So confused about how much I REALLY need to eat?!

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spazgirl123
spazgirl123 Posts: 28
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5'2, 103 lbs and 23 years old. I have been on and off a 1200 cal diet for a few years. I dont usually get hungry only eating that much, but I do sometimes experience light headedness, dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, etc. Does anyone else have this problem of not being physically hungry but having these symptoms?

I recently went to my gyno and asked her if being on a 1200 calorie diet was okay for me and she said as long as I'm not hungry,then it's ok because being a small person that's just my metabolism. I'm conflicted because I dont want to be hurting my metabolism but maybe after all these years of low calorie eating, my metabolism is just used to that.

Should I try upping my calories to get my body used to eating more and just trying to work out more? I'm going to aim to eat 1400 cals or rest days and 1600 on workout days?

Thanks,

Rachel
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Replies

  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    I honestly don't believe you are or have hurt your metabolism. You are tiny. Do you want to lose weight?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Dizziness, fatigue and brain fog are signs of under nourishment but it doesn't mean it's the cause. The question is, how active are you? Based on the figures, if you are exercising 5-6 days a week, you can eat 1900 calories a day without weight gain. Also, most doctors know very little about nutrition and should rather consult a dietitian or a nutritionist.
  • spazgirl123
    spazgirl123 Posts: 28
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    No I don't really think I need to lose anymore weight, I just need to get toned up. I guess I am always just overthinking everything and worried I'm not eating enough. I just dont want to stick to eating a low amount of calories and damage my metabolism. Honestly though, I eat when I'm hungry so I think I have to listen and trust my body.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    No I don't really think I need to lose anymore weight, I just need to get toned up. I guess I am always just overthinking everything and worried I'm not eating enough. I just dont want to stick to eating a low amount of calories and damage my metabolism. Honestly though, I eat when I'm hungry so I think I have to listen and trust my body.

    If you know 1200 calories isn't sustainable, then don't do it anymore. You can add calories and not have an issue. If you want to tone, you should aim to eat 20% below TDEE and really concentrate on heavy weight training.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    If I wasn't hungry, I wouldn't eat more unless you have some reason to believe you don't feel hungry when you should. But, I would take a look at what I'm eating. Are you eating enough good food to get proper nutrition? Are you meeting your protien and fat goals, and getting your daily micronutrient requirements?
  • spazgirl123
    spazgirl123 Posts: 28
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    Thanks yall you have helped a lot and given me a peace of mind! I do make sure that I get all of my daily requirements that I need such as fats and carbs and everything. I eat lots of fruits, veg, whole grains, oatmeal, fiber 1 cereal, yogurt, etc. My TDEE is about 1700, so I will aim for about 1350 a day. I recently havent been doing a lot of cardio, but incorporating more strength training instead.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Thanks yall you have helped a lot and given me a peace of mind! I do make sure that I get all of my daily requirements that I need such as fats and carbs and everything. I eat lots of fruits, veg, whole grains, oatmeal, fiber 1 cereal, yogurt, etc. My TDEE is about 1700, so I will aim for about 1350 a day. I recently havent been doing a lot of cardio, but incorporating more strength training instead.
    What is your workout routine usually? I calculated a higher TDEE.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    If I wasn't hungry, I wouldn't eat more unless you have some reason to believe you don't feel hungry when you should. But, I would take a look at what I'm eating. Are you eating enough good food to get proper nutrition? Are you meeting your protien and fat goals, and getting your daily micronutrient requirements?

    Hunger isn't a good indicator on whether or not she is getting enough calories as your body doesn't know if its getting a lb of beef or a lb of carrots. Quantity is the same. This is why people that have a harder time getting calories need to eat higher calories foods such as nuts or avocado.
  • spazgirl123
    spazgirl123 Posts: 28
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    I have a HRM so it helps me keep track of how much I am burning when working out. I recently just have been doing weights and strength training type stuff and only burning about 200 calories per workout.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    I'd do 1350-1400 on nonworkout days and 1600 on workout days, to start.

    Trust me, you don't want a sluggish metabolism. Been there, done that. Now I'm eating 1500 on nonworkout days and 1800 on workout days, and maintaining at 110 pounds and 5'4", AND I'm older than you.

    Eat., woman!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    If I wasn't hungry, I wouldn't eat more unless you have some reason to believe you don't feel hungry when you should. But, I would take a look at what I'm eating. Are you eating enough good food to get proper nutrition? Are you meeting your protien and fat goals, and getting your daily micronutrient requirements?

    Hunger isn't a good indicator on whether or not she is getting enough calories as your body doesn't know if its getting a lb of beef or a lb of carrots. Quantity is the same. This is why people that have a harder time getting calories need to eat higher calories foods such as nuts or avocado.

    Hunger always works for me. I absolutley do not feel full for as long on 8 oz of carrots as I will on 8 oz of meat.
  • spazgirl123
    spazgirl123 Posts: 28
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    Thanks kdiamond, I will do that :)
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    Of course hunger works. How do you think the 99.9% of creatures that have ever walked the earth managed to not starve or explode? You have to learn to listen to it. Most of us tune it out and keep eating. It's not like a food scale. It can tell when you've taken in a pound of healthy soup vs. a pound of water.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Hunger isn't a good gauge for me. I could easily forget to eat all day long if I'm busy, and on the flip side, I could think I'm hungry when I'm actually just bored.

    If the body doesn't get enough food on a regular basis, the brain stops sending hunger signals. It happens in anorexia (not saying that you are) I even saw it in animals when working at the vet's. If you're feeling weak, dizzy, etc... that's a much better signal that you're not eating enough than whether or not your stomach grumbles.

    Keep in mind that if you increase your calories, you might have a temporary fluctuation in weight while your body gets used to things.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Hunger isn't a good gauge for me. I could easily forget to eat all day long if I'm busy, and on the flip side, I could think I'm hungry when I'm actually just bored.

    Me too.
  • ashleyn_12
    ashleyn_12 Posts: 3
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    I am also eating 1200 cal/day on most days. I'm 5'2", 110 lbs and 29 years old. I usually feel dizzy and light headed in between meals. I feel that I am not eating enough, especially on my workout days. I eat more on those days and try to keep my calories between 1300-1400 which seems to work for me..
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    Sometimes I feel like that if I don't eat enough, but often I also feel that way if I let myself get dehydrated. Also, allergies, but hopefully you don't have that problem.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Of course hunger works. How do you think the 99.9% of creatures that have ever walked the earth managed to not starve or explode? You have to learn to listen to it. Most of us tune it out and keep eating. It's not like a food scale. It can tell when you've taken in a pound of healthy soup vs. a pound of water.

    Hunger signals can be suppressed as seen with people doing interim fasting. And its a response your body has when in need of food but it is not an indicator of health. I could eat 1200 calories of greens and fruit but it doesnt mean it will be good for me. Eating that little will cause my body to go catabolic.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
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    I am 5'2, 103 lbs and 23 years old. I have been on and off a 1200 cal diet for a few years. I dont usually get hungry only eating that much, but I do sometimes experience light headedness, dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, etc. Does anyone else have this problem of not being physically hungry but having these symptoms?

    I recently went to my gyno and asked her if being on a 1200 calorie diet was okay for me and she said as long as I'm not hungry,then it's ok because being a small person that's just my metabolism. I'm conflicted because I dont want to be hurting my metabolism but maybe after all these years of low calorie eating, my metabolism is just used to that.

    Should I try upping my calories to get my body used to eating more and just trying to work out more? I'm going to aim to eat 1400 cals or rest days and 1600 on workout days?

    Thanks,

    Rachel

    You should probably check with a doctor to make sure you're not diabetic or hypoglycemic. Being lightheaded is not good, and there has to be a reason for it. At 5'2 and 103 pounds, I doubt you need a lot more calories unless you're exercising a lot and very intensely.

    Best of luck.
  • TauTheBull
    TauTheBull Posts: 96
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    Hunger isn't a good gauge for me. I could easily forget to eat all day long if I'm busy, and on the flip side, I could think I'm hungry when I'm actually just bored.

    If the body doesn't get enough food on a regular basis, the brain stops sending hunger signals. It happens in anorexia (not saying that you are) I even saw it in animals when working at the vet's. If you're feeling weak, dizzy, etc... that's a much better signal that you're not eating enough than whether or not your stomach grumbles.

    Keep in mind that if you increase your calories, you might have a temporary fluctuation in weight while your body gets used to things.

    A temporary fluctuation??? Try a permanent one... If you increase your calories to some degree you need to increase activity. When I began on the eating more **** I gained about 15 pounds and stuck to it for over two months in hopes my body would get used to it... It never did!!! The key is to increase for a while then decrease after a while to get the fat moving.

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