Consuming too few calories.

Good evening,
I downloaded My Fitness Pal on my Android phone last year in December, and did great on it for 2 months. Then would get back on for a 2 weeks ,slip, get back on for 3 weeks and slip, etc.

I used to always get all of my calories in or go over a bit.

Recently, I have drastically changed my diet.

I started using the app again at the beginning of this week.

My diet is mainly vegetable based. With the exception of I do eat mayonnaise and use chicken bouillon in my vegetables, so I can't say I am vegan.

However, it has been difficult to get in 1,200 calories on mainly vegetables, even on days when I have soy milk, vegan protein powder in my smoothies, 2 corn tortillas, avocados and yes, even mayonnaise!

The app keeps warning me that I am eating too few calories and could run the risk of putting my body in starvation mode, which would lower my metabolism and make weight loss more difficult.

Is there much truth to this? Do I need to worry about it?

And if so, what kind of foods can I add that are healthy and preferably vegan? Because I had a tiny bit of chicken and shrimp on Wednesday and it did not agree with me at all! I got sick and didn't keep it down.

I look forward to hearing your feedback
Thank you :-)
Phoenix

Replies

  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    There are lots of opinions out there about starvation mode, and almost as many threads. My completely non-professional take from looking at the research is that there is a metabolic slow down if you don't eat enough. It's never enough to offset the reduced calories, but it's a real thing. You're right to strive to meet your minimum calorie goal, you'll be healthier for it in the long run.

    How do you feel about peanut butter? A decent trans-fat free or natural version can pack in a lot of needed calories. I have a PB&J and a glass of soy milk for dinner or a snack fairly often to boost my calories for the day (I'm a near vegan also). You might consider taking a look at 'fake' soy meats for a vegetarian calorie boost. I like the Morningstar Farms breakfast sausage.

    Do you enjoy deserts at all? I'm sure there are plenty of ways you can pack in a decent amount of calories without going overboard.

    Possibly vegetarian protein bars? I don't eat them myself, but I'm sure they'd be a handy supplement to your diet.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I would be more concerned that you were getting your daily protein and essential fats, minerals and vitamins than any "starvation mode" to be honest.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Vegetables dipped in homous (home made is lovely, so many different flavours) nuts, seeds, avacados, organic peanut butter... All calorie dense with good fats. Google calorie dense foods...x
  • personally, i guess i don't "believe" in starvation mode, just because i haven't gone into it or whatever, and eating waaaay less than 1200 cals/day is the only way i've ever lost weight, but maybe it's different for different people...i'm not sure.
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    I don't think it is good for our bodies to eat too little, and going 1200 from time to time is fine, but on a long term basis, will harm your metabolism and your body will hang onto fat. You might lose weight but it is coming from your muscles and body organs which is never a good thing. I don't know much about vegan but I personally believe that we all need a variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for our long term health. Where are you getting your healthy fats and protein from?
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Nuts in moderation would be good. 1,200 is not a magic number, but a guide. Whatever number of calories you're eating, it should be a healthy balance of nutrients. I also would not worry about "starvation mode."
  • HideNGeek
    HideNGeek Posts: 136 Member
    For me personally, I think starvation mode definitely exists, I used to limit myself to eating 1300 calories a day, over 500 calories below my BMR, at first the weight came off quickly, but it stopped coming off just as quickly, there just wasn't the energy to fuel my body, I was tired all the time, cranky, so I changed it up, and started eating more.

    I eat 2000 calories a day now, and I eat back a portion of exercise calories (usually via protein shake), i've never felt better or lost weight more consistently than I currently am.
  • run2jeepn
    run2jeepn Posts: 183 Member
    I would be more concerned that you were getting your daily protein and essential fats, minerals and vitamins than any "starvation mode" to be honest.

    x2

    I just don't understand the whole vegan thing.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    For me personally, I think starvation mode definitely exists, I used to limit myself to eating 1300 calories a day, over 500 calories below my BMR, at first the weight came off quickly, but it stopped coming off just as quickly, there just wasn't the energy to fuel my body, I was tired all the time, cranky, so I changed it up, and started eating more.

    I eat 2000 calories a day now, and I eat back a portion of exercise calories (usually via protein shake), i've never felt better or lost weight more consistently than I currently am.

    To eat more calories is more pleasurable, it also brings about weight loss more slowly. But there's a difference between the discomfort someone might feel on a healthy low-calorie diet and actually "starving." From what I read, the act of putting on a lot of weight is pretty darn stressful for the body.

    People should do whatever works for them. If they can sustain a gradual weight loss over a few years and maintain it thereafter, that's great. But some people may backslide before getting to that point. In either case, maintenance is everything.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I would be more concerned that you were getting your daily protein and essential fats, minerals and vitamins than any "starvation mode" to be honest.

    x2

    I just don't understand the whole vegan thing.

    I admire vegans. But my body requires a certain amount of meat protein and it's impractical for me to follow that lifestyle. I do my tiny little bit by not eating veal and foie gras (which is incredibly unhealthy anyway).
  • RuthieCass
    RuthieCass Posts: 247 Member
    My diet is mainly vegetable based. With the exception of I do eat mayonnaise and use chicken bouillon in my vegetables, so I can't say I am vegan.

    I am very curious as to why you are on an almost "vegan" diet but still eating chicken bullion? You still need to kill a chicken to get chicken broth just the same as you would to get chicken meat. Since you're not opposed to eating animal products, why not just consume fish and/or chicken to improve your diet? Also, if you are easing out of animal products, vegan mayo is pretty much as good as the regular stuff, IMO (although I may be biased since I'm not a mayo person).
    However, it has been difficult to get in 1,200 calories on mainly vegetables, even on days when I have soy milk, vegan protein powder in my smoothies, 2 corn tortillas, avocados and yes, even mayonnaise!

    It sounds like you are just not eating enough food. Avocados and mayo are the only calorie-dense foods you listed. To increase your calories, you should add more fats and include enough protein in each meal. Eat more tofu, tempeh, seitan, veggie burgers, edamame, nuts, beans, etc. Cook your protein with a bit of canola/olive oil. If you are eating protein powder, you can make smoothies with bananas or other fruit (I can make smoothies with 500+ calories). One med banana is a little over 100 calories. If you are eating a mostly vegan diet, you need to plan a bit more to get proper nutrition. If you are on a very low-cal diet (1200 cals), you also need to plan more in order to get a good balance. Combining both of those... you get the idea.
    The app keeps warning me that I am eating too few calories and could run the risk of putting my body in starvation mode, which would lower my metabolism and make weight loss more difficult.

    Is there much truth to this? Do I need to worry about it?

    There's a lot of argument about "starvation mode" on here. Dieting in general will slow your metabolism. But you can look up "adaptive thermogenesis" to read all sorts of studies to show that if you drop your calories low, your body will adjust by burning fewer calories doing other functions. (E.g., you fidget less, are colder b/c your body's trying to conserve more energy, etc.) So in some ways, it can be counterproductive. This is something to keep in mind especially if you are exercising in addition to dieting. Many have found that when they they try to exercise on such a low cal diet, their work-outs suffer. But the biggest problem most people find that 1200 or less is just not sustainable. I think someone with A LOT of weight to lose might be okay on that for a little while, but s/he should be under the watch of a doctor and on a strict nutrition plan.
  • Actually, the chicken bouillon and mayonnaise are childhood things. My family, my mother, my grand mother, all of us have used a specific type of Chicken Bouillon to season everything from soups, veggies, meats and stews even before I was born. It is difficult on me now, because now a lot of things don't taste "right" if they don't have this seasoning.

    As for the mayo, I went to Fresh and Easy last night and purchased a jar of Vegenaise. It's very good, actually. And I also purchased a 100% vegan bouillon that is really good, so I'm happy about that.

    I am appreciative of all your helpful feedback. I do eat tofu in my veggies, and I also make lentil stews. Also, yesterday I purchased gardien Veggie burgers, and they're very good :-)

    I do get enough protein from my veggies and beans and it's very satisfying.

    Maybe you can add me so you can take a look at my food diary and give me some pointers? I would love that!

    Besides, you can never have too many supporters on any journey and I'd like to support others as well.
  • Hell, now that I remember correctly, we used it in our home made salsas, too!
  • RuthieCass
    RuthieCass Posts: 247 Member
    Actually, the chicken bouillon and mayonnaise are childhood things. My family, my mother, my grand mother, all of us have used a specific type of Chicken Bouillon to season everything from soups, veggies, meats and stews even before I was born. It is difficult on me now, because now a lot of things don't taste "right" if they don't have this seasoning.

    Oh, I see. It can be really hard to give up something you are so used to eating. Maybe in that case, try to focus on making your food with altogether different seasonings instead of the bouillon type flavor. Although there are some vegan boullions (which you should try at some point), it might be hard to convince your taste buds that they're the same. Also, (I don't know if you know this) if you are using the non-organic bullion cubes, a big part of their flavor comes from added msg. And I don't think most vegan replacements add that ingredient.

    Request sent. :-)
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,296 Member
    I think you just need to find what works for you. Experiment. I'm in the same sort of scenario. I'm constantly trying new things to up my calorie intake. I'm a very picky eater so it's not easy. I could easily eat complete bullsh*t and be at my calorie goal, but that's not how I want to do things.