I think i'm eating too little but i don't know

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swrxclan
swrxclan Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
i'm so confused, about 2 and a half months ago i weighed 208 lbs, i now weigh 168 lbs but i read forums saying that you need to have at least 1200 calories a day or you'll become ill, i'm 18, male and i've been eating around 400-800 calories a day, i haven't seen that much results apart from old clothes fitting me now and my neck and jaw are a lot thinner but someone please give me some advice, i'm kinda worried in case i've been doing something wrong. This is also my first attempt at losing weight so i actually have no idea what i am doing, i'm just trying to look better than i did before.

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  • swrxclan
    swrxclan Posts: 5
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    More info : i'm 5'8"
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    yes, you need to eat more... you've lost weight because you're starving yourself.

    the problem with that is that you're not able to get the nutrients your body needs from so few calories so your hair might start to fall out, you'll get bad skin, and your body will start burning muscle, so even when you've lost a load of weight you're still all flabby and squishy...
  • JaneECS
    JaneECS Posts: 71 Member
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    There are all sorts of apps that will help you work out how many calories you need to lose a set amount each week - including this one. No guy of your height should be on less than about 1500 a day, your body will just "grab" what it can, you could even gain (weird, but true, I have experienced it. We all want to lose weight, but don't go crazy - it will only make you feel rough
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    1200 calories is the bare minimum recommended for a sedentary woman to get adequate nutrition. The minimum recommended for men is something like 1500-1800 calories a day, and you can probably eat more than that and still lose weight given your age.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Dude. How are you even making it through the day on that few of calories. You're a young male - you need even more than 1200.
    - check out this link: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
    - You can probably eat close to 2,000 and still lose weight.

    Good luck - please eat some more before you do serious harm to yourself. You're much too young to be doing so much damage to your body.
  • swrxclan
    swrxclan Posts: 5
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    Well judging by these comments i should probably be dead... i've been eating like that for about 2 and a half months now because i put on a lot of weight when i had to stay in the hospital, i haven't really got anyone to help me with losing weight so i had no idea what i'm doing was wrong, i got told it was just calories in calories out but i guess not, well i've went into panic mode right now and i'll try to eat a lot more. Thank you all :)
  • JaneECS
    JaneECS Posts: 71 Member
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    Don't panic, just keep researching, learning, experimenting. We (I hope) are not being critical, even if it feels that way, we are trying to be supportive, and hey, why make a new mistake when you can avoid one of mine? Poke around My Fitness Pal as much as you can - just the way its set up gives you loads of clues as to the most effective way to do things.
  • swrxclan
    swrxclan Posts: 5
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    Thanks Jane, and no i don't mind criticism as long as it is constructive and all of it here was, i actually have no idea what i'm doing and i just got onto this website around 2 weeks ago so i'm pretty much learning at the moment so thank you again :D
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    swrxclan wrote: »
    Well judging by these comments i should probably be dead... i've been eating like that for about 2 and a half months now because i put on a lot of weight when i had to stay in the hospital, i haven't really got anyone to help me with losing weight so i had no idea what i'm doing was wrong, i got told it was just calories in calories out but i guess not, well i've went into panic mode right now and i'll try to eat a lot more. Thank you all :)

    Who said you would be dead?
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    Eat more, but also eat better...veggies and lean protein will help you keep on track. Go through the MFP setup and it will tell you how many calories make a good target for you considering your age, size, and goals.

    40 pounds is a LOT to lose in just two months, so you are seeing dramatic results! If your health allows, try doing some weight-bearing exercises, they will add to the results you see in your body, as well as just helping you be healthier!
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
    edited October 2014
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    You are a male eating 400-800 calories per day? That is way way way too little for you, and you are only 18 which means you are still growing. Time to reevaluate!
  • swrxclan
    swrxclan Posts: 5
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    I don't really know how to respond to your comment to be honest, it wasn't supposed to be negative at all? Maybe it's me being Scottish and no one understanding me outside of Scotland (even on the internet) but i was exaggerating because people were saying that the it's the "bear minimum of 1200" and i was eating 400 to 800, i wish i didn't have to explain this because when trying to it sounds so stupid but it was like a joke of some sorts. Tavistock Toad
  • JaneECS
    JaneECS Posts: 71 Member
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    Ah, now we know you are Scottish, we will be able to read when your tongue is firmly in your cheek!

    I've been thinking about you/this situation, cos I don't want you to feel jumped on, and I think there are lots of little bits you could take on board here - yes eat more, but keep it really healthy, yes do some exercise, I didn't really think about this, but realise that most days I walk two miles carrying a rucksack weighing around half a stone, just cos there's no free parking near where we work.

    After however long it is of eating such small amounts, you might find that even going up to 1200 upsets your tummy or looks like far too much on your plate to be manageable. You might want to do like us in that case, and eat little and often. My "snack" list is occasionally longer than my meal list but it really works for us
  • 1Day2Day
    1Day2Day Posts: 4 Member
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    If you log your food in myfitnesspal it will tell you when you complete your diary if you ate too little. I entered only 1/2 day when I started so got that message.

    If you use the phone app it has a nice pie chart of the balance of your food eaten between protein fats and carbs.

    I'm sedentary so don't have a lot of calories available to eat unless I get myself moving. My budget for doing nothing is more than 1,200 calories though. 5'9' overweight over 50. :)
  • trinatrina1984
    trinatrina1984 Posts: 1,018 Member
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    As everyone has said you are eating way too little which is more than likely diminishing your muscle mass - this you do not want (I hope). Have a look at the info in these links and work out a sensible calorie deficit. I'm not sure how much weight you have to lose but try and work to the following targets for healthy and sustainable weight loss...

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    -
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here

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

    Want to lift heavy things?
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

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