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MyFitnessPal Community

Under-eating - do you comment or not?

bazfitness

I'm constantly seeing people eating ridiculously low calories on here, especially though not exclusively newbies. On my first 4 or 5 days on here back in March I also under ate as I didn't know any better, though I did feel crap and a bit weak from it. Thankfully I saw some very helpful posts on BMR and TDEE and made some really good MFP pals so this under-eating mistake was corrected quickly. I firmly believe you got to lose weight in a controlled manner, especially if you want to hold onto as much muscle as possible. When I see people under-eating sometimes I point it out and sometimes I don't - it's like I feel bad for saying something which might appear negative if I do , especially when the under-eaters have just posted their 'success story' but also feel a bit bad if I say nothing at all as that person might not realise that what they're doing is not optimal. Also tbh sometimes I think what's the point, it gets weary to keep seeing so many people making the same mistake.

I realise the 1200 cals or less a day people will say that's just my opinion - and that's true, but it's the opinion I got by looking at countless websites and informative posts from people with more experience and healthier stronger physiques than me - that's all one can do really - is to try to get informed as possible.

Anyway I digress - so if you believe in eating right and having a moderate calorie deficit (if you have 50+ lbs to lose - not suggesting a moderate deficit btw) when trying to lose weight/lose fat do you comment on people who are under-eating or do you just keep stum!

Replies

leahartmann

I comment. I think the main idea of this site - and that´s only my own oppinion- is to become healthy. Some people feel like they are behaving badly, going over the calorie goal once in a while. I don´t know wether the goal is rigth or not, but I trust it. When I go to much under, the site makes a warning at my Food page. People should not ignore that, it´s unhealthy and may slow down their matabolism. They are not helping themselves in the long run. I try to be a good friend and point it out. I don´t think it´s negative. They may see it like that, but it´s really becouse I want to help.

Generalle

didn't comment, just deleted off my friends list.
There's been a couple like that and it's not up to me to judge as our goals were obviously very different. So with one click of the button, away they were........

skinnyinnotime

No I don't. They can read like we can and find the information. If they ask for advice or opinion then that's different.

tehpounce

Some days for me it's just half days. I work overnights and there are some days, like my days off, where I'm just SO exhausted I go to sleep in the evening and that throws my entire schedule out of whack so counting it as a half day is how I have to subsidize.

sarahmoo12

Well I leave them to it unless they are starving themselves but me personaly you prob think im under eating but I worked out my stuff and to loose weight i need to eat 1288cals /day so I set my goal lower so if I go over its not so bad and I normaly do go over by about 200-300 ! I know for a fact if I had it at the right goal id still go over about the same.
Also when I exercise I dont feel like eating so when I do I normaly dont eat back those cals not beacuse im starving myself but because I dont think you should eat when youre not hungry ... Unless again you havnt ate in days lol

alecta337

Some days I am either too busy or have no food in the house or something and I eat waaaay too little. I HATE when people comment "good job!" just because they see that it pops up that I am under calories.

emhargs

1200 calories is low for a lot of people, but please keep in mind there are some very small, lightly framed girls here, where 1200 calories may only be giving us a small calorie deficit.
I usually consume about 1300-1400 a day, but for the past few days have consumed way less. I have been a bit off colour and haven't had much of an appetite. Also, I have a take away food night coming up tomorrow night with family, so can afford to splurge a bit, seeing as I didn't hit my calorie needs the past few days.

I agree that under eating is definitely not the way to go, but its not always completely wrong - sometimes for whatever reason, we may not meet our calorie needs - its not necessarily because we are starving ourselves.

sirihermine

I have had a few friends like that, some seem to compete in eating the least amount of calories. I delete them because, frankly, I want friends that make a long term healthy lifestyle change. I don't want crash dieters and people who are in it for a quick fix.

groovyfirechick

hey if people want to screw their bodies up by eating grossly under what they should be who am I to judge or say anything? I'm worried about ME....that's all!

tehpounce

I have had a few friends like that, some seem to compete in eating the least amount of calories. I delete them because, frankly, I want friends that make a long term healthy lifestyle change. I don't want crash dieters and people who are in it for a quick fix.

I know it's completely off topic but the picture of you and your wife is so beautiful ~

sirihermine

I have had a few friends like that, some seem to compete in eating the least amount of calories. I delete them because, frankly, I want friends that make a long term healthy lifestyle change. I don't want crash dieters and people who are in it for a quick fix.

I know it's completely off topic but the picture of you and your wife is so beautiful ~

TOT again, but thank you!

Miss_dannii

I don't think people should;... I think what you should remember, is that some people prefer to go over one day and then make up for it the next day by eating under

When I go out at the weekends, I log everything, and then spend the week making up for it. If I go over by 1000 on the weekend, I will eat 200 less per day for the next 5 days to make up for it. I also do it in advance, eat less to build up calories for the weekend.

I've lost 54 pounds since Jan, so what I'm doin is workin...

JesterMFP

I don't often look at other people's diaries, and I wouldn't comment if I noticed someone under-eating. Everyone on here is (or should be) an adult, and it's not really my business. If someone is asking for advice then that's different, but I don't assume that people want comments or criticism on their eating habits. I certainly don't. If they are new here, and don't know much about nutrition, then the warning from MFP should give them a hint. If they've looked into the issue and don't agree that big calorie deficits are a problem, or don't care, than that's up to them. I guess that makes me a bad friend in some people's eyes, but I'm not personally looking for unsolicited advice on my eating habits, so I'm not going to inflict it on anyone else either.

One thing to bear in mind is that this site attracts quite a lot of people with disordered eating. Wading in with helpful advice/constructive criticism might even make things worse. If it was someone I knew well, who I knew was basically trying to eat a healthy amount of calories, but was maybe under-eating due to stress or whatever, I might gently remind them to eat a bit more, but only if I knew them well enough to feel that it was my place to say that.

I also wouldn't congratulate someone on completing their diary when they are under-eating, but then I don't really comment on diary completion very much anyway.

tinacc1

I've been on MFP since January, and I had to stop logging my exercise because I was SOOO under calories at the end of the day.
I eat. A lot! But I can very seldom get my calories up to the 1370 I'm supposed to take in. I know it slows down metabloism, I know it affects muscle. But if I were to eat as much as I'm supposed to, I would vomit. I'm not a small girl, but I AM losing. Slowly, but surely.
I want to get healthy, and seeing the warning almost every day, gets on my nerves too, but if I don't use MFP, I'll go right back to my old crappy eating habits. Please don't think I undereat so I won't gain. I'm just unable to eat that much food. I want all the support I can get. i don't get much at home. My entire family eats fast food A LOT! I don't. I try to eat sensibly, and I DO exercise about 5-6 times a week, even though I don't log it. I'll get there.

caitlinen

1200 calories is low for a lot of people, but please keep in mind there are some very small, lightly framed girls here, where 1200 calories may only be giving us a small calorie deficit.
I usually consume about 1300-1400 a day, but for the past few days have consumed way less. I have been a bit off colour and haven't had much of an appetite. Also, I have a take away food night coming up tomorrow night with family, so can afford to splurge a bit, seeing as I didn't hit my calorie needs the past few days.

I agree that under eating is definitely not the way to go, but its not always completely wrong - sometimes for whatever reason, we may not meet our calorie needs - its not necessarily because we are starving ourselves.

Yes, agree with this completely.

ElizabethJ17

I hope you speak up! I just started finally logging my food. Mfp told me to eat 1300 calories which after posting a question and getting numerous helpful responses I was able to raise mine. I'm not very familiar with this site and learned a lot by others speaking up

BabyGrl726

I am new to this....but when I put in what I am eating daily the site is telling me to increase my calories so as not to send my body into starvation mode and slow my metabolism. I have just started back at the gym 2 days ago. i am doing 2 a day workouts. Intense Cardio in the am and weight lifting in the pm. This is definitely a learning process for me. I know what has worked for my weight loss in the past....so I am trying to mimic that health conscious attitude and outlook.

Open to suggestions.

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

180farm

I comment if people are constantly eating too few calories. I can't stand when someone post that they had four items of food, totalled 800 calories or so and others write WTG or Great Job.

Swissmiss

I will send them a private message, and not reply where all can see it.

EmmaM2211

I tend to comment the first time I see it, if they continue I just dont comment at all. I'll never praise it though. If they continue to eat below 1000cals and ignore my advice then the delete option becomes very appealing. I've removed a few girls (and it is almost always young girls) who were eating too low. I like to try and educate people about BMR and eating enough to fuel the body....the phrase that comes to mind is "you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink"

I try to get to know my friends pretty well so if one of them has a low day who doesnt usually eat low I'll ask if everything is ok - usually they're ill or had a stressful day or something. xx

AntWrig

Hodgetwins voice - "Let them do whatever the **** they wanna do!"

Jokes aside. I don't even bother anymore. Most are so wrapped in broscience, they will continue down the road of destruction. Sometimes the best lessons are taught when you fail.

FatStoatLondon

I wouldn't comment: it's their business what they do with their bodies. If they sent me a private message, that would be different.

Di3012

I'm constantly seeing people eating ridiculously low calories on here, especially though not exclusively newbies. On my first 4 or 5 days on here back in March I also under ate as I didn't know any better, though I did feel crap and a bit weak from it. Thankfully I saw some very helpful posts on BMR and TDEE and made some really good MFP pals so this under-eating mistake was corrected quickly. I firmly believe you got to lose weight in a controlled manner, especially if you want to hold onto as much muscle as possible. When I see people under-eating sometimes I point it out and sometimes I don't - it's like I feel bad for saying something which might appear negative if I do , especially when the under-eaters have just posted their 'success story' but also feel a bit bad if I say nothing at all as that person might not realise that what they're doing is not optimal. Also tbh sometimes I think what's the point, it gets weary to keep seeing so many people making the same mistake.

I realise the 1200 cals or less a day people will say that's just my opinion - and that's true, but it's the opinion I got by looking at countless websites and informative posts from people with more experience and healthier stronger physiques than me - that's all one can do really - is to try to get informed as possible.

Anyway I digress - so if you believe in eating right and having a moderate calorie deficit (if you have 50+ lbs to lose - not suggesting a moderate deficit btw) when trying to lose weight/lose fat do you comment on people who are under-eating or do you just keep stum!

It all depends what you consider "undereating" is.

Regarding your actual question, no I do not comment on a person undereating, it really is not my place to do so unless they specifically ask me and then I will take a look.

Linbo93

I keep my mouth shut. If they wanted my advice, they'd ask. If they spam my news feed with any pro eating disorder type of talk, I'll delete them. There's enough information on this site to help them learn why to eat more, so I feel like I'd just be preaching to the choir. Plus, humans have a tendency to not hear something until they're ready to hear it. So, I mind my own.

twinmom1993

my caloric intake is always saying under and that im not eating enough. but i agree with the person that says i just cant eat that much more food. i have a personal goal of eating 1400 calories a day and most days i keep around 1200 or 1300 i have been at this for almost a month and i continue to lose weight. im by far not hungry. i did have a day that i only ate like 650 cal and gained 2 lbs. so im very conscious to keep around 1200-1300. i dont count my exercise as free calories, so i pay no attention to the "net" calories. i eat about every 2-3 hours but i dont eat after 8pm...

BimBamBomBum

1200 calories is low for a lot of people, but please keep in mind there are some very small, lightly framed girls here, where 1200 calories may only be giving us a small calorie deficit.

Agree completely. I'm only 4ft10 and sometimes don't always need 1200 in my day.

AntWrig

1200 calories is low for a lot of people, but please keep in mind there are some very small, lightly framed girls here, where 1200 calories may only be giving us a small calorie deficit.

Agree completely. I'm only 4ft10 and sometimes don't always need 1200 in my day.

I am assuming you don't do nothing the whole day then?

Di3012

didn't comment, just deleted off my friends list.
There's been a couple like that and it's not up to me to judge as our goals were obviously very different. So with one click of the button, away they were........

Yes, I used to do the same with those that were quite insistent that I could eat 3000 calories per day and still lose. They got on my nerves because it never worked for me.

Hence why sticking on 1200 calories per day for six and a half months got me to my goal it was also great I never plateaued or went into any starvation mode and could continue my running.

Moana41

I comment if people are constantly eating too few calories. I can't stand when someone post that they had four items of food, totalled 800 calories or so and others write WTG or Great Job.

I agree, we're more or less encouraging them to eat less when we know it's not ideal if done constantly. We're not really being a supportive friend if we're commending them on their lack of calorie intake once they complete their diaries. Let them know you're concerned for them but also careful not to be too judgmental. One thing I can't stand is judgmental people, we don't know the full story as to why they choose to eat less, could be for a number of reasons ie, sickness, shift work can throw your meal plans out of wack.

HannahsReturnToFitness

I think it is a matter of personal opinion. What one person sees as under eating another person does not. What one persons body needs to function, another persons does not.

I genuinely find it very hard to consume above 1000 calories and from my food diary anyone would see that I have a healthy balanced diet and my calorie consumption works for me. Just because someone has a low calorie diet does not mean they are under eating. You can decide for yourself whether someone is starving themself or whether they are eating a balanced diet. . I do not believe in forcing down high calories for the sake of it.

I do not use a calorie deficit to lose weight but do it through exercise and toning up.