Eating under 1200 calories

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NostalgicDruid
NostalgicDruid Posts: 41
in Food and Nutrition
Myself and a handful of my MFP friends have our profile set that our friends can see our food diaries, and for the last week or so something has started to bother me.

A few of the girls are eating consistently under 1200 (sometimes as low as 800). Now, I know they may just not be adding everything, or just doing it improperly, but I am started to feel very concerned that they are starving themselves. Mine is set to almost 1450 calories/day and I don't normally go under by more than 100 and I eat most of my exercising calories back when I exercise. I am eating a lot, compared to them, but still losing my pound/week. With being able to lose weight at this calorie intake, it makes me wonder why anyone would want to deprive themselves so much.

I only comment with "Good job!"s and "Doing good!"s when they are over 1200 because I don't want to encourage their lack of eating habit. What would be a good way to encourage them to eat more without sounding condescending? Or should I just say nothing at all?
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Replies

  • thesmellofapples
    thesmellofapples Posts: 287 Member
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    when i see people eating too little, even just skipping one meal or too low on water intake, i simply tell them something along the lines of

    "i see your calories are pretty low. don't make a habit of it because losing weight the unhealthy way usually leads to gaining it back"

    just be honest.
  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
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    First time I say something. Second or maybe third time I say something again. After that, I delete them.

    I recognize that everyone is different and going about this their own way but there are limits to my acceptance. If I don't feel like I can support you I don't see a reason for us to be "friends".
  • darbym7
    darbym7 Posts: 61
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    personally, I'm one of those girls. I'm set at 1200. It is so hard for me to meet 1200. I dont really know why. It's often because im busy so i skip a meal, which is really unhealthy. my breakfast is usually around 150 cals, and im not much of a snacker. but i am in no way starving myself, or trying to at least. im working on it. im jealous of you that you can eat all of your calories. i wish i was in your spot! im working on it, and maybe those girls are like me too, so dont be too quick to judge
  • jb_2011
    jb_2011 Posts: 1,029 Member
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    @ cardillos, very good advice. That's the perfect thing to say.
  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
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    First time I say something. Second or maybe third time I say something again. After that, I delete them.

    I recognize that everyone is different and going about this their own way but there are limits to my acceptance. If I don't feel like I can support you I don't see a reason for us to be "friends".

    Yet again ... reasons I love ya! I agree with you and I have deleted people who insist on recurrent unhealthy habits. I am not perfect by any sort, but I think we should be encouraging healthy behaviors. I also cannot say "good job" to someone who is eating 700 calories either.

    :)
  • daves160
    daves160 Posts: 600
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    It may be no more than a weight difference. I am 185 and my cals are set to 1250 per day. I can easily eat well and stay under that. I exercise and add food as well, but that is my base rate.

    It depends on their weight and how fast or slow they entered to lose it. But if they are eating lower than 1000 cal a day on a regular basis, then it would not be healthy, and i would agree with you about worrying
  • bjfmade
    bjfmade Posts: 543 Member
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    I think that this will be a learning experience for them. They will most likely feel starved in the end and not follow through with a lifestyle change. This doesn't have to be a change where you feel you are missing out on food. I like to eat, that is what got me to where I was. Enjoyed every minute of it and am really enjoying the new lifestyle I have now. I eat more/better than I ever have. I love the exercise calories and tend to eat most of them back. Needless to say, I am never hungry.
    I think you will just stress yourself out more if you try to counsel them. It is a hard thing to grasp that you have to eat to lose weight, but it does work.
    Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
  • aliceguy
    aliceguy Posts: 128 Member
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    Its good to be concerned about your pals, but it may not be such a worry for some as it is for others. I always seem to be under, around the 400 - 900 nett depending on how much exercising I have been doing.
    But, I am badly overweight so I feel I can probably afford such a deficit, but if there wasn't much really on your friends in the 1st place it may be different.
    Maybe say things like "well done" and throw in a couple of questions like, "if I ate that little I'd feel lightheaded" or similar, you get the drift. They may, in conversation, let out some symptoms like tiredness or headaches which you can use to highlight their low calorie intake.
    That way you can be supportive, and also keep an eye out for their welfare.

    But, everyones different, maybe they can survive ok at their level, I seem to be doing ok. Just saying
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
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    i don't know how they are still standing. things like this make me so sad. not only messing with their metabolism/ metabolic rate..
    they can lose their periods--it will also mess with their reproductive system (possibly miscarry if ever get pregnant)
    their bones will shrink at a much faster rate from the lack of estrogen
    since self starvation is impossible to maintain, when they gain weight, it will be mostly fat (as opposed to a mix of fat & lean tissue)
  • NostalgicDruid
    NostalgicDruid Posts: 41
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    You guys are great. I was considering deleting them, but I don't want to come off as *****y. I do think I will try to instill some motivation to eat better, but if they don't want to change, I can't make them. I know for myself I am a "momma bear" and get really worried/defensive over people I care about, so removing them would be the best thing for me stress wise if they maintain their low cals.
  • Divamomma
    Divamomma Posts: 66 Member
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    i sometimes break my meals in half for lunch & dinner & i just log it as one depending on if its pasta need more pals that are 1200 cals a day been a tough week drinking water but i'm trying to inprove :-) please add me modavated peeps:)
  • tracy337
    tracy337 Posts: 199 Member
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    I do this as well, but for me its not because I am trying not to eat. I listen to my body and eat when I am hungry. It varies day to day. Like for the last week I have been right aroung 1000 with today being the first day I was over 1200 in a week. I refuse to force myself to eat when I am not hungry, thats part of how I got to over 300 pounds to begin with. Now if I am only at 800 and after dinner, I may eat a treat, but I am very careful on portion so I don't over indulge so I am not too low on my cals.
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
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    when i first started this site, i was eating about 1200 calories to kickstart my weight loss (which was probably not the most healthiest of way) & have brought that up to about 1800-2000
  • PersnicketyFits
    PersnicketyFits Posts: 22
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    Well... MAYBE I can see an innocent explanation... The calorie budget you set is NET calories (calories consumed - calories burned). I want my net calories to be about 1200 ish BETWEEN working out & exercising (so 25-30 minutes of cardio for me comes up as 300 calories worked off... 1500 - 300 = 1200). Therefore, by setting my Net Calories to 1200 I will only eat 1200 calories on days that I do not work out, but on days that I do work out I'm consuming 1500 to make up for the 300 calorie deficit from hitting the elliptical.

    I hope that makes sense.

    I decided to just leave mine at 1500 just to ease myself in to eating better, but once I start a regular exercise program, I plan on dropping mine to 1200 to do the above mentioned plan.
  • minnowsnymph
    minnowsnymph Posts: 1
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    For me, personally, it's actually hard for me to eat all of my required calories. It's mainly because up until this point, I'm so used to eating small amounts mainly because that's the way I ate for so long simply out of habit. But, looking at this thread, I will definitely be more aware of increasing my calories! Thanks all! ^-^
  • MerrieLoyd
    MerrieLoyd Posts: 7 Member
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    I eat under 1200 calories a day... I have too, or I will not lose any weight or meet my goals. I drink plenty of water everyday and I do not feel deprived. I do get a little tired of the same diet but I take at least a day or two a week to eat what I want and not follow to closely my calorie intake. I would personally feel terrible if someone deleted me simply because I ate under 1200 calories... I am petite, middle aged, get no exercise who has a sluggish metabolism. I realize that when I start working out I will up my calories accordingly. We are all different with different health issues but our goal here is the same.... to lose weight, feel and be healthy and to find support from others who are walking our same path.
  • NostalgicDruid
    NostalgicDruid Posts: 41
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    Well... MAYBE I can see an innocent explanation... The calorie budget you set is NET calories (calories consumed - calories burned). I want my net calories to be about 1200 ish BETWEEN working out & exercising (so 25-30 minutes of cardio for me comes up as 300 calories worked off... 1500 - 300 = 1200). Therefore, by setting my Net Calories to 1200 I will only eat 1200 calories on days that I do not work out, but on days that I do work out I'm consuming 1500 to make up for the 300 calorie deficit from hitting the elliptical.

    I hope that makes sense.

    I decided to just leave mine at 1500 just to ease myself in to eating better, but once I start a regular exercise program, I plan on dropping mine to 1200 to do the above mentioned plan.

    I keep my net cals around 1300-1400, but that is not what I am referring to. I mean people eating 800-1200 calories with NO exercise.
  • mojiwoji
    mojiwoji Posts: 23
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    The No exercise part may be their issue. For a small female, 1200 calories could seem like a lot of food if they are not very active during the day. I would comment on the low calories and ask them to be careful. As a young woman recovering from an eating disorder, I know how tempting it probably is for them to severely restrict with hopes of quicker weight loss. A concerned friend may help them try to stay healthier.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    I think that this will be a learning experience for them. They will most likely feel starved in the end and not follow through with a lifestyle change. This doesn't have to be a change where you feel you are missing out on food. I like to eat, that is what got me to where I was. Enjoyed every minute of it and am really enjoying the new lifestyle I have now. I eat more/better than I ever have. I love the exercise calories and tend to eat most of them back. Needless to say, I am never hungry.
    I think you will just stress yourself out more if you try to counsel them. It is a hard thing to grasp that you have to eat to lose weight, but it does work.
    Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

    I am agreeing with this because its definitely not worth the stress of trying to counsel them... the other person/people are making choices for theirself - if its counter productive, there is really only so much you can say to them.... and then we could come off as those individuals who tell us "you shouldnt have to lose any weight, you look fine" or the classic "youre too skinny"....

    Then - you have to consider the fact that life can get in the way sometimes. I work as a chef for a living, just leaving my second job in healthcare from a layoff. Sometimes we can get a meal break, and other times, forget it - it just doesnt happen because of getting slammed with business. For me tonight, I not only had two low-carb meals, but I sure as hell got one workout from speed walking back and forth from station to kitchen... kitchen to basement, back to station and then some... my legs, feet, thighs and rear are tight as hell from the extra workout that normally doesnt happen for me on a Tuesday night.... I was only capable of grabbing a 20 minute break which meant a salad with chicken, and fresh lemon for dressing. Quick, actually filling where its more fiber and low carb... but, thats all I could actually grab...

    I dont always eat under 1200, but a night like tonight, Im lucky to have grabbed maybe 900 calories worth, the exercise then brought my actual intake down to a very low caloric number. I may grab some protein though before jumping in my shower, but honestly I am definitely not hungry and its often hard to eat something when youre not hungry at all.

    I definitely dont want to assume the people in my friends list are purposely making bad choices because I know life can get in the way... it sure does for me and HELL, Im AROUND FOOD ALL THE TIME! LOL!!!! They had prime rib, oven roasted ham, whole chickens... and I couldnt TOUCH it because I was too busy making gourmet pizzas! DAMNIT! LOL!
  • cloneme_losehalf
    cloneme_losehalf Posts: 356 Member
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    Due to my weight I had lots of calories to start with. Dr put me on a 1200 calorie diet. I don't always do it, because I feel intimidated by that number for some reason. So I try to stay between there and MFP numbers. I will say for me it is hard to hit the 1200 mark, I am usually under or over for some reason but not usually at 1200. From my experience there is NO reason to be under 1200. I know the days I was under it was because of all my low calorie choices. There are higher calorie food choices that are still not bad food choices. So in my case it is just learning how to adjust the low cal/ high cal eating. Bottom line....for me... I need to plan ahead. Its what works best for me.

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