Scared to eat more that 1000-1100 calories

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jas671
jas671 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I usually eat between 1000-1100 calories a day, although sometimes I do go over that limit but I ALWAYS compensate it with rigorous exercise. Daily, I burn at least half of my calorie intake, and often I burn all of it. The thing is, I don't really see a change in my weight. I fluctuate between 62.8kg - 65kg but I know water weight and salt retention could also be a factor. I know eating 1200 calories will help me lose weight quicker, but I'm just scared to eat 1200 or more because I don't want to stuff this up, even though I already know I am. If you lovely people could give me some advice, I'd greatly appreciate it. xx.

Replies

  • monetsf
    monetsf Posts: 14 Member
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    Everyone is different and you should do what is comfortable for you. Just remember that to maintain the loss you really won't be able to eat more than about 200-300 calories over what you are doing now. I personally find that eating between 1100-1200 a day works as long as I work out. At the end of your day, listen to your body, if you are hungry you should eat, if not then don't.
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,337 Member
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    You need to be guided by your own body and needs, factoring in any special circumstances eg medication etc. A lot of people will tell you you HAVE to net 1200 no matter what, and you will get roasted if you don't.

    However, if there are other non physiological issues preventing you from upping your calories then that might be a different story.
  • Monica_has_a_goal
    Monica_has_a_goal Posts: 694 Member
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    Eat more you're going into starvation mode.. and all that means is your body knows you're not eating enough to maintain so it holds onto any and all weight you have and doesnt allow you to lose.

    I did that once for 2 weeks .. ate more and kept exercising the same and i began to lose again..
  • sjcply
    sjcply Posts: 817 Member
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    Everyone is different and you should do what is comfortable for you. Just remember that to maintain the loss you really won't be able to eat more than about 200-300 calories over what you are doing now. I personally find that eating between 1100-1200 a day works as long as I work out. At the end of your day, listen to your body, if you are hungry you should eat, if not then don't.

    I agree with this, although Im sure someone will come on here and say that is too little calories and you will be in starvation mode. BUT I always stay around 1000-1100 calories and I am steadily losing weight and I have plenty of energy to Run, and I feel great! So do what your body tells you is enough! If you feel you need to increase it, then do it slowly like add 20-30 extra calories every few day until you get up to 1200!

    I wouldnt change anything as long as you are losing....if you hit a plateau then you need to change something up!
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
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    I couldn't lose at 1200 calories....so increased it, with exercise I generally eat 1400-1500 calories a day, that did the trick for me!
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
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    Okay, so I think the general consensus is that your NET calorie intake should be 1200. Even if you want it to be 1k-1100, you need to eat those exercise calories you have been eating. I didn't look at your food log or anything, this is just based on your post. If you are under-eating, you wont lose weight and if you do it wont be healthy. Eat back enough calories to make sure your NET is 1200, this will ensure you aren't going into starvation mode.
  • sexforjaffacakes
    sexforjaffacakes Posts: 1,001 Member
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    " Daily, I burn at least half of my calorie intake, and often I burn all of it" Netting 1000 calories is fine, but netting 0 isn't. I used to swim off like 3000 cals a day and be in a -2000 defecit and I wasn't losing at all, upped my cals and calmed doon the exercise so I net 1000 overall and I started losing weight again!
  • snm0056
    snm0056 Posts: 1 Member
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    jas671 -- If you are working out every day, and burning so many calories, you should definitely be eating more than 1100 or 1200 calories every day. That's what's so great about this site -- if you log it as you do it, it will tell you how much you can eat and STILL lose weight. You are right -- there are lots of reasons you might not be seeing any differences... then again, maybe stuff is happening, but you have a distorted image of yourself and can't see it. The main thing is to be healthy, right!? Right. :D Give your body what it needs, and it will do what you want. If your body is constantly in starvation mode, it won't want to burn anything up....
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,337 Member
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    I should add that there is 1100 calories and then there is 1100 calories - quality of food is very important re ensuring you are getting enough to meet your macros and vitamin/mineral intake.
  • michaelachallis
    michaelachallis Posts: 137 Member
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    My advise would be at more calories, i did what you did in the beginning and saw not much weight drop, as soon as i upped my calories it started coming off!
    It is said you need 1200 as an absolute minimum, at the weight you are i think it is unreasonable to be on such a low calorie intake, if you were say over 100 kilos then it would be more realistic but you aren't!!
  • horizonflight
    horizonflight Posts: 75
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    I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, however, I've spoken with nutritionists in the past regarding things like this. If you're consuming only 1000-1100 calories and then you vigorously work out and don't make up for the deficit you are losing when you work out then your body will probably retain weight to compensate for what it's not getting to function. In other words, the calories you burn when working out you need to make up and eat in order to maintain a caloric intake of 1000-1100. Your body is function using only 600 calories that are left after your workout AND that doesn't even include other day to day activities you're doing that burn calories. Make up your exercise calories and you may see a difference.

    Also, although I don't know what your exercise regimen looks like, some people who don't vary their exercise schemes and change things up in their routine will stop losing because your muscles memorize the exercise and use less energy to do it. Therefore you need to shock your body into burning more calories.

    Just my two cents. I am not a doctor and this is only my opinion. It might be worth looking into :)
  • leilani♥
    leilani♥ Posts: 579
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    I used to be scared to eat more than 1200 calories a day. When I first started I was easily burning 800 calories and not eating any of my exercise calories back. I was losing about 1 lb a week. So I changed things up and now I eat about 1350 calories PLUS exercise calories (not all of them) and I lose about 2 lbs a week. It's all about finding what works for you.
  • jas671
    jas671 Posts: 3
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    Thank you all soooooo much :)
    I've been calculating on different websites as to how many calories I should be eating, and they all say between 1300 - 1400. I might start eating 1200 to begin with, and if that doesn't work I'll bring myself to eat 1300.

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