Eating too Little Calories?

  • I've been having a slow go this time around at weight loss. According to the calorie counting App I am using, for my height and weight, I need to eat 1,480 calories a day to loose 1 lb a week. I have eating closer to 1,000 -1,200 for about a week but havent seen much movement on the scale?

    Any ideas?
  • Get to basics.

    Are you food logging correctly? Measuring the portions well? Underestimating the eats?

    If really eating too low -- crank it up. Can't expect the fire (metabolism) to burn without enough wood (food for fuel.)

    A.
  • ive been sick for last few days and ate like 800 a day, now im bloated lol so today im forcing 1200 or so, its hard to eat right when sick, but yea while im sick and eating so low i get bloated or something and the scale wont move til im back to a normal digestive cycle
  • yup. this has happened to a lot of people. if you're eating too little your body goes into starvation mode and you won't lose weight.

    another way to give a plateau a little kick is to have a cheat day/meal. if your body has gotten used to you feeding it 1200calories a day for a while, eating a bit more will confuse it and get it started again when you go back down.
  • Quote: Weeellll ... starvation mode is a myth that has been busted. There is no such thing.

    Most people simply aren't being as accurate with their calories as they could. To the OP, below 1200 is way too little for you. Are you absolutely 100% sure that you're counting everything you're eating? Are you weighing your food or eyeballing it?
    yea lol if it existed ppl wouldnt ever starve lol i just get bloated for whatever reason if i eat below 1200, then it slowly goes away when im eating above it again, though it would eventually do the same thing if i stayed at below -the scale would move , but im only eating so few now cause im sick its not the greatest to eat that few its just a balance between what keeps me alive and what keeps me from puking, i think the ops prolly got some water weight or shes guesstimating , ive seen alot of ppl guess calories and its double what they think it is
  • I think you may be. I think I was so I gave myself a maintenance week and then restarted this week at 200 calories more a day and I've started losing again faster than I was before the maintenance week (knock on wood).
  • Do you exercise as well? You might just be eating too little for the amount you burn off during exercise as well as naturally. I eat around 2000 calories a day because I exercise vigorously 6 times a week. 2000 calories might seem like too much, but I've lost all my weight this way so it's working out pretty good. But when I first read how much I should be eating I was sceptical, like you, but once I jumped in the deep end I realised I lost more weight eating more. Obviously more healthy food =)