1000 calories per day....

So, basically i'm 5'6 and 115. i want to be 108, i have a reallyyyy small frame etc, and dont get to workout lots, but i do when i can, at least walking, anyways my plan is to eat 1000 calories per day, as a way of initiating quick weight loss for a few weeks, then upping it to 1200 calories per day. is this okay? i know everyone says ' stick with 1200 or higher ' but i honestly want to see some results fast in order to motivate me to continue at 1200, and eating the right foods. is that okay? 1000 calories for like a week or two?

It is definately not okay. Going lower than 1,200 can actually slow your mentabolism, not jump start it. then you will just loose weight slower.

This amount of calories is really bad for your body, too. even when I go less that, I get weak and tired. I am only 5 foor even and 85 pounds...see where I am coming from?

 

Hi ccasarsa ~

1000 calories a day is not enough calories for even an adult.  The recommended minimum calories is 1200 for an adult female that is sedentary, short, and near her goal weight.  A growing teenager needs at least 1500 calories if inactive.  The more active you are, the more calories you will need (teenagers and adults alike).

How old are you?  Did you know that the site tools are geared for adults only. 

Here is a BMI calculator that includes calories needed for teenagers.

Here is some information/links that will be helpful:

Good Information on Calorie Guidelines, Health, Exercise and Nutrition for Teenagers: Nutrition, Exercise & Weight Management for Teens

Here's a place with information on nutrition and health issues for Teenagers: Nutrition & Health for Teens

Aside from the fact that you are a growing teenager and need extra nutrition to support growth, this article explains starvation mode and why undereating is counter productive: Dieting & Metabolism

That being said, Calorie Count Plus's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management.

Your post is subject to modification or deletion by our moderators. Repetitive, off-topic, disruptive, and frivolous posts will be removed. We will take down any posts that violate either the letter or the spirit of any of these rules.

Promotion of starvation diets or habits that exhibit signs of an eating disorder ("pro-ana", "pro-mia", etc.) is prohibited.

~ UTR
Volunteer Moderator

Okay, i wasnt too sure how bad that was, but if i stick with 1200, is that okay? or is that still too low?, i mean i dont want my metabolism to slow down, and i dont want to gain, i just want to lose weight, but i just assumed that lowering it for a week or so would cause weight loss and if i went to 1200 after id be okay, but i can see why thats unhealthy.

if i did 1200 and excersised like by walking and not much else, is that okay?

 

also, im 18. it says that 1400 calories i should intake per day? i dont think ive really ever had that much.. could it be my metabolism is just slow?

First off, I really like your hair color. Hooray!

Second off, although everybody advises against it and I'm recovering from an ED so you shouldn't trust my judgment, I think 1000 calories a day won't kill you. 1200 is what most sites I've seen say is the minimum for a woman, and growing teenagers are supposed to have more. I'd say stick to 1200+ and walk lots. Metabolisms are tricky, I wouldn't want to risk my body going into starvation mode. Slow weight loss is better than no weight loss, right?

Grr, starvation mode.

Original Post by ccasarsa:

Okay, i wasnt too sure how bad that was, but if i stick with 1200, is that okay? or is that still too low?, i mean i dont want my metabolism to slow down, and i dont want to gain, i just want to lose weight, but i just assumed that lowering it for a week or so would cause weight loss and if i went to 1200 after id be okay, but i can see why thats unhealthy.

if i did 1200 and excersised like by walking and not much else, is that okay?

 

also, im 18. it says that 1400 calories i should intake per day? i dont think ive really ever had that much.. could it be my metabolism is just slow?

 A healthy weight range for an 18 year old that is 5'6" would be 115-pounds to 159-pounds.  You are already at a perfect weight.

In your situation, it would probably be better to concentrate on eating healthy and working out (ie. weight lifting).  You can actually lose inches and body fat while maintaining the same weight.  You will be "thinner" yet healthier and with less body fat while still 115lbs. 

Here is a good article to check out:

Body Composition - Body Fat - Body Weight

Excerpt:

Body Composition is the technical term used to describe the different components that, when taken together, make up a person's body weight. The human body is composed of a variety of different tissue types. The so-called 'lean' tissues, such as muscle, bone, and organs are metabolically active, while adipose (fat) tissue is not.

Standard scales can tell you a total weight, but can't determine the lean-to-fat ratio of that weight. By the old height-weight charts, an athlete can be "over-weight" and not "over-fat." A bodybuilder, for example, may be 8% body fat, yet at 250 pounds may be considered "over-weight" by a typical weight chart. In general, charts are not a good indication of a athlete's ideal body weight for general health or for athletic performance.

Uuuuhh.. let me just throw my two cents in here. You don't have a lot to lose. Why are you trying to lose so quickly? Even then, I remember when I was eating <1000 calories a day and lost NOTHING. Also.. 1300 calories a day almost killed me. You should never go under 1000, really, unless you're morbidly obese and are instructed to by a doctor.. which you clearly have not been. If you feel like you've never taken in more than 1400 calories a day, your metabolism may be severely damaged. Honestly, you could probably intake 1500 and get to 108 in a few months.

Original Post by revolution3:

Uuuuhh.. let me just throw my two cents in here. You don't have a lot to lose. Why are you trying to lose so quickly? Even then, I remember when I was eating <1000 calories a day and lost NOTHING. Also.. 1300 calories a day almost killed me. You should never go under 1000, really, unless you're morbidly obese and are instructed to by a doctor.. which you clearly have not been. If you feel like you've never taken in more than 1400 calories a day, your metabolism may be severely damaged. Honestly, you could probably intake 1500 and get to 108 in a few months.

cue to me in may, biking for hours a week and beating myself up for a higher-than-1200 day. i thought i'd stumbled upon a healthy lifestyle. and i lost maybe an ounce.

cue to a couple weeks later, running around constantly as the backstage cast for a play WHILE packing boxes WHILE lugging furniture WHILE helping someone else move too WHILE eating carbs carbs carbs...and losing about three pounds in a couple days.

although it's a scary leap, sometimes you just have to trust the metabolism.

edit: got it. missed the 'carbs carbs carbs' bit ;)

sorry. it's late and my brain isn't working.

more calories can be better if you're stuck in a rut. my body was stuck and probably started burning less because it knew it wasn't getting much food. but once i started consuming more without realizing as well as being super active, i lost weight.

edit: yes, particularly carb

Ccasarsa, your BMI as you are now is 18.6, and you want to lose another 7 pounds, which would bring your BMI to 17.4. Are you sure this is a good idea? Why do you want to lose weight? Are you sure you will be happy when you reach 108, or are you going to move the bar even lower?

Is that you on your avatar? If yes, just judging by your face, I would say you need to gain a few pounds, rather than lose some.

That is me.. i know what my BMI says but i guess i sorta figure it doesnt really apply to me fully because i have such a small frame, and i still have a bit of fat on my tummy eventhough im toning. I think maybe 108 could be a little to less now.. but ive never thought that until joining this site, so i think in a way this site will help me a lot. I think i sort of have a bad mentality right now, and im hoping to improve that!

I'm goingto try and increase my calorie intake slowly! thanks bunches for responding :)

Aww thanks so much ! :) and Yeah i think im slowly increasing my calorie intake, its just mentally i have to take it slow in order to not freak myself out.. i basically think ive had an eating disorder for a few years now and just havent realized it

First off, thank you for not being one of those people that know 1000 calories a day is too little yet come on here & insist to continue to do that & ignore everything we say.
It really looks like you genuinely care about your health, which is a VERY good thing. I'm with the others, thinking that you probably don't really need to lose weight, but rather tone up a bit.

& yeah, increase your intake slowly so it's easier to handle. As someone with a history of disordered eating, I know how scary it can be. But just know you're doing the right thing & your body will thank you for it! =]

funny enough, actually, if you tone up, like start working on your core strength, and some upper and lower body strength (you can do it all w/out a gym too, get a good calesthetics (SP?) program from the internet) you might put on a few lbs of muscle, lower your body fat %, so you'd actually have a higher number on the scale, and a lower number on your jeans LOL!

I've done this, and it does actually work.You do lose the weight quickley.However, it is not considered healthy.Just be careful.

Original Post by starcrossdlovex:

First off, thank you for not being one of those people that know 1000 calories a day is too little yet come on here & insist to continue to do that & ignore everything we say.  It really looks like you genuinely care about your health, which is a VERY good thing. I'm with the others, thinking that you probably don't really need to lose weight, but rather tone up a bit.

I second what starcrossdlovex said.

ccasarsa ~ I am so glad that you decided to up your cals.  You are at a perfect weight now and with a great workout routine you could lose body fat and possibly lower your number on your jeans as ladylyz said. 

Calorie Count has a Fitness Forum that you can post workout questions.  You should check it out.

 Edit:  This site gives 5 examples of "Fat Blasting Workouts"

there's no way for you to lose the weight quickly, as you are already on the low end of the healthy weight spectrum for girls your height.

i will tell you from experience, you will probably become less attractive if you lose anymore weight.

at this time a year ago, I first started losing weight.  I was 5'4" and 127 lbs when i started and at 112 lbs, I probably looked my best, but I wanted to be 106 lbs. so i lost more weight, and it wasnt until i developed a bingeing problem and gained all my weight back plus some that i realized how unattractively thin my face had become when i was at 106. plus, my self starvation also led me to develop a bingeing problem, and you definitely dont want that.

you look gorgeous the way you are now :)
i would just tone up instead of dropping more weight.

 

Original Post by skp_here82:

Ccasarsa, your BMI as you are now is 18.6, and you want to lose another 7 pounds, which would bring your BMI to 17.4. Are you sure this is a good idea? Why do you want to lose weight? Are you sure you will be happy when you reach 108, or are you going to move the bar even lower?

Is that you on your avatar? If yes, just judging by your face, I would say you need to gain a few pounds, rather than lose some.

that's the point I was going to bring up....I do not have an ED but my mom recently told me she suffered from one and is 99% positive the reason she had to get a pacemaker (because her heart was stopping) at age 32 was because her BMI was so low when she was younger....I don't want to stereotype but I don't think many of the younger girls on the site realize this! Your body is growing! It just makes me so nervous!

 

But I'm glad you're upping your calories and being healthy