Too little calories?

Tomnape · June 2021

Hi all,

I’ve started doing my calorie defecit and so far I’m enjoying it, I’m just a little concerned as my recommendation for my target weight is 2200 cals per day. At the minute im only consuming around 1200 calories per day. I’m 36 I weigh 25 stone and I’m 6ft 1, I’m not very active during the day but I have been exercising around 4-5 times per week either cycling or brisk walks.

Im just concerned that eating this amount will have a counter productive effect and stop me losing weight. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

Tom

Redordeadhead · June 2021

1500 is the absolute minimum recommended for men to ensure adequate nutrition, so I think you should definitely eat more. Why are you aiming so far below your goal?

Tomnape · June 2021

I haven’t really been aiming for it, with work and everything else I’ve just sort of hit that number, I only really eat 2 meals per day with work etc, so this could potentially hinder my weight loss rather than helping it?

moonangel12 · June 2021

Tomnape wrote: »

I haven’t really been aiming for it, with work and everything else I’ve just sort of hit that number, I only really eat 2 meals per day with work etc, so this could potentially hinder my weight loss rather than helping it?

The potential repercussions are more serious than just interfering with weight loss… eating too little for too long can have major consequences for your long term health including hair loss, heart issues, muscle loss (part of the heart issues since the heart is a muscle), so many other things. There are several on here that can elaborate more, but if you are accurately logging just 1200 calories per day (weighing everything that enters your mouth), you should find some high cal options (like nuts, or high fat dairy, etc) and make a point to incorporate them into your day. A spoonful of peanut butter here, full fat yogurt there, a little extra oil when you sauté some veggies, etc. Calories are fuel for your body and if you don’t eat enough your body will start using it from other sources within (aka muscle mass).

corinasue1143 · June 2021

You may be heading for much more trouble than just not being able to lose weight.
Your body needs energy. Your heart is a muscle. It needs energy to beat. Your brain needs energy to work. Your organs need energy to work. You are making them work VERY hard to compete for the little energy you’re providing, as well as support your body.
Give yourself a break. It’s hard to lose weight. Don’t make it harder. Don’t punish yourself. Don’t punish your strong, beautiful body that has done such good work for you for 36 years.
In other words, eat enough to support your body.

Lietchi · June 2021

Just going to convert for those who don't 'do' stones: 25st equals 350lbs.

For your size and weight 1200 is ridiculously low. As a 200lb 5ft5 woman I was losing weight (albeit slowly) at 1700 calories PLUS exercise calories. Heck, I'm still losing weight slowly now at 145lbs eating 1800 to 2000 calories on average.

The health risks are considerable, you might feel fine short term, but that can change quickly.

PS you say 2200 calories is the recommandation for your goal weight. It isn't actually, your goal weight doesn't influence anything. It's your chosen weight loss rate that gave you that calorie goal. What weight loss rate did you choose?

Tomnape · June 2021

Thanks for the advice it all makes so much sense!

And Lietchi my goal is to lose 2Ib per week, I could of gone more but i think 2 per week is a reasonable amount to aim for, I know it’s not going to happen over night, it’s a marathon not a sprint!

Again thanks for the advice and support it means a lot 🙂🙂

Lietchi · June 2021

Tomnape wrote: »

Thanks for the advice it all makes so much sense!

And Lietchi my goal is to lose 2Ib per week, I could of gone more but i think 2 per week is a reasonable amount to aim for, I know it’s not going to happen over night, it’s a marathon not a sprint! Again thanks for the advice and support it means a lot 🙂🙂

At your current weight, 2lbs per week is fine (generally 0.5-1% of your bodyweight is recommended) but you should realize it's already quite an aggressive goal, so undereating by another 1000 calories definitely is too much for healthy loss.
But I think that message has successfully been conveyed 🙂

Good luck!

springlering62 · June 2021

Tomnape wrote: »

Thanks for the advice it all makes so much sense!

And Lietchi my goal is to lose 2Ib per week, I could of gone more but i think 2 per week is a reasonable amount to aim for, I know it’s not going to happen over night, it’s a marathon not a sprint! Again thanks for the advice and support it means a lot 🙂🙂

Thank you for recognizing it’s not a sprint. Reel it in, eat more, and understand that you should use these beginning months of weight loss to learn every darn thing you can about it, and to create new habits that will be with you for the rest of your life.

The community here is golden for advice and support.

This was an eye opener for me: I sat down and entered everything I would have eaten in a normal day, before I ever got on MFP or even thought about counting a calorie. I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit this, but it was easily 8500-10,000 calories a day, mostly candy, cake, breads, cookies and fast food. (In retrospect, the fact that I was “only” 225 pounds was a freaking miracle.)

It made me understand that simply cutting to the recommended calories would have a massive effect. It couldn’t not, mathematically.

As a very active 59 year old woman in maintenance, I now average 2500 calories a day. Your 1200 is insanity and downright dangerous.

I had a very muddled idea for the first week or so that if I under ate, my body would somehow devour itself and make me skinny faster. It doesn’t work like that, at least not in any way you’d ever want to experience, and thank god I figured that out pretty quick.

Too little calories?

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