Should I be eating more?

This is an article on Livestrong about eating too few calories followed by a Q&A on increasing calorie intake after a low calorie diet. Hope it helps!

Side Effects of Not Eating Enough Calories
Last Updated: Oct 21, 2013 | By Janelle Vaesa
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Too few calories can cause anemia, a condition that affects blood circulation.

Overview
Consuming calories is essential for the human body to function. Consuming too many calories can cause health problems, as can eating too few calories. Eating disorders, extreme diets and some medical conditions may cause a person not to consume enough calories. Medical treatment is needed in cases where malnutrition is causing health problems.

Heart Problems
When someone restricts their caloric intake for an extended period of time, malnutrition can occur. People who have an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, are at risk for becoming malnourished. People who severely restrict their calories have slower metabolisms because their body goes into starvation mode and slows the body's functions to conserve energy. Frances Sizer and Eli Whitney write in "Nutrition and Concepts and Controversies" that people who are malnourished, the heart beats irregular or too quickly, the heart muscles can become thin and weak and the chambers of the heart decrease in size. As a result of malnutrition, heart attacks can occur.

Digestive Problems
When a person does not eat enough calories, the digestive tract can slow down to conserve energy. The digestive tract is responsible for breaking down food and drinks to the simplest form so that the body can use the nutrients to function. When a person isn't consuming enough calories, the stomach empties slower and the lining of the intestinal tract can shrink. When a person does eat, the digestive tract has been damaged so severely that it cannot properly digest food. The pancreas produces digestive enzymes more slowly and the person may experience diarrhea. Diarrhea only makes the problem worse by dehydrating the person and depleting essential vitamins and nutrients.

Nutrient Deficiencies
People who are restricting calories can develop nutrient deficiencies. Several deficiencies -- including iron, folate and vitamin B-12 deficiencies -- cause anemia, a disease that affects red blood cells. These cells are responsible for carrying oxygen to the organs and tissues of the body. An anemia associated with nutritional deficiencies can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin, irregular or fast heartbeat, dizziness, cognitive problems, cold hands and feet and headache. At first people who are anemic may not have any signs or symptoms, but as the condition goes untreated, signs and symptoms worsen and become noticeable. Nutritional deficiencies can also cause a range of other symptoms, including skin lesions, a lack of energy and diminished cognitive functioning.

Unhealthy Weight Loss
If you're restricting calories with the goal of losing weight, consuming far too few calories might sabotage your weight loss before it starts. Not only is severely restricting calories not sustainable -- you're bound to fall off the wagon and return to your old eating habits -- but it also causes your body to destroy muscle tissue. You should not lose more than two pounds a week during safe weight loss, explains West Virginia University. If you lose more than that, you're consuming too few calories.


Q:
How can I avoid weight gain after following a very low-calorie diet?

A:
The good news is that very low-calorie diets, also known as weight cycling, do not reduce metabolic rates for the long term. This means your body will continue to use energy (calories) at the same rate it always has. You should not gain additional weight as long as you do not exceed your calorie needs.

If you have reached your goal weight, you can determine your calorie needs by multiplying 30 times your weight in kilograms (1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds). For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, you would multiply 54.5 times 30 to determine that you need 1,635 calories per day. If you exercise heavily, you can consume more calories; if you are sedentary, you need fewer calories.

Regular exercise will help in your effort to maintain your weight loss. Muscle burns calories faster than fat. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend healthy women who want to manage body weight and prevent gradual unhealthy weight gain engage in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise on most or all days of the week while not exceeding caloric intake requirements.

As you increase your calorie intake gradually to the desired daily level, make sure you eat a variety of foods from all the food groups. Include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats or vegetable proteins, and limit the amounts of added fats and sugars.

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Eat more. And stop fasting for 5-6 days. That's not eating. That's starving. Please seek professional help for your ED.

In short, yes, you should be eating more.