SERIOUSLY, eat more! I did, and look what happened! (pics)

I am living evidence that eating too little will destroy your body... and eating more will do wonders for it! My story has two parts to it, the unhealthy weight loss part, and then the healthfully getting in rockin' shape part. If you aren't eating enough and wondering why you aren't seeing results or even loosing the progress you initially made, read my story!

Ok so I've been using myfitnesspal religiously since last May. At first, I decided I wanted to lose weight as fast as possible, so I (stupidly) completely starved myself. I would aim to eat about 500 calories a day, and I would exercise for at least an hour and a half every day. Well, I did lose weight... a lot of weight, really fast.

The first picture is before starting my weight loss, I believe in March 2011 (but it's how I looked when I started cutting calories in May). The second picture is in July 2011 (about two months later)


Great, I thought. I started eating about 800 calories a day (still WAY too low) once I was more happy with my weight. School started in August and I moved to a new campus. Meanwhile, my health was beginning to deteriorate. I had bruises all over my body. If someone so much as poked me, a bruise would appear within minutes. My body was not working the way it should at all, and I knew why. Nonetheless, I kept eating about 800 to 900 calories a day. With school picking up, I thought I no longer had time to exercise. I basically didn't move at all except to go to class because I was to tired and weak. I would decide to increase calories, so I'd eat about 1000 a day for a few weeks, but inevitably I'd feel so bad about myself for eating "that much" and cut back to 800-900 again.

Well, I don't even understand how this is possible, but even eating 900 calories a day, the weight started coming back on. I guess I had completely killed my metabolism and m body was grasping onto the little food I put in it for dear life. Then in February, I decided to get off my butt and get to the gym. I was disgusted with myself and new I needed to change. I started going to the gym 6 days a week for an hour each time. I did step aerobics classes and strength training classes, both of which I loved. With all that exercise, I knew I should be seeing results, but I wasn't. My body looked the same, and I felt weaker and weaker rather than stronger. So I finally listened to the voice inside me saying "Well duh, you're starving your body! Be healthy!"

I started aiming for about 1400 calories a day. Immediately, I noticed that I could lift more at the gym and had more endurance throughout my workouts. I started CrossFit in the beginning of April. Some people don't like it because people get pretty competitive, but I love it! After long workouts, I would notice that I was still hungry after the 1400 calories, so I listened to my body and ate more! I started eating about 1600-1700 on hard workout days. My scale broke a while back, so I have no idea how much weight I've lost since cleaning up my act, but look at these pictures for yourself. The results speak for themself

The first picture is from February 2012, when I had been eating about 900 calories a day or less for about 9 months (and I clearly GAINED weight since the previous picture from July 2011). The second picture is from a few days ago (April 2012) after about 3 months of serious work in the gym and 1400-1700 calories a day


I know it seems counter intuitive, but it's true. You cannot achieve maintainable weight loss by starving yourself! Eat more, lift those weights, and get results!