Is it ok to eat less than 1000 cals per day?
BoredMushroom
Posts: 3 Member
Im a female 5”2”
Mostly sit at the office all day.
I barely do any exercises
Since i joined this app, i started taking calories less than 1000 /per day in order to loose weight. (Mostly 800-950 cal)
I actually feel ok and i don’t feel starving
My food for breakfast just mostly whole wheat grains bread , fresh fruits and vegetables
Anyone doing this too? What had been your experience so far?
Mostly sit at the office all day.
I barely do any exercises
Since i joined this app, i started taking calories less than 1000 /per day in order to loose weight. (Mostly 800-950 cal)
I actually feel ok and i don’t feel starving
My food for breakfast just mostly whole wheat grains bread , fresh fruits and vegetables
Anyone doing this too? What had been your experience so far?
18
Replies
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You are eating far too little and are at risk of damaging your heart. You need to increase your daily intake to a minimum of 1200cal.15
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If you log correctly, then no. Your body needs healthy fats, too. Nuts can be a good source.8
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Your metabolism will slow down if you don’t consume enough. I know this because it’s what I’ve done to myself. I think it’s okay to temporarily eat this way if you’re significantly (like..80 lbs or more) overweight.45
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BoredMushroom wrote: »Im a female 5”2”
Mostly sit at the office all day.
I barely do any exercises
Since i joined this app, i started taking calories less than 1000 /per day in order to loose weight. (Mostly 800-950 cal)
I actually feel ok and i don’t feel starving
My food for breakfast just mostly whole wheat grains bread , fresh fruits and vegetables
Anyone doing this too? What had been your experience so far?
I'm also 5'2 and sit in an office with little exercise. I feel like a pile dog poo if I eat below 1400 for any extended period of time.
The problem with such low calories is that while you may feel fine now, you are digging a hole you'll eventually have to climb out of. Fatigue, low iron, brittle nails, hair loss - just to name a few - can take months to recover from.
The foods you listed are also lacking in fat and protein. Add more foods with those to bring yourself up to an acceptable calorie level and save yourself the future heartache.19 -
I think by default MFP recommends 1200 per day. I would think you should stick to that minimum.5
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You need more than 1000 calories, it may work short-term, but you are in for a tough ride physically and mentally if you keep it up for too long. Your body and brain need fuel to function. Try eating at least 1200 calories and adding in a daily walk or other light exercise. I'm a 5'1 female and have a goal of around 1400, but usually eat around 1800 with exercise. If you are more sedentary than 1200-1400 net may work better for you, but I definitely wouldn't eat less.10
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I am also 5'2" with an office job. Neither of us need to eat <1000kcal to lose weight.
You might feel okay now but your body will not be having a good time and for most people it catches up to them eventually. Maybe with fatigue, thinning hair, bad skin or just losing all control and eating whatever you can get your hands on because your body needs nutrients. I first lost weight eating as little as I could stand and ended up looking soft and skinny-fat because my body lost so much muscle as well as bodyfat and I was miserable. I will not be doing that again and I am advising you against it. You don't mention any protein sources which increases your risk of muscle wastage even more.
Why not use this app the right way? Pick a sensible goal loss per week, use the numbers MFP gives you. It's a popular method because it works.18 -
You always feel okay, until you dont, and at that point it can take weeks to months to reverse the damage. You're at risk for hair loss, fatigue, weakened bones and immune system and as a woman you face potential reproductive issues. Some of these things such as hair loss can even take months after an extremely low calorie diet to show up. Theres a reason MFP doesnt let you set it under 1200 calories, and even 1200 is far too low for most women.13
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1200 is the minimum required for any female NOT bed ridden to get the required nutrition to function. It is unsafe to eat below that (at for the average women, eat MORE than that) unless directly supervised by a doctor as you do it.
here is why:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
how long have you been eating this little, and how much have you lost? how much are do you need to lose?
do you use a food scale?
are you getting any protein (you mention bread, fruit???)4 -
I am 5 foot 2. If I sat on my *kitten* all day doing spreadsheets, I would still need to eat more than 1000 calories a day. So do you.
Eat more. You don't need to go super-low to lose weight, so don't.5 -
You just described my lifeHeliumIsNoble wrote: »I am 5 foot 2. If I sat on my *kitten* all day doing spreadsheets, I would still need to eat more than 1000 calories a day. So do you.
Eat more. You don't need to go super-low to lose weight, so don't.
And I definitely have to eat more than 1k per day. 4 -
TBH, doing anything with Excel spreadsheets makes me hungrier. Im heard that moderate exercise is an appetite suppressant, but spreadsheets are definitely an appetite stimulant.
You just described my lifeHeliumIsNoble wrote: »I am 5 foot 2. If I sat on my *kitten* all day doing spreadsheets, I would still need to eat more than 1000 calories a day. So do you.
Eat more. You don't need to go super-low to lose weight, so don't. And I definitely have to eat more than 1k per day.
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Many people feel this way initially as their motivation is high and can override physiological impulses, but this will end soon.
Bottom line this is a bad idea. Do a quick pro/con list on this strategy and you'll find the risk outweighs any semblance of reward. This is like trying to pay down a credit card by defaulting on your rent/mortgage...only with your body.8 -
It'll catch up to you...and when you start losing your hair, menstrual cycle, etc you will have a lot of work to do to reverse that damage.4
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steph_is_happy wrote: »Your metabolism will slow down if you don’t consume enough. I know this because it’s what I’ve done to myself. I think it’s okay to temporarily eat this way if you’re significantly (like..80 lbs or more) overweight.
Check this link out: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/metabolic-damage/Metabolic slowdown is an umbrella term for any decrease that your metabolic rate experiences throughout the weight loss process.
That means any factor that slows your metabolism to any extent while you lose weight falls under the scope of the term “metabolic slowdown.” It covers all of it.
Basically, your metabolism slows down as you shrink, even if you aren't running too aggressive a deficit. But no, it's not okay to temporarily eat 1000 calories or less unless under a doctor's direct supervision. Think about it. You need more calories to fuel you the larger you are. That's how, at 5'3 and 254lbs, I ended up on 1720 calories to lose 1lb per week and now, at 146.2lbs, I'm on 1340 to lose 1/2 per week. The smaller you are, the fewer calories you need.
It stands to reason that when you're larger, even though you want to become smaller, your body still needs higher calories to run properly.
If you're over 75lbs overweight, you can safely lose up to 2lbs per week. That's still not going to take you below 1200. (For me, personally, I wanted something a little slower and less-painful, so I opted for 1lb per week, even at my heaviest, and I have no regrets; it's been a lot easier to stick with the plan.)6 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »steph_is_happy wrote: »Your metabolism will slow down if you don’t consume enough. I know this because it’s what I’ve done to myself. I think it’s okay to temporarily eat this way if you’re significantly (like..80 lbs or more) overweight.
Check this link out: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/metabolic-damage/Metabolic slowdown is an umbrella term for any decrease that your metabolic rate experiences throughout the weight loss process.
That means any factor that slows your metabolism to any extent while you lose weight falls under the scope of the term “metabolic slowdown.” It covers all of it.
Basically, your metabolism slows down as you shrink, even if you aren't running too aggressive a deficit. But no, it's not okay to temporarily eat 1000 calories or less unless under a doctor's direct supervision. Think about it. You need more calories to fuel you the larger you are. That's how, at 5'3 and 254lbs, I ended up on 1720 calories to lose 1lb per week and now, at 146.2lbs, I'm on 1340 to lose 1/2 per week. The smaller you are, the fewer calories you need.
It stands to reason that when you're larger, even though you want to become smaller, your body still needs higher calories to run properly.
If you're over 75lbs overweight, you can safely lose up to 2lbs per week. That's still not going to take you below 1200. (For me, personally, I wanted something a little slower and less-painful, so I opted for 1lb per week, even at my heaviest, and I have no regrets; it's been a lot easier to stick with the plan.)
Good point. I am over 100 lbs overweight, and it has me at 1,250 calories to lose 2 lbs a week (I eat a little more since I eat half my exercise calories). I can't imagine eating even less. I'm miserable just thinking about it.
For the OP - I think we have all been there. Restricted too much because "we felt fine", but it catches up to you. It can cause so many short-term and long-term problems. There's a reason you get a big warning on MFP if you go under 1,000 calories and why they won't give anyone less than 1,200 a day.
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estherdragonbat wrote: »steph_is_happy wrote: »Your metabolism will slow down if you don’t consume enough. I know this because it’s what I’ve done to myself. I think it’s okay to temporarily eat this way if you’re significantly (like..80 lbs or more) overweight.
Check this link out: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/metabolic-damage/Metabolic slowdown is an umbrella term for any decrease that your metabolic rate experiences throughout the weight loss process.
That means any factor that slows your metabolism to any extent while you lose weight falls under the scope of the term “metabolic slowdown.” It covers all of it.
Basically, your metabolism slows down as you shrink, even if you aren't running too aggressive a deficit. But no, it's not okay to temporarily eat 1000 calories or less unless under a doctor's direct supervision. Think about it. You need more calories to fuel you the larger you are. That's how, at 5'3 and 254lbs, I ended up on 1720 calories to lose 1lb per week and now, at 146.2lbs, I'm on 1340 to lose 1/2 per week. The smaller you are, the fewer calories you need.
It stands to reason that when you're larger, even though you want to become smaller, your body still needs higher calories to run properly.
If you're over 75lbs overweight, you can safely lose up to 2lbs per week. That's still not going to take you below 1200. (For me, personally, I wanted something a little slower and less-painful, so I opted for 1lb per week, even at my heaviest, and I have no regrets; it's been a lot easier to stick with the plan.)
This is an excellent point that many underestimate the importance of. These extreme low calorie diets that professionals undergo have a full staff of medical professionals monitoring them throughout the process - most in a clinical setting. This is not something anyone can do on their own without incredible risk.
Metabolism is simply and end point of mass with the variability below the detectability of instrumentation. Even the difference between muscle and fatty tissue is minuscule when you think in terms of daily basal metabolic rate.4 -
Hey guys, thank you for all comments.
I will change it to at least 1200 cals and add more protein to the diet. I did not realize what risks i was exposing myself to.
Thank you so much!
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Glad you’re taking the advice on board to eat more! While you’re at it, make sure you read through the stickied “most helpful forum posts” at the top of the getting started sections. There is a wealth of knowledge about things like how to set goals, how to log accurately (hint a food scale is your friend), why you should eat back exercise calories, what to do if you hit a plateau, etc.
Good luck!
PS I’m 5’2 and have a desk job and lost all of my weight eating 1600-1900 cals total. You definitely don’t need to be below 1000 cals to lose. Nor do you have to focus on only “healthy” foods. All things in moderation as part of a healthy diet!8 -
You definitely need more than that. I did about a year of 1000-1200 calories a day about 6 years ago. By the end I was so unwell. My eating was so disordered that looking back I can’t believe I did it. I was anxious and unhappy all the time and my body was starting to suffer. My friendships suffered too. I lost a huge amount of weight until I was underweight but I’ve since put a lot of it back on. I’m now losing weight again but aiming for slow and steady with good calories and inevitably days when I exceed my allowance!
I wouldn’t wish that low calorie lifestyle on anyway, it was so damaging to me!
Please eat more - no weight loss is worth that low calories! :-)4 -
Look I did the same thing when I started MFP. I had a sedentary job. I'm 5ft 3inches and started at 165lbs. I would more often than not go under 1000 calories a day. Life was great. I dropped the weight like a rock. Now if you want to look like me with arthritis and osteoporosis, and zero muscles, I really wouldn't recommend it. Those conditions creep up on you, and before you know it you don't recognize the person that is staring back at you in the mirror. Even though I upped my calories to a sensible amount I can't undo the damage I alone created. Please rethink your weight loss. Just take it slow, this isn't a race. Don't think of this as a diet, but as a new lifestyle. Enjoying food is what is important, deprivation not so much. Good luck . (Sorry didn't mean to be preachy)17
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BoredMushroom wrote: »Im a female 5”2”
Mostly sit at the office all day.
I barely do any exercises
Since i joined this app, i started taking calories less than 1000 /per day in order to loose weight. (Mostly 800-950 cal)
I actually feel ok and i don’t feel starving
My food for breakfast just mostly whole wheat grains bread , fresh fruits and vegetables
Anyone doing this too? What had been your experience so far?
Your on the right track to be tracking your calories. Such a huge calorie deficit may not be a best idea and you may want to explore how activity can benefit you.
I am a BIG believer in building yourself up to burn fat and get healthy. Deprivation, not fueling your body, not using your body... tough go. This very thing is explained well in this detailed video https://www.4fitnessrules.com/articles/beware-diets-that-hype-fast-weight-loss/ or a condensed article is below the video itself.
I'm not a young guy or a big guy but I keep 175 lbs and lean with 2700 calories of yummy food! If only more people understood the power of getting fit, healthy and lean over deprivation and suffering.1 -
There is a huge difference between eating less than 1000 calories a day and eating nothing. Fasting is a perfectly normal thing for a body to deal with. Eating, but with a super-restricted calorie intake, is much more dangerous.13
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What's with all the eating 800-1000 calorie threads today!
At 5ft 1 your BMR is more than 1000 calories alone and that number would apply to the calories burned if you were comatose! 1200 is the minimum for anyone, even shorties (of whom I am one too).
Anyway it looks like the OP is going to take the good advice given here - so all the best for your weight loss.
(FWIW I'm 5ft 2, lightly active and lose 0.5lb a week eating 1600-1700 calories - weight loss doesn't have to be about deprivation.)8 -
That’s far too little. Your body will be in starvation mode and you will NOT lose weight! It’s taken me years to finally understand that! Now I do and eating more and losing weight.18
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Starvation mode isn't real. If it were, nobody would ever starve.10
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They do say your metabolism/body starts to slow down between 24-36 hours of having nothing I don't necessarily think coming under 1000 calories a day sometimes is a huge deal I eat huge portions of salads and these seem to get me no where near my 1200 calories I'm not going to try and over eat in the evening just to hit my calories in take when I've feed my body slow burning nourishing food all day.....16
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asiaholifield981 wrote: »They do say your metabolism/body starts to slow down between 24-36 hours of having nothing I don't necessarily think coming under 1000 calories a day sometimes is a huge deal I eat huge portions of salads and these seem to get me no where near my 1200 calories I'm not going to try and over eat in the evening just to hit my calories in take when I've feed my body slow burning nourishing food all day.....
Your huge salad also get you nowhere near your protein and fat requirements, if they are that low in calories. Vegetables aren't the only component of a healthy diet.10 -
Both of these are meet each day for myself0
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It's not a good idea long-term. Maybe if you are actually very overweight and it's only for a month or so, and you're being supervised by a doctor, but otherwise it's a bad idea. I'm 5'1" with a desk job and on my inactive days I break even at 1600 calories. At 1200 calories I lost 30 lbs without having to add any exercise. There are risks to undereating long-term, mostly to your heart,as well as other bodily systems.3
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