Recommended calorie intake.

emcu
emcu Posts: 3
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
My recommended calorie intake is 1600 cals. I currently eat around 900 cals a day. I am barely losing weight as it is now. I think I would put on weight if I ate 1600 cals. HELP!!

Replies

  • sagetracey
    sagetracey Posts: 607 Member
    You sound like you are in starvation mode. Your body has become used to not receiving enough calories to function so it thinks it won't get enough calories and is holding on to everything it can. Try upping your calories for a couple of weeks and see if that makes a difference.
  • luvlite2
    luvlite2 Posts: 59
    I agree...you're gonna have to eat more. I have 1600 as well..but I average around 1200 and I've lost 20 lbs in 5 weeks. You can do it!
  • lawtechie
    lawtechie Posts: 708 Member
    What's your height? Your body does need a minimum of calories per day just to function. If you're not getting that -- it's going to hold onto everything you eat. By upping your calories you may gain weight in the short term, but your metabolism will straighten out and eventually you'll lose (assuming that you have the fat to lose, and not just lose muscle/water).

    See here for a rough estimate of the calories you need to function.
    http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/calorie_calculator.asp
  • Gerald_King
    Gerald_King Posts: 2,031 Member
    You should eat all your calories to lose weight not eating enough is a big mistake hope this helps
  • hainesy33
    hainesy33 Posts: 1
    Is 1200 calories gonna put you in starvation mode? I have been averaging under 1200 and lost 30# in 5 weeks.. I seem to be still losing at 1200 and do not full hungry at all? Is that heading into starvation mode?
  • megz85g
    megz85g Posts: 101 Member
    you are not eating enough, your body thinks it is starving so it is holding on as much as it can
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    You're not eating enough!!! Eating less and less isn't going to help you lose weight, unless you hit real starvation. I've heard that when people eat very little, then start eating the calories they are supposed to, they might gain a couple of pounds initially only, but I don't know if there is any truth to this. Even if it is true, that is only initial weight gain and then you should be on track to losing. I was unknowingly eating around 800-900 calories a day for a good year, and didn't lose weight. I didn't gain when I started eating the 1440 I eat now (plus at least 3/4 of my exercise calories). But that's anecdotal. In the end, it's about health, and the amount you are eating is NOT healthy.
  • skinimin
    skinimin Posts: 252 Member
    how long have you been eating this way for? Maybe you're expecting bigger results but weight loss is a slow process. 1lb a week is what you should be losing. also the kind of foods you eat will make a difference, particularly to how your body looks. things like pasta and bread will sit behind your belly button and give you a pot belly, so will a diet high in sodium. try monitoring your sodium, keeping it between 1500-1000mg a day and swap fiber found in bread for fibre in fruits and vegetables. you might not lose weight but you will feel a lot better. you have to be patient, give it a month before you give up.
  • fitandhealthybree
    fitandhealthybree Posts: 4
    im currently eating up to 1,000 calories, and im stuggling too... my weight stays the same for along time, then i love 3 - 4 kilos within days, and its annoying cause i want to gradually see weightloss.... im interested to see what everyone else does :)
  • skinimin
    skinimin Posts: 252 Member
    "Is 1200 calories gonna put you in starvation mode? I have been averaging under 1200 and lost 30# in 5 weeks.. I seem to be still losing at 1200 and do not full hungry at all? Is that heading into starvation mode?"

    no, different people need different amounts of calories. for women we can eat between 800-1200 and still be getting enough energy, if we don't lead particularly strenuous lives. mfp just has that warning about starvation mode as a safety thing, even if you eat 1199 calories it will tell you that little warning about starvation mode. if you're feeling satisfied and like you have enough energy to get you through the day then you're eating enough. listen to your body.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    You're not losing because you're starving your body...so its hold ing on to everything it can.
    Try 1400 if you're worried 1600 is too high.

    Even 1200 is pretty low unless you have over 70 lbs to lose or you're super super tiny.
  • AngelikaLumiere
    AngelikaLumiere Posts: 862 Member
    I can't recommend a calorie intake for you. Everyone quotes 1200 calories like its an absolute truth. It is a "norm". You probably do need to eat more. I would suggest you learn your own body's needs. Try adding as much as you are comfortable with and see what happens. I added up to what MFP suggested and all but stopped loosing weight. I am now at 1000 per day and I am loosing at the rate that I want. I do take vitamins and minerals and I do have serious thyroid issues, so my metabolism just runs low. That is something everyone who is concerned about their weight should check with their MD. A wonky thyroid can be corrected with medicine and then weight loss is significantly easier.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    When I first started on this site I had the same problem-- I was eating about 800 calories a day trying to lose weight and getting nowhere. It took a leap of faith to go up to 1200 calories per day, especially when I gained a couple of pounds at first, but then I started losing and now I am down 10 pounds from my starting place and continuing to lose weight AND I feel healthier. Trust the calorie recommendations-- they know what they're talking about!
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