Too few calories?

CarolineLeclair
CarolineLeclair Posts: 48 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All, My daily calorie goal is exactly 1200 calories. On a day like today, I
ate 1800 and burned 900 through exercise. This means: 1200(goal) - 1900(eaten) + 900(burned) = 200(left) If I don't eat the remaining 200 calories, does that mean my body would go into "starvation mode" because my calorie intake for the day is 1000 which is below the 1200 cal/day minimum? I want to make sure I do this right and don't consume too few calories.
Thanks so much! :)

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    edited May 2015
    No...
    If you're consistently eating low calories, your body may adapt so your bmr is lower but you're not going to be in "starvation mode", if such a thing even existed

    How did you calculate your burned cals through exercises? It could be over exaggerated
  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
    Starvation mode is a myth
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  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    what is starvation mode
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    edited May 2015
    I have a similar question. Is net 1,000 or 1,100 too low? I am 5'5", sedentary, 145, and have 10 pounds to lose.
  • CarolineLeclair
    CarolineLeclair Posts: 48 Member
    I agree... Seems high, but was a silly-busy day! ;)
    Gardening, Body Pump and a 1.5 hour walk with my pup. My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.
    I just dont want to consume too few calories. My understanding was anything less than 1200 calories and your body hangs on to fat and won't let go in order to protect your body from starvation.
    I only have 10lbs to lose and I'm sure that's why I've been given a low number.
  • CarolineLeclair
    CarolineLeclair Posts: 48 Member
    whmscll wrote: »
    I have a similar question. Is net 1,000 or 1,100 too low? I am 5'5", sedentary, 145, and have 10 pounds to lose.

  • CarolineLeclair
    CarolineLeclair Posts: 48 Member
    CarolineLeclair wrote: »
    I agree... Seems high, but was a silly-busy day! ;)
    Gardening, Body Pump and a 1.5 hour walk with my pup. My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.
    I just dont want to consume too few calories. My understanding was anything less than 1200 calories and your body hangs on to fat and won't let go in order to protect your body from starvation.
    I only have 10lbs to lose and I'm sure that's why I've been given a low number.

  • CarolineLeclair
    CarolineLeclair Posts: 48 Member
    *17000 steps on fit bit
  • jjules2015
    jjules2015 Posts: 1 Member
    If you double check I think she said, 1700.
  • daniebanks
    daniebanks Posts: 179 Member
    F
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    CarolineLeclair wrote: »
    I agree... Seems high, but was a silly-busy day! ;)
    Gardening, Body Pump and a 1.5 hour walk with my pup. My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.
    I just dont want to consume too few calories. My understanding was anything less than 1200 calories and your body hangs on to fat and won't let go in order to protect your body from starvation.
    I only have 10lbs to lose and I'm sure that's why I've been given a low number.

    Nope, starvation mode is a myth. MFP doesn't go below 1200 calories because it's difficult to meet your nutritional needs (i.e. vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre etc.) on anything lower.

    You certainly could eat a lot more, but if you are getting 1800 calories worth of good quality food and you aren't feeling hungry, don't worry. I can tell you from experience you probably will get hungry after a while if you continue to run such a high deficit, so when that happens your calories will increase without having to force it.
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  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    The 1200 lower limit is total calories, not net. MFP confuses things because they calculate net in a strange way. To know whether it is important that you eat those remaining calories, add 200 to your goal deficit. Most people should have a number between 500 and 1000.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    The 1200 lower limit is total calories, not net. MFP confuses things because they calculate net in a strange way. To know whether it is important that you eat those remaining calories, add 200 to your goal deficit. Most people should have a number between 500 and 1000.

    How so? Total calories eaten-exercise calories=net so not sure how that is confusing.

    OP your net for the day is 900 calories if that 900 burn is correct which is a bit suspect....if you take 75% of those your net is 1125...

    I say it's suspect as gardening should be part of your level of activity and if you walk the dog frequently so should that...

    and starvation mode is a myth...think about it...if it were indeed true people wouldn't starve to death.
  • CarolineLeclair
    CarolineLeclair Posts: 48 Member
    Lol!
  • CarolineLeclair
    CarolineLeclair Posts: 48 Member
    Okay, next time maybe I won't add gardening, but I dug the holes for and planted 6 eight foot trees... Thought it was worth adding! ;)
    Alright, I think I understand. I won't worry so much and force the additional calories in if I'm not hungry. But if I am hungry than I won't feel guilty about them either! Thanks for everyone's input!
    I'm glad the 1200 minimum is a myth! :)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    CarolineLeclair wrote: »
    Okay, next time maybe I won't add gardening, but I dug the holes for and planted 6 eight foot trees... Thought it was worth adding! ;)
    Alright, I think I understand. I won't worry so much and force the additional calories in if I'm not hungry. But if I am hungry than I won't feel guilty about them either! Thanks for everyone's input!
    I'm glad the 1200 minimum is a myth! :)

    Yah that was worth adding esp since you are at 1200. And remember our bodies if at low calories for a long period of time has hormones that will shut off "hunger cues" to help keep us from being in actual pain when we are in a period of famine.

    So try to get to 1200 min as long as you are sure of your calories in (using a food scale etc)
  • errollmaclean
    errollmaclean Posts: 562 Member
    CarolineLeclair wrote: »
    Okay, next time maybe I won't add gardening, but I dug the holes for and planted 6 eight foot trees... Thought it was worth adding! ;)
    Alright, I think I understand. I won't worry so much and force the additional calories in if I'm not hungry. But if I am hungry than I won't feel guilty about them either! Thanks for everyone's input!
    I'm glad the 1200 minimum is a myth! :)

    Wow, impressive gardening!!

    Watch how your weight loss goes. That will give you an idea of how accurate your excersize burns are. If you're not losing at your expected rate, your excersize calories might be estimated to high (very common).

    Are you using a food scale?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    CarolineLeclair wrote: »
    My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.

    Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), aka your maintenance calories. If you eat at a reasonable deficit from that, you will lose weight. Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Set your goal to .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    Ignore your Fitbit calorie goal and follow MFP's, eating back your adjustments. You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    I've experienced starvation mode first hand and It DOES happen. I maintained for months and months on 1200, upped my calories to 1600 with no change in exercise (weighing and logging to the crumb through all of this) and started losing and continued to lose. But it only happens when you've been severely under eating for months and months not just one day here and there.
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  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    I've experienced starvation mode first hand and It DOES happen. I maintained for months and months on 1200, upped my calories to 1600 with no change in exercise (weighing and logging to the crumb through all of this) and started losing and continued to lose. But it only happens when you've been severely under eating for months and months not just one day here and there.
    If you lost more weight by consuming 33% more calories, you either exercised a lot more, were mistaken about how much you were eating, or are just grievously confused.

  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    CarolineLeclair wrote: »
    I agree... Seems high, but was a silly-busy day! ;)
    Gardening, Body Pump and a 1.5 hour walk with my pup. My fit bit also "gave" me a few more calories for 1700 steps today.
    I just dont want to consume too few calories. My understanding was anything less than 1200 calories and your body hangs on to fat and won't let go in order to protect your body from starvation.
    I only have 10lbs to lose and I'm sure that's why I've been given a low number.

    In terms of exercise calories, are you adding exercises to MFP in addition to what your fitbit is giving you? That could be double-counting and giving you the inflated number.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    In terms of exercise calories, are you adding exercises to MFP in addition to what your fitbit is giving you? That could be double-counting and giving you the inflated number.

    Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time—so there's never any double dipping of calories.
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