Under calorie goal?
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clairec230787
Posts: 52 Member
Hi all, I have recently started using MFP again after a long break. My daily calorie goal is 1,200. I weigh 146lbs. My start weight was 155lbs, and I've been calorie counting for just over 2 weeks. So the start has been pretty successful. My aim is to loose another 28lbs.
Anyway, my point for this post is because I am averaging at consuming 800 calories a day. So that's 200 calories less than my minimum goal. I exercise most days which increases what I am allowed, however I am still eating about 800 calories.
I am eating 3 healthy meals a day, and I don't want to increase my consumption as I don't want to start putting weight on after loosing so successfully, but I get a message when I finish logging saying in not eating enough.
I'm looking for advice... Should I start eating more? If so, all of a sudden or gradually? Or should I just stick at what I'm doing.
HELP!!! Thanks.
Anyway, my point for this post is because I am averaging at consuming 800 calories a day. So that's 200 calories less than my minimum goal. I exercise most days which increases what I am allowed, however I am still eating about 800 calories.
I am eating 3 healthy meals a day, and I don't want to increase my consumption as I don't want to start putting weight on after loosing so successfully, but I get a message when I finish logging saying in not eating enough.
I'm looking for advice... Should I start eating more? If so, all of a sudden or gradually? Or should I just stick at what I'm doing.
HELP!!! Thanks.
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Replies
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You won't put on weight eating more unless you eat in excess of what you require to maintain. How are you determining that you're only eating 800 a day (that is, are you weighing your food, avoiding generic entries, etc)? Sometimes people are logging low calorie counts because they are eating too little, but sometimes it's actually a logging issue and they are eating more than they think.
If you truly are eating 800 calories a day, you should try to eat more. A deficit that is too large isn't going to give you a shot at the nutrition that your body needs. It will also cause your body to lose more muscle than fat, so even though you'll be losing weight, it may not be the weight that you truly want to lose. You can also hurt your body and put yourself at higher risk for binges.0 -
Hi, I think you are under-eating and losing weight too fast. Stick with 1200 calories and accept the fact that it takes time. But you definitely won't gain.
Edit: if you keep eating so little you'll end up binging or giving up, after a while. I've been there.0 -
Yes...you should start eating more. For all the reasons the previous poster laid out.0
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clairec230787 wrote: »Hi all, I have recently started using MFP again after a long break. My daily calorie goal is 1,200. I weigh 146lbs. My start weight was 155lbs, and I've been calorie counting for just over 2 weeks. So the start has been pretty successful. My aim is to loose another 28lbs.
Anyway, my point for this post is because I am averaging at consuming 800 calories a day. So that's 200 calories less than my minimum goal. I exercise most days which increases what I am allowed, however I am still eating about 800 calories.
I am eating 3 healthy meals a day, and I don't want to increase my consumption as I don't want to start putting weight on after loosing so successfully, but I get a message when I finish logging saying in not eating enough.
I'm looking for advice... Should I start eating more? If so, all of a sudden or gradually? Or should I just stick at what I'm doing.
HELP!!! Thanks.
If you're worried that eating over 800 calories will cause you to gain weight now, then I have to ask what your plan is when you reach your goal and transition into maintenance? Are you going to eat 800 calories forever? There's a happy medium to be struck between eating too little and eating too much. Finding it will help you stick to your diet longer and it will help you in the future as you reach your goals.
Assuming that your calorie count is accurate (most people are at least a little bit off, some people underestimate their intake by quite a bit though) then it's tough to get enough nutrients to stay healthy and fuel your body at 800 calories. Especially since you're exercising. You're likely to see some side effects (brittle nails, hair loss, lethargy, mood swings, energy crashes, etc) if you keep it up. Please eat more.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods
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its quite possible you are eating more than that, hence the reason why youre not hungry.
if you are not using a food scale to weigh all your foods (cups are not the same!), you probably are. Youre obviously still in a deficit, which is good, but if your loss slows or stalls for a few weeks, you might need to tighten up on your logging (if, as i said you aren't logging accurately)0 -
You're under eating, of course you should eat more. Wouldn't you rather learn something sustainable? What happens when you start losing your hair and muscle mass? You realize your heart is a muscle?0
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I'm having the same issue. I'm on a low fat diet due to gall stones and I'm sorry but how am I supposed to eat 1200 calories of no fat food??? What am I , a horse??0
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diannethegeek wrote: »clairec230787 wrote: »Hi all, I have recently started using MFP again after a long break. My daily calorie goal is 1,200. I weigh 146lbs. My start weight was 155lbs, and I've been calorie counting for just over 2 weeks. So the start has been pretty successful. My aim is to loose another 28lbs.
Anyway, my point for this post is because I am averaging at consuming 800 calories a day. So that's 200 calories less than my minimum goal. I exercise most days which increases what I am allowed, however I am still eating about 800 calories.
I am eating 3 healthy meals a day, and I don't want to increase my consumption as I don't want to start putting weight on after loosing so successfully, but I get a message when I finish logging saying in not eating enough.
I'm looking for advice... Should I start eating more? If so, all of a sudden or gradually? Or should I just stick at what I'm doing.
HELP!!! Thanks.
If you're worried that eating over 800 calories will cause you to gain weight now, then I have to ask what your plan is when you reach your goal and transition into maintenance? Are you going to eat 800 calories forever? There's a happy medium to be struck between eating too little and eating too much. Finding it will help you stick to your diet longer and it will help you in the future as you reach your goals.
Assuming that your calorie count is accurate (most people are at least a little bit off, some people underestimate their intake by quite a bit though) then it's tough to get enough nutrients to stay healthy and fuel your body at 800 calories. Especially since you're exercising. You're likely to see some side effects (brittle nails, hair loss, lethargy, mood swings, energy crashes, etc) if you keep it up. Please eat more.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods
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I have the same problem some days. Especially during the week. I work out usually 5 days a week. But my job requires me to do a lot of walking most days. There is no way I can eat as many calories as its says I'm allowed. So I really don't know if you should eat more or not. They always say burn more than you consume.if you want to lose weight. So how do we know what to really do? I'm 50 yrs. Old my metabolism has dropped dramatically so therefore I have to eat less and exercise more just to lose.
I say try to eat at least 1000 calories a day.
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Long-term effects of eating too few calories (& 800 calories is absolutely too few):
Nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, constipation, dizziness, headaches, gallstones, and hair loss.
So if you are weighing your food and know you're eating only 800 calories, eat more. If you're not hungry then choose calorie dense foods- peanut butter, whole milk, nuts, etc. If you're not weighing your foods, start doing that. ...you might find you're actually eating 1000 or more, which isn't so bad.0 -
by healthy do you mean you've substantially cut dietary fat out of your diet? because that's actually not healthy.
it's also quite possible that you're underestimating intake...it's very common, particularly if you're new to logging and you don't quite know what you're doing...picking eroneous entries from the database, eyeballing, etc. also, you have no idea how many people think certain foods are free...fruit and veg come to mind, but i'm always shocked at the number of people who for whatever reasons don't log cooking oils are things they drink...
usually when i see these posts it comes down to the individual thinking that only veggies and fruit are healthy...there tends to be an irrational fear of other carbohydrates as well as fat and they also tend to be pretty low on the protein front and are generally lacking in anything resembling a balanced diet that is actually nutritious.0 -
If you lost 9 lbs. in two weeks, you probably really are eating only 800 calories a day (not just logging incorrectly), which is too little, as everyone else has said. I'm also curious stats -- height, weight, and age. These all determine what you should be eating to lose at a reasonable pace, at .5 to 1 lb. a week since you don't have much to lose. You won't be able to sustain a 4-5 lb. a week weight loss. If you have 28 lbs. more to lose and you're at 146, that means your goal is 118, which for some people is pretty light. You might want to think about a goal that's appropriate for you and a way to reach it realistically.0
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For me, nuts and beans are easy foods to bump up my calories. Maybe a two-portion baggie of almonds to keep at your desk or in your purse would be good.0
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elizabethymartin wrote: »I'm having the same issue. I'm on a low fat diet due to gall stones and I'm sorry but how am I supposed to eat 1200 calories of no fat food??? What am I , a horse??
@elizabethymartin You could do the reasonable thing and have your gallstones treated with a cholecystectomy.0 -
You are eating far too little. Far, far too little. This won't speed up the weight loss process at all.
If you physically can't manage more than 800 per day (which I strongly doubt that's the case), bank your calories for the weekend. If you want to use Saturday (for example) as a bit of an indulgent day, count back 7 days and add up the calories you were under per day. This should give you a nice total for your weekend.
Examle:
Sunday: 800 cals (Banked: 400 calories)
Monday: 1200 (Banked: 0)
Tuesday: 1100 calories (Banked: 100 calories)
Wednesday: 900 Calories (Banked: 300 Calories)
Thursday: 1200 Calories (Banked: 0)
Friday: 1100 Calories (Banked: 100 Calories)
Total banked for Saturday: 900 calories. So for Saturday you can have 2100 calories.
This is what I do - but saying that, I am eating a healthy 1500 calories and I make sure I never eat any less than 1400 per day. For health reasons, I'd recommend simply eating to your allowance per day. Don't under-eat. It won't do your bodies any favours
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PinkPixiexox wrote: »You are eating far too little. Far, far too little. This won't speed up the weight loss process at all.
If you physically can't manage more than 800 per day (which I strongly doubt that's the case), bank your calories for the weekend. If you want to use Saturday (for example) as a bit of an indulgent day, count back 7 days and add up the calories you were under per day. This should give you a nice total for your weekend.
Example:
Sunday: 800 cals (Banked: 400 calories)
Monday: 1200 (Banked: 0)
Tuesday: 1100 calories (Banked: 100 calories)
Wednesday: 900 Calories (Banked: 300 Calories)
Thursday: 1200 Calories (Banked: 0)
Friday: 1100 Calories (Banked: 100 Calories)
Total banked for Saturday: 900 calories. So for Saturday you can have 2100 calories.
This is what I do - but saying that, I am eating a healthy 1500 calories and I make sure I never eat any less than 1400 per day. For health reasons, I'd recommend simply eating to your allowance per day. Don't under-eat. It won't do your bodies any favours
Super Advice!0 -
If you lost 9 lbs. in two weeks, you probably really are eating only 800 calories a day (not just logging incorrectly), which is too little, as everyone else has said. I'm also curious stats -- height, weight, and age. These all determine what you should be eating to lose at a reasonable pace, at .5 to 1 lb. a week since you don't have much to lose. You won't be able to sustain a 4-5 lb. a week weight loss. If you have 28 lbs. more to lose and you're at 146, that means your goal is 118, which for some people is pretty light. You might want to think about a goal that's appropriate for you and a way to reach it realistically.
I am 28 and 5ft2, so 118 is the low end of a healthy BMI. I aim to get there... But thank you for the advice.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »by healthy do you mean you've substantially cut dietary fat out of your diet? because that's actually not healthy.
it's also quite possible that you're underestimating intake...it's very common, particularly if you're new to logging and you don't quite know what you're doing...picking eroneous entries from the database, eyeballing, etc. also, you have no idea how many people think certain foods are free...fruit and veg come to mind, but i'm always shocked at the number of people who for whatever reasons don't log cooking oils are things they drink...
usually when i see these posts it comes down to the individual thinking that only veggies and fruit are healthy...there tends to be an irrational fear of other carbohydrates as well as fat and they also tend to be pretty low on the protein front and are generally lacking in anything resembling a balanced diet that is actually nutritious.
I do weigh my food and always log all fruit and veg I consume. I am consuming very little carbs and fat, but I will take on your advice. Thank you.0 -
Thank you for advice everyone, I'm definitely going to take it on board. Eating 800 calories can't be good for me as my menstrual cycle has been delayed, this has come to my attention this week. Which proves its doing me no good. So, I am going to eat more!!0
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PinkPixiexox wrote: »You are eating far too little. Far, far too little. This won't speed up the weight loss process at all.
If you physically can't manage more than 800 per day (which I strongly doubt that's the case), bank your calories for the weekend. If you want to use Saturday (for example) as a bit of an indulgent day, count back 7 days and add up the calories you were under per day. This should give you a nice total for your weekend.
Examle:
Sunday: 800 cals (Banked: 400 calories)
Monday: 1200 (Banked: 0)
Tuesday: 1100 calories (Banked: 100 calories)
Wednesday: 900 Calories (Banked: 300 Calories)
Thursday: 1200 Calories (Banked: 0)
Friday: 1100 Calories (Banked: 100 Calories)
Total banked for Saturday: 900 calories. So for Saturday you can have 2100 calories.
This is what I do - but saying that, I am eating a healthy 1500 calories and I make sure I never eat any less than 1400 per day. For health reasons, I'd recommend simply eating to your allowance per day. Don't under-eat. It won't do your bodies any favours
This is great advice - thanks!!0
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