Can a 300-500 calorie diet be healthy?
mikamander
Posts: 12
Hello there,
EDITED: I edited out a bunch of things where I appeared to be condoning what is an unhealthy lifestyle. Hopefully it can remain up. I think that its important for it to remain up because of all the comments. in the future, the comments on this page might prevent someone from making the same mistake I did. Plus I really would like a chance to respond.
Recently my body took a jump from 118 to 136 in only a few weeks- and I kind of freaked out. I originally meant to do the 800-900 calorie diet that the calculator recommended- but I kind of failed at remembering to eat.
Height: 5"0 / Age: 21
Starting Weight: 136 lbs
Current weight: 122 lbs (about 5 weeks in)
Goal weight: 90-98 lbs -whatever it takes to get rid of my pooch / arm fat
what you need to know
My activity level is below normal- I dont like the daytime, I work from home and pretty much only leave my house to go to my night classes.
I cant seem to find anyone encouraging this kind of plan, What I meant here was that I personally do not understand WHY this was a bad idea because all I know is that I have more energy, am thinking more clearly, dont have any desire for more food, and am sleeping better. Not to mention Im losing weight consistently.
I am not arguing that this was a smart decision, I am asking for opinions and insight from people that are experienced with all of this. Which is why I asked... Is this really that unhealthy for me? What do you think?
~~~~~~~~~~
Weight Gain/Loss & Lifestyle History:
2007-2010 3-4 hrs exercise per day (i was always on 2-3 soccer teams or running cross country) / 3,000-4,000 calorie diet = 112 lbs - lots of muscle
Aug. 2011: eating disorder caused by depression/ I only ate ~2,000 calories over the entire month = 96 lbs
Sept. 2011 - Apr 2011: eating again = 100-110 lbs
May. 2011 - Apr 2014:3-4 hrs exercise per week / ~2,000-2,500 calorie diet = 116-118 lbs
May-Aug 2014:0 hrs exercise / 1,000-3,500 calorie diet = 130-136 lbs (and gaining)
Sept - Oct 2014: 0 hrs exercise / 300-500 calorie diet = 122 lbs (and losing)
*the reason I put this here is because it shows how bad I was before this-none of these things ever seemed like a good idea. But thats how they happened. Hopefully I wont make the same mistakes again.
EDITED: I edited out a bunch of things where I appeared to be condoning what is an unhealthy lifestyle. Hopefully it can remain up. I think that its important for it to remain up because of all the comments. in the future, the comments on this page might prevent someone from making the same mistake I did. Plus I really would like a chance to respond.
Recently my body took a jump from 118 to 136 in only a few weeks- and I kind of freaked out. I originally meant to do the 800-900 calorie diet that the calculator recommended- but I kind of failed at remembering to eat.
Height: 5"0 / Age: 21
Starting Weight: 136 lbs
Current weight: 122 lbs (about 5 weeks in)
Goal weight: 90-98 lbs -whatever it takes to get rid of my pooch / arm fat
what you need to know
- diet of 300-500 calories*
- a variety of vitamins & supplements daily (Vitamin E, C, Fish oil, ect.)
- very very little alcohol, no soda
- im drinking water
- little to no exercise- ill do a few sprints if I have excess energy. At 110-115 pounds I do planned to start cardio and make some adjustments (add more calories) to the diet.
My activity level is below normal- I dont like the daytime, I work from home and pretty much only leave my house to go to my night classes.
I cant seem to find anyone encouraging this kind of plan, What I meant here was that I personally do not understand WHY this was a bad idea because all I know is that I have more energy, am thinking more clearly, dont have any desire for more food, and am sleeping better. Not to mention Im losing weight consistently.
I am not arguing that this was a smart decision, I am asking for opinions and insight from people that are experienced with all of this. Which is why I asked... Is this really that unhealthy for me? What do you think?
~~~~~~~~~~
Weight Gain/Loss & Lifestyle History:
2007-2010 3-4 hrs exercise per day (i was always on 2-3 soccer teams or running cross country) / 3,000-4,000 calorie diet = 112 lbs - lots of muscle
Aug. 2011: eating disorder caused by depression/ I only ate ~2,000 calories over the entire month = 96 lbs
Sept. 2011 - Apr 2011: eating again = 100-110 lbs
May. 2011 - Apr 2014:3-4 hrs exercise per week / ~2,000-2,500 calorie diet = 116-118 lbs
May-Aug 2014:0 hrs exercise / 1,000-3,500 calorie diet = 130-136 lbs (and gaining)
Sept - Oct 2014: 0 hrs exercise / 300-500 calorie diet = 122 lbs (and losing)
*the reason I put this here is because it shows how bad I was before this-none of these things ever seemed like a good idea. But thats how they happened. Hopefully I wont make the same mistakes again.
-19
Replies
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What you are doing is not just dumb, but dangerous to your health. I would strongly advise you to schedule a discussion with a registered dietitian before you cause serious self harm.
Or not, it's your choice if you want to be healthy or not.-1 -
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The forum is going to eat you alive. There is absolutely no way that this is healthy or sustainable. Your hair will fall out, your nails will break, and you will become malnourished. It is going to be a sad and tough road when your body breaks under this treatment.
No one here is going to advocate an anorexia level diet, and such things are against the site's rules.
Eat more now.0 -
No, a 3-500 calorie diet cannot be healthy. Even Very Low Calorie Diets, supervised by a physician are usually around 800 calories. The recommendation for women is at least 1200 calories.
Your goal weight is very low. Your current weight is perfectly healthy.
Please talk to someone.0 -
No, it's not. The 800-900 calorie diet that you aren't following wouldn't be healthy either. Since you have an ED history, I would be very worried that it is becoming active again.
I'm just going to leave these here...
http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
www.youreatopia.com0 -
This will not end well. In fact it might just get deleted. But I am in for the entertainment.
I will add though, the only way a plan like this would not be frowned upon is if it was under doctor supervision, but even then, you are not that much over weight.
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You said you dealt with an ED in the past, I think you're treading dangerous waters here and you need to speak to someone. No, this is in no way healthy, smart, or sane. Please, see a professional.0
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You will not find much support for a 300-500 calorie approach on these forums. It is far too little and is unsustainable.
You note that you were 96 lbs in 2011 when you had an eating disorder and your current goal is 90-98 lbs - do you see how illogical that is? Please get help.
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Chief_Rocka wrote: »
ICwhatU did there!0 -
Please see a health care professional - i'm not being nasty but feel genuine concern.0
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That's one meal for me. Absolutely not.0
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for breakfast? sure...for an entire day? heck no. there's no way you can meet basic nutritional requirements eating that little.0
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I would like a chance to respond to everyone, so it would be nice if it wasnt deleted at least for a little bit- im going to edit it though
I wasnt looking for support, I was looking for opinions. And thats what Im being given by the majority of you, so thank you. Even if this was a mistake and it needs to be changed, it was still a step in the right direction for me as crazy as that sounds.0 -
mikamander wrote: »I would like a chance to respond to everyone, so it would be nice if it wasnt deleted at least for a little bit- im going to edit it though
I wasnt looking for support, I was looking for opinions. And thats what Im being given by the majority of you, so thank you. Even if this was a mistake and it needs to be changed, it was still a step in the right direction for me as crazy as that sounds.
Best you can do is step by step. It might be a good idea to look at what support options you have with regards to professionals who are trained in eating disorders.0 -
No it's not healthy. You need to be eating at least 1200 calories or more. And what the heck does your boob size got to do with anything???0
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This thread will self destruct in 3....2.....1...0
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michaelachallis wrote: »Please see a health care professional - i'm not being nasty but feel genuine concern.
This. Especially with your history.0 -
If you are looking to lose belly and arm fat, losing weight and doing cardio is not the answer. You need to start lifting heavy weights. Stop focusing on the number on the scale, and start tracking progress by inches measured on specific body parts. No, lifting weights will not make you bulky. I am 5 feet tall, too, you are welcome to view my pics and see for yourself what consistent weightlifting can do for your body composition. You mentioned not having energy to work out, this is a bad sign. Eat more, and lift heavy. You'll see amazing results if you stick with it, plus you'll feel like a bad@ss.0
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On the past eating disorder thing....I did not stop eating because I wanted to lose weight. I had lost someone and I went through a brief period where I was depressed to the point where I stopped eating because I had no desire to eat. Its very hard to explain now that I am over that point in my life... but it had nothing to do with my weight or how I saw myself. I might be misunderstanding what an eating disorder is and be misusing the word. I only put that there because to me it tracks how fast I gained that weight back.0
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Perhaps you are "misunderstanding what an eating disorder is" because I believe that you have one. Yes, your weight is going in the "right direction," but the method of achieving this is virtual starvation. Let me give you some perspective. I'm close to your size, 5'1.5", much older (55), and was just at my gym today having a body composition analysis. I weighted in at 121.7 clothed (about what you weigh). I was told I was a healthy weight for my height and that my BMR was 1136; those are the base calories to keep a 122 lb., late middle-aged woman alive. I said to the trainer that I'd like to lose a few lbs., but it's hard to have a deficit with that low a BMR. His words "Don't eat below that number. Eventually your organs will stop functioning and you won't be able to even get up in the morning. Achieve your goals through exercise." However, from your description, you are already at a "below normal" activity level -- do you think you'll have the energy to exercise on 300-500 calories a day if 1136 calories is the bare minimum to keep a 55 year old woman alive, let alone a 21-year-old girl? Or are you going to continue to starve yourself until you meet your "goal" and then somehow expect to get the energy to "tone" your body from thin air?0
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Thank you, but I dont need psychiatric help- well not for this at least. Those of you that were being reasonable gave more than enough insight to set me in the right direction.shadowofender wrote: »You said you dealt with an ED in the past, I think you're treading dangerous waters here and you need to speak to someone. No, this is in no way healthy, smart, or sane. Please, see a professional.
I did not mean to seem like I was seeking support for this unhealthy diet plan- that was poor word choice in the post. All I wanted was opinions from people that are actually knowledgeable about these things. You just have to understand that I havent seen any negative results from this so far. So I did need someone to tell me why it was wrong.The forum is going to eat you alive. There is absolutely no way that this is healthy or sustainable. Your hair will fall out, your nails will break, and you will become malnourished. It is going to be a sad and tough road when your body breaks under this treatment.
No one here is going to advocate an anorexia level diet, and such things are against the site's rules.
Eat more now.
I didnt go into this thinking that it was a bad idea, and I feel fine. My boyfriend, my parents, and a few of my friends know exactly what Im doing and all they've done was say they were proud of me and to keep up the good work- so its good that I got some new perspectives from people here.
800-900 calories was what the calculator suggested.TheVirgoddess wrote: »No, a 3-500 calorie diet cannot be healthy. Even Very Low Calorie Diets, supervised by a physician are usually around 800 calories. The recommendation for women is at least 1200 calories.
Your goal weight is very low. Your current weight is perfectly healthy.
Please talk to someone.
and 96 pounds really wasnt too light for me. At that weight I still had my lower belly pouch and my arms didnt lose weight with the rest of my body. Its likely genetic. But I was very close to how I wanted to look, weight training at that point probably would have fixed it. But now thats a long ways away.
I think it may be a bit higher than I think, but I dont see an issue with shooting a little low and being satisfied earlier. That just means Ill just reach my goal sooner than expected.-2 -
Your boyfriend, parents, and friends are supporting you and proud of you for following a near-starvation diet? What is the rush to lose all this weight? You're 21 so you have all the time in the world. Is something awful going to happen if it takes you 6 months rather than 6 weeks to lose the weight? Your "overweight" at this point is cosmetic, not health-threatening.
Yes, you will reach your goal quickly, but at what cost? Perhaps you feel fine now, but how will you feel after 10 more weeks of this diet? 10 weeks of eating between 300-500 calories a day will probably land you in the hospital, and there might even be a few folks on this forum who can tell you about their experiences there.
Here is a story of two British celebrity sisters who tried to survive on a diet of 500 calories a day, with a side order of laxatives. It worked so well for them that they publicly renounced that kind of eating lifestyle.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1209894/The-Cheeky-Girls-500-calories-day-ate.html
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mikamander wrote: »
Thank you, but I dont need psychiatric help- well not for this at least. Those of you that were being reasonable gave more than enough insight to set me in the right direction.shadowofender wrote: »You said you dealt with an ED in the past, I think you're treading dangerous waters here and you need to speak to someone. No, this is in no way healthy, smart, or sane. Please, see a professional.
I did not mean to seem like I was seeking support for this unhealthy diet plan- that was poor word choice in the post. All I wanted was opinions from people that are actually knowledgeable about these things. You just have to understand that I havent seen any negative results from this so far. So I did need someone to tell me why it was wrong.The forum is going to eat you alive. There is absolutely no way that this is healthy or sustainable. Your hair will fall out, your nails will break, and you will become malnourished. It is going to be a sad and tough road when your body breaks under this treatment.
No one here is going to advocate an anorexia level diet, and such things are against the site's rules.
Eat more now.
I didnt go into this thinking that it was a bad idea, and I feel fine. My boyfriend, my parents, and a few of my friends know exactly what Im doing and all they've done was say they were proud of me and to keep up the good work- so its good that I got some new perspectives from people here.
800-900 calories was what the calculator suggested.TheVirgoddess wrote: »No, a 3-500 calorie diet cannot be healthy. Even Very Low Calorie Diets, supervised by a physician are usually around 800 calories. The recommendation for women is at least 1200 calories.
Your goal weight is very low. Your current weight is perfectly healthy.
Please talk to someone.
and 96 pounds really wasnt too light for me. At that weight I still had my lower belly pouch and my arms didnt lose weight with the rest of my body. Its likely genetic. But I was very close to how I wanted to look, weight training at that point probably would have fixed it. But now thats a long ways away.
I think it may be a bit higher than I think, but I dont see an issue with shooting a little low and being satisfied earlier. That just means Ill just reach my goal sooner than expected.
Heres the problem. It is unlikely that you will every look "exactly how you wanted to look". I dont know what calculator you used but its broken. I am five feet tall and my idea weight is 117-122. I am a female and I am 24 years old. I eat 1400 calories a day and I am losing steadily.
The idea that you will get to your goal faster is not going to happen. You will get hurt and get sick.
I recommend speaking to your doctor about this asap.0 -
Stuff like this is just ridiculous to even ask the community. Ask a doctor. I'm sure he/she will LOVE to get you some help!0
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I see that over the years you had episodes of "starvation" and/or low weight, and that over time, you gain everything back - plus some.
Can you see the pattern there? I guess no one will convince you that you should eat more only by talking about your health - you probably don't give a fig about your health. But maybe if I told you that you seem to be cruising on the road to chronic obesity, would that catch your attention?
No problem with dieting, no problem with your target, but where is the rush ? Why can't you eat 1200 cal /day or so ? Please explain. This is what I don't get.0 -
Heres the problem. It is unlikely that you will every look "exactly how you wanted to look". I dont know what calculator you used but its broken. I am five feet tall and my idea weight is 117-122. I am a female and I am 24 years old. I eat 1400 calories a day and I am losing steadily.
The idea that you will get to your goal faster is not going to happen. You will get hurt and get sick.
I recommend speaking to your doctor about this asap.[/quote]
I dont plan to continue this. I think you may have misunderstood. If the goal was to be content with my body, and I reach that goal at (for example) 105 lbs instead of the goal weight (96 lbs)- then I would have reached the goal sooner. I wouldnt be 96 pounds, but the number isnt the goal. I was just saying I dont see an issue with aiming for lower.
Talk to the doctor about what? Hes just going to tell me to eat more. You guys already told me to do that. lol0 -
why is your goal weight 98 pounds????0
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because OP thinks that they have to be skin and bones to get rid of a pooch and arm fat... instead of eating at a realistic deficit and lifting weights.why is your goal weight 98 pounds????
the derp in the OP is just too much to handle... This should be flagged, completely removed, and the OP should just be required to go talk to a professional since they don't get it.
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Wow, you're going to sabotage yourself big time.
Sad...![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
Just follow the MFP recommendations for steady and lasting results.
Eat well, log all your foods and set your calorie intake to lose 1 pound per week.
Exercise both cardio and strength, and eat back your exercise calories.
It's simple. This will lead to success; your crash diet will lead to a miserable failure.
Your choice.
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