Too Few Calories?

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greenbutterflydaisy
greenbutterflydaisy Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, so I know I am not the only one who has seen the following message when finishing your day

"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 1,200 calories per day minimum."

of course with your own calories per day amount.

I have had this pop up almost every day for a week. I keep track of everything I consume during the day and it still isn't enough apparently.

I really want to do this weight loss thing right.

Is it ok for me to be under 1000cals a day at 5'4" and 180lbs in your opinion?

Just curious how much of a warning this really is ya know?

Thx guys!
Let me know what you think
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Replies

  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    If you do it a day here and there, it won't hinder anything. If you do it 6 months in a row, it might.
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
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    You should pay attention to that pop up and search the forums to read about exercise calories and starvation mode.
  • sexylonglegs
    sexylonglegs Posts: 278
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    I personally would never go under 1200 calories.
  • melissa1977
    melissa1977 Posts: 129 Member
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    1200 should be your minimum every day. It's sometimes hard to reach, but you should try not to do too many days under 1200 calories a week. I know that personally, the closer I get to my calorie goal, the better I seem to lose weight. Seems counterproductive, but it's true!
  • savannahgur
    savannahgur Posts: 235 Member
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    Ok, so I know I am not the only one who has seen the following message when finishing your day

    "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 1,200 calories per day minimum."

    of course with your own calories per day amount.

    I have had this pop up almost every day for a week. I keep track of everything I consume during the day and it still isn't enough apparently.

    I really want to do this weight loss thing right.

    Is it ok for me to be under 1000cals a day at 5'4" and 180lbs in your opinion?

    Just curious how much of a warning this really is ya know?

    Thx guys!
    Let me know what you think

    Read this post

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    no way not safe at all. One day her or one day there it will be okay, but after a few days your body will think it is starving and use muscle as fuel and store fat. This will slow your metabolism down and make it harder to lose and easier to gain weight back. Stick with MFP's calculations there are like this for a reason. Eat your 1200 plus your exercise calories.

    If you are having trouble eating enough, change what you eat as you don't have to eat more to get more calories you just have to eat calorie dense food.

    Try adding nuts, seeds, or dehydrated fruit as a snack, add a tablespoon of nut butter to your day. Add olive oil to soups, salads and sauces. eat full fat versions of products such as mayo, sour cream, cheese, yogurt, salad dressing. Add avocado to salads and sandwiches. There is not excuse to not being able to hit your caloric goal, and you don't have to eat more food, just make different choices.
  • fanwen413
    fanwen413 Posts: 1
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    From what I read, the minimum calories for girls is 1200 calories per day to protect your body from going into starvation mode. I am trying to eat back all my calories and maintain the net calories at 1200. However, for this site, once you eat over 1200 calories, it won't pop up these things anymore. Just don't starve yourself. Good luck! :)
  • jbutterfly1017
    jbutterfly1017 Posts: 1
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    It is recommended that you have at least 1200 cal per day. Some days its hard for me to hit that number, and I get that same message, but in the past I have found that if I have less than that I will loose weight at first and then stop loosing. If you are working out you should bump the calories up even more.
  • Griffin90
    Griffin90 Posts: 64 Member
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    Like everyone is saying your body thinks it is being starved and starts storing rather than using. If you stay around what is recommended you will be fine. None of the information I have read recommends more than 2 lbs per week. This results in a slow and gradual loss or toning rather than a steep loss and then a steep gain.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
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    Starvation mode is largely a myth in my opinion.

    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
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    no way not safe at all. One day her or one day there it will be okay, but after a few days your body will think it is starving and use muscle as fuel and store fat. This will slow your metabolism down and make it harder to lose and easier to gain weight back. Stick with MFP's calculations there are like this for a reason. Eat your 1200 plus your exercise calories.

    If you are having trouble eating enough, change what you eat as you don't have to eat more to get more calories you just have to eat calorie dense food.

    Try adding nuts, seeds, or dehydrated fruit as a snack, add a tablespoon of nut butter to your day. Add olive oil to soups, salads and sauces. eat full fat versions of products such as mayo, sour cream, cheese, yogurt, salad dressing. Add avocado to salads and sandwiches. There is not excuse to not being able to hit your caloric goal, and you don't have to eat more food, just make different choices.

    Agreed!!

    I always try and make it so i'm at the most like 75 away from my goal of 1,200 cals a day. And thats after eating an additional 575 cals from exercising.
  • romstein
    romstein Posts: 9
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    the easiest way i found to amp up calories without hurting my diet too much was to add some healthy fats.... a little olive oil based vinagrette on your salad or some avocado or for a quick snack i'll have a couple handfuls of roasted but not salted nuts great for avoiding a lack of calories also the nuts help in the protein dept as well which is always a plus if you are working out as well
  • greenbutterflydaisy
    greenbutterflydaisy Posts: 7
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    Thanks you guys!

    I noticed sort of the same thing, I was losing half a pound to a pound a day for a week straight and then it just stopped and I am guessing this is why, I noticed my weight loss slowed down as my clories got lower.

    I cant add nuts to my foods (BAD allergies) but I will try to kind of boost the foods I already eat frequently. This has just been hard for me because I went from not counting anything I ate to really trying to keep track of things. Its a challenge to go from a large combo at a fast food place to getting a salad and a chicken wrap.
    I guess part of me is afraid to go over calorie. I am only a month in and I don't want to start back on the same habits I had before and I am afraid if I go 100 over I am gonna have to really make up for it the next day...like I said, still new at all of this

    Thanks also for that article, Haven't finished it yet but its really interesting so far!
  • Jizes318
    Jizes318 Posts: 409 Member
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    Eat some peanut butter or chew on an avocado or something... good quantity in calories but still good to eat. It will help add your calories up to meet the minimum of 1200 a day.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Starvation mode is largely a myth in my opinion.

    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

    What the article fails to show is that on a low calorie diet an abnormally large portion of the weight loss comes from lean muscle not fat, which is one reason the metabolism slows down. So yes you can still lose weight, but it is not healthy and you lose the type of weight you don't want to lose
  • scagneti
    scagneti Posts: 707 Member
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    No, that's not even close to enough calories. For your age, weight and height, your BMR is around 1625 -- that is how many calories your body uses if you did nothing all day but lay in bed and just breathe. Once you add your basic functions (like taking a few steps each day, etc), then your body will need likely 2000+ calories just to thrive -- nevermind what you burn exercising.

    You're killing your metabolism and if you're not careful, you'll not only not lose any weight (because of the poor metabolism), your body won't get enough food to properly fuel itself so you have a chance of making yourself extremely sick.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
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    The 1200 cal minimum is for everyone. Regardless of what your daily goal is, if you eat under the 1200 it'll pop up that message.

    Anyway, like a PP said, there are ways to get healthy foods in your diet to get up to calories. You want to make sure you are fueling your body properly.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
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    Starvation mode is largely a myth in my opinion.

    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

    What the article fails to show is that on a low calorie diet an abnormally large portion of the weight loss comes from lean muscle not fat, which is one reason the metabolism slows down. So yes you can still lose weight, but it is not healthy and you lose the type of weight you don't want to lose

    Just dittoing. Your body will start breaking down skeletal muscle and other muscles in order to get the things it needs to function. There are a lot of things your body starts doing when it doesn't get the things it needs. I don't get where this argument about starvation mode not being real, when even in that blogspot post they even mention the changes that happen in the body with insufficient feeding. It seems to be the problem of people thinking starvation occurs in one day, when it is a problem of extended time being under what you need to sustain bodily functions.

    Not to mention the problem, as pointed out in the "article," is more of a problem for people closer to normal weight than the super obese.
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
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    I have never seen that message. Oh maybe because I'm like never ever under my calories...if anything Im over...yaahh I bet thats why lol
  • ♥Faerie♥
    ♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
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    I say do what is right for you, if you feel weak, light headed, lethargic, then you are probably not getting the right nutrients.... I have never really went by "starvation mode", since for me to maintain the weight I am at now I would need to consume 1063 cals.....just not seeing how I would need to eat the same amount of calories to maintain my weight as someone that weighs more....

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