Lower caloric intake.

BunnybeeJG · March 2011

I have lowered my intake to about 600 calories a day.. I started at 500 and have slowly been working my way up every month or so... Everyone keeps giving me crap for doing this saying I'm starving myself but I don't feel starved. I'm taking vitamins, i'm eating proteins and fiber and if i do feel hungry and have gone over 600 I don't deprive myself... once or twice every month I treat myself and go out and have dinner or a holiday dinner w family, FOR THE FIRST TIME in my entire life the weight has been coming off and I've felt like I have more energy and motivation... like i can attain the goals I've tried to grab hold of my whole life... for my height i should be about 125-130. I'm aiming for 140 .... in the last month i've lost 5 lbs at first... and then stalled a little. so, i upped my intake by 100 calories and added 5 minutes on the stairs into my work out at the gym... which is brutal lol but its starting to come off again. All together i've lost 8. I know that everyones gonna post telling me i'm being stupid and such but maybe my body is just different???? when i eat up to 2000 as some have suggested in posts that even 1200 - 1400 can be starvation mode... I tend to maintain weight or gain it. I've basically started just eating healthy foods i like and consequently counting the calories haven't been able to up to 1000 without feeling like i'm stuffed. maybe if i just keep doing this... eventually it wont be so hard to reach it and eventually i'll take in 1000 and be able to lose it ... I drink a ton of water every day and since i'm a loser and can't pass my driving test I walk everywhere. please don't judge me or put me down about this... for the first time in my life I feel better. . like i'm actually succeeding at this... and at this point its the only thing I seem to be able to take into my own hands and have some control...I just want to say for those on here that ARE doing a lower intake... and have to feel like crap everytime they see that warning at the bottom of their food diaries when they hit complete... as long as you don't feel hungry... and are eating healthy and getting in your vitamins and such... I'm with you all the way. BUT if you feel hungry... eat something.

lorinjer · March 2011

I'm with you, I hardly every get over 1000 calories a day and net calories are way low after working out but I'm not hungry.....so I don't eat. Now after about 2 months I've been hungrier more often but still staying below 1200 calories and below 800 net if not lower. I'm losing weight and inches.

meggonkgonk · March 2011

Sorry, but you are wrong. You don't feel hungry because your body has found sending you hunger signals is a waste of energy. It's a little like how when people get gas poisoning they want to lay down and sleep even though that's the last thing they should be doing. Your body's signals are out of whack. Don't trust them.

It is literally impossible for you to be getting the nutrition you need on these calories. I'm sorry this is not what you want to hear, but you are seriously harming your body. Seek help.

romanhokie · March 2011

I'm new at this myself. But I've been told (and read on health and wellness sites) that a person should be consuming (not net calories, but BEFORE net calories) at least 50% of their basic calorie amount. For example, at my weight (230), I will maintain weight at 2430 a day. Therefore, I should be ingesting a minimum of 1215 calories a day. Of course, to lose 2 lbs each week, I need to drop 7000 calories a week (1000 a day), so my net calorie budget is 1430 a day.

From what I understand, anyway. And...

As I lose weight, my calorie requirement to sustain weight drops. I started at 240 with 2520 calories. I'm 5'8".

Others will probably concur with me that limiting yourself to 600 or 500 calories is unhealthy and extremely risky weight loss behavior. Sure, you may be getting your vitamins through supplements, but you're not getting calories, or energy, that your body needs to process anything, including oxygen, bloodflow, and brain activity.

Newfiedan · March 2011

First off despite what many say you need to find what works for you, with that said I highly recommend you make sure you are getting in super high nutritional foods if you are trying that low of a caloric intake, feeling full and being fed can be 2 different things, you can feel full on 6 glasses of water but not feed the body what it needs. In a catabolic state the body will feed off itself particularly muscle which is something you want to avoid as it further slows the metabolic rate. Learn what the body and metabolism really need and it will produce the right results, seeing the scale go down may not mean fat loss it may mean muscle loss which is bad right across the board. My recommendation to you is to take some time to really learn about proper nutrition, I have helped many including myself get real results that work and last by learning about what the body really needs, I sincerely hope you do the same.
As a side note the scale is what I call the "greasy car salesman" of the weight loss world it does not tell you the whole story, measurements are vital if you want to see real progress in the right direction.

leahsevilla · March 2011

All I have to say is that it works, at first.

Then if you decide to stop restricting and stop eating well below your calorie limit you will gain the weight back. When you restrict your body is not losing fat, but muscle because it is not getting enough food to sustain it. I also know that the more and more you restrict the less you feel hungry because like it has been said before, your body doesn't waste the energy to tell you because it knows you won't feed it anyway. I recommend getting your RMR tested to see what the lowest caloric intake you personally need to live, otherwise you'll be doing yourself more harm then good in the long run.

I know first-hand because I tried it for like 5 years. Now I'm 10 lbs over where I want to be (I'm really short) and have been told that my metabolism is permanently slowed from restricting for so many years. Just a heads up.

roselynsy · March 2011

all i would like to add is ive been eating between 1100 and 1800 aday and exercising and i lost 7.6lb in the last 28days

MakingAChoice · March 2011

Eating that low amount of calories is down right scary. You say you increased your calories and maintained or gained weight, do you understand why? Your body is so messed up right now because it is in starvation mode that any increase in calories your body is going to store as fat. You need to break the cycle of starvation to lose AND be healthy. Use the BMR tool and calculate what you shoudl be eating, then gradually increase your calorie intake until you get near it. You are most likely going to gain weight for a month or so before you start to see a change. Just accept that fact because it will happen. Once you get past the point of your body realizing your are not starving to death than you will start to lose weight again. You say you exercise 5 days and week and burn 1000 calories each day. You need to add that to the calories you consume as well.

Think about it

You burn 1000 calories a day working out
You eat 600 calories a day
Your are running at a NEGATIVE 400 calories even if you do not count the bodies basic needs for survival, this WILL kill you.

You body has a minimum requirement of calories even if you were in a coma, you are eating WELL below that. That is just not healthy and if you think it is healthy you really need to set an appointment with your doctor and a therapist. Because something is not right there.

Oh and for the record I eat at or over 2000 calories a day(net) and have dropped 32 pounds in 7 weeks.

susiewusie · March 2011

Sorry to say but 600 cals a day !!!!! That is ridiculous you cant survive on that ,sorry if that upsets you but its the truth ,you NEED more cals that that .

Lower caloric intake.

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