140lb, 5, 3 doing 1000 calorie diet .....

Hi I am a 20 year old student and currently weigh about 140lb and want to get down to 112. I have been a yo-yo dieter since being around the age of 10, I am 21 in august and want to look and feel good for 21!

I started university in September and weighed about 162lb and just lost it through being at uni and not around family etc so I did not eat as much. I am now 140 and started calorie counting 3 weeks ago, I am hoping to lose around 18lb in the next 9 weeks and would love to hit goal by the end of August.

I read around about different diets all the time, its always conflicting information and it really annoys me so I wanted to ask if this starvation mode is a myth or if it does exist, will I go into it by being on a diet of 1000 calories a day??

Am I being too ambitious wanting to lose 2lb a week, I thought this was ok and within the ranges that are classed as safe to lose in a week.

All this information is making me feel down, I don't get weighed much as I don't have scales at uni so I just do it when I go home or if I am in town sometimes.

I don't get much time to exercise because of my course well apart from a couple of walks a week, is this going to make me not lose weight etc?

Sorry for the long post and silly questions its just annoying reading that your wrong for eating 1000 calories and then reading other stuff.

Has anyone been successful in going from about 140 - 112 and height around 5, 3.

Advice/ info etc would be much appreciated :) x
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Replies

  • jessewessy1990
    jessewessy1990 Posts: 67 Member
    1000 calories is too low, I would never survive on that. How tall are you and what kind of things do you do during the day?? Do you have lots of lectures or do you walk alot etc
    I would suggest a minimum of 1200 but even that is pushing it, ideally 1500 would be better!
    Wish you all the luck
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
    Way too hot a topic for fhis community.
    you will hear from the seasoned vetran. EAT MORE, and exercise.
    From the Youth club bent on fanatic dieting you will hear: Try 800 cal a day and exercise till you drop.
    From me, "not again"
    Please be healthy. it's so important to use this site to educate yourself on how to fuel your body, get nutrients and live a balanced life.
    sorry, it's been years of the same insanity.
  • n8na
    n8na Posts: 76 Member
    1000 calories might be to low. I recommend the group Eat more to weigh less: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
    Take a look at the group and also there's a video with Lucia from eat more to weigh less who can explain it better than me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi9xjIRvbY&feature=plcp
  • surgesilk
    surgesilk Posts: 92
    oh god here we go
  • Lula16
    Lula16 Posts: 628 Member
    I dont recommend eating 1000 calories a day. I think the minimum is 1200. This is just a thought, but it sounds like a tough goal. Why dont you set small goals instead. It will be much easier on you so you dont lose motivation. Maybe set a small goal of losing 10 lbs every other month? Good luck to you!
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Way too hot a topic for fhis community.
    you will hear from the seasoned vetran. EAT MORE, and exercise.
    From the Youth club bent on fanatic dieting you will hear: Try 800 cal a day and exercise till you drop.
    From me, "not again"
    Please be healthy. it's so important to use this site to educate yourself on how to fuel your body, get nutrients and live a balanced life.
    sorry, it's been years of the same insanity.

    Yes.
  • samlankford
    samlankford Posts: 334
    Yeah i agree with other posters, that is a bit low calorie wise... the average body needs more then that just to maintain normal functions like breathing.. Just eat healthy and exercise...
  • boggsmeister
    boggsmeister Posts: 292 Member
    Wow, this has been up 20 minutes and it's not even over a page yet. You people are off your game.
  • VoodooLuLu
    VoodooLuLu Posts: 636 Member
    youve been dieting since you were 10???
  • BeetleChe13
    BeetleChe13 Posts: 498 Member
    At your size, losing 2 lbs/wk (for 9 wks) is unrealistic, and eating <1000 calories/day is unhealthy. Why don't you try eating better, eating more than 1000 calories/day, and exercising more? Your body will start getting into better shape. You may not weigh what you think you should weigh by August, but you will look and feel so much healthier. Please search the forums for similar threads. There is a LOT you can learn here.
  • js370
    js370 Posts: 140
    First you need to find out what your BMR and TDEE are. Don't eat below your BMR and subtract 15-20% from your TDEE in order to lose weight.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    Listen I don't care to preach what's right or wrong bc ultimately everyone does what they want. I'm 5'2 and I was 130 when I started and now am 113 so not far off from your goals. I didn't have a time frame to get it done by, I just wanted to do it healthy and to ensure the changes I made were life long decisions so I could keep it off. 9 weeks is a short amount of time when you're already on the smaller side. I started out at 1200 but couldn't sustain there bc I workout too much so I had to increase my calories. I would suggest starting at 1200; I would hate for you to feel hungry, drained and deprived from only eating 1000.
  • Denjo060
    Denjo060 Posts: 1,008
    oh god here we go






    Hey she is new so you cant say that just dont comment if you dont have anything nice to say :smile:
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    First of all you are a 20 year old single student with no children im assuming. Im a parent with 2 kids 9 and 8 work full time my wife is a RN who works 12 hour shifts works an hour away 3-4 days a week. I understand studying is time consuming as I was in college at one time too even have the degrees to prove it. But im sorry you cannot tell me you do not have 1 hour a day to spare to go for a run or walk or cardio of any sorts. Im sorry sounds to me like you dont want to excercise now maybe you do have kids, or are taking care of a sick relative or something along that line but since you did not mention it im assuming you are not. Sorry to seem harsh but there are plenty of busy people on this site who find time to excercise. As far as your Cal intake I did not eat my excercise calories and stayed at about 1600-2000 cal a day and I did loose the weight fairly quick but I was about 100lbs overweight also. Does not sound like you are and I would not recommend going under the magic number of 1200 now weather or not to eat your excercise calories back or not is your choice. Get as informed as you can so you can make and informed decision.
  • jade1108
    jade1108 Posts: 20 Member
    I just want to lose a decent amount for the summer and 1000 is actually a lot, well it does not sound a lot but I seem to eat alot for it and cope pretty well.

    In the day I am at placement atm and other days uni but I depending where my placement is I will walk like today I walked its abut 3 miles away so that is pretty much my exercise but its the only exercise I have time for as I have essays and revision to do in my tiny amount of free time.

    Also some days I eat more than on others, I don't let myself go hungry I do eat just some days we are far too busy in clinic to eat and when I get in I will just get something do revision and go to bed so don't anyone think I am trying to starve myself ..... that would never happen lol x
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I have a really simple philosophy. It has a lot to do with that old adage saying it is insane to thing doing the same thing will lead to different results.

    You've already mentioned you have been yoyo-ing since you were a kid. And you keep losing and gaining. I imagine you are hoping this is the last time you are going to have to "go on a diet/lose weight."

    So doesn't it make sense to pick a plan you can do permanently for the rest of your life, so you don't need to do the whole "diet" thing again?

    I know there is absolutely no way I could subside on 1000 calories a day.

    Also, you are pretty close to your "ideal" weight. 2 pounds a week is way too aggressive. Focus on reshaping your body and improving your body composition. You'll look better. You may *gasp* not lose all that much weight, but your appearance will improve when you focus on reducing body fat.
  • connollyda
    connollyda Posts: 23
    nutshel has it exactly right. You said you were tired of reading that 1000 calories is too low, well that's pretty much what you're going to hear. If you want to go so low-cal, you can do whatever you want, but be prepared for a LOT of backlash when you try to get help from people, as most will tell you the first thing you need to do is up your calories. It sucks, its hard to get your head around, but in all honesty it works.
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 994 Member
    Yep here we go..
    1000 is WAY too low for anyone to sustain.. especially a student in university who needs energy and brain power to keep up with studies and lectures...

    2lbs a week is also a very high level goal and unrealistic for most people.. although yes we all want to be skinny and fit NOW.. its more reasonable to set at .5 lbs per week. its more sustainable and you wont burn yourself out...
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
    You'll lose weight but you will suffer. Your brain consumes the most calories in your body, how can you expect to do well at school without and concentrate without eating?

    Also, it's not practical to assume you will be able to continue that diet once school starts. You'll turn 21, and you'll immediately put all the weight back on because you'll want to have drinks with friends. One beer is like 250 calories, think of how quick that will add up.

    You need to bite the bullet and make time in your schedule to exercise. You're looking for an easy way out and there isn't one. Do the hard work and you'll see results. Take the easy way out now and you'll probably see results too, you'll just pay for it later.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    We're the same height and you weight about 10 lbs less than I do. If you want to drop the weight and KEEP IT OFF and be healthy about it, please, do yourself a favor and listen to the other kind posters and learn a little more about nutrition and what your body needs. I know you want the weight gone NOW, trust me, I do too. But I know that going gung ho like that is not going to help me in the long run.

    At your weight, 2 lbs a week is a bit too ambitious. Furthermore, the actual # on the scale isn't NEARLY as important as your body fat % and the way your clothes fit. Technically speaking, 140 lbs for a woman who is 5'3" is in healthy range. So is 112. It's a big range. Measure yourself. Figure out your body fat percentage. Eat more than 1000 calories a day (seriously, I'm freaking starving if I eat 1000 calories), and get in a good mix of exercise. Don't weigh yourself obsessively. When I was 19 I got down to 105 lbs. Hell yeah I was skinny, but I'm SO much healthier now around 150ish than I ever was at 105...because I'm doing it the healthy way this time! Trust the process, and don't expect the weight to come off over night. You didn't put it on over night.
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
    I disagree with very low calorie dieting especially for someone so close to their goal weight. There are times when doctors will put severely obese people on this sort of VLCD because they need to drop an extreme amount of weight. Granted, all of this VLCD is monitored, etc. What you're doing doesn't sound healthy in my opinion. Of course, we all have opinions... so take it with a grain of salt. 1000 cals a day is going to be hard to stick with in the long run and when you are starving and weak and feeling the need to go up on cals, your body will pack on some lbs. which will be discouraging. I know, I've been there.
  • bradXdale
    bradXdale Posts: 399
    For your height and weight try eating 1,200 to 1,500 a day of healthy foods. If you don't think you can stomach that, think again. You can eat 5 to 7 small meals / snacks a day. Maybe in between class or study groups. Even if you can not workout for an hour a day there are great 10-20 minute cardio / strength workouts available. If you want to know, shoot me a friend request or message me about them.
  • ShereeJane
    ShereeJane Posts: 4
    take it slow....use the formula put forward in the plan..try 1 lb a week first and see if u can get by on those calories each day...EXERCISE ( just walking 30 minutes gives you 174 additonal calories for the day) ...once u comfortable with that...try reformulating ur plan for 2 lbs.....miracles dont happen overnight..but each pound loss is a success. if i go less than 1200 calories, i get a warning on my plan that says my body will go into starvation mode...and u don't lose weight there!
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    You claim to be a yo-yo dieter. How about trying something new? You need to find something you can live with long term. EAT MORE! 1000cal/day is way to low for ALL people.

    Please follow every seasoned veterans advice on here. Yo-yo dieting is a thing of the past...
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    If you can tell me what you do for exercise I'm happy to look at your numbers for you.
  • _HeathBar_
    _HeathBar_ Posts: 902 Member
    Eating 1000/day isn't sustainable nor healthy. That's why you are probably yo-yo dieting at lot. Find something that you can feasibly stick with for more then a few weeks/months at a time.
  • Exercise REALLY helps. Not only does cardio help you burn fat, but weight training and resistance training helps tone and sculpt your body and truly makes you look better than if you only changed your diet. There's no reason you have to eat below 1200cal. to get the results you want by August, you just have to work a little bit harder (which will result in a better looking bod anyways)... You said you've been a yo-yo dieter all your life, eating below 1200 cal. would only be another yo-yo diet. Try eating clean, natural foods (whole grain, veggies, fruits, nuts/seeds, etc) (& read labels, a lot of foods claiming to be healthy/lowcal/lowfat aren't truthful!) and having your intake at 1200 cal. to make sure you're getting the proper nutrition you need to not only lose the weight, but keep it off.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Hi I am a 20 year old student and currently weigh about 140lb and want to get down to 112. I have been a yo-yo dieter since being around the age of 10, I am 21 in august and want to look and feel good for 21!

    I started university in September and weighed about 162lb and just lost it through being at uni and not around family etc so I did not eat as much. I am now 140 and started calorie counting 3 weeks ago, I am hoping to lose around 18lb in the next 9 weeks and would love to hit goal by the end of August.

    I read around about different diets all the time, its always conflicting information and it really annoys me so I wanted to ask if this starvation mode is a myth or if it does exist, will I go into it by being on a diet of 1000 calories a day??

    Am I being too ambitious wanting to lose 2lb a week, I thought this was ok and within the ranges that are classed as safe to lose in a week.

    All this information is making me feel down, I don't get weighed much as I don't have scales at uni so I just do it when I go home or if I am in town sometimes.

    I don't get much time to exercise because of my course well apart from a couple of walks a week, is this going to make me not lose weight etc?

    Sorry for the long post and silly questions its just annoying reading that your wrong for eating 1000 calories and then reading other stuff.

    Has anyone been successful in going from about 140 - 112 and height around 5, 3.

    Advice/ info etc would be much appreciated :) x

    The short answer is that eating 1,000 calories a day will not put you in starvation mode. Look for other threads on this site. It's not very much, so it may be hard to sustain, but it is not unhealthy per se if you are eating a balanced diet. The fewer calories in your diet, the more work it is to compose a good diet.

    If you feel bad, increase your calories and exercise more. Have your vitals checked by a doctor every so often.
  • i started at 200 lbs and i am now down to 117. im 5'2 . i lost this weight in less than a year, didnt start counting calories until i was around 134. i try to eat as much as i can but i always end up eating around 1000 a day. i am never hungry, i eat snacks to keep me going and i exercise for about 30 minutes a day. while this is known as unhealthy, i have had a check up and my body is functioning perfectly. i try to make sure i get all the nutrients i need for a 1200 calorie diet into my smaller intake so im not lacking any vital nutrients! im sure this isnt recommended but it has done wonders for me and i am very happy with where i am. when i do reach my goal weight i plan on upping my calories to about 1400 so i can maintain.
  • MeliciousGibson
    MeliciousGibson Posts: 248 Member
    Instead of pushing yourself to lose ALL of the weight within 9 weeks - why not set a goal to be healthier? Eat more healthy foods, get in as much exercise as you possibly can (walking, lifting weights while watching TV, DVD's at home, etc.). Make it a lifestyle change instead of yet another "lose weight quick leading to yet another yo-yo" thing?

    I set myself a goal to lose X amount of weight by X date. I made that goal...and gained a bunch of it right back - but guess what...I've gained MUSCLE back because I actually LOOK BETTER at +8 pounds above my goal!

    You are NOT the NUMBER ON YOUR SCALE!