Why eating too little calories is a bad idea.....
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RamboKitty87 wrote: »I'm a good example why you shouldn't under eat... Between January 16th and July 24th (6 months) I have lost 73 lbs (5st 3lbs)... I started at 308 lbs and now down to 236 lbs.
I ate don't get me wrong but I burned a lot of calories also, my daily total net calories was pretty low and now for the past month or two I have been having gallstone problems, its so painful the first few times it happened I honestly thought I was going to die and I am not exaggerating here, it felt like my insides were going to burst but I was being squished at the same time, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't do anything, after big attacks I would feel poorly a whole week after.
Some days my total daily fat is 10g but I can still get attacks, its very frustrating for me at the moment due to this as it's hard to keep my calories at a suitable level whilst keeping my fat low not to mention trying to get vitamins and minerals in and a good amount of protein all without feeling like I am starving myself (I'm a big girl I still need to eat lol) yes it's good to lose weight but losing too fast does affect your health and can affect your appearance as I also have loose saggy skin in places, I am pretty sure I could fly with how bad the loose skin is on my arms (sorry just a little joke to lighten the mood) I wish I found this discussion before but then again I would probably not have listened and continued to do what I was doing as I was getting results, This is my first time trying to lead a healthy lifestyle and lose weight, in the past I've had half arsed attempts but never lasted more than a month and I was never fully dedicated like I am not, going on 6 months and my dedication and motivation has only faltered twice and thats all because of the problem I am having at the moment with my gallbladder, my doctor said its probably for the best as now I have no choice but to eat right, I kinda snapped at him about it though as I would like the choice to be able to go out maybe once in a month or maybe even longer, just be able to go to a restaurant and not have to worry and stress about what calories or fat certain foods have, just treat myself to that steak I have been craving for months you know, to which my doctor replied you can still do that but you have to ask yourself is that steak worth a few hours of pain that an attack will cause to which I answered no. Sorry rambling on but yeah this is why you need to make sure your Total Net Calories is no less than 1200, Do research into what foods will be best for your lifestyle, ask people for advice, don't just think ok I will eat 1000 calories and burn between 500 - 1000 because you think your doing good because your not, there is alot of people on this website that know what they are talking about but then there is some that think they know what is best but its actually totally wrong. Losing 1lb per week instead of 2lb is better than nothing as your still losing plus you have to take into concept water weight, trust your body if you feel slightly slimmer then thats awesome despite what the scales say, if you feel weak and dizzy eat more, if you feel full but your calories are low then you will most likely need to find calorie dense foods that are small but a little higher in calories as Calories are king in the whole weight loss process, yes you still need to watch carbs, added sugar which is carbs basically, salt and fat, salt for definite as that's what can cause unwanted water retention anyway rambling again, still a noob to this whole dieting haha!
Thanks for sharing, it's a shame you had to learn the hard way, hopefully your story will help deter people from making the same mistakes.7 -
@tinkerbellang83 I hope so, I would not wish this sort of pain on anyone, I forgot to add I may be a bad example but my diary is open to public if anyone wants ideas on making the most of having to lead a restricted diet lol7
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RamboKitty87 wrote: »Giving this discussion a bump, the more people that see it the better.
There seems to have been an unusual number of people on the forums lately determined to pursue unsupervised VLCDs or simply make unnecessarily drastic cuts.
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RamboKitty87 wrote: »Giving this discussion a bump, the more people that see it the better.
There seems to have been an unusual number of people on the forums lately determined to pursue unsupervised VLCDs or simply make unnecessarily drastic cuts.
I was one of them and now I have gallstones and I'm in pain quite often even after lowering my total daily fat to 10g
a lot of people out there seem to think the less they eat and the more they exercise the more weight they will lose which is true and the proof of their success is going to bed starving but this is so not true... so many downsides to this, it doesn't help that a lot of doctors out there just don't seem to care, that was my case anyway.... rambling again lol but yeah you don't have to take drastic measures to lose weight, cutting just a little and exercising a little has great benefits 
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RamboKitty87 wrote: »RamboKitty87 wrote: »Giving this discussion a bump, the more people that see it the better.
There seems to have been an unusual number of people on the forums lately determined to pursue unsupervised VLCDs or simply make unnecessarily drastic cuts.
I was one of them and now I have gallstones and I'm in pain quite often even after lowering my total daily fat to 10g a lot of people out there seem to think the less they eat and the more they exercise the more weight they will lose which is true and the proof of their success is going to bed starving but this is so not true... so many downsides to this, it doesn't help that a lot of doctors out there just don't seem to care, that was my case anyway.... rambling again lol but yeah you don't have to take drastic measures to lose weight, cutting just a little and exercising a little has great benefits
I'm curious, @RamboKitty87 - did you ever post in the forums about a VLCD? What was your response to people when they told you it was a bad idea? Is there anything that you would recommend people to say to try to nudge naïve posters out of super low calories?5 -
My only issue with posts like these is regarding people, like myself, who work with their doctor and are cleared for a medically supervised low calorie diet. Right now my doctor is ok with me eating 900-1000 calories a day and I work with her, a trained professional who knows my medical history. I understand there are people who really need information like this, but it really irks me when MFP tries to reset my goals that I discussed ad nauseum with my doctor.
MFP defaults to those minimums because most people who try VLCD are not medically supervised and the app doesn't want to be seen as promoting unhealthy behaviors. There are a lot of people, with stats that would allow them to eat way more, that are at 1200 because that's as low as the system will go. If it let anyone set any goal then there would be a whole lot more under eating.4 -
@DamieBird I Did post once asking for people's input as I was unsure how many calories I should intake and how many I should burn etc, I told them my calories in and calories out to which I pretty much got attacked and called a liar, I was very new to this and still am, I ended up in tears, deleting the discussion and nearly actually leaving MFP, there are a lot of people that will just attack you instead of advising, I have come across many discussions where people have not even read the posters full post, just pretty much jumping to conclusions about that person and being pretty nasty about it, I was told I was a liar as apparently it was "impossible" to burn more than 500 calories a day.... I'm big, the bigger a person is the more calories they burn, at one point I was doing 90 - 120 mins on my exercise bike per day which was burning between 1200 - 1500 calories, I know MFP does over estimate so sometimes I'd do an extra couple of minutes that I wouldn't count. Sorry I rambled too much.15
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RamboKitty87 wrote: »RamboKitty87 wrote: »Giving this discussion a bump, the more people that see it the better.
There seems to have been an unusual number of people on the forums lately determined to pursue unsupervised VLCDs or simply make unnecessarily drastic cuts.
I was one of them and now I have gallstones and I'm in pain quite often even after lowering my total daily fat to 10g a lot of people out there seem to think the less they eat and the more they exercise the more weight they will lose which is true and the proof of their success is going to bed starving but this is so not true... so many downsides to this, it doesn't help that a lot of doctors out there just don't seem to care, that was my case anyway.... rambling again lol but yeah you don't have to take drastic measures to lose weight, cutting just a little and exercising a little has great benefits
Aha! I was on a thread this morning where someone was eating very low calories and wanted to share your experience, but couldn't remember where I'd read it More people should know about that danger. 2 -
RamboKitty87 wrote: »@DamieBird I Did post once asking for people's input as I was unsure how many calories I should intake and how many I should burn etc, I told them my calories in and calories out to which I pretty much got attacked and called a liar, I was very new to this and still am, I ended up in tears, deleting the discussion and nearly actually leaving MFP, there are a lot of people that will just attack you instead of advising, I have come across many discussions where people have not even read the posters full post, just pretty much jumping to conclusions about that person and being pretty nasty about it, I was told I was a liar as apparently it was "impossible" to burn more than 500 calories a day.... I'm big, the bigger a person is the more calories they burn, at one point I was doing 90 - 120 mins on my exercise bike per day which was burning between 1200 - 1500 calories, I know MFP does over estimate so sometimes I'd do an extra couple of minutes that I wouldn't count. Sorry I rambled too much.
Glad you decided to stick it out, there is some fantastic advice to be had on these forums.2 -
RamboKitty87 wrote: »@DamieBird I Did post once asking for people's input as I was unsure how many calories I should intake and how many I should burn etc, I told them my calories in and calories out to which I pretty much got attacked and called a liar, I was very new to this and still am, I ended up in tears, deleting the discussion and nearly actually leaving MFP, there are a lot of people that will just attack you instead of advising, I have come across many discussions where people have not even read the posters full post, just pretty much jumping to conclusions about that person and being pretty nasty about it, I was told I was a liar as apparently it was "impossible" to burn more than 500 calories a day.... I'm big, the bigger a person is the more calories they burn, at one point I was doing 90 - 120 mins on my exercise bike per day which was burning between 1200 - 1500 calories, I know MFP does over estimate so sometimes I'd do an extra couple of minutes that I wouldn't count. Sorry I rambled too much.
I'm sorry that people weren't more understanding and constructive giving you advice. Is there anything that someone could have said that would've made you think twice about what you were doing (at the time)?
I second @tinkerbellang83 - I'm glad that you decided to stick it out and stay, and I'm also sorry that you ended up having the experience that you've had. I think you have some really valuable input and insight about the consequences of approaching this too aggressively; I'm interested in pointer you may have to the rest of us who try to give the advice to 'eat more' (other than not attacking them, which seems like it should be obvious).5 -
RamboKitty87 wrote: »@DamieBird I Did post once asking for people's input as I was unsure how many calories I should intake and how many I should burn etc, I told them my calories in and calories out to which I pretty much got attacked and called a liar, I was very new to this and still am, I ended up in tears, deleting the discussion and nearly actually leaving MFP, there are a lot of people that will just attack you instead of advising, I have come across many discussions where people have not even read the posters full post, just pretty much jumping to conclusions about that person and being pretty nasty about it, I was told I was a liar as apparently it was "impossible" to burn more than 500 calories a day.... I'm big, the bigger a person is the more calories they burn, at one point I was doing 90 - 120 mins on my exercise bike per day which was burning between 1200 - 1500 calories, I know MFP does over estimate so sometimes I'd do an extra couple of minutes that I wouldn't count. Sorry I rambled too much.
It's worth noting that many of the experienced posters offering their valuable insight are on here a lot trying to help people with the same issues over... and over... and over again. They often are blunt & cut to the chase, but it's rarely the case where they intend to attack OPs. The issues of accurate logging & calorie burns are the most common topics, and it's not that anyone thinks a poster is being dishonest, but rather just making very common mistakes we've all made. Not to say there aren't some that may make it their mission to be unpleasant, but most of us genuinely want to help or we wouldn't be here. Glad you could see past it and have hung in there, @RamboKitty87 10 -
RamboKitty87 wrote: »@DamieBird I Did post once asking for people's input as I was unsure how many calories I should intake and how many I should burn etc, I told them my calories in and calories out to which I pretty much got attacked and called a liar, I was very new to this and still am, I ended up in tears, deleting the discussion and nearly actually leaving MFP, there are a lot of people that will just attack you instead of advising, I have come across many discussions where people have not even read the posters full post, just pretty much jumping to conclusions about that person and being pretty nasty about it, I was told I was a liar as apparently it was "impossible" to burn more than 500 calories a day.... I'm big, the bigger a person is the more calories they burn, at one point I was doing 90 - 120 mins on my exercise bike per day which was burning between 1200 - 1500 calories, I know MFP does over estimate so sometimes I'd do an extra couple of minutes that I wouldn't count. Sorry I rambled too much.
I have also been accused of lying about calorie burns despite posting screenshots of Fitbit info. I exercise to deal with stress, anxiety, and night time binge eating. I am 138 lbs and I often exercise 2 hrs per day. I've also nearly quit, frequently delete people from my friends list, and get defensive when people question me excessively over the minutiae. I understand you completely.12 -
Ultimately, if a person's results match their data, it doesn't really matter. It's only when there's a discrepancy that it becomes an issue. Or back to the topic of the thread, when there's a concern that an OP is severely undereating, or unknowingly overeating.1
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Yeah I can understand people trying to help and may be a blunt as they have more than likely given that same advice to lots of people asking the same questions and also making the same mistakes, it would be like having a stain on your white top that really stands out and walking down the street and everyone seems to keep pointing out, you answer pleasantly and as nice as you can that you know but after the 10th person points it out you feel your patience running out lol. anyway... people need to understand that a lot of posters who are overweight can suffer from anxiety or even be a little guarded so when people are advising them it could come across nasty but in fact the poster is being nice, it's just hard to read between the lines with text most of the time.
I know people should not sugar coat it as there are real dangers to undereating but maybe like add a smiley face to show your not having a go at them, I don't know... lol 10 -
Great post.1
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RamboKitty87 wrote: »Yeah I can understand people trying to help and may be a blunt as they have more than likely given that same advice to lots of people asking the same questions and also making the same mistakes, it would be like having a stain on your white top that really stands out and walking down the street and everyone seems to keep pointing out, you answer pleasantly and as nice as you can that you know but after the 10th person points it out you feel your patience running out lol. anyway... people need to understand that a lot of posters who are overweight can suffer from anxiety or even be a little guarded so when people are advising them it could come across nasty but in fact the poster is being nice, it's just hard to read between the lines with text most of the time.
I know people should not sugar coat it as there are real dangers to undereating but maybe like add a smiley face to show your not having a go at them, I don't know... lol
I'm glad you hung in there.
Ya know, I've had some meltdown moments in life, too. People say things that hurt my feelings. Usually when I have time to regroup I can see they were trying to help and lots of times they are right. It's human nature to react in a defensive way when corrected. As long as I learn something in the end that's the important thing, and I've definitely learned that if I have a strong reaction to something I need to look more closely at my part in it.
Of course sometimes they're just . . . wrong.
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Mentioned caloriemetric bomb... This way scientists calculated how much cal we burn during 24 hrs period. So if u want to loose weight part of this energy has to come from your own body resourses. So if u are a short woman burn 1500 cal a day laying in the calory bomb, eat than all those cals back with food worths of 1500 cal. You never gonna loose that weight. Why not to take partial caloreis from your own fat layers? Nothing wrong if woman 5'1'' eats from time to time 800-1000 cals a day. Believe me u not gonna dye, but weight will go down simply30
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Because it gets insanely hard to build muscle. That's where I'm at, losing fat, building muscle. Nightmare to balance that.2
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Mentioned caloriemetric bomb... This way scientists calculated how much cal we burn during 24 hrs period. So if u want to loose weight part of this energy has to come from your own body resourses. So if u are a short woman burn 1500 cal a day laying in the calory bomb, eat than all those cals back with food worths of 1500 cal. You never gonna loose that weight. Why not to take partial caloreis from your own fat layers? Nothing wrong if woman 5'1'' eats from time to time 800-1000 cals a day. Believe me u not gonna dye, but weight will go down simply
If a petite woman only burns 1500 cals/day then it may not be reasonable to lose more than 0.5 lbs/week.
The advice to eat below that seems irresponsible.27 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »I have been on MFP since 2011 but only used it properly and the forums for the last 6 months, the number of posts I see (mostly) from women eating 1000 calories and under or netting less per day when they could lose by eating a higher and healthier intake is heart-breaking. When I used MFP in the past and was a serial starter, I have eaten quite low calories (Around 1300) because I hadn't really a clue what I was doing so I hope this post goes some way to educating those who think that the only way to lose weight is to starve yourself and it will save me typing out the same response repeatedly
What is a healthy weight for you and what rate of loss is healthy?
The BMI range is a good place to start. You can calculate your BMI here http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx
US & UK departments of health* recommend a steady weight loss of 1-2lb per week for those who are obese. If you have any medical concerns it's best to consult with your doctor.
The science behind weight loss/maintenance/gain
If you're new to MFP you may or may not have heard the term CICO being thrown around.
CICO is an energy balance of Calories In & Calories Out.
To lose weight your CALORIES IN must be less than your CALORIES OUT (CI<CO)
To maintain weight your CALORIES IN must be the same as your CALORIES OUT (CI=CO)
To gain weight your CALORIES IN must be more than your CALORIES OUT (CI>CO)
Understanding how your calorie allowance is calculated
Eating low calorie but still not losing weight
There are many posts already on this subject but in summary, those who are eating low calorie and not losing weight, for the most, this is down to logging inaccuracies either in underestimating calories in or overestimating calories out. Using measuring cups or estimating/eyeballing portion sizes are very inaccurate ways of calculating the calorie content of meals. Using the MFP database/Machine Readings/Non-HR fitness trackers for calorie burns can also be an inaccurate method of determining burns.
Net Calories and Eating Exercise Calories Back
Your initial calorie allowance is essentially a net figure - the way MFP is set up you are intended to eat back your calories burned as they are not accounted for in the calculations to acquire the figure. If you ate none of your exercise calories you are putting yourself in a larger deficit than you have set yourself in MFP. This may be ok if you're set at lower rate of weight loss, however if you're already at 2lb per week loss (1000 calorie deficit) then you could be getting less food than you need to fuel your body sufficiently. Going back to "Mildred" above if she didn't eat any of her calories back she would be netting under 850 calories on her active days and this would no doubt impact her energy levels and her running performance.
The Negative Effect on Weight Loss from Undereating
Some people may well be able to stick at a 1000+ calorie deficit for long periods of time, however for a lot of us what actually happens when you are being overly restrictive is that we can only manage it for a short while because it's too drastic and we are simply hungry so we decide to pack it in and go back to the way we were eating before and end up in a vicious cycle of binge and restrict that doesn't actually achieve anything.
The Short & Long Term Effects of Undereating Without Medical Supervision
In the short term undereating can have the following effect (this is by no means an exhaustive list):- Mood Swings
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Hair Loss
- Menstrual Irregularities
- Dizziness
- Brittle Nails
- Poor Skin Condition
- Headaches
In the long term it can have far more negative effects, such as:- muscle loss
- gallstones
- electrolyte imbalances
- organ damage
- bone density loss
- vitamin/mineral deficiencies
Other useful posts that can be read in conjunction with this one:
Accurate Logging
Weight Loss is Not Linear
Why am I not losing weight?
*https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html *http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/should-you-lose-weight-fast.aspx
Excellent read and info. I do question the 1 to 2 pound weight loss for individuals who are obese meaning over say 50 pounds. I for example started at 350. I lost weight in the early stages of my journey at around 15 to 20 a month. Then I would maintain to insure I could embrace the new changes in eating. Then I would eat in deficit and lose more, then maintain and so forth. Of course in the beginning I would gain some back as I was still learning my bodies needs. I am now at 270 with a average weight loss of 3 to 4 pounds a week. I do not undereat and some weeks the scale will go up as like anyone but the 1 to 2 pound thing in my opinion can not be the rule for all body types.6
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