800 calories

i have been trying to lose about 5 pounds for a really long time, but i haven't been able to. so i decided to go on a diet where i only eat 800 calories a day. and it's really working, even though i've only been on the diet for 4 days i've already lost 3 pounds and my clothing is looser. i was only planning on staying on the diet for a few weeks until i lose  a few pounds. but somebody told me that by eating that few calories my metabolism will slow down and when i start eating more than 800 calories per day i will gain all the weight back plus more. is that true??

and i have another question. i know it's unhealthy to be only eating 800 calories a day. so i was thinking of eating 1200 calories a day and working out extra to burn off 400 of those calories a day. but is that just as unhealthy as eating 800 calories a day? and when i stop doing that will my i gain all the weight back plus more??

its true. Once your metabolism gets back on track you will gain it back. Especially if you continue eating so little for an extended period of time. definitely add ~100 calories a day until you are eating at least 1300.

its unhealthy to eat less than 1200, and to have more than 1000 deficit. Use the tools here to see if the calories you burn + sedentry calories  - food calories is > 1000. If it is, eat more. Thats still pushing it though.

Eating at least 1200 a day + what you burn is the best thing to do

(Disclaimer: I am not a trained nutritionalist, just repeating what I've heard on CC) 

that means i should eat about 1300 calories cuz all I burn (for excercise) is walking for an hour :s wow

Eating 1200 calories a day and burning off 400 is the same as only eating 800 calories.

I'm sorry to say that you are most likely going to gain all you lost back, and then some.  It's important to diet safe and slow, not fast.  You are starving yourself, your body changes the way it burns when you starve.  You will lose a little fat at first, then the muscle will go, then your organs.

Because you're doing it in a short amount of time, damage will be minimal, but you will gain it back.  I did the same thing in January as an experiment, I ate 600-800 calories for 10 days, I lost 4 lbs, I gained in back in 4 days after eating a "normal" amount.  I felt like crap and I was even flabbier than before because I lost muscle.

yep what they said

nocturne, that's not entirely true.

eating 1200 calories provides the body with 1200 calories of both energy and nutrition.

to lose weight, it's intended that we burn more calories than we eat -- a negative calorie is the desire.

It's only bad math if the person starts with sedentary level calories OR lower.

katie, 800 calories cannot possibly provide the nutrition your body needs.  You will be malnourished.

Don't destroy your health for the sake of 5 lbs.  You can eat healthy AND lose weight. 

If you want to lose only 5 lbs AND keep it off, eating less is the worst thing you can do. Eat right, perhaps 200 cals less than you need for maintenance, and do some extra cardio. Believe me, it will be just as quick as a crash diet - I have lost weight by eating 2000 cals a day and walking 2 hrs every day at a fast pace, even though losing was not my goal...

look at your eating habits.

for only 5 pounds - a easy way to lose that without thinking..
just skip the cream in your coffee for now
or go on a 30 minute walk everyday.

usually the 5 pound thing is from eating little unhealthy foods or empty cals that add up.

but yeh....1200 is the general minimum intake rule.
1000 is ok if you are totally bed bound and being seen by a doctor.

but you are not i am guessing....

basically to lose 5 pounds. you want to cut 3500 cals a week from your maintain level to lose a pound a week.

you could totally do that by just walking.

Try reading this article, it may help you understand why eating too few calories have a negative affect. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/core_march_8. htm

BG

bgerding2 great article ...everything is true

in the past wednesday my psychologist diagnosed me: anorexia and depression... i know i'm bad , and sometimes i want to get more calories/food, but i'm afraid to gain weight ..

i need some advice/tips/motivation to do it .. i just cant do it all by myself, also i'm like addicted to pro ana pages, which i know they're so bad, but i can't stop visiting them .. im so sad

dona, I'm so glad to hear that you have consulted a psychologist!  The next step is to get into treatment. 

Please don't refer to yourself as "bad".  That's part of the problem, I think.  You need to build up your sense of self worth.  If you can do that (it will take time and you'll need help), then you won't need to control your food as much.  Pro ana webpages are there to bring you down and discourage you.  You don't need that!

The very best to you! 

Be very careful.  you are losing weight because you creating a huge calorie deficit.

And if you sustain this for too long you can cause servere harm to your metabolism.

 

If you have a BMI of over 30, you can go on a 800 calorie diet WITH doctor supervison.

I would recommend ensuring you eat high calorie foods (whole grains, fruits and veggies, lean proteins) and gradually increase your calories.  If you've been at 800 calories for a few weeks, increase your calories by 10% a week.  If its been a few days, increase it by 10% a day. 

It is sooooooooooooooo much healthier to eat 1200 calories a day and work out than to just eat 800 calories.  My working out you are maintaining your lean muscle (depending on what type of working out you are doing) and you are preventing your metabolism for slowing down.

I recommend you educate yourself.  Read YOU: On a Diet by Dr. Oz, listen to Jillian Michaels radio program.  Both very informative.

definately gonna gain it back, sorry! start eating like a real human being, 2000 cals then u will lose the fat.

this thread is 2 years old...

Original Post by amethystgirl:

this thread is 2 years old...

 And the original poster hasn't been logged on in almost a year.

the way i see it is: studies show u burn 50 calories at rest, meaning sitting/sleeping. so lets say u are at rest for 24 hours, a whole day. this is a total of 1200 calories. To live healthily, u need atleast 2000 calories to function! so 2000 minus the 1200 u automatically burn gives 800 calories leftover. So if u excercise enough everyday to burn that much, you should be slim! however, eating 800 calories is unhealthy b/c ur body needs at least 1200 calories, and thats if ur just sitting or sleeping! im sure u walk a little atleast everyday so thats why its suggested to intake 2000 calories.

this is the most logical way of looking at it. its nearly impossible to have an intake of 800 calories b/c.... ull just become super weak and soon anorexic. u NEED to eat, but just enough to burn what u automatically burn regardless of movement: 1200 calories.