Is 1043 calories a day too few?

That's too few. I'm gonna eat a snack on your behalf right now! You are going to be HANGRY!

Rachel1534 wrote: »

The general consensus is, that yes, it is too few. I figured that much, but why do both MyFitnessPal and USDA.gov both say that for a woman of my age, height and weight that eating between 1000-1200 is safe and recommended for weight loss?

All your nutrient needs can be met in a lot fewer calories than 1200. These numbers are just guidelines - the 1200 "limit" doesn't mean "don't go below this", it means "the further you go below this, the more critical all your food choices become".

Now, whether your should/shouldn't go as low as safe to do so depends on your goals, contexts, discipline, etc. There is no way anybody here can answer that for you - you have to find the right path for yourself.

I know that MFP asks s to eat no fewer than 1200 calories for sound nutritional reason. I don't see a problem with eating 10 % less than that for a few weeks.. It probably won't really improve weight loss by a significant amount. Perhaps a pound over the course of 4 to 6 weeks.

So THAT'S where people are getting it when they say "MFP says 1000-1200 is the minimum." Thanks for the screenshot!

Also, if you can lose on 1200 calories per day why not eat AS MUCH as possible to still lose as opposed to risking osteoporosis, anemia, muscle loss, disruptions to your fertility, etc.?

I think you will lose some muscle no doubt and might be feeling more tired than you would expect

Rachel1534 wrote: »

I am 29 years old. Female. 5'1". Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Two anxiety medications. A two year old child. I'm 158.5 right now. I'm wanting to get to 132 by September 27th. Quick I know, but I want to slim down some before my beach vacation. I've lost 15 pounds all together. I was doing it really slowly, but I got some motivation by planning this last minute vacation. I'm not having any trouble eating that amount of calories and I'm still able to ride my stationary bike for 30 minutes a day. I just keep reading things about "starvation mode" and the body hanging onto fat. I personally don't think 1043 calories are too few for me, but what is y'all's opinion?

You want to lose 25 pounds by September 27, 2015? What happens on this day that is so important that you must be 25 pounds lighter? You can have fun on this beach vacation without being 25 pounds lighter. In fact, if you do lose 25 pounds in that short of a time, chances are you will not be able to have a lot of fun. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it's the truth.

September 27 is about 8 weeks away. 25 pounds divided by 8 weeks would come out to a loss of about 3 pounds a week. That goal is aggressive and not realistic at all. Since you have a medical issue that messes with your metabolism, you need to be talking to a specialist about your weight loss goals.

Starvation mode is a myth as to us common dieters, and your body only holds onto fat if you eat over your total daily energy expenditure.

1043 calories IS too low. You only have a little bit of weight to lose, therefore your goals should only be set to lose a half a pound a week. Weigh your food, log everything you eat, log your exercise and eat only about half your calories back, and you will lose weight...on more than 1043 calories a day.

Hey, I dont know if you are reading these still, but I am in the same boat with the hashimotos. I am also short. You may not lose that much weight by that date, you may, depending on what your thyroid does. But please dont make yourself crazy about it. Depending on what the thyroid is doing it could go a bit crazy. It controls your metabolism.

I think if I had listened to my body and not tried to eat 1200-1700 calories a day when my medications were still being adjusted I would not have gained as much weight.

There is a Thyroid group on here that I am part of:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/753-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism

and you may get better advice about calories and stuff there, check it out.

You should also talk to your doctor or endocrinologist about eating that little per day, and tell them how much weight you are trying to lose in the timeframe you are trying to lose it. They can also tell you what you should and shouldn't be eating.

Good luck and stay healthy

DoreenaV1975 wrote: »

@DeguelloTex I think she may be referring to online calorie calculators. I have used several different ones and I have had many tell me to eat below 1,000 calories.
Is it safe? Probably not...
But as a short girl, if you type in that you want to lose 1-2lbs a week... less than 1200 does get recommended by calorie calculators.

Also, an FYI - you can manually set your MFP calorie goal...
1200 is the least it recommends but you can technically put in any number you want.

This is all just for informational purposes ^^


Oops...my bad... I just noticed she said MFP says this...
disregard my comment then

Calorie calculators tell me to eat ~950 cal a day. Ignore and move on. 1200 is the bare minimum. Yes, 1000-something is too low, OP. You'll be fine for a bit but then you'll start burning out. And even with that count, (If it's accurate) you'll likely not make your goal. Eat the deficit MFP gives you (1200 at least) and accept you started dieting too late to get your required weight loss. Have fun on vacation, regardless, because who cares? Are you ever gonna see those people again?