Generally eating below 1200 and not hungry
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JM11413
Posts: 5 Member
After poking around in other discussions, the general consensus seems to be that eating below 1200 calories consistently is a bad idea. I didn't know this when I started MFP and I ate 800 or less for a little over a week and now I seem to be used to it. I have upped my calories since then and have been trying to stick closer to 1200, but I find that on some days I'm just not that hungry.
So my question is this: If I don't feel hungry, is eating around 1200 calories per day really that important? I do want to make sure I'm losing fat and not muscle, but it seems to me that if I don't feel hunger, my body might not really need those calories.
I'm 5'3 and 286 lbs. Down 7 lbs. since starting MFP
So my question is this: If I don't feel hungry, is eating around 1200 calories per day really that important? I do want to make sure I'm losing fat and not muscle, but it seems to me that if I don't feel hunger, my body might not really need those calories.
I'm 5'3 and 286 lbs. Down 7 lbs. since starting MFP
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Replies
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How long has it taken you to lose 7lbs?
Do you weigh all solids with a food scale and measure all liquids to determine your intake?1 -
It doesn't matter whether you are hungry or not your body needs at least 1200 calories a day just to survive. Consistently undereating is unhealthy. How much you are undereating though will depend on how accurate your logging is. Do you weigh all solids (including prepackaged foods)? Do you use measuring cups and spoons for all liquids? Do you remember to add all condiments and oils you cook with? Do you check your entries against the USDA database and nutritional information on the package? Is you average weight loss over a week around the same or less than the goal you set? If you answered no to any of these you may be eating more than you think. If you answered yes to all then you need to add more calorie dense foods into your diet to add calories but not volume.0
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It's more complicated than that.
Hunger and satiety cues may not be the best gauge on whether you're eating enough.
If you're overweight, a sense of urgency can make you take rash decisions.
If you haven't taught yourself how to log correctly, you may be eating more than you think.
When you're overweight or normal weight, and healthy, a week or so of eating little or nothing, is no big deal.
But it's also quite pointless, and not recommended. You can lose fat as fast as your body allows, not faster.
If you are overweight, chances are you like to eat, or at least tend to seek comfort in food, and those needs/preferences won't go away just like that.
If you have self image/confidence issues, it's hard to know whom and what to trust. MFP bases its calorie recommendations on an average of the population, and that 1 pound of fat equals a 3500 calories.
Most people are not outliers.
No matter what recommendations you get, and what determination you have, your needs will come first. You can ignore your needs for a while, but not for long. If you are, or feel you are, depriving yourself, at some point you will do something about it. You're in this for the long haul, and for life, if you intend to keep the weight off. Do what you can to avoid setting yourself up for a mega crash.11 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »How long has it taken you to lose 7lbs?
Do you weigh all solids with a food scale and measure all liquids to determine your intake?
I weigh and measure all food/condiments/etc. and the 7lb. loss was recorded on day 14.1 -
I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.15
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elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.6 -
The biggest problem is getting enough nutrients. What kind of food do you eat?2
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elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
I agree with the point of getting enough nutrition, but the starvation mode thing is a myth. The body is not going to store fat in a caloric deficit, there is just no place for it to obtain the energy needed to store fat. There is something called adaptive thermogenesis where metabolism slows after a longer period of time will insufficient calories. This isn't going to happen over the 2 weeks that OP is talking about.
OP, the two things I would be cautious about with eating so little is as mentioned above the lack of nutritional sufficiency of the diet. Your body needs a minimum amount of fats and proteins to function healthily, as well as vitamins and minerals. You've already mentioned the loss of muscle as a possible issue, that would be my other concern.
With your height and weight, you should be able to successfully lose on a lot more calories. You don't get extra credits for making it harder than it needs to be. You might feel fine now, but at some point it will likely catch up to you. At that point, you feel fine until you don't, it then takes some time to recover.10 -
There are some consequences of low calorie diets. I'm going to go ahead and assume you're a woman, just because of the low calorie count.
* It can mess with your bodies ability to produce estrogen.
* You might not get enough Iron, B12, D, and Iodine.
* As you noted yourself, muscle breakdown.
* It can mess with your immune system.
Now a few of these takes time to get too. They are not eat 800 calories for a week kind of things. Without seeing your diary I'd say you're probably not getting enough protein, at the very least.0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »How long has it taken you to lose 7lbs?
Do you weigh all solids with a food scale and measure all liquids to determine your intake?
I weigh and measure all food/condiments/etc. and the 7lb. loss was recorded on day 14.
If you're a premenopausal woman, 2 weeks isn't enough to establish a valid average weekly loss rate . . . but if 3.5 pounds a week were to continue, you'd be losing too fast - risking negative health consequences.
Your best strategy to start would be to eat the calories MFP recommends for you (all of them, or darned close), and stick with it for 4-6 weeks. If your average loss rate then exceeds around 1% of your body weight at most (less is better if within about 50 pounds of goal), then eat a little more. If your average loss doesn't meet your goals, and you still feel strong and energetic, eat a little less, and repeat the experiment.
I accidentally lost too fast when I joined MFP (it underestimated my calorie needs). I felt great . . . until I didn't. I got weak and fatigued. It took several weeks to recover. Really, you don't want that. And weak/fatigued is far from the worst that can happen, if someone sticks to too-low calories for too long. (Bad results are not a sure thing, of course . . . but you're increasing risk by losing very fast, unless under close medical/nutritional supervision.)
If you're having difficulty eating your whole 1200 calories (already a very low amount), add something calorie dense but not too filling. There are many nutritious calorie-dense foods, like nuts and nut butters, seeds, avocados, cheese, olive oil, etc. And, if you've got all the nutritional boxes checked (enough protein & healthy fats, plenty of varied & colorful veggies and fruits), a less nutrient-dense treat food is fine, too.
Think of me as your concerned granny (at 62, I'm prolly old enough.) I just like to see everyone stay strong and healthy while they achieve their weight goals!
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elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,10 -
elsie6hickman wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,
This is a good thread https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss7 -
elsie6hickman wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,
What makes you think survival mode exists?7 -
elsie6hickman wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,
how do you explain anorexia and people who are literally starving in 3rd world countries? if you dont get enough calories for a period of time your body will use fat,muscle and whatever else it can for energy to keep running. if you dont eat enough then your body will slow down to conserve that energy. if you dont get enough nutrients your body will use what it can that means eventually your body will shut down because it doesnt have the energy or a source to no longer use.
This is going to be harsh but its true,my mother passed away a month ago and she for the last year or so was basically not eating enough food.(she had health issues as well as being an alcoholic) she was maybe 50lbs when she died. she basically starved herself and I can say as harsh as this is she had NO fat she was skin and bone and her heart gave out from not eating enough. if there was a starvation mode everything she did eat would have been stored and she would have gained fat. That didnt happen so NO\ starvation mode is NOT a thing but starvation is real. if survival mode was real you would stop losing weight at a certain point not keep losing it the less you eat.21 -
elsie6hickman wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,
Proof? Worldwide, people sadly starve to death every single day, and they aren't fat when they do so.
What can happen is that when we severely undereat, we get fatigued and weak, sleepwalk through daily life, rest/sit/sleep more, phone in our exercise activities (if we keep doing them at all), and as a consequence burn fewer calories than we used to, because we're moving less. At worst, some involuntary body processes even slow down: Digestion (so constipation can happen), hair growth (so hair starts falling out), etc. As an end result, we lose weight much more slowly, and on fewer calories, than we expect. If we keep undereating below this down-regulated calorie need, we'll still lose weight, just more slowly.
This isn't what people mean by "starvation mode" or "survival mode" in everyday dieting contexts, but it can happen.
Read the thread Noreenmarie1234 linked. Very informative.5 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,
This is going to be harsh but its true,my mother passed away a month ago and she for the last year or so was basically not eating enough food.(she had health issues as well as being an alcoholic) she was maybe 50lbs when she died. she basically starved herself and I can say as harsh as this is she had NO fat she was skin and bone and her heart gave out from not eating enough. if there was a starvation mode everything she did eat would have been stored and she would have gained fat. That didnt happen so NO\ starvation mode is NOT a thing but starvation is real. if survival mode was real you would stop losing weight at a certain point not keep losing it the less you eat.
Big hugs to you
Same experience. My mom had cancer and basically stopped eating as the therapy messed with her sense of taste. And ( I guess) it was a chance to finally live the extremely weight loss she always dreamed about. She always was close to being underweight, btw. Thus when she got sick, and she eventually stopped eating she had no reserves. She was given liquid food, and no, she did not store it as fat. She just wasted away. Her body gave up. Yes, the cancer was terminal but she could have lived quite a lot longer.
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,
This is going to be harsh but its true,my mother passed away a month ago and she for the last year or so was basically not eating enough food.(she had health issues as well as being an alcoholic) she was maybe 50lbs when she died. she basically starved herself and I can say as harsh as this is she had NO fat she was skin and bone and her heart gave out from not eating enough. if there was a starvation mode everything she did eat would have been stored and she would have gained fat. That didnt happen so NO\ starvation mode is NOT a thing but starvation is real. if survival mode was real you would stop losing weight at a certain point not keep losing it the less you eat.
Big hugs to you
Same experience. My mom had cancer and basically stopped eating as the therapy messed with her sense of taste. And ( I guess) it was a chance to finally live the extremely weight loss she always dreamed about. She always was close to being underweight, btw. Thus when she got sick, and she eventually stopped eating she had no reserves. She was given liquid food, and no, she did not store it as fat. She just wasted away. Her body gave up. Yes, the cancer was terminal but she could have lived quite a lot longer.
sorry for your loss. my mom said she had cancer but there was no way to know as she refused to go and get checked out. my mom was always thin though so that didnt help. people tried to get her to eat but most of the time she wouldnt eat much at all.she was never a big eater to begin with though. she was never overweight because of that. my mom had COPD(from all those years smoking I would say) and lord knows what else. being an alcoholic didnt help either.but yeah she had no fat stores either.
my mother in law died from cancer 22 years ago and the same thing with her. even though they were giving her liquids through a port in her stomach she still lost weight and fat and ended up being skin and bone. I saw her go through that (we were close) so it was like losing a parent for me.so I do know how you must have felt.
Ive also watched my sister go through anorexia,bulimia and other issues when shes anorexic she stores no fat and loses it quickly . all the years of disordered eating,abusing laxatives as well as drugs(still does the drugs) she now has to get stents put in her heart because of all the abuse she put her body through over the years .shes only 31 years old. so yeah anorexics lose fat and dont store it either not eating enough6 -
elsie6hickman wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,
You're kind of new around here I take it. Stick around, you will learn...a lot.7 -
elsie6hickman wrote: »elsie6hickman wrote: »I find some days that I slip below the 1200 mark, and MFP lets me know that I am not eating enough. I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts storing fat, not burning it. The biggest thing for me is that I want to make sure my body is getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. As they say, you didn't gain it all in a day, and you won't lose it all in a day.
@elsie6hickman No. No. No. That is not how survival mode/sarvation mode works.
What is your proof that it isn't how survival mode works? Suppose you tell me how it works, since you are so sure I am wrong,
Because science.
http://www.nowloss.com/starvation-mode-myth.htm
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html/
It's as nonsensical as saying that if you eat 12,000 calories per day, your body will burn all the fat and you'll stop gaining weight. That's not how it works.4 -
OP there are lots of reasons to not go below the bare minimum calories: Adequate nutrition, preserve lean muscle, and too low of calories can cause organ damage, fatigue, hair loss, sallow skin, brittle nails and in generally just isn’t very sustainable.
As a 280 lb petite female you most certainly can, and should, lose weight eating far more than 800, 1000, or even 1200 calories.4
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