1000 calories a day

tierra85
tierra85 Posts: 300 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For quite a few months i have been averaging 1000 calories a day. That being said, if i ever felt hungry i would eat more than that. From much advice from friends on here, i forced my calories up to 1200 most days last week, and i gained 1.4lbs :( I can say that the added 200 calories pretty much came from coffee with cream and sugar so i could quickly get the calories without feeling uncomfortably full. Do you reckon if i continue with 1200 a day am i going to keep gaining weight? Quite discouraging.

Replies

  • Unknown
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  • sola24
    sola24 Posts: 334 Member
    When you suddenly increase your calories, you will experience a sudden weight gain.. but its not fat.. give it sometime and it will stabilize.. What is your current height and weight?
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    When you suddenly increase your calories, you will experience a sudden weight gain.. but its not fat.. give it sometime and it will stabilize.

    Also, do some research on the hormones that regulate your ability to feel full and hungry. When you are on a steep calorie deficit (as you have been) they get very screwed up and don't do the job they are supposed to do. Therefore, you may not feel hungry at all. This is not a good judge of your body's nutritional needs. Very important when losing weight - eat the calories/macros you need to stay healthy.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    For quite a few months i have been averaging 1000 calories a day. That being said, if i ever felt hungry i would eat more than that. From much advice from friends on here, i forced my calories up to 1200 most days last week, and i gained 1.4lbs :( I can say that the added 200 calories pretty much came from coffee with cream and sugar so i could quickly get the calories without feeling uncomfortably full. Do you reckon if i continue with 1200 a day am i going to keep gaining weight? Quite discouraging.
    No, unless you've seriously screwed up your metabolism from undereating. You gain weight when you eat more because you are replenishing your glycogen stores (kind of the opposite of when people lose a big chunk of water weight as soon as they cut calories). It doesn't matter where the calories came from, and actually consuming more calories in a way that doesn't make you feel full is a sensible way to do it if you don't feel hungry enough.

    Do keep eating more though, 1000 calories a day is far too little, especially as you only have 15lbs to go. You risking losing a lot more lean mass than you should, as well as screwing up your hormones. If the scale bothers you that much, stay off it for a couple of weeks while your body adjusts.

    And definitely read up about hunger, appetite and hormones. Hunger is really not the best indicator of how much you should be eating.
  • tierra85
    tierra85 Posts: 300 Member
    I really hope it does! I am 5 6' 134lbs. Most people my height and weight look amazing, but i still have so much excess fat on my body (everyone in my family has a small body frame). I'm not trying to crash diet either, I find it incredibly difficult to eat 1000 in healthy food. Any ideas for good quality, high calorie, vegetarian foods to get me back to 1200?
  • tierra85
    tierra85 Posts: 300 Member
    For quite a few months i have been averaging 1000 calories a day. That being said, if i ever felt hungry i would eat more than that. From much advice from friends on here, i forced my calories up to 1200 most days last week, and i gained 1.4lbs :( I can say that the added 200 calories pretty much came from coffee with cream and sugar so i could quickly get the calories without feeling uncomfortably full. Do you reckon if i continue with 1200 a day am i going to keep gaining weight? Quite discouraging.
    No, unless you've seriously screwed up your metabolism from undereating. You gain weight when you eat more because you are replenishing your glycogen stores (kind of the opposite of when people lose a big chunk of water weight as soon as they cut calories). It doesn't matter where the calories came from, and actually consuming more calories in a way that doesn't make you feel full is a sensible way to do it if you don't feel hungry enough.

    Do keep eating more though, 1000 calories a day is far too little, especially as you only have 15lbs to go. You risking losing a lot more lean mass than you should, as well as screwing up your hormones. If the scale bothers you that much, stay off it for a couple of weeks while your body adjusts.

    And definitely read up about hunger, appetite and hormones. Hunger is really not the best indicator of how much you should be eating.

    That's really interesting. I thought listening to my body was the best thing i could be doing :/ Thank you for sharing
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    I really hope it does! I am 5 6' 134lbs. Most people my height and weight look amazing, but i still have so much excess fat on my body (everyone in my family has a small body frame). I'm not trying to crash diet either, I find it incredibly difficult to eat 1000 in healthy food. Any ideas for good quality, high calorie, vegetarian foods to get me back to 1200?

    Go for more calorie dense food. A couple of spoons of peanut butter is about 200 calories. Also, make sure you're choosing full fat dairy products.

    As far as your weight, I am 5'6" and if I weighed 135, I'd be considered too thin. All bodies are different like that. If you don't already, have you tried lifting? It seriously makes a big difference in how you look. Might be worth looking in to. I didn't think I would like it, but I love it!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    A couple fo eggs, or some peanut butter shoudl egt you there.

    How's your exercise routine, given that it's shape you're more concerned about?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    For quite a few months i have been averaging 1000 calories a day. That being said, if i ever felt hungry i would eat more than that. From much advice from friends on here, i forced my calories up to 1200 most days last week, and i gained 1.4lbs :( I can say that the added 200 calories pretty much came from coffee with cream and sugar so i could quickly get the calories without feeling uncomfortably full. Do you reckon if i continue with 1200 a day am i going to keep gaining weight? Quite discouraging.
    If you're gaining on 1,200 calories, then you are seriously underestimating your food.

    Log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Weigh your food.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • FitnessLover001
    FitnessLover001 Posts: 188 Member
    1,200 is the MINIMAL calorie intake for women that is suggested. So with exercise or not, if you're only eating 1,200 calories, you'll lose weight. You should definitely eat more than 1,000 calories. Maybe you do too much that requires you to have more than 1,200 calories. When you increase in food, you'll see a weight gain initially, but it'll balance out. I'd check my BMR and make sure you're getting a proper calorie intake
  • tierra85
    tierra85 Posts: 300 Member
    I will definitely pick up some peanut butter today!

    For exercise, i practice yoga daily and i really enjoy long walks. I'm not allowed to do any intense cardio since my car accident until my doctor says other wise. In the summer i ride my bike every where, but that's about it. As a student I do a lot of sitting, but i try to stay moving around when I'm not studying or in class. I'm sort of intimidated by weight training, i personally don't want to look like one of those female body builders :/

    I only use measuring cups, but I'll look into buying a scale. Any recommendations for a good one?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Any food scale will be 100x more accurate than measuring cups & spoons.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    I will definitely pick up some peanut butter today!

    For exercise, i practice yoga daily and i really enjoy long walks. I'm not allowed to do any intense cardio since my car accident until my doctor says other wise. In the summer i ride my bike every where, but that's about it. As a student I do a lot of sitting, but i try to stay moving around when I'm not studying or in class. I'm sort of intimidated by weight training, i personally don't want to look like one of those female body builders :/

    I only use measuring cups, but I'll look into buying a scale. Any recommendations for a good one?

    And you will never look like a female body builder - unless you are willing to eat a lot and train to get that way. Even then, it's really hard to do. Check out some of the women on MFP that lift and have regular but very toned bodies. They are my inspiration.

    I just started yoga and it requires a lot of strength too. Good for you.

    I bought my food scale at WalMart. It was less than $20 and I love it.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    You will NOT look like a female body builder. Can you do some simple body weight things such as squats, push-ups, planks?
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I'm sort of intimidated by weight training, i personally don't want to look like one of those female body builders :/
    Do you have any idea how much time and effort goes into being a body builder? I promise, it won't happen overnight and it won't happen by accident. Those women work very hard to look like that, and purposely gain muscle - which means eating at a surplus and gaining weight. It doesn't happen just by lifting weights.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    1K is way to low.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    How do you know that this weight fluctuation is due to food rather than normal hormonal changes, salt consumption or water retention from exercise? One week is far too soon to be blaming it on what essentially is still a large deficit. Give it some time.
  • RadioactivePirate
    RadioactivePirate Posts: 212
    Your body fat is probably high because when you lose weight drastically (on a way too low calorie diet, like 1000 cal a day) you lose a bunch of muscle. When you start eating normally again you gain it back but you gain it fast and so you get fat where you had muscle before, and your body fat percentage goes up (and even worse, you burn fewer calories at the same weight because your muscle was burning more before than your fat is now). If you have been through a few cycles of intense dieting and then regain that would explain why your weight may be the same but your fat higher. Continuing this cycle will not help. You need to eat a reasonable amount of calories per day and maintain that level indefinitely, not eat way too low and then stop once you get to the weight you want.
  • daniellaritson
    daniellaritson Posts: 2
    I really hope it does! I am 5 6' 134lbs. Most people my height and weight look amazing, but i still have so much excess fat on my body (everyone in my family has a small body frame). I'm not trying to crash diet either, I find it incredibly difficult to eat 1000 in healthy food. Any ideas for good quality, high calorie, vegetarian foods to get me back to 1200?

    Hey! Try to incorporate more fat, calcium and protein into your diet. The best way I find is to make a puff pastry tart and fill it with vegetables and lots of healthy things and now again some mozz cheese. Or you in pasta bakes you could chop up some meat alternative sausages; I usually go for the Linda McCartney italian sausages. I've been veggie for almost 8 years now and I find it really difficult on calories ranging from 1000-1300 to get all the stuff my body needs, so thats what I do. Recently, I haven't been doing too well with food, but its important to just focus on the protein, fat and calcium percentage before even looking into the calories of your veggies. Changing to soy milk made my hair start falling out! Thats what got me to start eating more because if something so small as a change in milk can do that; something in my whole diet must be seriously wrong! If you're happy with the size and content of your meals at the moment, maybe just try to include some greek yogurt for protein and calcium as a snack and add some oats or whatever you feel like and that should help to get those calories up without being too daunting. Anyway, good luck!
  • tierra85
    tierra85 Posts: 300 Member
    The largest chunk of my weight loss i was eating 1500, and i gradually worked down to 1200. Just within the last couple months have I've been around 1000. I don't know where my appetite went. Thank you for all the advice! I'll add some of the foods recommended and incorporate some weight training.. hopefully it turns around soon for me.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Just within the last couple months have I've been around 1000. I don't know where my appetite went.
    It's very normal for appetite to be suppressed when chronically under-eating. Work on getting more food in and you'll likely see it return. If not, maybe see a doctor as it could be a sign of something underlying.
  • arguablysamson
    arguablysamson Posts: 1,709 Member
    Hi,

    To answer your question, no, you won't keep gaining. Your body will eventually level out, but you gain weight from any frequent snacking done if your body doesn't have time to clean out the contents in the gut. Not everybody is a one-meal-a-day-er like me, but I have found that the "eat many meals" advice not only doesn't work, but tends to promote weight gain on even less calories. Put the calories you have in one or two meals and see what changes for you. I bet you'd see a reduction in weight pretty quickly.

    But as with anything, if you've calorie-restricted for a while, you'll need to very slowly go up--like maybe add 100 calories total for a week and another 100 the next week. Keep relatively active. And remember that weight fluctuations go up and down. it's fine to gain and lose within a certain range. You should only weigh once every 7 days, mind you, because you'll psyche yourself out.

    Keep a lid on the calories and you'll eventually stabilize and/or keep losing. You can find what works for you, but don't be afraid to enjoy a one-day weekly splurge day. This shocks the body into losing since it quits getting afraid of your starving. It's amazing how someone can keep or start losing after a day of overeating!
  • TomPowell1234
    TomPowell1234 Posts: 1
    I'm doing well on what what I eat. I'm not sure about the calories but here's a rundown

    BREAKFAST
    yoghurt and an apple

    LUNCH
    tossed vege salad (lettuce, toms, olives, cucumber, a bit of coleslaw, beetroot / sweetcorn)

    DINNER
    usually a sandwich (tuna salad preferred)

    At the weekend, I eat a bit more, so bacon and an egg for brekkie, a salad for lunch and a decent sized cooked dinner in the evening, with snacks of fruit and a snickers bar (only one on sunday evening)


    I am losing weight, I feel great. I'm not tired or anything. It seems to be working for me.

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