Calories too low??
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KristaCatherine87
Posts: 57 Member
I'm 5'11 298.5 lbs (was 324.8 09/24/16) 29 years old. I usually eat between 1,000-1,300 cals a day. I've lost roughly 26 lbs eating this way. Am rarely ever hungry and work out (DVDs walks or elliptical) about 5 times a week. Is this okay? If I up my calories will I gain or will my loss slow down? I'm in no rush to lose it just wanna do it safe and for long term. My diary is opened if that helps. Any feedback would be great. Thanks 
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Replies
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I measure everything yup. I'm just afraid that upping my calories will put the bit of weight I've lost creep back on or stop me from losing.
But I've heard eating too little can stop you from losing too. That's why I'm trying to fix it now rather than later.0 -
Yes, assuming your logging is accurate, and many people who are new to this are not accurate in their logging because they estimate serving sizes, use volume measures that are meant for liquids (cups, measuring spoons, ml) for solids rather than weighing them with a kitchen scale, or use incorrect database entries here than have incorrect calories, then you are eating too little. 1200 calories a day is considered the minimum for the average woman to get the nutritional requirements she needs. Since average is about 5'4" or so, you are substantially above that, and so you calories are way too low.
This is not in terms of weight loss, because that is a function of eating less calories than your body burns, but primarily in terms of what you lose as a very large deficit will result in losing more lean body mass like muscle along with the fat which is not a good thing.
Also, in terms of nutrition, eating so little will result longer term in nutritional deficiencies because you are simply not eating enough to provide what your body needs as vitamins and minerals are all provided by what you eat.
Finally, such a huge deficit will result in a far higher likelihood of failing to maintain your deficit long term. Yes, you feel fine now, personal experience tells me that won't continue.
My personal suggestion is to set up your goal with Myfitnesspal for a 2 pound per week loss since you are currently 298 pounds. Then seek to reach that goal logging calories as accurately as possible. Remember, the goal of this whole process is to learn to eat properly to maintain a healthy weight long term. Right now, again assuming your calories are correctly logged, you have went from the disordered eating pattern of eating too much, to a disordered pattern of eating way too little.4 -
funeraldirector87 wrote: »I'm 5'11 298.5 lbs (was 324.8 09/24/16) 29 years old. I usually eat between 1,000-1,300 cals a day. I've lost roughly 26 lbs eating this way. Am rarely ever hungry and work out (DVDs walks or elliptical) about 5 times a week. Is this okay? If I up my calories will I gain or will my loss slow down? I'm in no rush to lose it just wanna do it safe and for long term. My diary is opened if that helps. Any feedback would be great. Thanks
Given your stats, your TDEE is likely close to 2600 calories, give or take depending on exercise. That means it would take you about 2600 calories per day to maintain your current weight. Anything under this will allow for weight loss.
At your current weight, you can afford to eat a bigger deficit. I would start with eating around 1800 calories. 1,000-1,300 calories is quite low for you, and you will likely burn out eating this way for an extended period of time.
Make sure you are logging everything accurately, and adjust your calorie goals after about every 10 lbs lost.
Eating too little will not make you hold on to weight. It just is not sustainable, and if you eat more to begin with, you can always adjust down little by little if you need to.
Congrats on your weight loss so far!3 -
funeraldirector87 wrote: »I measure everything yup. I'm just afraid that upping my calories will put the bit of weight I've lost creep back on or stop me from losing.
But I've heard eating too little can stop you from losing too. That's why I'm trying to fix it now rather than later.
You say you measure everything.. but do you WEIGH everything. What you get with spoons and cups can be WAY off the serving size in WEIGHT. There are videos floating on this site about it.
But if you don't weigh - you should start.. you will be surprised.
with the weight you have to lose though, I wouldn't think that it would be that important right now... more when you are closer to goal... so either you are really ingesting more than you think.. or perhaps there is something medically?
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Great job on your loss but it is not sustainable to lose this fast long term. Plus loose skin and muscle loss. Eat your TDEE -1000 to lose 2 pounds a week. they say to lose no more than 1% of your bodyweight a week. Good luck!
Edit TDEE-1000 seems more reasonable actually.0 -
funeraldirector87 wrote: »I measure everything yup. I'm just afraid that upping my calories will put the bit of weight I've lost creep back on or stop me from losing.
But I've heard eating too little can stop you from losing too. That's why I'm trying to fix it now rather than later.
To be honest, if you don't think eating how you're eating now is going to be maintainable for ever, you're probably going to gain it back anyways. The only way the weightloss will stay off, is if you can make it a lifestyle change. And also, I'm not surprised you've lost that much weight only eating 1100 calories a day. I was losing at 1500 and I'm 6'0" so close to your height. I recommend checking out a weightloss calculator online or following mfp's guidelines. At 5'11", mfp shouldn't have put you at 1000 calories a day. For one, I don't even think mfp allows you to complete your diary under 1200.
Good luck!1 -
funeraldirector87 wrote: »I'm 5'11 298.5 lbs (was 324.8 09/24/16) 29 years old. I usually eat between 1,000-1,300 cals a day. I've lost roughly 26 lbs eating this way. Am rarely ever hungry and work out (DVDs walks or elliptical) about 5 times a week. Is this okay? If I up my calories will I gain or will my loss slow down? I'm in no rush to lose it just wanna do it safe and for long term. My diary is opened if that helps. Any feedback would be great. Thanks
PS, I just checked and your diary isn't open.0 -
tracymayo1 wrote: »funeraldirector87 wrote: »I measure everything yup. I'm just afraid that upping my calories will put the bit of weight I've lost creep back on or stop me from losing.
But I've heard eating too little can stop you from losing too. That's why I'm trying to fix it now rather than later.
You say you measure everything.. but do you WEIGH everything. What you get with spoons and cups can be WAY off the serving size in WEIGHT. There are videos floating on this site about it.
But if you don't weigh - you should start.. you will be surprised.
with the weight you have to lose though, I wouldn't think that it would be that important right now... more when you are closer to goal... so either you are really ingesting more than you think.. or perhaps there is something medically?
I have one of those videos you reference. Watch this, OP, it's eye-opening.
https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk 4 -
5'4 my goal is 1790 but i eat about 1500 w/ loosing 2lbs a week sw: 295.5 cw: 266.1 in 64 days w/ 5 days of zumba
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OP lost 26 pounds in 3 weeks. I don't think inaccurate logging is the issue here0
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IMO, you are losing way too fast. I'm pretty sure MFP says your calories should be in the 1400s - before exercise. While it's fun to see the numbers drop fast - it isn't sustainable for the majority of people. My advice is to back off the throttle - eat the number of calories MFP gives you and aim to lose 1-2 lbs per week.1
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If you're losing weight and feeling good, then your plan is fine.
Remember that on MFP, you'll have many many people tell you that you are wrong simply because your approach differs from theirs!
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TheLegendaryBrandonHarris wrote: »If you're losing weight and feeling good, then your plan is fine.
Remember that on MFP, you'll have many many people tell you that you are wrong simply because your approach differs from theirs!
You can feel fine and have medical issues that crop up from losing too fast. Your body needs food for fuel.4 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »TheLegendaryBrandonHarris wrote: »If you're losing weight and feeling good, then your plan is fine.
Remember that on MFP, you'll have many many people tell you that you are wrong simply because your approach differs from theirs!
You can feel fine and have medical issues that crop up from losing too fast. Your body needs food for fuel.
Yep. Like hair starting to fall off in huge amounts due to bad nutrition and your hormones going out of whack.
Tested those - not fun3 -
Wait, you've lost 25lbs in less than a month, I'd up it a bit, that is fine at first, but not sustainable IMHO. Set a reasonable goal when you're this heavy, say 1.5lbs/week, stick to that until you are within 20-30 lbs.1
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When I see new users and choose to add advice or answer their question, I try to keep it simple.
She says that
She's feeling fine.
She's exercising and active.
She's losing weight.
Going from almost 325 pounds to 298 in three+ weeks is a lot of weight quickly, BUT, it's not an insane amount.
Based on my own experience, there doesn't seem to be anything for her to worry about, especially since this is the first month.1 -
Three weeks is not long enough to know if you're "feeling fine".
When you first start out on a lifestyle change with diet and exercise, you're running on adrenaline.
Usually when people start to feel like crap, they are further into their new program. Then they see that what they're doing is not sustainable and is wearing them down.
Fast weight loss, and 25 lbs in less than a month is very fast, can cause substantial muscle loss, which long term will lower your BMR and mean you have to eat less and less each year to maintain your loss.
Keeping what muscle you already have, as best you can, while losing weight should be paramount to anyone, no matter your size, sex, or age.0 -
OP lost 26 pounds in 3 weeks. I don't think inaccurate logging is the issue here
She is eating at a huge deficit. The issue with logging, at least for me, is more a matter of right now even if here logging is way off, she will still have a huge deficit since her goal with deficit would probably be close to 2000 calories a day. Eating at 1000 a day means about a 1000 calorie buffer for any inaccuracies which is why I bring it up. If she is accurately logging, the point remains, she is eating far to little.1 -
TheLegendaryBrandonHarris wrote: »When I see new users and choose to add advice or answer their question, I try to keep it simple.
She says that
She's feeling fine.
She's exercising and active.
She's losing weight.
Going from almost 325 pounds to 298 in three+ weeks is a lot of weight quickly, BUT, it's not an insane amount.
Based on my own experience, there doesn't seem to be anything for her to worry about, especially since this is the first month.
No one is saying that she has to stop what she's doing right now. Many clinically obese patients do well on a lower intake (that is monitored by a doctor) to lose weight quickly, since they are at a greater risk being clinically obese than they would be eating a low calorie diet for a short period of time. I would still not recommend less than 1200 calories, though, unless she is being advised by her doctor.
What we are trying to tell her is that she can lose weight eating more, so that when she does burn out on this low amount (which she will), she can up her calories to a more sustainable number and still lose weight.2 -
TheLegendaryBrandonHarris wrote: »If you're losing weight and feeling good, then your plan is fine.
Remember that on MFP, you'll have many many people tell you that you are wrong simply because your approach differs from theirs!
How one feels is not an indication of whether they are eating enough. The issue here is sustainability and health.1
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