What happens if you don't eat all of the calories?

Options
dee_thurman
dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been losing weight and I am not eating all of the calories per day that MFP says I should eat. I am just wondering if anyone else has done this? Are their negatives to not eating all of the calories that it tells you to eat?
«1

Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Options
    How much are you not eating?
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Options
    If your calorie goal is aggressive, and you are eating under it, you might not be getting all the macro and micro nutrients your body needs. No bueno.
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
    Options
    You may end up losing weight faster. Eating low calories is not sustainable for the long term and there is a good chance you may even gain some of the weight back.
  • savageman69
    savageman69 Posts: 339 Member
    Options
    eating far to little will cause extreme weight loss...sound good right?, wrong you will drop muscle and fat and you will not look any better...slow loss will give far greater results and safer and will be for the long term
  • afatpersonwholikesfood
    afatpersonwholikesfood Posts: 577 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    It depends. Are you losing more than 1% of your body weight each week? Do you feel tired or unwell? Do you have the energy to exercise? Are you hungry or feeling deprived? Are you close to a normal BMI or obese? Are you getting proper nutrition and the minimum recommended calories in?

    Those with more to lose (if that's you) have more fat to use for fuel, but that's not the only concern. You don't want to feel like crap or burn out on an unsustainable deficit. Those with less to lose will end up screwing themselves out of lean tissue.

    Edit: And yes, I have eaten under my goal (but not below 1,200 except on very rare occasions and not deliberately) pretty much since the start. Today, for example, my goal (according to Fitbit's adjustments) is 2,327 for a 2 pound weekly loss. I'm eating 1,400. I'll eat all the way up to maintenance on holidays or when I feel like I need to, though.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
    Options
    If it's for a day or two, no big deal. But if you're doing it consistently, body will adapt to lower calories and reduce metabolic rate to compensate. Body is pretty smart, so just eating a lot less to lose weight faster is a short lived victory.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Options
    All depends on how far under you are.

    Say mfp goal is 1500 and you eat 1450, that's unlikely to even be noticeable.

    But if you eat 1200 or 1000 or 800 a day instead then you are going to likely lose weight faster but more and more will be muscle instead of fat.

    At a point your weight loss will likely start being in part from hair loss from not getting enough protein

    So yes there are negatives from not eating enough.
  • tmcracknell
    tmcracknell Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    I'm on 1200 per day an sometimes I only eat about 1100 because I've exceeded my carb recommended intake but I only do it if I'm close to having eaten my protein an fat needs an I have plenty of energy
  • dee_thurman
    dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    Some days I am under by a lot. I always eat the calories that MFP recommends but if I go on a long run or after I am working out I will not reach the number it says I should after I am working out. I am on a diet around 1500 calories. I might jog/walk 5 miles. For the day I might eat 1600 calories but won't reach the number after my workout. This is happening almost every day.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Options
    Depends on how much you're actually eating. There all kinds of nasty side effects to undereating, so you really don't want to make a habit of it.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Options
    How do you calculate your calorie burns?
  • dee_thurman
    dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    I have mapmyrun app that keeps track of my cardio and automatically inputs it into mfp. I am eating around 1500 calories a day. I measure and keep track of my food very well. i eat a lot of foods that don't have a lot calories. Fruits and vegetables. I have around 8 oz of chicken, fish, lean meat, around 3 servings of dairy and a very little carbs ( a bowl of pretty healthy cereal. If a snack i will have a little popcorn or a sugar free jello. I get a little hungry at night sometimes but I am not overly hungry throughout the day because I eat. I just don't eat foods with a lot of calories.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Options
    Are you losing weight fast? More then 2 pounds per week?
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    dee_thurman wrote: »
    Some days I am under by a lot. I always eat the calories that MFP recommends but if I go on a long run or after I am working out I will not reach the number it says I should after I am working out. I am on a diet around 1500 calories. I might jog/walk 5 miles. For the day I might eat 1600 calories but won't reach the number after my workout. This is happening almost every day.

    Yeah, that's a problem. You don't want your net calories to be too low. Consider adding some more calorie dense foods to your diet, things a can get a lot of calories from for a small amount, like olive oil, peanut butter, ice cream (yum!). I didn't look at your diary, so I don't know what you're getting, but everyone needs some fat in their diet.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    Options
    Without knowing any specifics, the result of eating less will be somewhere between losing weight faster and dying of malnutrition.

    You should eat the recommended amount in order to have sustainable weight loss and lifestyle.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Options
    dee_thurman wrote: »
    I have mapmyrun app that keeps track of my cardio and automatically inputs it into mfp. I am eating around 1500 calories a day. I measure and keep track of my food very well. i eat a lot of foods that don't have a lot calories. Fruits and vegetables. I have around 8 oz of chicken, fish, lean meat, around 3 servings of dairy and a very little carbs ( a bowl of pretty healthy cereal. If a snack i will have a little popcorn or a sugar free jello. I get a little hungry at night sometimes but I am not overly hungry throughout the day because I eat. I just don't eat foods with a lot of calories.

    Are you weighing these? If not, you could be eating a little more than you think and not under eating as much as you think.
  • dee_thurman
    dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    I do weigh my food. I have lost around 30 pounds in 50 days. I lost a lot of weight at the beginning before MFP. The last 32 days I have been on MFP and I have lost 11 pounds. I am able to exercise every day. I go on 7/8 mile jogs/walks or 4/5 miles jogs/walks. I do some body weight strength exercises almost daily. I am not that hungry. I think everyone could always eat more including me but I don't feel bad. In fact physically I feel pretty good. I just want to make sure I am healthy. Usually at the end of the day MFP says I don't have enough carbs but the rest of my macros are pretty close.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Options
    How much more weight do you have to lose? I'd maybe add in some almonds or something to make up some calories. That's some serious mileage you're putting in.

    Just realized you're male. I'm a tiny female and eat that much, and don't run as much as you do. Might want to eat a bit more, or throw in some higher calorie days every now and then to even things out.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
    Options
    dee_thurman wrote: »
    I do weigh my food. I have lost around 30 pounds in 50 days. I lost a lot of weight at the beginning before MFP. The last 32 days I have been on MFP and I have lost 11 pounds. I am able to exercise every day. I go on 7/8 mile jogs/walks or 4/5 miles jogs/walks. I do some body weight strength exercises almost daily. I am not that hungry. I think everyone could always eat more including me but I don't feel bad. In fact physically I feel pretty good. I just want to make sure I am healthy. Usually at the end of the day MFP says I don't have enough carbs but the rest of my macros are pretty close.

    I'm also wondering how much weight you have to lose. 30 pounds in 50 days, and even 11 pounds in 32 days is a lot, unless you started with a big cushion so to speak :)
  • dee_thurman
    dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    I am pretty close to my goal weight. I am not too concerned with my weight. I am more concerned with my overall health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I don't want to start eating more and more calories and put back unnecessary weight.

Categories