What if....

I've always felt like I ate like a cow during a day. So, I was pretty excited to keep up with it on here.

According to what "I'm suppose to take in" and what I took in today...I'm so frigging far off.

Suppose to take in roughly 2200. I've took in less than 900. Is that bad?

Wait, what? Are you asking if it's ok to eat 900 calories?

Sure, some days we get sick or busy or whatever and it happens. If you do it all the time, that's pretty dang unhealthy.

If you need 2200 to lose weight, a day at 900 is going to leave you feeling incredibly weak and feeble... and no slimmer.   Do it frequently and it's very dangerous indeed.   (If 2200 is your maintenance level then 1500 would allow you to lose weight.)   Avoid the 900 thing happening again by planning your day out in advance.   The CC log is a good way to track what you've eaten but it's also excellent for working out what you're going to eat ahead of time.

If you need 2200, for example, aim for a 400-500 cal breakfast, and 500-600 cal lunch/supper with another 400-500 of snacks in between.  Best of luck

Hi newtck and welcome to Calorie Count Plus!

As I am sure you have figured out by now, Calorie Count is all about healthy and sustainable weight loss and this means eating no less than 1200 calories per day for women and 1500 for me (add 300 for teens).

So many of us came on here and found CC+ after struggling with unsuccessful weight loss after eating too few calories. Many of us yo-yo dieted and felt bad about ourselves as we were so hungry from eating too little - which is unsustainable and uncomfortable, not to mention dangerous!

By upping your calories to what CC+ recommends you are sure to lose weight and it's a great place to start. You can always modify calories later from that starting point to suit your weight loss plan and lifestyle. Also, by using the nutritional tools as well as the recipes and foods forums on here, one can learn what makes up a "healthy" diet - so many delicious, yet healthful foods!!

Here is why undereating is unhealthy, 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

You have come to the right place to lose weight permanently and healthfully! Let us know if we can help ... Good luck and enjoy your new lifetstyle here at Calorie Count!