Coming in well under calories...... good or bad?

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destes557
destes557 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My daily caloric intake is goaled at around 2000 however daily I consume 1000 (my lowest) - 1500 (my highest) so is this a good thing or bad? I do not eat alot, I do not feel hungry, and I am watching very closely what I eat. I have averaged about a pound or two a day loss since I actually started keeping track, not on here but in general since wednesday. Is this a good thing or bad? I am exercising daily. I only have 57 more pounds to reach my goal weight before I return to the military. So advice anyone???

Replies

  • muitobem
    muitobem Posts: 436 Member
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    Eventually, eating too less of your calories, too often, will catch up and you'll stop losing weight.....
  • skierxjes
    skierxjes Posts: 938 Member
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    Eventually, eating too less of your calories, too often, will catch up and you'll stop losing weight.....

    It's true. Happened to me. I started losing again when I upped my intake
  • dntworribhappi
    dntworribhappi Posts: 131 Member
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    I think you want to be careful not to go too low, or your body goes into starvation mode and tries to hold onto what it can by lowering your metabolism. I've heard people say they actually started losing weight when they increased their caloric intake, for that reason. Best of luck to you, though. I too need to lose around sixty pounds.
  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
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    My goal is 1500/day. I've experimented with lowering to 1250 before and I started losing faster initially, but then I stopped losing altogether. Be careful with consuming so few calories. It slows your metabolism drastically, which is why you don't get hungry, and also keeps you from losing weight. For a grown man, 1800 calories/day should be your absolute bare minimum. When I increased my calories back to 1500, my appetite actually came back and my metabolism sped up substantially. Gotta eat to lose weight! Good luck :) I'm losing weight so I can go Army Reserve (and because I just need to lose weight, lol).
  • shivaslives
    shivaslives Posts: 279 Member
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    Yep, you don't want to be too far below because your body will eventually have a starvation response. If it thinks your getting too few calories for the amount of activity, it will slow down your basal metabolic rate to compensate. You'll be okay as long as you aren't more than 1000 calories below your daily burn (not your daily goal), which is equivalent to a 2 lb a week goal. This site does a good job at giving you a target to shoot for so if you come close to it, you'll have the success you're looking for.

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  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
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    How much weight loss per week did you choose when you set up your goals?
    A pound or 2 a day seems way too quick and 1000 cals is very low for a male!
    I would try and eat all the cals mfp allocates you, eating very low will work for a few weeks but it's no good for you will also lose muscle which will make it even harder to lose long term
  • Chrissymmartin
    Chrissymmartin Posts: 22 Member
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    If you don't eat enough calories, your body goes into starvation mode and starts burning off your muscles instead of fat. If you're eating adequate amounts, your body is happy and burns off fat. If you eat too few, when you complete your diary for the day MFP usually gives you a warning...
  • Dellie22
    Dellie22 Posts: 167
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    staggering your calories like that isn't a bad thing. It's only if you're constantly under 1200 that you go into starvation mode. sometimes over and sometimes under isn't bad.
  • Apazman
    Apazman Posts: 494 Member
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    as long as you get your estimated 1200 calories a day, your body will not go into starvation mode.
    Biggest loser diet:
    Food -
    1200 calories a day
    Eating every 2 -3 hours
    lean and green food -
    Chicken breast without skin, broccoli, onions, Fish ect,
    Exercise -
    Burn at least 1200 calories a day
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    staggering your calories like that isn't a bad thing. It's only if you're constantly under 1200 that you go into starvation mode. sometimes over and sometimes under isn't bad.

    That is not really true. First the cut off for men is 1500 calories. If you are consistently having a large deficit you will experience I a point where your weight loss stops. If the deficit is large enough it will start again, but it will be all muscle mass as your body seeks to reduce your metabolic rate. At the amount you are eating your weight loss is not really that big, and you would likely lose that same amount eating the whole 2000. For that matter, if MFP suggested that amount of calories for you to lose weight, it would be with the assumption you are not exercising, thus you would have to eat the calories you burn in exercise above your normal daily activity on top of that 2000 calories. A huge calorie deficit looks like a good idea at first with the thinking that if a moderate caloric deficit is good and larger one will be better, but the reality is that it is not better and brings long term problems in losing and maintaining that loss.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    as long as you get your estimated 1200 calories a day, your body will not go into starvation mode.
    Biggest loser diet:
    Food -
    1200 calories a day
    Eating every 2 -3 hours
    lean and green food -
    Chicken breast without skin, broccoli, onions, Fish ect,
    Exercise -
    Burn at least 1200 calories a day

    If you are eating 1200 calories a day and exercising off 1200 calories a day your calories for the day are 0. That is not healthy or productive for weight loss as a male will likely burn far more than that just in what is needed to stay alive (BMR) not to mention the burn beyond that due to daily activity. For that matter minimum net calories for a male is higher at 1500 calories, below which it is considered a starvation diet.
  • destes557
    destes557 Posts: 6 Member
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    My BMR is 2240 daily calorie goal around 2000 so i should increase then definatly according to what I am reading. Around 1700-1800 would be better I take it. I am working out almost daily however, so loosing muscle is what I am worried about, I do weights every other day and cardio on the alternate days. Even with this I could still loose muscle?? I will increase caloric intake, I havent been eating three meals cause I am not usually hungry at breakfast and I do my PT in the morning so by the time I am up, at the gym, and done and back home, by the time I actually get hungry its lunch time and I refuse to eat withing four hours of bed.
  • Dellie22
    Dellie22 Posts: 167
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    staggering your calories like that isn't a bad thing. It's only if you're constantly under 1200 that you go into starvation mode. sometimes over and sometimes under isn't bad.

    That is not really true. First the cut off for men is 1500 calories. If you are consistently having a large deficit you will experience I a point where your weight loss stops. If the deficit is large enough it will start again, but it will be all muscle mass as your body seeks to reduce your metabolic rate. At the amount you are eating your weight loss is not really that big, and you would likely lose that same amount eating the whole 2000. For that matter, if MFP suggested that amount of calories for you to lose weight, it would be with the assumption you are not exercising, thus you would have to eat the calories you burn in exercise above your normal daily activity on top of that 2000 calories. A huge calorie deficit looks like a good idea at first with the thinking that if a moderate caloric deficit is good and larger one will be better, but the reality is that it is not better and brings long term problems in losing and maintaining that loss.

    I agree with that, but I wasn't talking about a huge deficit. Say, one say you're 500 under, and you're not hungry, you're not going to eat. Therefore, it wouldn't be too much of a problem, if the next day, you're 500 cals over. Also, if you stick to exactly the same amount of calories a day, your body will get bored and automatically stop you losing the weight as fast, Staggering calories can help you keep the weight loss going.
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
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    Increasing cals is the way to go especially if you are working out daily. If you are not hungry as much, a protein shake and high cal healthy snacks like nuts, avocado, natural peanut butter will easily add 500 or more cals. Also the extra protein will help you to not lose muscle mass.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
    Options
    staggering your calories like that isn't a bad thing. It's only if you're constantly under 1200 that you go into starvation mode. sometimes over and sometimes under isn't bad.

    That is not really true. First the cut off for men is 1500 calories. If you are consistently having a large deficit you will experience I a point where your weight loss stops. If the deficit is large enough it will start again, but it will be all muscle mass as your body seeks to reduce your metabolic rate. At the amount you are eating your weight loss is not really that big, and you would likely lose that same amount eating the whole 2000. For that matter, if MFP suggested that amount of calories for you to lose weight, it would be with the assumption you are not exercising, thus you would have to eat the calories you burn in exercise above your normal daily activity on top of that 2000 calories. A huge calorie deficit looks like a good idea at first with the thinking that if a moderate caloric deficit is good and larger one will be better, but the reality is that it is not better and brings long term problems in losing and maintaining that loss.

    I agree with that, but I wasn't talking about a huge deficit. Say, one say you're 500 under, and you're not hungry, you're not going to eat. Therefore, it wouldn't be too much of a problem, if the next day, you're 500 cals over. Also, if you stick to exactly the same amount of calories a day, your body will get bored and automatically stop you losing the weight as fast, Staggering calories can help you keep the weight loss going.

    My point was the OP is male and he should not be going below 1500 regardless of his deficit.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
    Options
    My BMR is 2240 daily calorie goal around 2000 so i should increase then definatly according to what I am reading. Around 1700-1800 would be better I take it. I am working out almost daily however, so loosing muscle is what I am worried about, I do weights every other day and cardio on the alternate days. Even with this I could still loose muscle?? I will increase caloric intake, I havent been eating three meals cause I am not usually hungry at breakfast and I do my PT in the morning so by the time I am up, at the gym, and done and back home, by the time I actually get hungry its lunch time and I refuse to eat withing four hours of bed.

    Just so you know, how many meals you eat and when you eat during the day make little or no difference for weight loss. If you don't eat for 4 hours before going to bed to help weight loss it makes no difference. You could eat right before going to bed while in a caloric deficit and still lose weight just fine, in fact I do so frequently when I have the calories to eat. The only problem for some eating close to bed time in acid reflux, but that is not the case for everyone. If you have the calories available you can eat right up to the time you go to be.

    Based on your numbers, I assume you have a lot to lose.

    Here are some helpful links
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
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    My BMR is 2240 daily calorie goal around 2000 so i should increase then definatly according to what I am reading. Around 1700-1800 would be better I take it. I am working out almost daily however, so loosing muscle is what I am worried about, I do weights every other day and cardio on the alternate days. Even with this I could still loose muscle?? I will increase caloric intake, I havent been eating three meals cause I am not usually hungry at breakfast and I do my PT in the morning so by the time I am up, at the gym, and done and back home, by the time I actually get hungry its lunch time and I refuse to eat withing four hours of bed.

    Yes, you MAY loose muscle in the process of losing weight. The way to minimize muscle loss is through strength training/weight lifting. Combined with cardio and a 500 calorie defecit, if you are weight training, you will minimize muscle loss and maximize fat loss. You're going to lose some muscle no matter how much weight lifting you do, so make sure you don't over do it. Just keep in mind that once you're at your goal weight and go into maintenance, you can put back on some of that muscle mass gradually.

    I know that most military folks are used to skipping breakfast because of PT, however, try to eat as soon as you are done with PT or no later than an hour after PT. You don't need to eat a huge meal, just maybe a banana with tbsp of peanut butter. Or two scrambled eggs w/toast (no butter). Make sure you're eating after you workout or your efforts will be WASTED. This goes for all workouts, even cardio.

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