Thoughts on eating 800 calories a day?

13

Replies

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    duskyjewel wrote: »
    DON'T

    That's my thought. Unless you want to end up like Karen Carpenter. (Man, am I showing my age with that reference.)

    I'd laugh at this, but I know exactly what and who you are talking about .......
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    Going under your calorie goal is ok to do on the odd day here and there but 800 every day is just downright dangerous unless under medical supervision for a specific medical reason and for a limited time.

    The winner of the fat loss race is the person who can eat the most and still lose the weight.

  • ljmorgi
    ljmorgi Posts: 264 Member
    JustaJoe00 wrote: »
    not everyone is the same.

    ...but according to the NIH even a two-year-old needs a minimum of 1000 calories per day to be healthy so not a whole lot of variation.

  • netitheyeti
    netitheyeti Posts: 539 Member
    I think that for many people 800kcal a day creates a way too aggressive deficit, and it's hard to get everything your body needs on such a limited diet... I think it has its uses, but is not for everyone, and shouldn't be attempted unless advised by a doctor..
    I've had days where I just didn't feel hungry so didn't eat dinner or didn't eat back my exercise calories and ended up with net 800, but doing that long term just makes me feel constantly tired and cold (and I'm a short, not very active woman) - I've done it in the past before I knew better and it just wasn't sustainable, plus it lead to yo-yo dieting
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    vickygalo wrote: »
    I like the fasting part of it though, as I tend to binge late at night!

    Because fasting leads to binging...
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    amyepdx wrote: »
    vickygalo wrote: »
    I like the fasting part of it though, as I tend to binge late at night!

    Because fasting leads to binging...

    That's a pretty generalized, blanket statement, isn't it?
  • z4oslo
    z4oslo Posts: 229 Member
    I was just watching a BBC documentary yesterday called "The Big Crash Diet Experiment" Not sure if its available on youtube etc. I was a well made documentary where they sent 4 or 5 people on a 800 calorie diet for 9 weeks. They were all monitored my health personell, and they did a series of tests to see how the crash diet affected their health.

    Everyone had a massive positive health improvement for problems they had because of their weight.

    As for the crash diet itelf, I would not recommend it to anyone unless they are seriously overweight, and even then they should comsult with their doctor. Most people dont need a crash diet or any diet for that matter (unless health related)

    Those who have lost their weight and kept it off, have all made life changing eating and/or exercise habits that they knew they could keep for the rest of their remaning life.

    TLDR: Unless you make changes that you can keep for the rest of your life, you will fail.
    (imho of course)
  • Fatty_Nuff
    Fatty_Nuff Posts: 273 Member
    vickygalo wrote: »
    Thoughts on this?

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6566909/Fast-800-Diet-cutting-time-spend-eating-day-turbo-charge-weight-loss.html
    Mosley is just trying to turbo charge his bank account by publishing yet another fad diet book. The only difference being that on your "fast" days you are allowed 800 calories instead of the 500 he insisted was necessary in his old 5:2 book.
  • jelleigh
    jelleigh Posts: 743 Member
    This isn't suggesting 800 calories per day every day. It's the 5:2 IF where you eat 800 calories on your fast day and maintenance on the rest. That's actually an increase over the normal 5:2 recommended 500-600 calories on fast days. This isn't new or that extreme at all. And many people report a lot of success doing 5:2. (I really liked it when I did it)
  • TrishSeren
    TrishSeren Posts: 587 Member
    It'll probably work until the endless hunger breaks you and you end up going back to old habits.

    Slow and steady wins the race.
  • Jackie9003
    Jackie9003 Posts: 1,114 Member
    suziecue25 wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    amandakesslers wrote: »
    I think these crash diets are really dangerous. 800 calories is just about half of what the average person needs and you run the risk of sending your body into starvation mode. Big no from me on this one.

    For the lurkers and new people--"starvation mode" doesn't exist. There are many threads on the topic.

    Common sense tells you starvation mode is a myth, if it wasn't millions of people would never have starved to death.

    Sadly common sense is in short supply, especially with dieting.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    suziecue25 wrote: »
    He was interviewed on ITV morning news programme yesterday and was saying to do the 800 cal a day for a week, a month or a few months but not really long term.

    Edit:they also showed what 800 cals of food looks like -
    Breakfast = 2 boiled eggs
    Lunch = grilled salmon, broccoli, green beans
    Dinner = A bowl of thick soup

    I think I could get more food out of 800 cals personally.

    That looks like one meal rather than a whole day!
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    This got me curious enough to check my Reports and see what my net calories were.
    In the past week my net calories have been below 800 each day.
    Over the past 90 days, my net calories have been higher than 800 most days.
    The only thing I'm doing different lately is having a little fat in my morning coffee rather than a 400 calorie breakfast.

    Comparing my haphazard experience to the advocacy in the OP, it seems that I've been doing it already.

    Rather you eat more than 800 calories and them what you burned (TDEE) made your NET 800. He is talking about 800 total.
  • Alex
    Alex Posts: 10,137 MFP Staff
    We are closing this discussion and while we recognize the intent of the OP wasn't to promote an unsafe weight loss techniques, MyFitnessPal does take a consistent stance that VLCD are not going to be safe for the majority of people, should only be done under the advice and monitoring of a physician, and generally speaking discussion of VLCDs isn't allowed in our community.

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