Is it ok to eat less than 1000 cals per day?
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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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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.
I don't even understand why some doctors approve it. I had a family member on that stupid 500 calorie a day thing (supervised by a doctor), and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Yeah, she lost weight fast. But then she gains it back, then does it again, gains it back, rinse and repeat. It boggles the mind.1 -
I'm a vegan. If you can meet your protein requirements on salad, please tell me how, because I can't!asiaholifield981 wrote: »Both of these are meet each day for myself
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whatalazyidiot wrote: »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.
I don't even understand why some doctors approve it. I had a family member on that stupid 500 calorie a day thing (supervised by a doctor), and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Yeah, she lost weight fast. But then she gains it back, then does it again, gains it back, rinse and repeat. It boggles the mind.
General doctors shouldn't be, but it doesn't stop some of them.2 -
whatalazyidiot wrote: »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.
I don't even understand why some doctors approve it. I had a family member on that stupid 500 calorie a day thing (supervised by a doctor), and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Yeah, she lost weight fast. But then she gains it back, then does it again, gains it back, rinse and repeat. It boggles the mind.
Several reasons.
There is evidence that people that lose rapidly are more likely to keep part of it off, despite the common belief that slower is better and more permanent.
There is evidence that being at less weight has health benefits even if it is transitory.
Though the most common reason will probably be that doctors really aren't taught that much about weight loss. They typically are supposed to refer out to a dietitian, and the general level of nutrition taught in medical school reflects that.HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
I'm a vegan. If you can meet your protein requirements on salad, please tell me how, because I can't!asiaholifield981 wrote: »Both of these are meet each day for myself
Lettuce has 4.9 grams of protein per 360 gram head. So you should be good if you get in about 90/4.9*360g = 6.612 kg of lettuce. Bone apple tea.
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My salads typically have some light leafy greens, more dark leafy greens, tomatoes, shallots, scallions, shredded cheese, sunflower seeds, boiled egg slices (and sometimes artichoke hearts, walnuts, peas, carrots, chicken, water chestnuts, radishes, etc), plus salad dressing (full fat), so I do get in a lot of protein and fat in them. Maybe asiaholifield's are the same way?2
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chekhov_liszt wrote: »My salads typically have some light leafy greens, more dark leafy greens, tomatoes, shallots, scallions, shredded cheese, sunflower seeds, boiled egg slices (and sometimes artichoke hearts, walnuts, peas, carrots, chicken, water chestnuts, radishes, etc), plus salad dressing (full fat), so I do get in a lot of protein and fat in them. Maybe asiaholifield's are the same way?
Except several of those things you listed are also quite calorie dense. Which would naturally increase the calories in said salads.
A salad can be a bigger calorie bomb than a steak dinner, depending on what's in it.11 -
Yum! Can't see any problems there.magnusthenerd wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »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.
I don't even understand why some doctors approve it. I had a family member on that stupid 500 calorie a day thing (supervised by a doctor), and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Yeah, she lost weight fast. But then she gains it back, then does it again, gains it back, rinse and repeat. It boggles the mind.
Several reasons.
There is evidence that people that lose rapidly are more likely to keep part of it off, despite the common belief that slower is better and more permanent.
There is evidence that being at less weight has health benefits even if it is transitory.
Though the most common reason will probably be that doctors really aren't taught that much about weight loss. They typically are supposed to refer out to a dietitian, and the general level of nutrition taught in medical school reflects that.HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
I'm a vegan. If you can meet your protein requirements on salad, please tell me how, because I can't!asiaholifield981 wrote: »Both of these are meet each day for myself
Lettuce has 4.9 grams of protein per 360 gram head. So you should be good if you get in about 90/4.9*360g = 6.612 kg of lettuce. Bone apple tea.
I'm finding it somewhat implausible that they are if they're simultaneously coming in at sub-1000 a day.chekhov_liszt wrote: »My salads typically have some light leafy greens, more dark leafy greens, tomatoes, shallots, scallions, shredded cheese, sunflower seeds, boiled egg slices (and sometimes artichoke hearts, walnuts, peas, carrots, chicken, water chestnuts, radishes, etc), plus salad dressing (full fat), so I do get in a lot of protein and fat in them. Maybe asiaholifield's are the same way?
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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?
Since you joined this app, how much time have you spent reading the sticky posts at the top of the different forums? They are chock full of information to help newbies like yourself make informed decisions about setting calorie intake goals.
Many posts here are from folks who have not used the various tools available to figure out what their own daily calorie needs are. WIthout that starting step - it's all a shot and a prayer that your efforts will succeed.
good luck!0 -
That's too low1
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HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
Yum! Can't see any problems there.magnusthenerd wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »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.
I don't even understand why some doctors approve it. I had a family member on that stupid 500 calorie a day thing (supervised by a doctor), and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Yeah, she lost weight fast. But then she gains it back, then does it again, gains it back, rinse and repeat. It boggles the mind.
Several reasons.
There is evidence that people that lose rapidly are more likely to keep part of it off, despite the common belief that slower is better and more permanent.
There is evidence that being at less weight has health benefits even if it is transitory.
Though the most common reason will probably be that doctors really aren't taught that much about weight loss. They typically are supposed to refer out to a dietitian, and the general level of nutrition taught in medical school reflects that.HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
I'm a vegan. If you can meet your protein requirements on salad, please tell me how, because I can't!asiaholifield981 wrote: »Both of these are meet each day for myself
Lettuce has 4.9 grams of protein per 360 gram head. So you should be good if you get in about 90/4.9*360g = 6.612 kg of lettuce. Bone apple tea.
I'm finding it somewhat implausible that they are if they're simultaneously coming in at sub-1000 a day.chekhov_liszt wrote: »My salads typically have some light leafy greens, more dark leafy greens, tomatoes, shallots, scallions, shredded cheese, sunflower seeds, boiled egg slices (and sometimes artichoke hearts, walnuts, peas, carrots, chicken, water chestnuts, radishes, etc), plus salad dressing (full fat), so I do get in a lot of protein and fat in them. Maybe asiaholifield's are the same way?
They might have to have lower protein goals and higher BF% goals than a lot of people on MFP advocate, but let's say shooting for 0.8 g protein per pound of LBM (100 lbs) at a GW of 125 (no idea how tall this hypothetical person is, but let's say that's a health BMI, with BF% of 20%). That's 80 g protein, or 320 kcal for salad proteins.
Add 50 g of fat, which should be enough for most people. That's 450 kcal for salad fats.
320 + 450 = 770 kcal, leaving 200+ kcal for greens and veggies that aren't contributing protein and fat.
Pretty massive salad, and I like lots of protein and at least some fat in my salads.
I'm not advocating it, because you still need sufficient energy, and a steady diet below 1000 kcals isn't going to cut it for the overwhelming majority of adult human beings. Just saying it's not a theoretical impossibility.
I suppose some of the disconnect here may be how different people define a salad.0
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