I've just been thinking... at the moment, at my current weight, I am eating 1650 calories a day. I realise that as I lose weight and get lighter, to continue losing the same amount per week I will need to reduce those down (To a minimum of 1200 i think).
The thing is, I have been a little shy of that daily intake so far - averaging around 1400-1500 calories on most days (and actually struggling to do that on occasion - wow! xD) I don't go any lower than 1400. I'm worried that when I get to that point where I am eating 1200, I won't be losing anything more because I may have been eating at that amount for a while already due to my slight under-intake. xD (If that makes sense?)
The last thing I want is starvation mode and fat stockpiling. xD I know I shouldn't be thinking about this NOW - it's a good 50lbs away before I even need to think about it - but it would be good to have some advice in advance.
I guess what I am asking is... for example, when I reach onederland and have 30-40lbs left to lose, will 1200 calories still make me lose, if i've been eating that amount already for a while?
I think we're in a similar place right now. I'm losing at about 2100 calories per day. I got DXA scans done to find out my lean mass and I'm going to go every 3-4 months to get an updated caloric intake so I keep losing at a slow and steady rate...
But, I don't think it is necessary to get a scan done. Eventually at your current caloric intake, your weight loss will level out. I think at that point you can just drop your calories by say, 200 calories, then reevaluate after a few more weeks.
If you make sure you get lots of protein, and you do some weightlifting or even just squats, though, you might NOT have to drop your caloric intake (much) as you lose weight. The more lean mass you have, the more your body will burn at rest. The other thing to do would be to not lose weight too quickly, because you can lose lean mass in the process.
At least, that's what I'm trying to do.
Edit: I'm not sure I actually answered your question. My guess is that under 1200 would be too low for you, since your height is fairly average. So when you get down to 1200 calories I think the best way to keep losing would be to eat 1200, but exercise so that you're burning more than you are eating. 500 calories of exercise per day (i.e. one pound of weight loss per week) isn't extreme. You can get that by walking, probably.
Starvation mode is a myth. If you're starving, you on't hold on to fat, you starve until you look like a concentration camp victim.
If you use this calculator: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ And set your activity as sedentary, it will tell you your BMR, which is the amount of calories you need for your brain and body to function without ill effects like fatigue. As long as you're eating more than your BMR, but less than your TDEE, you won't starve, and you will lose weight.
Every 5-10 lbs, you should recalculate to make sure you're still in the safe zone, but otherwise you will be good to go.
I'll add - at my height, age, and weight, my BMR is 1365. 1200 is often quoted as the minimum people need to function, but it varies depending on age and build. Since I'm a bit taller than average, mine is higher. eating 1200 would be very bad for me, but would work great for my friend who is 5'2".
If you use this calculator: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ And set your activity as sedentary, it will tell you your BMR, which is the amount of calories you need for your brain and body to function without ill effects like fatigue. As long as you're eating more than your BMR, but less than your TDEE, you won't starve, and you will lose weight.
The online calculators are not accurate, except possibly if you have a very average lean mass distribution. Even then I'm not sure.
For me (and I have had accurate scans done to find out my BMR), all three of the equations on that site give me values at least 300 calories higher than my actual BMR. Interestingly, my BMR is high even for someone of my height and weight. So it makes me wonder if the calculations are skewed upwards on purpose to avoid giving some people a number that is too low. In any case, if I went by that number my TDEE would be similarly skewed (actually even more so because it is a factor of BMR) and I would probably not lose weight at all. That would be really disheartening I think, for me.
I think since Clara Cuppicake is losing weight and not feeling hungry despite lowered calories, she's doing great. Feeling good is a pretty good indication that you're doing things right, in my opinion.
To answer your question directly, I don't think eating low calories now will prevent you from losing later at 1200 calories, but it might slow the rate at which you lose. 1200 is pretty low and most ppl can lose weight on a diet that is really that low.
Most nutritional recommendations basically scale with body size. If you eat less than recommended for your current size, your body won't "stockpile" fat, but you may not be able to eat enough to stay healthy and maintain as much lean mass as possible (which will help maintain your basal metabolism rate). By eating less now, you would probably lose weight faster for now, and some of that weight loss will be fat, but you might lose more lean mass than if you had lost the weight slower and end up with a higher ratio of fat to lean mass (and a lower BMR than it might have been).
Relatively small people can maintain on not much more than 1200 calories a day. Losing weight, especially with a low BMR, becomes a pretty slow process.
Is your lifestyle sustainable in the long run? Are you getting enough healthy fats? Do you feel good and energetic? Are your nails, skin, and hair in good condition? If your current diet is really working for you, that's good but if not consider making adjustments.
How little is too little (calorie wise)?
