Eating too little?

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  • angelina2585
    angelina2585 Posts: 273 Member
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    Lucy, I agree with those who have recommended the Eat More 2 Lose Weight group.

    Eat More 2 Weigh Leas

    I always get it wrong lol
  • LaBori7
    LaBori7 Posts: 35
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    I just wrote this under another topic similar to this one and copied to here as well...

    Here is an Awesome site to give you your numbers to go by - MFP calculates a little differently (lower than average):

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    TDEE = The most calories you should eat and stay at the same weight (maintain)

    BMR = Least amount of calories that you should ever eat b/c these are the calories you need just to breathe and function

    CUT = (-15% or what you are comfortable with) = The equation that you should most likely use to get your number of calories to eat per day (You eat this amount of calories...Do NOT eat extra calories from exercise unless you NET under your BMR.

    NET = Calories eaten - Calories burned (You can see this number on your News Feed page)

    Confusing I know but you will remember it all once you get the hang of it....

    I did the calculations for you:

    I would say you are at Moderate(3-5hrs/week) to Strenuous Exercise(5-6hrs/week)

    BMR: 1894

    Moderate:
    TDEE: 2936
    CUT (-20%): 2349 (This is what you eat period...Do NOT eat back exercise calories unless you NET below 1894(BMR)

    Strenous:
    TDEE: 3268
    CUT (-20%): 2614

    I hope this helps you out!! :)

    ETA: I would definitely recommend that you invest in a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) to calculate your calories burned b/c MFP is not very accurate...

    Thanks a bunch! It's very helpful. So I'm supposed to eat 2349 calories a day?
  • LaBori7
    LaBori7 Posts: 35
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    I just wrote this under another topic similar to this one and copied to here as well...

    Here is an Awesome site to give you your numbers to go by - MFP calculates a little differently (lower than average):

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    TDEE = The most calories you should eat and stay at the same weight (maintain)

    BMR = Least amount of calories that you should ever eat b/c these are the calories you need just to breathe and function

    CUT = (-15% or what you are comfortable with) = The equation that you should most likely use to get your number of calories to eat per day (You eat this amount of calories...Do NOT eat extra calories from exercise unless you NET under your BMR.

    NET = Calories eaten - Calories burned (You can see this number on your News Feed page)

    Confusing I know but you will remember it all once you get the hang of it....

    I did the calculations for you:

    I would say you are at Moderate(3-5hrs/week) to Strenuous Exercise(5-6hrs/week)

    BMR: 1894

    Moderate:
    TDEE: 2936
    CUT (-20%): 2349 (This is what you eat period...Do NOT eat back exercise calories unless you NET below 1894(BMR)

    Strenous:
    TDEE: 3268
    CUT (-20%): 2614

    I hope this helps you out!! :)

    ETA: I would definitely recommend that you invest in a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) to calculate your calories burned b/c MFP is not very accurate...

    This makes so much more sense now that I know all that it means. Can I really eat 2349 calories a day and still loose weight? I just find that its too much.
  • freem467
    freem467 Posts: 8
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    You could have Hypothyroidism. One of my friends was diagnosed with this a few years ago. She eats like a bird and is very heavy. Anyway, hypothyroidism is condition where your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. I go to the University of Minnesota and we discussed this in our nutrition class. However, I definitely don't know all the answers and I would go check out a list of symptoms to see if you have any of them.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001393/

    Best of luck!
  • Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim
    Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim Posts: 267 Member
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    bump for later
  • LaBori7
    LaBori7 Posts: 35
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    You could have Hypothyroidism. One of my friends was diagnosed with this a few years ago. She eats like a bird and is very heavy. Anyway, hypothyroidism is condition where your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. I go to the University of Minnesota and we discussed this in our nutrition class. However, I definitely don't know all the answers and I would go check out a list of symptoms to see if you have any of them.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001393/

    Best of luck!

    Thanks, but I don't have any of those synthoms.
  • kyomoon
    kyomoon Posts: 30 Member
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    Lucy, I've been reading the posts and am appalled by some of the suggestions

    1. If you reduce your current calorie intake by 500 calories a day this will result in a 1 lb/week loss.

    2. If you want to lose 2lbs then reduce by 1,000 calories... OR

    3. you can reduce your current calorie intake by 500 calories a day AND exercise enough to burn an 500 calories for a 2 lb weight loss.

    4. If you eat too little, and at your size under 2,000 is TOO LITTLE you can plateau and/or gain. This is not conjecture this is fact... as this is how I managed to get my apple shaped figure.

    NOTE - despite what anyone says or suggest (including me) every person's body reacts differently to food differently. For example, when I graze (eat little bits ALL day long) on all natural foods I drop weight (40lbs in 2 months) with no hunger but the moment I stopped and dropped by caloric intake it all came back with a vengeance which is why I'm here... to try to find a way to get rid of some of this body. ;) I do know that if I drop my calories to 1,200 or less... I may lose initially but it will stop & come back and bring friends. LOL

    What I would suggest is to log your food intake and track your calories for a couple of weeks and see what your daily calories are and reduce from there. If you're eating 3,000 or more calories a day... you can easily drop your intake to 2,000 and there's your 2 lbs a week.

    I wish you the best of luck in whatever path you choose.
  • Hallia
    Hallia Posts: 5
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    Hiyas! I'm 25 years old, 5'3 and weigh 229lbs. My 3 month goal is 45lbs (which is considered safe) and my trainer has me on a 1700 calorie diet according to the following guidelines, and my BMR is ~2400 calories:

    35% Protein
    20% Fats
    25% Non-starchy Carbohydrates (Vegetables; Corn and Potatoes are NOT considered Vegetables)
    10% Non-starchy Carbohydrates (Fruits)
    10% Starchy Carbohydrates (Whole Grains/Corn/Potatoes)

    I've found that it's actually hard for me to consume enough calories when I'm following the distribution. Proteins fill me up pretty quickly, I don't think about fats because they play a vital role in my body being able to tell me I've had enough of something. Since I started following these guidelines, I actually don't like starchy carbs because they feel heavy without being filling. I'm also starting to notice textures more, and I HATE the texture of starchy carbs on my teeth. (I know, I'm weird!)

    Other things I'm discovering is that it's actually SIGNIFICANTLY less expensive to eat healthy though I do have to do my shopping more frequently so that produce doesn't go bad. Baby carrots, celery sticks and 1/2 serving of peanut butter are my absolute FAVORITES for snacks! Feel free to send me a message if you'd like any other snack ideas. And I'm definitely open to suggestions too!

    As for my activity levels, I'm only lightly active, plus I have 3 training sessions a week with my trainer. These sessions are VERY strenuous, but I can't even pretend to know how many calories I burn during them. They last an hour though so I know in the very least I'm getting in 60 minutes of high intensity workouts per week. After my workouts, I chug a protein drink by EAS (17g protein) so my recovery time isn't too bad and I'm never sore the next day.

    Hope this helps! :)

    Hallia

    PS> If I consume less than 1500 calories, my body goes into "starvation mode" and I end up gaining weight while losing muscle mass. This is actually a *BIG* struggle for me, but I'm doing my best.
  • Hallia
    Hallia Posts: 5
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    I agree with Kobob, eat an absolute minimum of 1200 calories a day; if your exercise is more intense allow more food. I would limit workouts to between 45 minutes and an hr a day; after this amount of time the body generally begins to produce cortisol which promotes fat storage. My daughter a yr ago was walking up to 8 miles a day and seeing no weight loss , was frustrated. I told her to cut back a day or 2 a week and cut back her time per walk to an hr. She did so and began losing weight again. The most important part of your exercise routine is recovery, without that , exercise becomes catabolic, or continuosly tearing down, and the body goes into survival mode. Be Yourself, everyone else is taken. ;)

    I didnt know this. I guess too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Do you think I should cut back to 4 days a week just 60 mins a day?

    I wouldn't cut back. I would try to get in 60 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week. Use a heart rate monitor so you know that you are training at a high level of intensity for most of the workout. If you haven't worked out before, work your way up gradually over a few weeks.

    I don't know what the other person's daughter was doing, but it isn't that complicated. If you create a calorie deficit and work out, you will lose weight if you're a healthy person.

    Basically what she's saying was happening to her daughter was she was working out too much. It's not unheard of and is actually a common issue among athletes. The only difference between someone trying to lose weight working out too much and an athlete working out too much is that the athlete isn't typically trying to lose weight. As a result, it's more obvious to someone trying to lose weight that something is wrong.

    The body needs time to repair itself, and even low-impact, low-intensity activities can over-work the body when done excessively. Just like under-eating can result in weight gain, so can over-exercising.

    I do 3 days a week of high intensity cardio and low-intensity resistance training followed by a protein shake to aid my body in repairing itself. The day after these workouts is devoted to recovery and I spend them in the hot tub or swimming recreationally. Once my body is in better shape, I may be able to increase the duration of my workouts or the frequency, but at this point, I'm not there yet.
  • VeganPanda
    VeganPanda Posts: 582 Member
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    You are eating far too little. You will lose weight without starving yourself ---> eat clean and exercise. You will get the body you want.
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    under eating will only hurt u!!! u have to eat to lose!!! its what u eat, not numbers! the younger u r, the easier to shed!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Take all the TDEE Deficit methods and Eating More (than currently but less than previously) to Lose Weight advice.

    This spreadsheet will help see the numbers. Be honest, you won't help yourself in the long run.

    Do the Deficit method of 2% of goal weight to lose.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/620206-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-calcs-mfp-tweaks-hrm

    With Exercise of 3-5 hrs week, and BMR of 1863, your TDEE could be upwards of or more than 2888.
    If you figure goal weight of 135, you could be eating at that amount 1863 and losing a lot of weight.

    Don't compare 1800's calorie eating level to 1200 or less you have been doing briefly, compare it to what you were eating before.
    Still a deficit from previous eating level? Sure.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    You may want to check out a group on here called "Eat More, Weigh Less." You definitely should be consuming more calories!

    Yes, it is possible to consume too much protein, but it is pretty difficult to do. However, it sounds like you could quite easily substitute two of your protein shakes for a real breakfast and a real dinner, and you would still have enough protein.

    As for the correct things to eat, the pat answer is "as large a variety as possible." MFP allows you to see how much of your daily calories you are getting from carbohydrates, protein, and fat. It sets your daily targets according to US government recommendations, so that might be a good place to start. A lot of people feel the protein settings are low, so if you want to play around with your settings, you would be fine reducing carbs to 40% of total calories and upping protein to 30%.

    Thanks I will read this. I'm just not a breakfast person, I will only eat breakfast on Sundays or while I'm on vacation that's all. I have been skipping breakfast for lots of years and I heard that's my biggest mistake so a shake in the morning is perfect for me works perfect for me and I drink it right after my morning work out before work.
    I'm not a breakfast person, either. :)

    You actually don't need to eat breakfast if you don't want to (the intermittent fasting folks should put that myth to rest). I just assumed you did because of the protein shake.

    A lot of people on here have "rules" about what you need to do to lose weight. The fact of the matter is that everyone is an individual and needs to do what works for them. As long as calories in is less than calories out but high enough for proper energy and nutrition, you will lose weight.
  • LaBori7
    LaBori7 Posts: 35
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    Thanks everyone! I Didn't quite get to my BMR today :( hopefully I will tomorrow. It seems like I cannot meet the 2300 calories that Im supposed to eat unless I eat some sort of "junk" :(

    How bad would it be if I just eat the 1800 BMR everyday?
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I Didn't quite get to my BMR today :( hopefully I will tomorrow. It seems like I cannot meet the 2300 calories that Im supposed to eat unless I eat some sort of "junk" :(

    How bad would it be if I just eat the 1800 BMR everyday?
    It would be a massive improvement over your previous plan. Baby steps.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    See what works for you. This super low calorie diet is probably not going to work because:
    -You're more likely to be hungry and/or crave certain foods, making it harder to stick to your plan. You're going for a lifestyle change here, so it's more realistic to eat closer to maintenance than far far below it. Worth the extra time, in my opinion.
    -You may experience rapid weight loss at first, but you're metabolism is likely going to adjust. It happened to me. I started losing again when I bumped up my calories
    -Fatigue, irritability, ect. all tend to be heightened with such a high deficit

    Do be careful of MFP's measurements for exercise. They tend to be over the top. Also might be worth it to get your BMR checked out by a health professional for a more exact measurement.
  • LaBori7
    LaBori7 Posts: 35
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    Thanks everyone! I Didn't quite get to my BMR today :( hopefully I will tomorrow. It seems like I cannot meet the 2300 calories that Im supposed to eat unless I eat some sort of "junk" :(

    How bad would it be if I just eat the 1800 BMR everyday?
    It would be a massive improvement over your previous plan. Baby steps.

    Thank you!
  • LaBori7
    LaBori7 Posts: 35
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    See what works for you. This super low calorie diet is probably not going to work because:
    -You're more likely to be hungry and/or crave certain foods, making it harder to stick to your plan. You're going for a lifestyle change here, so it's more realistic to eat closer to maintenance than far far below it. Worth the extra time, in my opinion.
    -You may experience rapid weight loss at first, but you're metabolism is likely going to adjust. It happened to me. I started losing again when I bumped up my calories
    -Fatigue, irritability, ect. all tend to be heightened with such a high deficit

    Do be careful of MFP's measurements for exercise. They tend to be over the top. Also might be worth it to get your BMR checked out by a health professional for a more exact measurement.

    Thank you. I manually changed the MFP's for the excersice bacause I know how many calories I burnt from the machines. And I'm planning on going to a weight management health clinic soon I just need to come up with the money for the initial consultation then I only pay a copayment from then on. I can't wait to go :(
  • lexie2005
    lexie2005 Posts: 16 Member
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    My advice is to start higher, I started on around 1600 cals weighing 265lbs & now I am 193 & on 1300-1400 a day, I exercise at least 4-5 times a week but never eat my exercise cals..... Good Luck x
  • Jayneopopsidoodle
    Jayneopopsidoodle Posts: 63 Member
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    Bump - I wnat to read this but i'm at work so will read later x

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