NOT EATING ENOUGH CALORIES - will this make it harder to lose weight?

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Replies

  • hroderick
    hroderick Posts: 756 Member
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »

    So here's the thing, no disrespect to you, not aimed at you specifically, but I honestly don't understand how people, who are overweight and had to eat in a caloric surplus to get there in the first place, are all of a sudden full on 1200 cals. My maintenance is 2800 and there are some days I'm STILL HUNGRY eating them all!

    It is calories that effect weight, but often it is need for nutrition that drives hunger. They aren't quite the same. I could eat a whole packages of cookies and have enough calories to gain a pound but still be hungry because I need some protein and other macros to meet my nutrition needs. Eating better satisfies nutrition needs with minimum calories.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    edited June 2018
    hroderick wrote: »
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »

    So here's the thing, no disrespect to you, not aimed at you specifically, but I honestly don't understand how people, who are overweight and had to eat in a caloric surplus to get there in the first place, are all of a sudden full on 1200 cals. My maintenance is 2800 and there are some days I'm STILL HUNGRY eating them all!

    It is calories that effect weight, but often it is need for nutrition that drives hunger. They aren't quite the same. I could eat a whole packages of cookies and have enough calories to gain a pound but still be hungry because I need some protein and other macros to meet my nutrition needs. Eating better satisfies nutrition needs with minimum calories.
    I can eat boatloads of nutrient-dense food and still be hungry.
  • Leannep2201
    Leannep2201 Posts: 441 Member
    edited June 2018
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
    I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....

    If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!

    I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
    I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.

    I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.

    Edit: for improved sense!
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    Leannep2201 wrote: »
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
    I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....

    If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!

    I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
    I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.

    I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.

    Edit: for improved sense!

    Then you are underestimating your NEAT.
  • Leannep2201
    Leannep2201 Posts: 441 Member
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    Leannep2201 wrote: »
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
    I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....

    If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!

    I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
    I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.

    I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.

    Edit: for improved sense!

    Then you are underestimating your NEAT.

    Yes- but only by about 280 calories- I have MFP set to sedentary, but in reality am lightly active.
    This setting for me, that puts me at a deficit of about 780 calories a day (which at my weight is fine- I have a lot to lose).
    Fitbit can still give me plenty of extra calories just for walking (above the 280 that I’d be getting if I wasn’t set at sedentary), so I don’t eat calories back gained just from doing my daily steps. I wonder about the accuracy of the Fitbit, so don’t eat given calories for steps, only for exercise.

    What I do my not be relevant for the OP, because OP stated that she only eats 1200cal per day, and I eat a lot more than that. But I was just stating that I don’t eat calories for steps, for the reasons listed. OP still may want to reconsider her daily cals.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    Leannep2201 wrote: »
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    Leannep2201 wrote: »
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
    I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....

    If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!

    I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
    I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.

    I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.

    Edit: for improved sense!

    Then you are underestimating your NEAT.

    Yes- but only by about 280 calories- I have MFP set to sedentary, but in reality am lightly active.
    This setting for me, that puts me at a deficit of about 780 calories a day (which at my weight is fine- I have a lot to lose).
    Fitbit can still give me plenty of extra calories just for walking (above the 280 that I’d be getting if I wasn’t set at sedentary), so I don’t eat calories back gained just from doing my daily steps. I wonder about the accuracy of the Fitbit, so don’t eat given calories for steps, only for exercise.

    What I do my not be relevant for the OP, because OP stated that she only eats 1200cal per day, and I eat a lot more than that. But I was just stating that I don’t eat calories for steps, for the reasons listed. OP still may want to reconsider her daily cals.

    I hear that.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
    As I'm new to calorie intake and out. My my fitness pal tracker says I should be consuming only 1,220 calories a day for my weightloss goals, and obviously eat more of I'm burning calories. I am getting steps in and working out everyday, so by the end of the day, even after tracking all my food, once my exercise is added....it recalculates and tells me I have hundreds of calories left to eat for the day. If I'm not eating these extra calories.....will my body store fat?

    I'm worried if I'm not getting enough calories in, my body will go into survival mode and hold onto the fat I'm trying to burn off and lose. I hope that makes sense....and I'm really new to this so I'm clueless.

    No, but under eating does encourage your body to use existing lean muscle mass as fuel. For fat loss, moderate paced weight loss is best.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Leannep2201 wrote: »
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
    I'm literally only doing this because this is what MFP told me to do....so if I should be doing something different, I have no clue. Maybe this app shouldn't be recommending this as a caloric intake for me if it's so dangerous.....

    If you're syncing with the Fitbit, eat all the calories you're given. You've got this!

    I don’t necessarily agree with this, because I have a Fitbit, and even on the days when I do no exercise, I can still end up with lots of extra calories for my steps taken- because Fitbit gives calories for steps taken, as well as for exercise.
    I don’t eat back calories burned for steps taken. I do, however, look at what my calorie burn was for any exercise done on my Fitbit, and eat back half of those calories.

    I agree with the advice that 1200-ish calories may be too low if you’re doing a fair bit of exercise, and you should look at eating back some calories for any exercise done.

    Edit: for improved sense!

    On the other hand, I have found through time and consistent tracking that my FitBit underestimates about 200 calories per day for me. The best way to know is to track weight (preferably) using a weight trending app, and consistently log your food (even the days when you just say eff it and eat all the foods). Use that data to get a best guess on your actual TDEE.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    No, but what will happen is that, eventually your body will start to show the effects of malnutrition. This can lead to nasty cycles of overrestricting and bingeing, which are even worse for your body. So, yes, it is highly likely to harm your weight loss, but not for the reasons you think.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    So here's the thing, no disrespect to you, not aimed at you specifically, but I honestly don't understand how people, who are overweight and had to eat in a caloric surplus to get there in the first place, are all of a sudden full on 1200 cals. My maintenance is 2800 and there are some days I'm STILL HUNGRY eating them all!

    It happened to me. When I started The New Regime (my own personal complete diet and lifestyle change), I went from being constantly ravenous to having difficulty consuming over 800 calories.

    It wore off...

    But I see no reason to doubt the people who are now where I was a year and a half ago.
  • SagePeach
    SagePeach Posts: 37 Member
    edited June 2018
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone! Yes I'm tracking CALORIES using MFP, and tracking steps and CALORIES burned with a fit bit Alta I wear. It really only takes in active time when I'm power walking/jogging or hiking bit not when I'm doing my weight lifting. I've been doing a circuit type of workout AT HOME. I have a retention pond behind my house so I've been circling that for a mile or two with increased heart rate, then follow up with squats, linges, dumbell arm workouts....all sorts of things! I plan on joinging the gym at work now that's it's free for my weight lifting work. I've also been climbing the retention pond hills.

    I weighed in at 187.4 Today :(....giving myself 15 months in hopes to get down to around 130ish

    I'm eating. Premiere protein shake each morning and keeping lunch and dinners to around 300 calories with snacking on fruits and veggies and I'm not hungry at all! That's why it's hard to take in those extra calories, because I don't feel like I'm hungry

    Nuts, seeds, nut butter, full fat Greek yogurt, a piece of chocolate, a serving of ice cream etc etc. It's very easy to get in more calories with little fuss :) I just had two slices of toasted homemade, whole grain bread with PB2 and honey and it was over 400 calories....

    eta: another idea is to include a salad with one of your meals and add beans, olives, and nuts (Pistachios are amazing in salads!), to it-very easy way to get some extra, nutrient dense calories in :)
  • GrumpyHeadmistress
    GrumpyHeadmistress Posts: 666 Member
    Out of interest, what are your macros like when eating under your target? If you are significantly under on things like protein and fat that might help guide you in what to eat to use up your calories
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    ashleyhines8490 wrote: »
    I'm eating. Premiere protein shake each morning and keeping lunch and dinners to around 300 calories with snacking on fruits and veggies and I'm not hungry at all! That's why it's hard to take in those extra calories, because I don't feel like I'm hungry

    As others have said with MFP you ard supposed to log exercise beyond your normal daily activity and eat some of those calories.
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1

    Choose more calorie dense foods or drinks to meet your calorie goal without increasing quantity of food.
    Eat more of what you used to eat. If you are eating very low fat stop doing that.
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1

    Are you losing at the rate you expected to lose even though you have not been eating exercise calories? If so possibly you are eating more than you think anyway. If you do not have one you might want to get a food scale and check your accuracy.
  • kelsiesco
    kelsiesco Posts: 11 Member
    try2again wrote: »
    Just leaving this here for the benefit of the OP and others who maybe don't understand how MFP is set up because it has an excellent explanation:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1

    Thank you so much for posting that link. For me personally when I want to start losing weight I jump online to figure out a plan of attack, and I always see the same things, mostly you have to have a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. The way to do this would to eat less, and exercise more. So you reduce your calorie intake, and start working out.

    It is really easy to think that if you are already losing weight by changing your diet, then you already have a calorie deficit, and obviously if you add working out into the mix then that is going to make the deficit bigger, and you get to lose weight faster. Is it healthy? No. But you can understand the logic.

    That is what I believed until I actually started digging deeper. Most people don't go much farther than plugging their height, weight, age, and gender into a tracking app and having it tell them what their daily totals will be. And some people don't even get that far.
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