am i unhealthy?

okay so my recommended caloric intake should be at 1200 per day to be able to lose 20 pounds by august. im not starving myself but after i calculate my food log per day the most i eat is around 500-600 calories per day.

i dont want to eat more because im only eating when i am hungry and i got fat because i used to eat all the time, hungry or not.

am i still gonna lose weight by doing this?

That's not healthy.

Maybe you dont know, but eating below 1200 is dangerous (and thats the minimum for the shorter, really small people). Your post will get attacked quite a bit here on cc. Just try eating more calorie-dense foods if you're having trouble reaching your reccomended intake - like nuts for example =]

If you keep undereating, your body will eventually enter a "starvation mode." theres quite alot of posts about that in the forums, so I'd suggest you take a look

Original Post by sk33ny:

Maybe you dont know, but eating below 1200 is dangerous (and thats the minimum for the shorter, really small people).

 shorter, smaller, older, and sedentary.

If you're eating a lot of raw fruits (except ones like bananas and avocados) and vegetables, the bulk and the fiber will fill you up faster with very few calories.  Like Sk33ny said, nuts are good.

It's unhealthy.
And yes, you'll loose weight, but you'll probably end up looking like a weak blob anyway. When you starve yourself - which is what you're doing, your mitochondria will catabolize muscle rather than fat.

If you are not hungry you already are in starvation mode.

That is not a healthy way to diet because it causes all kinds of trouble.  After a time you will be malnourished and subject to tooth loss, hair loss, missed or scant periods, distended stomach, (which may make you think you are still fat), bad skin, failure of your major organs and well...you can imagine how bad it can be.

Start adding more calories to your diet.  100 or 200 calories at a time.  You will feel much better, look better and this will improve your self image more than your limited diet can do now.

you are being unhealthy by eating so little as stated in other replies.

your young i think you would be suprised what a strict 1,200 calorie day diet will do for you.  whereas the 600 a day you will lose but.....  and then its hard to go back to eating without gaining some after you lost.

madamq - can you tell me why the lack of hunger indicates she is in starvation mode already?  i always thought starvation mode came after 10-35% body weight was lost??

anyway jen - you should start upping the cals and add exercise to change your shape quicker.  afterall cc recommended 1,200 and for the 20 lbs to be gone by august (without exercise that will speed the effect).  Good Luck and I think by summer you should expect to look good at the beach =)

Original Post by jenniferhaha:

okay so my recommended caloric intake should be at 1200 per day to be able to lose 20 pounds by august. im not starving myself but after i calculate my food log per day the most i eat is around 500-600 calories per day.

i dont want to eat more because im only eating when i am hungry and i got fat because i used to eat all the time, hungry or not.

am i still gonna lose weight by doing this?

 

what was your motive for asking this? YOU ARE STARVING YOURSELF whether you think you're hungry or not...your body is not getting all of its nutrients and you are not providing enough energy to carry out the basic bodily functions. if i ate a head of lettuce for 100 calories, sure i'd be "full" but i'm still basically starving myself. what you're doing is so counter productive to any long term weight loss and will surely backfire and leave you with severe health consequences if you do not change your habits immediately!! eat more...weight is not a source of happiness, and i can testify to the fact that any number on the scale will fail to provide you with any true happiness if other things in your life are causing you pain. i'm sorry for getting all psychological but i just don't want to see you go down this path...it's dangerous. please eat more and nourish your body!

just like they all said, this is gna do you more damage then good before too long.

1200 is like bare minimum girl.

you shouldnt gain weight eatin 1200 a day.

mb you should see a nutritionist.

think abt gettin healthy instead of worryin abt gettin fat.

sfredbull "starvation mode" is really a loose term.  Yes, it an mean starving in the sense of losing body mass.  But it is also used to indicate someone who's body has entered into a shut down phase when too little calories are available.  The bodies metabolism slows way down and conserves every ounce of energy to ward off loss of body mass.  Lack of hunger is one sign because your body has shut down its appetite response as wasted energy. This slows weight loss because the body is reluctant to use its stores of fat when there is no food coming in to replace what is lost.

Someone in "starvation mode" is probably lethargic and depressed too.  Which makes it all the harder for the dieter to understand that their body needs food NOW. 

thanks madamq.

goodluck jen.

There is no way that on so few calories you are fuelling your body with what it needs. The minimum intake for a sedentary female over 21 is 1200 calories per day. For a sedentary female under 21 or a man over 21 it is 1500 per day, and a sedentary male under 21 1800 per day. And believe it or not, that’s only the sedentary minimum. Unless you are very, very short and small, and/or if you are working out it is very likely you will need even more calories than those minimum guidelines.

If you are 21 or older use CC's tools to work out your BMR so you have a number to work from for your diet: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/calories-bur ned.php. If you are under 21, CC's tools are inaccurate and you should use this calculator instead: http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html as you are still growing. Yes, even in the later years - there's more going on inside of you that you simply can't see.

Eating too low a calorie intake, or having a deficit from your BMR greater than 1000 results in something called "survival mode", where your body holds every last thing it can get in expectance of a famine. Water, food, calories. Explained:

• Dieting & Metabolism - This article explains starvation mode and why undereating is counter productive.
• The Body Neglected - This is what happens when you undereat for an extended period of time. 
• "Obesity on 700 Calories" - A tale of starvation mode's devistating effects, and proof you don't have to be underweight to be starving.
• From Ask Mary, the segment provided by our CC nutritionist Mary Hartley: On the dangers of undereating and what it does to your body.

The physical dangers that come with undereating are numerous. You put yourself at risk of osteoporosis, of loss of fertility if you lose your period, hair loss, electrolyte problems, a weakening of the immune system, low blood pressure, blood disorders such as anemia, heart problems, and even death. The mental woes that come alongside can be just as devestating. Depression is common in undereaters, as well as distorted perceptions and problems like Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Crash dieting will do nothing to help you lose weight as the weight will likely come straight back on, and undereating can easily do more damage than good. Think about it - your health or your vanity? Weight is easily lost if you do it in a healthy and sustainable manner which is what CC is all about. 

I think you ought to read the following link: An Unofficial Calorie Count Guide to a Fad-Free 2009. It covers the basics of calorie counting, largely in how to do so safely and sensibly without resorting to drastic methods. And please remember:

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Calorie Count's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management. Please help our moderators follow this vision and respect the following guidelines.

• 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.
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Naturally yes you will lose weight. But it won't be on healthy terms.

You will mostly lose muscle and water weight rather then fat which is what you want to lose since muscle gives you that *toned* look and actually burns more calories at a resting rate then fat. But, if you lose muscle because you are starving, guess what? You burn less calories the less muscle you have in a sedentary state.

That's part of how you get into starvation mode. You will also run out of energy a lot quicker.

Once you reach your goal...Are you seriously telling me you want to live on 500 and 600 calories for the rest of your life? If you eat anymore then that you ARE going to gain weight because your body will be so adapted to the low intake that when you give it more it will be like "FOOD!" and grasp on to every little calorie you have.

You will lose with 1,200 calories just as well as 500 and 600 but you will be doing your body better with the higher count since it will give you more nourishment and won't be so drastic once you switch to maintaining.

If you are having trouble getting more cals in just eat more peanut butter, add nuts to your yogurt, cereal or whatever, add olive oil to your veggies or salads. You can rack up pretty fast and still do it healthy.

Good luck and please for your own body do not go below 1,200 you will be grateful for it later on.

THANKS FOR ALL THE REPLIES EVERYONE.

i love nuts =]

i think im so worried about eating less because im not exercising as much as i should be. the foods i eat are good for when im on the go, fruit, steamed veggies, etc. but it was a good recommendation to go a nutritionist. i really do want to lose weight the healthy way, because i think if i dont, ill keep yo yo dieting like i have been my whole life. and if i lose it the right way, it will be easier to maintain my goal weight.

again, thanks for all the advice. i really appreciate it!