Too Few Calories?

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.

I personally would never go under 1200 calories.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Your body will only start breaking down skeletal muscle IF it's at its minimum body fat percentage: below 6% body fat. For the majority of people that is not the case, even if they are on a regime that restricts their caloric intake. Yes, changes happen with insufficient feeding, but only if you are really underfed (<6% body fat)

As long as there is sufficient body fat, your body will use that up first before it starts converting muscle into energy. Also pointed out clearly in that article i linked to, by the way.

For me the take away lesson was that what you need in terms of calories is also something individual and not average. I'm a fairly short man, but male "averages" are for guys 6 ft tall, at least. It means that if i stick to that caloric goal I eat too many calories: smaller bodies need less calories to function.

The reason that 1200 calories is the minimum is that below that number, it's hard to get sufficient nutrients and that is an issue of course.

And lastly, most people underreport the calories they eat. When I started to measure accurately, it turned out i was underreporting by 300 cals/day, easily.