Cals Low But I'm not hungry...

I eat three meals/ day, and I snack a little. The problem is, according to my daily food log, I am not getting enough calories. I'm not trying to starve myself, I'm just not hungry for more! Is it bad to get only 800/900ish calories even if it's all nutritious, natural food? I tend to eat the same sorts of food daily, so typically my food log looks like this:

Breakfast:

Plain Instant Oatmeal- 110 cals

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce- 50 cals

tea with 1/4 cup 1% milk- 30 cal

Lunch:

1 large apple- 110 cals

1/2 cup Silhouette Vanilla Yogurt- 50 cals

Snack:

Smart Pop Mini Bag- 100 cals

Dinner:

Ratatouille (my dinner tonight, analyzed through C.C.)- 120 cals

1/2 cup Medium Grain Brown Rice- 110 cals

Snack:

1 large apple- 110 cals

Tea with 1/4 cup 1% milk- 30 cal

So, I'm eating... my calories are just low. Is that necessarily bad since I normally get a lot of fibre and veggies in dinner (Not vegetarian, but don't eat a lot of meat)? I also cook with very little fat- if I can avoid it altogether I do! Is this still harmful for my body and my metabolism? I'm not very active apart from walking (speedy) for about an hour/ day. Sigh, I'm getting so confused!

Yes, it is harmful...your body NEEDS at least 1200 calories a day (if you're a female adult...teens are 1500) just to keep your body functioning. And don't be afraid of fats--fats are good and we need them--they should make up about 20-25% of your diet!

Add some high-calorie foods if you really aren't hungry. Have some peanut butter on your apple at lunch. Cook with some extra virgin olive oil--it's good for yoU! But yes, you do need to eat more than 800-900 a day.

minerva pretty much said all you need to know. you are getting yourself into starvation mode. If you keep this up you will develop an eating disorder..somethign you do not want, trust me. it happend to me...without me wanting to, I got myself into anorexia...by thinking that eating that little, and "healthy" wouldnt harm me....wrong.

you are getting full so fast because you are not adding in high calorie dense foods ..where's the fat in your diet? you need fat. healthy fats...get some avocados or peanut butter...olive oil or canola oil into your diet...add some nuts to your oatmeal....stuff like these will help....they are just a few examples of what you can have to bring up your intake without filling you up so much.

i strongly suggest you eat more RIGHT AWAY.

I think you also need more protein, even if you don't eat meat you need more legumes, or egg proteins are very important for adequate nutrition... so more of everything, maybe a meal replacement bar high protein bar?

ugh, last time i posted something on this it got deleted.

So imgoing to say 1,200 is an ESTIMATED NUMBER! ok? Heck i eat 1,700 just to actually maintain my weight....and im 20 years old and moderatley active. I did cut down to 1,200 like the books said and exercised alot, it did squat. i lost like a 1lb in a month. Im a nurse so i know people in medical feild and one nutritonist i consulted with actually told me that 1,200 is an estimated number. there are women and men who may need to require less than that in order to loose weight. So i actually cut down to about 900-1,00 which does not seem like alot of calories to anyone...but for me, its not that much of a change.

So bascailly what im trying to get at is that everyone woman is different. that 900 calories MIGHT be enough for you. its actually very rare for anyone to have that. The reason behind mine: i was born with gastric issues that are easily controlled by diet (I.e. no caffiene, no fast food etc) so for the "normal person" 800 probably isnt enough....

again for everyone reading this: it was a mis understanding last time when i discussed this i DO NOT PROMOTE THIS!!! im just stating the truth. that it is different for every person depending upon their situation.

You need more protein, fat and dairy. Add things to your diet like natural peanut butter, nuts, cheese, cottage cheese, milk, lean meats and fish.Tuna, salmon, turkey, chicken, beef. Try some whole grain breads, bagels, pitas or wraps. Olives and olive oil, eggs, beans, sweet potatoes, whole wheat pasta.

Make an appointment with a nutritionist and they can help you find a balance that is right for you.

Balance is key. You need a little bit from each food group with each meal. Food is fuel for your body.

`You are what you eat`

jay2, seems to me that 900 calories isn't enough ...not unless you're under the careful watch of a professional 900 is extremely low...1,200 is the estimated amount that organs need to function properly...meaning that in MOST of the cases if not all, a woman needs above this number, for sure...because eating the amount your body needs for organ function only and being sligly active, is getting you to prolly undereat. You burn calories just by breahthing....so eating 900 calories I think its not enough. Its my personal opinion, and it will probably get this girl into starvation mode if she doesn't get out of it fast. I've never heard of someone needing only 900 calories to live, not unless they had some serious illness or were severely overweight and doctors put em on that diet but eventually kknow that this person woould need to eat more....I dont think this girl's situation allows her to have 900 calories and not be concerned about it...

she needs to eat more....she's not having a balanced diet either..the body needs fats and proteins which are two things she's barely having, and that can cause some serious nutrient deficiencies that will get her to be malnourished in just weeks.

I mean look at her lunch...an apple and a yogurt? thats not a lunch...there is no fats in her diet either....no protein source...there's many things wrong with that menu, not only not enough calories, but not enough of pretty much everything.

so I suggest she finds a nutritionist and have them plan out her meals...that way she can easily follow a more structured eating plan and actually be healthy.

Anything under 1200 is too low. If you eat so low for too long your metabolism will slow down, and then hang on to every calorie. Which means you COULD end up having to eat only about 900 calories just to MAINTAIN!

I suggest you eat a bigger lunch, it seems liek less then a breakfast to me!

You may not be intentionally trying to starve yourself but that's effectively waht you're doing.  If you undereat for any length of time you lose your appetite.  So you stop feeling hungry and your body slows down the rate at which it burns energy.... very bad for weight-loss if that's your intention.  Crash-dieters can lose weight but find it very difficult to maintain the loss and usually balloon back to their original weight very quickly.    In addition, if you have a poor diet (and lack of energy makes it a poor diet, even if it contains fruit and vegetables) then you'll start to struggle with nutition issues.    Maybe not straight away but a diet as poor as the one you describe could leave you very short of iron, for example, and at risk from hypoglycaemic attacks, fatigue, dizziness.

You're skipping lunch btw... an apple and yoghurt isn't a meal.  And your portions are very small of everything else.  110cals of oatmeal is only 1oz dry-weight.  A fat free diet is extremely unhealthy, especially for women.  It can lead to loss of periods, joint pain, concentration problems.

CC does not promote unhealthy eating behaviour. 

Thank- you everyone! I just wanted some clarification. I'll up the calories with little things like nuts and seeds. I don't want to mess up my metabolism! I'll aim for that elusive 1200! Does anyone else have this problem? Thanks for pointing out the lack of protein and dairy. I didn't even think of that! I'll make sure to drink up an extra glass of milk with dinner tonight.

I still don't understand what people eat when they feel like they are "starving" when they don't consume 1500 calories/ day though. Fruits and Veggies are so low in calories... Is it just that these people eat higher cal foods, or do I really consume that little?

I think you'll find that as you eat more you'll become hungrier as your metabolism speeds up. That's a good thing though! Don't be afraid to eat more, it will be better for weight loss.

I've had that problem before.  What works for me is to aim to have at two high-calorie drinks every day.  Normally one is a smoothie, and the other is either a blended coffee from the cafe downtown, a glass of 100% fruit or vegetable juice, stuff like that. :]

i do the same thing when I don't plan my meals. I just eat a chocolate bar and love it!!!!!

Original Post by jay2daq:

ugh, last time i posted something on this it got deleted.

So imgoing to say 1,200 is an ESTIMATED NUMBER! ok? Heck i eat 1,700 just to actually maintain my weight....and im 20 years old and moderatley active. I did cut down to 1,200 like the books said and exercised alot, it did squat. i lost like a 1lb in a month. Im a nurse so i know people in medical feild and one nutritonist i consulted with actually told me that 1,200 is an estimated number. there are women and men who may need to require less than that in order to loose weight. So i actually cut down to about 900-1,00 which does not seem like alot of calories to anyone...but for me, its not that much of a change.

So bascailly what im trying to get at is that everyone woman is different. that 900 calories MIGHT be enough for you. its actually very rare for anyone to have that. The reason behind mine: i was born with gastric issues that are easily controlled by diet (I.e. no caffiene, no fast food etc) so for the "normal person" 800 probably isnt enough....

again for everyone reading this: it was a mis understanding last time when i discussed this i DO NOT PROMOTE THIS!!! im just stating the truth. that it is different for every person depending upon their situation.

If you insist you are not promoting this, why do you repetitively post the same information? It isn't helpful and it is against posting guidelines. You say yourself these low cal diets are only for the very rare case, so stop giving the information to the general population who I guarantee are not the special cases like you are referring to. Calorie Count does not and cannot support undereaters or those who promote starvation diets. And yes, 800-900 calories IS a starvation diet.

NYCGirl, Moderator

vron082,

Please know that Calorie Count cannot and will not support you eating less than 1200 calories a day. We consider this unhealthy and CC is all about HEALTHY weight loss or weight maintenance.

If you eat less than 1200 calories one day once in a while, it won't cause harm. However, to repeatedly eat less than 1200 calories (and in fact 1200 is the barebones minimum for most people it is >1200 calories) will cause serious damage long-term.

That being said I am glad you will up your calories. What you are eating is very low calorie and small portions. As gi-jane said, your lunch isn't a lunch, it's a snack. Eat more calorie dense foods and more volume. You need to take care of yourself.

Here is some information from Calorie Count and About.com for you on this subject.

From Mary Hartley, Calorie Count's Director of Nutrition: "By eating only 800 calories, you will not get enough energy, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other components of food. In time, you could become malnourished, which can cause severe health risks such as respiratory infections, kidney failure, blindness, heart attack and even death."

Here is a brief reason why never less than 1200 from the Advice section of Calorie Count Plus, under the Q&A tab:

Why must I eat at least 1,200 calories a day when I want to eat less?

In order to get the daily food servings you need for a balanced diet, it takes about 1200 calories a day. With careful planning, you could have a balanced diet on 1000 calories, but the restrictiveness of a very low calorie level can lead to binging and weight cycling, which will take you further from your weight loss goal. What's more, very low calorie diets can cause excessive muscle breakdown and metabolic adaptations, which can drive down your calorie requirements. In the end, you'll need fewer calories to maintain a higher weight

Your body needs at least 1200 calories per day to survive.

Here is a very rough scientific break down provided by a dietician for a 5' 2", 19 year old female weighing approximately 100 pounds, sitting around all day and doing nothing:

-The heart needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The kidney needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The Liver needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The brain needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The skeletal muscle needs 30% of the calories (360 cals)

Please let us know if you need help designing a good diet >1200 calories. We can help and will gladly do so, just ask, start a new topic or send me or one of the other mods a PM.

NYCGirl, Moderator

Thank- you so much everyone! Today I upped it by hot chocolate, a "real lunch" and a glass of milk. Made it to 1200 and I'm sure I can get it higher. I'm not on the brink of an ED or anything, but thank you all for your help and concern. Over the last 2 years, I've lost a lot of weight through eating healthy foods and exercise. However, I'm back at another year of school, which means no yummy mom food. I guess I just don't know how to feed myself!

To: NYCGirl, thank you for the links. I'll read them riiiiight now!

Awesome, we really look forward to hearing about all your successes and I am really psyched you will be eating more. I promise you are well on your way to a healthy life! Let us know if we can help!

Hi,

I just want to add my 2 cents. I posted a very simular topic about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I really wasn't hungry at all on 850 calories per day. And I figured I am eating all healthy foods, I'm fine. I got pretty much the same reation as you did to my post. So I upped my calories. I thought it would be hard, but it wasn't. Just by adding some veggie juice, a yummy coffee in the morning, cottage cheese, and a few nuts here and there I have been able to hit between 1200-1400 calories per day. I didn't realize it before, but I think that I was exhasted all the time. Now that I am eating more I am feeling a lot better. And guess what? I still lost weight. I was down 1.2 lbs for the week :) I feel like you got the picture- I just wanted to share my experience with you. Good Luck!

Wow, so I ate more food yesterday and today and already I'm feeling savage hungry! I'm guessing that put my metabolism back in check. Let's hope I don't get carried away...

In the mean time, I'll keep drinking more hot chocolate as Canada's winter slowly (or, rather quickly) creeps upon us!

I believe we need a minimum of fat per day because it affects skin condition. Fat is not bad just needs to be the right kind and in control.