Am I not taking in enough??

hhhhtttt2014 · February 2014

I've read so many things that say women shouldn't eat under 1200 calories but I eat from 900-1,100 each days. It varies. I'm 23 about 5'7" and around 165 lbs. I eat three full meals as well as a snack and my calories are still low. I've read that too few calories out your body into starvation mode. But will it sill do this even if I am eating three full meals a day and also a snack? I'm not quite understanding how that works. I feel like I'm eating plenty enough food in a day they just happen to be low in calories here and there. For example today I ate two scrambled eggs for breakfast, salad and a cup of chicken noodle soup for
Lunch, and a mixture of grilled shrimp and fish and a corn on the cob. I still ended the day with under 900 calories and about 52g carbs. Is this really not enough? Help is much appreciated. Thanks

bethannien · February 2014

If most days are 900 calories or less, then no, you are definitely not eating enough. Not because of starvation mode necessarily (I feel like starvation mode gets a bit too much credit for no weight loss) but because your body will start to cannibalize lean muscle and bone mass along with fat. Your body needs a certain number of calories just to function. Find out what your TDEE is and eat 20% less than that. Add things like avocado, nuts and nut butters and olive oil. You'll have no trouble meeting your calorie goal.

Food is fuel. Your body needs it to function.

Eta: if you're going to ask advice about your intake, you should open your diary to facilitate more useful advice

I would also like to add that it's very difficult to get adequate protein on such a low calorie diet, which will only make retaining lean muscle that much harder.

Arranna1212 · February 2014

Eating less than 1.2k calories a day is really really hard to achieve if you're eating a proper amount of protein, fruits, veggies, and carbs. A decent sized chicken breast is like 200 calories! Also, two scrambled eggs is around 200 calories too. You probably aren't logging your food correctly. You need to measure and weigh every item that you eat. Plus 52g of carbs a day is not enough and it will put your body into survival mode and start eating your lean muscle (not good!).

hhhhtttt2014 · February 2014

What's a TDEE and how do I figure this out?

christa279 · February 2014

What's a TDEE and how do I figure this out?

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure

You can figure it out using this link: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Here's some other links that really helped me figure things out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069268-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=guide+to+sexy+pants&page=1#posts-18362157

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

hhhhtttt2014 · February 2014

Thank you!!

Am I not taking in enough??

Replies

Categories