismiss the rest of it as emotive ill-founded claptrap without reading it.

    It's just an example. Not to be taken seriously. It's meant to make people realize, that this means not moving around, or doing any of the crap that we do on a day to day basis. Most people don't lay around the house for 24 hours, unless they're ill. Not meant to be taken so literally.

    Except that, literally, this is the calculation used in hospitals for how many calories a person in a coma needs.
  • Brian1679
    Brian1679 Posts: 3
    Your BMR is the answer, those calories are to low.
  • Brian1679
    Brian1679 Posts: 3
    Your BMR is the answer, those calories are to low.
  • jetlag
    jetlag Posts: 800 Member
    Well..I'll just give my input even thought I'm sure it won't be held up as much as everyone elses;

    I have an eating disorder. I have to go to the doctor twice a week to watch my blood pressure, that runs around 70/50 because if it gets lower than that, something could go wrong with my heart and I could die. My pulse is also extremely low. My oxygen saturation is low. My body temperature runs around 96 (where a normal body temp is 98.6). I have to regularly get blood test to check and make sure that there is no damage to my kidneys or liver and a slew of other things (There is an order for blood work sitting right beside me right now, the orders on it are TSH, CBC, CMP (chem 14), ESR (Sed Rate), A1C) because what I have done to my body. How did I get said eating disorder? Eating less than 1000 calories a day. Dropping weight quickly. Deciding since I was dropping weight so quickly I would drop down more and more and more. Now my teeth are falling out, my hair is coming out in handfuls, and there is something wrong with my kidneys.

    But good luck with your "healthy" low calorie diet.

    This has also got to be one of the bravest posts I have seen. Thank you for sharing and I do hope everything goes well for you for the future

    +1

    Finally, someone speaking from experience. Thank you so much for posting that and I wish you godspeed in your recovery xxx
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