800 calorie diet - will it work?

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gunt76
gunt76 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I have just joined a gym and started really looking after my calorie intake.

If you look at my food diary (I made it public), do I look like I am getting a balanced diet at my aim is about 800 calories give or take a few?

My goal is to drop 20kg in 10 weeks... So far its working but I am just worried I may not be balanced.

Thanks for any help you can give :smile:

Replies

  • amberrrrh
    amberrrrh Posts: 63 Member
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    Everyone is going to tell you no, but I've been eating from 750-1100 calories and i've been losing.

    Now, i'm not some fitness guru, but it's working for me now.
  • MrsJackieH
    MrsJackieH Posts: 151 Member
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    Im 5'3 and 170 lbs and have been around 1100 to 1200 and i have been losing weight.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    Of course you will lose weight with such an extreme diet. You could also lose muscle/bone tissue, hair, nail growth, etc etc.

    I suggest re-evaluating your diet plan as it seems rather 'disordered'.
  • Gshields42
    Gshields42 Posts: 69
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    800 calories (depending on your weight/height/age/gender) is probably below starvation level for most people. Go to Tools, them BMR calculator, and find out what your BMR is. Try to eat at least that. You might be able to shave some of that off, but cutting your calorie intake to 800 calories would almost certainly send your body into survival mode.

    If you eat too little (the amount is different for each person and situation), your body will decide that it is starving and go into starvation mode. It will start doing whatever it can to lower your metabolism. Mostly by starting to cannibalize your muscle and bones, then starting to throttle organs. If this happens, you may have some short term weight loss, but your metabolism will be shot until you recover (many weeks and weight increases later).

    In the short term, you will lose weight unhealthily. In the long term, you will probably gain net weight and weaken your body significantly.
  • ChristineDiet
    ChristineDiet Posts: 719 Member
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    I've heard the very minimum you should eat is 1200, anything less and your messing with your metabolism and you are going to lose muscle mass etc. If you are exercising on top of eating few calories, yes you will lose the weight but the second you stop your body will just hoard all your calories making it twice as hard to get rid off next time around. x
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Of course you will lose weight with such an extreme diet. You could also lose muscle/bone tissue, hair, nail growth, etc etc.

    I suggest re-evaluating your diet plan as it seems rather 'disordered'.

    This^

    You're not getting enough calories and nutrition for a healthy weight loss plan!
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    20kg of what? Most people aim for fat loss. But targeting 20kg in 10 weeks, you're going to lose a lot more than fat, as Koos said.
  • KandieLantz
    KandieLantz Posts: 424 Member
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    Yes you'll lose weight, you just won't be healthy... and why in the world would you WANT to lose weight eating 800 calories a day when you could eat 1200-1500... or more... and lose??
  • kwehkweh
    kwehkweh Posts: 70 Member
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    People tend to treat calories like an enemy when in reality its your body's needed energy source. If you want to lose the weight, cut the calories. If you want to lose the fat eat at least 1200 calories a day as a woman, eat the right foods, exercise, and don't push for more than 2 lbs of weight loss a week.
  • kristilovescake
    kristilovescake Posts: 669 Member
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    I think unless you're eating VERY clean (no processed foods, no empty carbs, etc.) then it's impossible to get all the nutrition you need from 800 calories.

    I only looked at a couple of days, but you should make sure you're eating more protein if you're going to the gym, and you need to eat more veggies.

    I was losing about 2.5 pounds a week by hitting the gym once or twice a day and eating around 1000-1200 calories NET (meaning I ate ALL of my exercise calories to leave me with a balance of around 1000-1200 calories, with a few days of around 1400 net +/-).

    I think if you want to lose weight and be healthy, eat more calories and exercise more (and eat your exercise calories).

    In the end you have to decide what works for you, though.
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
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    Of course you will lose weight with such an extreme diet. You could also lose muscle/bone tissue, hair, nail growth, etc etc.

    I suggest re-evaluating your diet plan as it seems rather 'disordered'.

    Yep. It's also not very sustainable. You may lose some weight quickly at first, but you're probably doing more damage to your body in the long-term.
  • jeckyb
    jeckyb Posts: 60
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    you will lose weight but when you start to eat properly again you could put it all back on,your body will be holding onto everything you put into it! :smile:
  • missjoci
    missjoci Posts: 412 Member
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    Well, you'll lose weight and if that's your only goal then it will work. The number on the scale isn't as important as being healthy. You would look better if you lift some weights, do lots of different cardio routines, and stick with the number the site gives you at the least. If you insist on doing an 800 calorie diet, don't do it long term. You can destroy your body following a diet like that.
  • Dare2Believe
    Dare2Believe Posts: 140 Member
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    Losing is one thing, doing it in a healthy way is another. I once lost 40 pounds in a little over two months (due to depression, not dieting) and I ended up having an emergency surgery to have my gallbladder removed. I was told it was a result of losing weight to quickly.
  • Steven
    Steven Posts: 593 MFP Moderator
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    Hello,

    MyFitnessPal strongly recommends that all users of the site stick with the Net Calorie Goal recommended by our planning tools. We suggest that lowering your Net Calorie Goal below the recommended levels be done only under direct supervision of a physician familiar with your health and your nutritional needs.

    Regards,
    Steven
    MyFitnessPal Staff
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