Is 700 calories Sufficient???
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eating raw is so healthy, and definitely filling BUT can make it hard to get enough calories in a day! Eat almonds. You can get them raw and they are absolutely delicious. 700 calories isn't enough for anyone and you are hurting your body, despite eating healthy! I wish you the best.0
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Thank you all for your reponses and your concern
I would like to add that i do not have an eating disorder!!
I dont have any problems with my body or the way it looks, I didnt join this site to loose weight either.
I have been eating like this for years and i actually feel extremely healthy and i have alot of energy.
i eat 6 times a day and eat what i would consider substantial portions of food
I just find it difficult to eat anymore calories because i eat a mostly raw food diet..
this is way i have been bought up eating and im not about to change it now.
I would like be eating more than calories than this but i honestly dont find that im hungry or that i have the time.
i also refuse to snack on crap junk food that is high in calories.
i was more looking for advice on how i could add a few more calories into my diet without gaining wieght if what im eating is not enough maybe with protein shakes or bars?
Please don't be offended by our concern. Many people do not recognize that they have an ED, because it seems normal to them. But regardless of the cause of your eating habits, they are not healthy at this point. A raw food diet can be very healthy, but it requires a lot of dedication and time to do it the right way to ensure proper nutrition. It is better to relax the standards a bit than to continue to be malnourished.
As for how to increase cals in a healthy way:
Planning is key. Focus on balanced macros (protein/fat/carbs) in each meal/snack. Gradually increase the amount of cals in each meal/snack. Just 50 cals more for each meal/snack adds up. If you know you'll be working out, increase cals throughout the day.
If you're not feeling hungry, a good way to increase cals without much volume is healthy fats from natural oils (olive/canola), nuts and nut butters (almonds, pistachios, walnuts), and avocados. A fruit smoothie, protein shake or chocolate milk are good cal boosters, because drinking cals can be easier than eating when you aren't feeling hungry.
Typically, it may be hard for a few days or a week, but your body will adjust to the increased intake and you'll find it isn't an issue for long. Eating more will truly help your overall health, and your appetite will increase along with your metabolism.
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Thank you all for your reponses and your concern
I would like to add that i do not have an eating disorder!!
I dont have any problems with my body or the way it looks, I didnt join this site to loose weight either.
I have been eating like this for years and i actually feel extremely healthy and i have alot of energy.
i eat 6 times a day and eat what i would consider substantial portions of food
I just find it difficult to eat anymore calories because i eat a mostly raw food diet..
this is way i have been bought up eating and im not about to change it now.
I would like be eating more than calories than this but i honestly dont find that im hungry or that i have the time.
i also refuse to snack on crap junk food that is high in calories.
i was more looking for advice on how i could add a few more calories into my diet without gaining wieght if what im eating is not enough maybe with protein shakes or bars?
Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. The average caloric intake of a person with anorexia nervosa is 600–800 calories per day, but there are extreme cases of complete self-starvation.
I would say this is you.0 -
i think some people are overreacting a bit. Being underweight doesnt automatically mean anorexia. When you use anorexia in an eating disorder sense its as much of a state of mind as anything, and eating 6 meals a day of healthy food, isnt really that, even if it isnt really enough.
As i said, try and find a way thats acceptable to you to maybe increase your calories by 2 or 300. You could get that in a packet of trail mix or mixed nuts, and if you spread it across the day, it wouldnt make you feel too full.0 -
i think some people are overreacting a bit. Being underweight doesnt automatically mean anorexia. When you use anorexia in an eating disorder sense its as much of a state of mind as anything, and eating 6 meals a day of healthy food, isnt really that, even if it isnt really enough.
As i said, try and find a way thats acceptable to you to maybe increase your calories by 2 or 300. You could get that in a packet of trail mix or mixed nuts, and if you spread it across the day, it wouldnt make you feel too full.
Thank you0 -
And I remember beating myself up for being a PIG because I'd had over 800 calories in a day.
I did this too! And I'm so glad I had the courage to challenge my assumptions about what was "beautiful" and what was "healthy", because I'm much more balanced and happy now than I ever could have believed.
OP, also, your dedication to raw foods, to me, suggests orthorexia - ie, an eating disorder where you put the large majority of foods into the "crap junk food" category and only let yourself have a very, very limited type of food that count as "healthy".
I agree with other people - try to get your calories up to 1400/day (at least), but do it in small increments, like an extra 50 calories per meal for the first week, then another extra 50 calories per meal for the second week...etc. If this seems too impossible or you are too concerned about gaining weight (which you could do and be even more beautiful than you are now!), get the help of a mental health professional specializing in eating disorder recovery.0 -
Thank you all for your reponses and your concern
I would like to add that i do not have an eating disorder!!
I dont have any problems with my body or the way it looks, I didnt join this site to loose weight either.
I have been eating like this for years and i actually feel extremely healthy and i have alot of energy.
i eat 6 times a day and eat what i would consider substantial portions of food
I just find it difficult to eat anymore calories because i eat a mostly raw food diet..
this is way i have been bought up eating and im not about to change it now.
I would like be eating more than calories than this but i honestly dont find that im hungry or that i have the time.
i also refuse to snack on crap junk food that is high in calories.
i was more looking for advice on how i could add a few more calories into my diet without gaining wieght if what im eating is not enough maybe with protein shakes or bars?
can everyone please stop with the eating disorder claim attacks??? a mcdonalds burger is less filling than a potful of broccoli and still you eat less calories with the broccoli, on a diet o fruits and veggies it is simply easier ti eat less calories because you feel super-full!!!
i suggest including more nuts into your diet even if it is just a handful, nuts are healthy snacks full of necessary nutrients, and pack quite a few calories, maybe make your meal portions slightly bigger (if you're eating 2 cups of salad try 2.5 cups) try drinking juices with meals as opposed to water, drizzle some olive oil on your veggies (if you can on a raw diet i dont really know). there are plenty of ways to sprinkle calories into your diet if you really want to. i dont think you have an eating disorder or anything of the sort, it is true that eating more fruits and veggies fills you up like crazy and you can eat a whole lot and not have consumed many calories at all, just be 100% sure you are not deprived of energy. one way to tell is how often you reach for a caffeine fix if it is often or more than it used to be it could be a sign that you need more calories otherwise i wouldn't worry too much about adding calories to your daily diet, but do try to add some for the days when you work out.0 -
i think some people are overreacting a bit. Being underweight doesnt automatically mean anorexia. When you use anorexia in an eating disorder sense its as much of a state of mind as anything, and eating 6 meals a day of healthy food, isnt really that, even if it isnt really enough.
As i said, try and find a way thats acceptable to you to maybe increase your calories by 2 or 300. You could get that in a packet of trail mix or mixed nuts, and if you spread it across the day, it wouldnt make you feel too full.
When someone comes in and states they eat nearly half of what they should be consuming just for basic life function and then continues on to say they fear gaining weight when they're obviously already well below the acceptable range for their height I'm not inclined to believe that anyone is overreacting.
"ii do 30 mins of high intensity cardio or wieghts every night and pilates on a weekend.. I also do not eat back the calories i have burnt. "
So she burns off perhaps as much as 200 calories EVERYDAY in exercise putting her net caloric intake at around 500 PER DAY. Yeah .. I'm going to stay on the "there's a serious problem" side of the fence.0 -
Theres more to health than calories taken in, and i dare say it sounds like her diary is a hell of a lot healthier than others, even if it is a bit meagre. Noone, but noone has said she is eating enough calories, but its a bit much to suggest shes about to drop down dead from it either or that shes somehow mentally ill.0
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and there are plenty of people who live on less than the magic 1200 calories, and theyre just not logging it so noone would ever know. Everyone would just assume they were naturally skinny.
"starvation" diet would be half of your BMR, which is NOT 2400 for most women0 -
and there are plenty of people who live on less than the magic 1200 calories, and theyre just not logging it so noone would ever know. Everyone would just assume they were naturally skinny.
"starvation" diet would be half of your BMR, which is NOT 2400 for most women
Average BMR for women is about 1300-1500. So yes, 700 would be half of BMR for most women.0 -
which is too low, as everyone has said0
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and there are plenty of people who live on less than the magic 1200 calories,
Hi.
I posted earlier but I am going to repeat myself - the 'magic' 1200 number isn't magic at all. It's basic science. Your brain consumes between 1200-1500 calories per day BY ITSELF let alone anything else. Those people who are 'living' aren't actually doing so. Their body functions, such as the lady who originally posted, are minimal if at all.
Everything she is doing that she has claimed to be doing straight from her fingers are straight up signs of an eating disorder. The people here have every right to be over-reacting. This website is to support HEALTHY lifestyles. No one is going to come on here and say "Sooooo I eat 10,000 calories per day...should I maybe cut it back a bit? I swear my McDonald's habit is totally fine, I just think, y'know, maybe I should start ordering the medium DQ blizzard instead..." they are both the same thing, it's just that she's different because she is thin. BOTH are unhealthy and BOTH are detrimental to the person's body and WILL, eventually, kill them.
Eating below 700 calories per day and working out 6 days a week will, eventually, kill her. So yes, the wonderful people who have posted so far have every right to be concerned considering this is, essentially, a suicide note.
I should know. I've been there. Still am. Struggle with it every single day. Sometimes I can't get over 300 calories in a day, and others I can only just break the 1200 mark. It's hard, but I've got support.
Granted, I think she'll just ignore all of us because the problem with an eating disorder is that you don't think it's an eating disorder and that there's nothing wrong. So really, what's the harm with pointing out a few facts?0 -
I think you'd benefit from seeing a nutritionist, who can advice you and explain to you how the body works, and how you can correctly complement your raw diet, so you can be healthy.
Best of luck.0 -
In addition to the sensible advice of the other posters, I took a quick look at your profile and noticed the friends you have added have similar child-body profile pictures. If you surround yourself with people who are also underweight you are not going to get balanced advice, you are going to get the Pro Ana brigade.
I ask in all honesty, why would you want a body so very small? It is not attractive or strong, it cannot do what your body is supposed to do. This is the crux of the matter. Is it a body image thing, or a control thing, or a fear of 'poisoning' yourself with anything that isn't raw? People will look at you and think 'ana' whether you think you have it or not - at that weight you will look like you are ill. If you don't have it, why would you want people to think that. If you have a partner, what do they think about your food/ weight? If you don't have a partner, is your control over food something that is putting people off?
You do seem to have the signs of orthorexia - one of my friends has it and another downside that no-one else has mentioned is having children in future. My friend eats so little fat and carbs that she can't actually sustain a pregnancy now and has had many miscarriages despite being desperate for another baby. It is horrible to see her going through that. She has no figure at all, just skin and bones. She had one child before she got so controlling over her food but he has milk allergies, possibly as a result of her not having milk products during pregnancy.
I think the fact that so many strangers have taken time to answer you and look out for you shows that we have genuine concerns. None of us know each other, yet we have all formed a similar opinion. Just think about it.:flowerforyou:0 -
Someone else mentioned eating nuts. Even if you're doing clean and mostly raw eating having a bowl of oatmeal with some almonds in the morning would give you some carbs and added calories. Add a dab of local honey to it. Have some fresh ground peanut butter on apples. Add olive oil to a salad. There are so many ways you can stick to clean eating and not deprive your body of what it needs most.
this is good advice. oils and nuts are a good way to up the calories and still keep the diet clean. Are you eating raw because it is something you have always done, or because it is a choice you have made? I ask because like many partially-restrictive diets you do need to do some research to be sure you are getting the right sorts of nutrients in your diet. there is no reason you cannot get enough nutrients that way, but you should vary it up a bit with oils and nuts. Plus - you say you are eating a lot of soy-based products? Is that your main source of protein? There are arguments that some processed soy can be particularly harmful, especially in excess. What about legumes or quinoa? I know you cannot do raw with them but it is a way of varying your protein source.
You clearly are worried that you are not eating enough, which is why you came here to learn to be healthy, but learning a bit more about the background to your own eating habits would be good - I'm sure there are some good books on raw food diets - perhaps look at those for inspiration?
The only bit I do worry about is where you say you don't want to gain weight. As has been mentioned you are VERY slim. You should not worry about the figure on the scale and focus on keeping your muscles and body nicely toned and full of energy.0 -
OP why not add some of the guys on this thread as friends and ask them to look at your food diary or post what you would eat in one normal day to this thread?
xx0 -
I posted earlier but I am going to repeat myself - the 'magic' 1200 number isn't magic at all. It's basic science. Your brain consumes between 1200-1500 calories per day BY ITSELF let alone anything else.
Can you tell me the source / study which supports that everyone needs 1,200 - 1,500 calories per day to support brain function alone? I would be happy to consider it but this doesn't sound right to me. I think you are getting confused with BMR. Incidentally, on a quick calculation the OP's BMR is actually around the 1,200 calorie level. BMR is the main component of TDEE (the amount of daily calories you need to maintain itself) and reflects your energy needs to power basic functions. BMR makes up about 70% of TDEE in most circumstances. Of BMR, brain function takes up about 20%. So, 20% of her BMR of 1,200 is 240 calories.
Don't get me wrong. I do think the OP's calorie (energy intake) level is too low and she could do to upping it to at least 1,000 - 1,200 in the short term before steadily moving up to a higher level for optimum health. However, if her diet is good enough then she may well be receiving enough nutrients to keep her ticking over (but only just and preferably if she is supplementing with fish oil and a multi vitamin) Calorie intake and nutrient intake are not synonymous. As I am sure you are aware medically supervised VLCDs are nutritionally complete at around 800 calories.
This lady is not going to keel over just yet. She should take steps to supplement her calorie intake by eating calorie dense yet nutritious food (such as nuts, dried fruits, avocado, supplements if necessary) or she mayl end up in a bad place no doubt.
However, I don't think being alarmist will help in this situation. In addition, I don't think there is anywhere near enough information on her history to come to the conclusion she has an ED. She might well end up there if she is not careful though.0 -
I think you'd benefit from seeing a nutritionist, who can advice you and explain to you how the body works, and how you can correctly complement your raw diet, so you can be healthy.
Best of luck.
^^ This.
Good luck0 -
I posted earlier but I am going to repeat myself - the 'magic' 1200 number isn't magic at all. It's basic science. Your brain consumes between 1200-1500 calories per day BY ITSELF let alone anything else.
Can you tell me the source / study which supports that everyone needs 1,200 - 1,500 calories per day to support brain function alone? I would be happy to consider it but this doesn't sound right to me. I think you are getting confused with BMR. Incidentally, on a quick calculation the OP's BMR is actually around the 1,200 calorie level. BMR is the main component of TDEE (the amount of daily calories you need to maintain itself) and reflects your energy needs to power basic functions. BMR makes up about 70% of TDEE in most circumstances. Of BMR, brain function takes up about 20%. So, 20% of her BMR of 1,200 is 240 calories.
Don't get me wrong. I do think the OP's calorie (energy intake) level is too low and she could do to upping it to at least 1,000 - 1,200 in the short term before steadily moving up to a higher level for optimum health. However, if her diet is good enough then she may well be receiving enough nutrients to keep her ticking over (but only just and preferably if she is supplementing with fish oil and a multi vitamin) Calorie intake and nutrient intake are not synonymous. As I am sure you are aware medically supervised VLCDs are nutritionally complete at around 800 calories.
This lady is not going to keel over just yet. She should take steps to supplement her calorie intake by eating calorie dense yet nutritious food (such as nuts, dried fruits, avocado, supplements if necessary) or she mayl end up in a bad place no doubt.
However, I don't think being alarmist will help in this situation. In addition, I don't think there is anywhere near enough information on her history to come to the conclusion she has an ED. She might well end up there if she is not careful though.
thank you! ♥0
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