1000 calories a day

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  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    I'm doing 1200+half of exercise calories and I have lost 35 of 70 pounds. It has taken nearly five months to get to this point. I was eating fewer calories than recommended for a while and my nails and hair have suffered for it. I do not recommend this route.

    I am currently losing about 1.5 pounds a week. One thing I did was throw out the idea of a goal date. Dieting can be hard enough without the added pressure!

    You can do this!
  • crownjewel82
    crownjewel82 Posts: 19 Member
    edited January 2015
    A lot of doctors have fat bias so they will recommend ridiculous things to their overweight patients. I had one that wouldn't take my asthma seriously and suggested that I get bariatric surgery every single visit. It took years to find one that takes me seriously. Just to compare, I started at 325 and my doctor asked me to work on losing a pound a month after I'd been seeing him for 2 years already.

    That said, if he's intending to monitor your progress closely doctors will recommend a VLC diet (1200 cals/day or less) just to start with or as a precursor to gastric bypass. But usually they make it clear that it's a short term diet.
  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 845 Member
    1000 calories is not safe!! You are fueling your body enough. You need at least 1200 or more to keep it going! Figure out your BMR and TDEE and eat between there
  • drdwngfan
    drdwngfan Posts: 33 Member
    Maybe a better thought process would be "I am going to lose .5-2 lbs per week, change my eating habits and be more active, my weight will adjust over time." No time limits or hard weight loss limits. It took a while to add the weight, it will take time to remove it properly. The goal is to lose the weight and learn new eating habits so the weight stays off. You can do it !!!!
  • LavenderLeaves
    LavenderLeaves Posts: 195 Member
    Most GPs are woefully ignorant on actual nutrition, and the fact your doctor recommends a 1k calorie diet without telling you to consult a registered dietitian first worries me about this doctor. Doctors typically can receive as little as one hour of nutritional training during medical school. People who are on 1k calorie diets typically are being checked in with DAILY by medical practitioners to make sure they are doing it properly - or in the hospital doing it with 24/7 supervision.

    Everyone else in this thread pretty much nailed it - keep a safe goal in mind, and this is something you want to change for the rest of your life, not just try for a few months, give up because eating 1k calories a day is incredibly difficult, and then end up gaining back weight. This is a lifestyle change. We're overweight because we eat too much food, and we need to learn how to see food normally and not overeat it. This is something that can be learned!

    If you have the ability to do so, I would really suggest seeing a registered dietician, tell them your goals, and I would get an end date for your weight loss out of your head. While I understand you want to drop it ASAP, long-term weight loss just tends to always be as a result of solid, lifestyle changes as opposed to getting the weight off as soon as possible.
  • SUSIQ25679
    SUSIQ25679 Posts: 4 Member
    Your goals are unrealistic and you are setting yourself up for failure. Have your doctor refer you to a nutritionist or registered dietitian to determine a realistic and sustainable plan.
  • kyta32
    kyta32 Posts: 670 Member
    I've been losing 3-4 pounds a week since July last year. I think it may be slowing down, now I've gone from 296 to 181. I find it is a real challenge to keep my calories down to 1000/day (and so mostly I don't). I take a multivitamin, because I'm concerned about meeting my micros. MFP will not recommend under 1200 calories a day, and will get rid of posts that promote rapid or unsafe methods of weight loss.

    Did your Dr. recommend 3 pounds a week? If so, your Dr. can advise you on how best to avoid the possible side effects of rapid weight loss, like getting enough protein and eating very healthy to avoid malnutrition, and avoiding refined sugar and white flour, including Omega 3 and 6 oils, and getting regular exercise to reduce your risk of gallstones. Best wishes :)
  • samanthambecker
    samanthambecker Posts: 2 Member
    I'm looking to lose around 70 pounds as well, but in the past I've learned that I give up if I realize at any time I won't reach my goal at a certain time that I had originally wanted to lose it by. This time I've decided to try my hardest and not give up and if the time comes and I don't have the weight off. At least I am healthier and I'm sure I will be much happier. After spending the last 3-4 years trying to lose weight and then failing and giving up because there was a tiny hiccup in the way, I've realized I just need to keep going even if I'm sick for a few weeks, or I have an injury. You can always work around these things and find other ways to inspire yourself.

    If you aim to lose 1.5 to 2 pounds a week you can have 60-80 pounds off by October 26th. I wouldn't try to do it any faster than that. I am currently on a 1200 calorie diet and to be honest, most days I go over, even when all my meals and snacks are super healthy. That being said, I try not to punish myself for this and move on to the next day, starting fresh and not dwelling on the mistakes I made the previous day.

    I know that I would never be able to eat anything under 1200 and I only aim to eat 1200 on a particular day if I know I won't be exercising. I also believe that if I did eat 1300-1400 I would still lose so going over a bit doesn't discourage me too much. As long as I don't go too far with it I'm happy as I try to consider 1200 the lowest I should go.

    I always factor in extra calories(around half of what I burn) if I workout so I can fuel my body adequately enough so I don't over do it and get so tired I have to give up.

    Good luck!
  • LavenderLeaves
    LavenderLeaves Posts: 195 Member
    SUSIQ25679 wrote: »
    Your goals are unrealistic and you are setting yourself up for failure. Have your doctor refer you to a nutritionist or registered dietitian to determine a realistic and sustainable plan.

    A registered dietician. Literally anyone can claim to be a nutritionist.
  • KaytiWindham
    KaytiWindham Posts: 30 Member
    Thank you all I will up it to 1300 so it's in between 1000-1500
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    Thank you all I will up it to 1300 so it's in between 1000-1500

    Give it about a month-month and a half at 1,300. See how your body adjusts and reacts to it.
  • mandykent111
    mandykent111 Posts: 81 Member
    I agree with the others, 1000 seems a bit low. It's important that you are eating the right foods to help you lose the weight, but most important it's important to eat. Eating many small meals throughout the day will help boost your metabolism and help you lose the weight! Good luck!
  • mandykent111
    mandykent111 Posts: 81 Member
    Arliah wrote: »
    @Kaytiwindham Welcome to MFP :) I agree with what has been said here. 3 lbs per week is hard at best, and 1000 calories is way too low.
    I am 5.3, 152lbs right now and eat about 1200 a day. I am losing about 1lbs a week, and being an impatient person, this seems too slow sometimes. But I try to remind myself that losing weight in a healthy manner is a slow process but that the end result will be worth the effort. Good luck, and don't get discouraged!

    Hi @arliah I feel the same way as you sometimes. I put in all of this work and the weight is VERY slowly coming off. However, we need to be patient. The weight didn't come overnight and it won't leave overnight!
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