Too Few Calories? 600-800?

Thank you for your encouragement. Should I just double my portions? I have a feeling I would get really full doing that.

Stupid question - but could you be measuring wrong?
Maybe you are getting more calories than you think you are?

Theres a post out there (sorry I don't have the link) that shows how measuring just a couple of things wrong a day can lead to an un logged like 400 calories. Just a thought

I know sometimes even when i only log 800-1000 for the day, I ate over that just by not measuring and eye balling - or measuring instead of weighing and by tasting as I'm cooking etc. so as long as I feel good I know i most likely went over by at least a couple of hundred Calories. Unless I was logging every single condiment (like I would if it wasn't working for me) I don't worry about it and just listen to my body, if I started gaining or stopped losing then I might look into my accuracy.

Does that make sense? Long story short don't go too crazy - I mean if you're seriously not hungry don't force it down your throat, maybe add some dressings / mayo to the tuna - salad with the tuna - some cheese with your almonds - that would add a couple of extra calories too Just experiment and find out what works for you and what doesn't and what works and feels good long term. It's taken me a couple years of experimenting so far and i'm still tweaking - p.s. i did hard core 'low carb' for a full year strict - it's hard not to eat a lot of calories and do low carb at least for me it was - Big Salads with olive oil and chicken and cheese - at I would get to at least 1500 calories a day just from big salads and chicken and eggs and nuts and berries - I lost a lot of weight that year eating that way and felt great... play around with it and look up some recipes

Thank you for the advise. Do you mean it's not possible to loose two pounds per week?

No, it's possible, I've lost 2 pounds already this week since monday. I eat between 650-900 calories.

and you're doing it wrong too.

God why do people think it's a good idea to eat like this ... What do you want to achieve? Cos I will tell you attractiveness is not on the menu with that approach lady. Sorry no matter what you think you are wrong. Just ... for gods sake be told. I mean hell you even run. You are gonna crash and burn lady. I would even dare to say you have exercise Anorexia.

Wow, you people are so nice... And I am by no means anorexic, I eat 3 meals a day.

So? I eat two meals a day.

I'm also not required to be nice when people are bragging about effectively starving themselves and having literally no idea what they're talking about... or what they're doing to their body.

^This. Follow his advice. He's a dude like you. That has succeeded and given smart advice along the way. You doN,t need a 19 year old girl's advice.

For starters I would suggest setting an appropriate weight loss goal/week. with 30 or less lbs to lose you should not be aiming to lose more than 1lb/week. this will give you more cals, eat all of them plus most of what you burn from exercise.

And low carb will help lose water weight initially, but you will not lose any more fat on the same calorie diet, be it low carb, or low fat, or balanced.

You're welcome. As for doubling portions, I can't say one way or the other because I have no idea how you're planning your meals. You mentioned what you're eating, but I don't know how you're preparing these foods. For example, when you eat tofu or tuna -- how are you preparing these items? If you're logging all your food in the database, it might be a good idea to open up your diary so other members can see it and give better feedback.

BTW, I would strongly encourage you to read these threads for information on how best to utilize MFP:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

This...this-ity this this this...

This. Seriously.

I don't understand how people say they can't manage to eat more than a few hundred calories - that they feel full - but they are still overweight. Unless you have a medical issue, you can manage another thousand calories or more. You must've been eating more than what you're eating now to get to this point.

My guess is that people get into the diet mentality and think they have to abandon all their old foods in favor of lettuce and tuna. At first, that can be very filling! Eating 500 calories of lettuce would put me off food for a while. But it will eventually catch up and then there will be a binge. That's why it's best to eat what you like, and like what you eat, in healthy moderation.

OP, judging by your stats/pictures, you don't have enough to lose to do a VLCD (very low calorie diet). I know you've been given good responses here, just wanted to throw my hat in the ring.

Focus on retaining lean muscle mass and eat in moderation. Figure out your TDEE and subtract 20% to come up with your daily goal and adjust as needed. It may take a few weeks of tweaking before you start seeing results.

Thank you for your encouragement. Should I just double my portions? I have a feeling I would get really full doing that.

Stupid question - but could you be measuring wrong?
Maybe you are getting more calories than you think you are?

Theres a post out there (sorry I don't have the link) that shows how measuring just a couple of things wrong a day can lead to an un logged like 400 calories. Just a thought

I know sometimes even when i only log 800-1000 for the day, I ate over that just by not measuring and eye balling - or measuring instead of weighing and by tasting as I'm cooking etc. so as long as I feel good I know i most likely went over by at least a couple of hundred Calories. Unless I was logging every single condiment (like I would if it wasn't working for me) I don't worry about it and just listen to my body, if I started gaining or stopped losing then I might look into my accuracy.

Does that make sense? Long story short don't go too crazy - I mean if you're seriously not hungry don't force it down your throat, maybe add some dressings / mayo to the tuna - salad with the tuna - some cheese with your almonds - that would add a couple of extra calories too Just experiment and find out what works for you and what doesn't and what works and feels good long term. It's taken me a couple years of experimenting so far and i'm still tweaking - p.s. i did hard core 'low carb' for a full year strict - it's hard not to eat a lot of calories and do low carb at least for me it was - Big Salads with olive oil and chicken and cheese - at I would get to at least 1500 calories a day just from big salads and chicken and eggs and nuts and berries - I lost a lot of weight that year eating that way and felt great... play around with it and look up some recipes

I'm in your camp. I KNOW I am too lazy to perfectly measure everything. I measure things every now and again, to make sure that my "eyeball" or "palm full" measurements aren't too far off the mark, but if I really food-scaled every single bite I'd get fed up and stop doing it all. So I keep myself to a measured 1200 calories per day, knowing I likely eat more like 1300-1400. It's working so far. I do NOT recommend this to someone new, but this is what has worked for me after some trial and error, and I think it's the most sustainable path for me.

Thank you for the advise. Do you mean it's not possible to loose two pounds per week?

No, it's possible, I've lost 2 pounds already this week since monday. I eat between 650-900 calories.

and you're doing it wrong too.

No, I think I eat enough calories for my body. And I'm pretty healthy, I run a lot.

I don't care what you think.
Science will tell you that you're wrong.

It isn't opinion.. it isn't "What Trog thinks" either.

You're doing it wrong.

..but that's okay. Keep eating that little and we'll see you on the forums again asking why your period stopped or maybe why your hair is starting to fall out.

You do realize that your body needs calories just to exist right? I mean, like.. you know... for your heart to beat, or brain to function? Maybe hepatic functions?

Wait til you realize that your hormones are screwed up.


I'm trying to save you grief later... please understand that.

I don't really care if it comes across as harsh, you need to really... REALLY understand how WRONG you are.

Yes, I do realize that my body needs calories to exist which is why I eat 900 sometimes, my body really doesn't need more than that.

What makes you believe that your body "doesn't need more than that"? Because you don't feel hungry? Girl I am not trying to be ruse or anything, but the very MINIMUM a woman should consume a day is 1200 calories. Consistently being lower than that is just going to damage your body. Trust me.

Yes, I do realize that my body needs calories to exist which is why I eat 900 sometimes, my body really doesn't need more than that.

You're 18 years old according to your profile.....unless you are 3' 4" tall (or something) your body needs way more than 900 calories. The number of calories your body would use if you were in a coma is known as your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Eating 900 is like asking your body to make choices.....do I nourish heart muscle.....OR do I nourish this head of hair? Your body will always choose heart muscle, blood cells, brain function over less important skin cells, lean muscle mass.

For a 5' tall female - 18 year old - 135 pound - couch potato .....the BMR is 1315

Check yours here:
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Dude. You're 5'4" 175, you don't need to lose 20lbs. I'm 5'6" and when I was in the best shape of my life I was 172-176.

You need to do a body decomposition, not lose an inordinate amount of weight.

Not necessary. In my profile pic I am 5'6" 140-142 lbs. To look like that at 5'4" I would have had to get down to sub 130 lbs

Okay, I hit a big plateau that lasted for a few weeks. I was going to just give up out of frustration, and even made a post doing so. But I'll tell you what I did instead. I RAISED my calories. I started eating more, and do you know what? I started losing again. It was a big eye opener for me. It sounds so backwards, and every time I heard someone say "eat more and you will lose more" I didn't really believe them. Your mind tells you that you should eat less to lose weight, but really, that's not necessarily true. I reset my settings to lose one pound a week instead of two. I added about 500 calories per day to what I was eating, which is one extra additional meal per day. Now I've been eating roughly 1800 calories and between 70 to 80 grams of fat, and I am losing weight again. Before I was eating about 1200 to 1300 and my weight loss was stalled. And I could even eat more than that if I wanted as my max calories go just above 2000 when I exercise, but that is a comfortable amount for me. You HAVE to eat more. You will lose more weight by eating more and fueling your body. Eating 500 calories a day is not only risking your health, but it won't facilitate optimal weight loss.

i know a few people who have only consumed only 500 calories on th HCG diet... one lost 50 lbs in 4 ish months.,... and its been a year and she has kept it off........ its not the healthiest she didi take multivitamins .. the other lost 45 in same time and kept it off

Poor people,15-30 lbs of that loss would have most likely come from muscle mass. It is much harder to build muscle back than it is to retain it while losing. Ouch

^This. QFT.

Dude. You're 5'4" 175, you don't need to lose 20lbs. I'm 5'6" and when I was in the best shape of my life I was 172-176.

You need to do a body decomposition, not lose an inordinate amount of weight.

^^^^ This.^^^^ I know everyone has different goals, but you dont look "heavy" for your height and weight. I agree with the above.

I am a 5'3 female and couldnt live on 1200 calories per day. You may lose, but are you going to eat like that forever? If not, you will gain it right back.

You are setting yourself up for failure on 600calories per day. That is insane. Some of the best advice you will find is on here.

Hi,I think you have been given some very good advice here. It might be worth putting your dets in here, this should give you your TDEE (how much you burn on a daily basis) & BMR (calories your body uses just to stay alive) you can then work out a sensible calorie deficit. - I think there is more info in the sexy pants link.

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/


Edit: Just put your dets into the calculator (no exercise) it gives 1716 as your BMR & 2060 as your TDEE so you can definitely eat a lot more and still lose weight - booom!

I'm glad someone posted this for the OP. It's really the best tool out there to figure out how many calories you should be eating.

As for the young 'anorexic' girl who posted earlier: I feel sad for you. I know you have an illness and I know that you don't know or don't want to beleive you have an illness. I hope a friend or close family member urges you to get the help you need before you end up in a hospital on a feeding tube.