So confused about how much I REALLY need to eat?!
spazgirl123
Posts: 28
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
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
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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?0
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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.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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?0
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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.0
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What is your workout routine usually? I calculated a higher TDEE.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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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!0 -
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.0 -
Thanks kdiamond, I will do that
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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..0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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.
At 5'2 I think 1900 is way to high even if your very active.
We need to gauge progress by the experiences not by numbers. If I am eating 1900 and gaining you better believe I will be eating less. Now if you already at 1200 and very active maybe increase to 1300 and see what happens but don't go crazy! Go intuitively and you may be surprised you will be eating a little more and still lose and not even reach 19000 -
I'd aim closer to 1500, which would be your TDEE if you didn't work out at all.0
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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.
Only if you increase it to more than your TDEE. And nothing is "permanent." It takes some trial and error to find the right amount.
But an increase in pounds isn't always a bad thing. I'm about 10 pounds more than when I went into maintenance, but I'm the exact same size. 5'2 and 103 pounds is teeny tiny, and she's having what might be health related problems. Gaining a few GOOD pounds wouldn't be a horrible thing.0 -
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.
Only if you increase it to more than your TDEE. And nothing is "permanent." It takes some trial and error to find the right amount.
But an increase in pounds isn't always a bad thing. I'm about 10 pounds more than when I went into maintenance, but I'm the exact same size. 5'2 and 103 pounds is teeny tiny, and she's having what might be health related problems. Gaining a few GOOD pounds wouldn't be a horrible thing.
Trial and error yes but in general "eating more" is too generic it could mean many things to many people.
No of course gaining a few pounds is not a bad thing if thats what the person wants. If she is having health problems the last thing I would want to do is gain weight be it muscle or fat. First thing I would do is see a doctor and get checked out.0 -
bump0
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I hear you on this one. I'm always so darn hungry. >.< Should I eat? Should I try and stick with the 1200 calories + whatever I get back from exercise? Oomph.0
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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.
At 5'2 I think 1900 is way to high even if your very active.
We need to gauge progress by the experiences not by numbers. If I am eating 1900 and gaining you better believe I will be eating less. Now if you already at 1200 and very active maybe increase to 1300 and see what happens but don't go crazy! Go intuitively and you may be surprised you will be eating a little more and still lose and not even reach 1900
1900 is not too much for a very active women her size. If you dont believe me go spend time on the beachbody forum, especially when people do programs like insanity. This is why i asked her what her workout routine was so we could gauge her caloric needs. Additionally, there are plenty of women i work with that are eating more than she is and only 10 lbs heavier.
Also weight gain can be good, especially when its muscle. The more muscle you have the stronger your immune system, the more jnsulin control you have and the faster your metabolism will work. And really wouldnt you rather have a faster metabolism so you can burn more calories and enjoy food more. I dont know about you, but i love being able to pound down over 3000 calories a day and NOT gain weight.0 -
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.
One thing to keep in mind is hrm arent very accurate for low insenity workouts. Also you continue to burn calories after as your body repairs muscles.0 -
If I were to give you a hypothetical 20% body fat, that puts your lean body mass at 82.4 lbs. Thus, your BMR would be 1179. If you are consuming this on training days, you are well below your BMR - even on rest days I wouldn't eat just 1200 calories. Using an activity level scale (1.0-2.0) and assigning you a rating of 1.6, that puts your TDEE at 1886.4 calories. And if this has been a chronic issue for you, you could have slowed down your metabolism to where you do not feel hungry. Regardless, those symptoms are clear signs that your body isn't happy with something.
Incrementally up your macronutrients by 120 calories for 5 periods of at least 3 weeks each period (1320, 1430, 1550, 1670, 1790) and see how your body responds. If the symptoms disappear, and you are still maintaining body weight and body composition after adding up to 600 or so calories, then that shows you can eat more to sustain yourself.0 -
Thank you all SO much, you don't know how much your advice and opinions have really helped me and opened my eyes! I am so thankful for yalls support as well I am definitely going to up my calories. Last week I upped them to about 1600 most days and felt more energy and noticed I felt more hungry more often (which was a nice surprise!) This week I'm going to aim for 1800 every day and see how I feel I have had eating disorders on and off since I was 14 years old (I am now 23) and I am so ready to just be at peace with myself, what I'm eating, and my body. I am done obsessing and worrying about how I look. I'm done with trying to count every single thing I've eaten and track my exercise to the tee. I am going to keep track of how I feel when I add more food and see the pattern. I think that since I have been eating so low calorie on and off for SO long, I probably have confused my metabolism a bit, but it's time for me to get it back on track. I think my body really has just gotten used to not eating much, so that's why I don't often feel physically hungry, but instead feel lightheaded, dizzy, tired, etc. I would eventually like to give up counting calories and just eat intuitively- but I need to get my metabolism back on track so I can really trust my body. If anyone has gone through this, your support and advice would be great!
You have all helped me so much!0
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