What's wrong with my diet???HELP me pleease:)

Hy everyone!

I'm 24 year old female my height is 159 cm, and my current weight is 48.3 kg. I already lost about 6-7 kgs. I'm on a 800- 900 kcal. I know that it's not recommended to eat fewer than 1000-1200 calories per day,but the reason why I eat that much is my SLOW METABOLISM. I'm on a 800- 900 calorie diet since two months. I also do cardio workout every day (about 20 min) and pilates about 50 min. per day. My problem is that,even though I'm stickin' strictly to my diet (eating the same stuff and doing the same thing) in the last few days my weightloss progress stopped, and what is more today I realized that I've gained weight:((((I went from 48.0 to 48.3. My weight goal is 46-47 kg.

PS: And what's more interesting although the fact that I was on a low calorie diet I was losing weight slowly at the rate of 0.5 kg per week...

Any ideas?Any advices???

You don't eat enough.... that's what's wrong with your diet.  There are good reasons why you need a minimum of 1200 so ignoring that isn't doing you any favours.

You're 106lbs (7st 8) 5'3" tall and you're exercising for about an hour a day.... your BMI is currently 18.77 which is well below normal (BMI 20) and borderline for clinically underweight (BMI 18.5) and therefore you don't need to lose any weight.   If you achieve your stated goal of 46kgs ... 101lbs (7st 3) you'd be seriously underweight.  When you were 7kgs heavier (121lbs) you were a healthy weight....

This is the deal..... if you eat too little on a chronic basis you slow your metabolism.  You're extremely unlikely to have a naturally 'SLOW METABOLISM' I'm afraid .... but you have successfully created one by deliberately eating next to nothing.    So when you eat a little more than normal your body squirrels it all away as fat.  The answer is not to eat less, and less, and less, and less...... that's a classic mistake and one that often leaves people on a mortuary slab.    The answer is actually to eat the right amount for your size, give your metabolism chance to catch up and 'reset the bar'.

Someone your size and doing the amount of activity you do needs around 2000-2100 cals a day to maintain their weight.  I'd strongly recommend you start getting that amount as soon as possible, if not more to get you away from the danger zone.  You'll gain weight in the short-term but that's your body recovering.  Currently you're at serious risk of malnutrition, depression and many other problems associated with being underweight e.g. loss of periods, hair loss, reduced immune system.

If you can't do the above and if you still think you need to lose weight then I'd seriously suggest you go to see your doctor and ask their advice.

Can you please provide a little more information???

You mentioned that you have a slow metabolism.  How did you go about finding this out?  Did you consult with a doctor and what kind of tests did he perform?

Did a nutritionist put you on an 800-900 calorie diet?  Or did you decide on this number yourself?

I ask this because very rarely does one need to be put on a VLCD and this is usually under the direct supervision of doctors and nutritionists.  

Also, being that you are on the lower side of the BMI scale (according to WHO standards 18.5-24.9) there is no logical reason for you to be eating so little especially given your activity level.  

Hy,

First of all, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT.I find useful all your answers!

So, when I calculated my basal metabolic rate (BMR) I took into account my age,gender, height, current weight and I also measured my hips(80 cm), thigh(48 cm) and my upper arm(27 cm), according to the recomandation of this site www.kulinarisvilag.hu.  And it come out that my percentage of body fat is 46% which is extremely high, while the normal rate is 13% for women and my muscle weight (LBM) is only 27 kg.... Then taking into account my pure muscle weight (27 kg) my age and gender I calculated my daily BMR at this site www.medifat.hu  and I find out that it is 890.328 calories/day.

At the beginning of my diet (two months ago) I've been on a 1000-1200 calorie diet for a month, and then due to a minor injury I had to stop doing workouts for a while and that is why I've cut down my calorie intake to 800-900 calories per day. After recovering I started again doing my workouts even increasing the intensity of them. I also tried to increase my cal intake but every time I eat a little bit more (about 1000 cal per day) morning when I weigh more with 200-300 grams. That is the reason why I'm so scaaarrred and sceptic about increasing my calorie intake...

How can I increase my calories to around 1100-1200 calories and still continue to lose weight at least NOT gain weight?

With your stats i.e. bordline clinically underweight you do not have 48% body-fat, that's pretty blindingly obvious regardless of what some website suggests.  'Normal' body-fat for a woman is 20-30% and not 13%.  Very athletic women might get sub 20% but they are unusual.  NB... if you chronically undereat then you can't build muscle.  In fact, your body will be eating away at your muscles in order to feed itself.... and that includes your heart muscle, which is when things get dangerous.

Please do yourself a huge favour, forget about BMRs, body-fat, losing weight and forget 1100-1200 calories because it's not appropriate for you in the slightest. You need to gain rather than lose, rebuilding your muscles and restoring your health in the process.  Until you start eating a sensible amount (the 2000 cals that I mentioned earlier) you are going to be stuck in this miserable nightmare of malnutrition and a slow metabolism alternating with small gains whenever you eat a little more than normal. 

If you can answer 'yes' to two or more of these questions you may need to talk to your doctor about the possibility that you have an eating disorder.  See how you score

1. Do you make yourself sick when you feel uncomfortably full?
2. Do you worry that you have lost control of how much you eat?
3. Have you lost more than 14lbs in weight in a three month period?
4. Do you believe you are fat when others tell you that you are too thin?
5. Would you say that food dominates your life?

 CC does not support unhealthy or dangerous lifestyles or eating behaviours.

From the CC Advice section:

Your body will not selectively burn stored fat because your central nervous system needs glucose and you can’t make glucose from fat.  But protein can be converted to glucose, and so the body breaks down your muscles to provide it.  Ultimately, you lose lots of muscle along with fat, and that drives down your calorie requirements because muscle burns calories but fat does not.  You then maintain a higher weight on less food making weight gain inevitable.  For best results, eat the number of calories prescribed by the Calorie Target calculator in the Tools section.

also:

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.

and:

What are negative effects of being underweight?
Asked by anonymous on Oct 19, 2008 in Eating Disorders Answer

Underweight is defined as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 18.5 or less.  When a person is unnaturally thin from eating too little and exercising too much, negative effects occur.  Hormones regulating menstruation and fertility are disrupted, immunity is compromised and infections develop, and nutritional deficiencies may produce hair loss, anemia, and osteoporosis (bone thinning).  In addition, emotional changes are inevitable, including social withdrawal, irritability, depression, and sleep disorders.  But if an individual is genetically thin, does not smoke, has normal menstrual cycles, and is healthy, then being underweight is only a problem when energy reserves are needed in an acute illness.

Original Post by szaffyka:

So, when I calculated my basal metabolic rate (BMR) I took into account my age,gender, height, current weight and I also measured my hips(80 cm), thigh(48 cm) and my upper arm(27 cm), according to the recomandation of this site www.kulinarisvilag.hu.  And it come out that my percentage of body fat is 46% which is extremely high, while the normal rate is 13% for women and my muscle weight (LBM) is only 27 kg.... Then taking into account my pure muscle weight (27 kg) my age and gender I calculated my daily BMR at this site www.medifat.hu  and I find out that it is 890.328 calories/day.

At the beginning of my diet (two months ago) I've been on a 1000-1200 calorie diet for a month, and then due to a minor injury I had to stop doing workouts for a while and that is why I've cut down my calorie intake to 800-900 calories per day. After recovering I started again doing my workouts even increasing the intensity of them. I also tried to increase my cal intake but every time I eat a little bit more (about 1000 cal per day) morning when I weigh more with 200-300 grams. That is the reason why I'm so scaaarrred and sceptic about increasing my calorie intake...

How can I increase my calories to around 1100-1200 calories and still continue to lose weight at least NOT gain weight?

 

You are 5'2.5" and weigh 106.4lbs.  

A healthy weight range for someone your height would be 102.5-138lbs (46.5kg-63kg).  

How much weight are you aiming to lose?  You are already at the lower end of the healthy weight range.

It is difficult to get your body fat percentage based on a calculator that only takes three measurements.  I find it hard to believe that you have 46% body fat at your height and weight.  

A better way to find out your body fat percentage is:

• Go to a gym and have them test your body fat with calipers
• If you can find a place that does DEXA (Body Fat Composition) testing or Hydrostatic Weighing (Underwater weighing)

I'm not sure where you got 13% for the average body fat percentage for women.  The average adult body fat is closer to 22 to 25% for women.

As for only losing .5lb a week, the closer you get to your goal weight the slower your weight loss will be so that sounds about average.

You should raise your calories to at least 1200 calories on your inactive days and increase your calories 200-300 on your active days.  Remember that your weight naturally fluctuates day to day and you may see a slight increase on the scale when you raise your calories but your weight will level off after a few days.

The most important thing is being healthy, not a number on a scale.

Posting Guidelines 

Calorie Count's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management. 

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

Your current BMI is 19.1. It's good enough and you shouldn't get lower than that. If you get below 47kg, you'd be considered underweight. That's no good.

You're skinny enough now and your measurements are fine! If you want to get your body fat checked out you should visit a gym.

If you think your body is 'flabby' then you should stop your pilates and pick up some weights instead and gain some muscle...that'll give you a more toned look.

Also, with all the work outs you do you should be eating at 1500-1700kcal minimum.

Again, I recommend you get your body fat checked out at a good gym. It's free. Try California Fitness.

Thank you for your advice, I will check it out, hope it won't be so high...as that site showed me. In relation with the calorie intake...The truth is that I'm not able to induce myself eating more than 1000 calories a day. I know that's totally unsafe and unhealthy but simply I seem unable taking up with the idea of gaining weight again. I worked so HARD in order to shake off my few extra pounds...It's sure that I'm ruining my metabolism even if I feel totally healthy and full of energy?I eat about 3-4 times a day only when I'm feeling hungry.

No, doubt. You are slowing down your metabolism, whether you feel fine or not. You may not have experienced the effects yet. If you're having trouble getting the intake up, then you need to eat foods that are higher in calories, but low in density... even drink some of your calories if necessary.

maybe starting off slow would help. try increasing your calories to the suggested amount every other day so you dont feel so guilty about it, introduce the extra calories in slower so u dont shock your body

Original Post by szaffyka:

The truth is that I'm not able to induce myself eating more than 1000 calories a day. I know that's totally unsafe and unhealthy but simply I seem unable taking up with the idea of gaining weight again.

• Do you make yourself Sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
• Do you worry that you have lost Control over how much you eat?
• Have you recently lost more than One stone (14lbs or 6.5kgs) in a 3 month period?
•  Do you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too thin?
•  Would you say that Food dominates your life?

If you can answer 'yes' to two or more of the above questions you should talk to a doctor as you may be displaying the symptoms of disordered eating.

Hy,

First of all thank you for your advices, I'm trying to comply with, I also apologize if I'm disturbing you with this letter...hopefully I won't.

I would like to ask your advice about this article what I've read recently.

This article surprised me a lot because, it's from the New York Times, and says that (if I'm not wrong) on a sedentary day in order to maintain my actual weight (105, 6 lbs or 48 kg) I should consume about 1056 calories per day (105,6 x 10=1056) is this possible?

CALORIES FOR WEIGHT MAINTENANCE

To maintain your weight, you can use the following formula:

• 10 calories per pound of desirable body weight if you are sedentary or very obese
• 13 calories per pound of desirable body weight if your activity level is low, or if you are over age 55
• 15 calories per pound of desirable body weight if you regularly do moderate activity
• 18 calories per pound of desirable body weight if you regularly do strenuous activity (this source is from http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/speci altopic/weight-management/overview.html)

Thanks for your help in anticipation:)!

With regards,

Szaffyka

I'm in a similar situation... I'm 5 4 and weigh about 115lb, aiming for 105. I eat about 700-800 a day and usually exercise 5 times a week. I knooooow this is supposedly too few calories but I eat loads and regularly, just really healthily. I only drink skimmed milk or fat free yoghurt, do not touch bread or pasta, red meat, alcohol or any junk food.

However, I do eat a huge amount of spinach, brocolli, peppers and basically all vegetables, with a bit of tuna or a few prawns for protein. I also start every morning with low calorie, sugar free bran flakes/muesli or alpen for carbohydrate and take fibre supplements.

It really isn't hard to eat a very low calorie diet but my weight loss seems to have hit a plateau and if anyone has any tips of how to speed that along a tad..?

Thank you!!

Ally x

Original Post by ally1988:

It really isn't hard to eat a very low calorie diet but my weight loss seems to have hit a plateau and if anyone has any tips of how to speed that along a tad..?

Eat more.... There's no 'supposedly' about the fact that 700-800 calories is too low, it really is too low and not a healthy diet at all.  Just because you eat vegetables and yoghurt doesn't make it healthy.  You can starve on 800 cals of vegetables and skimmed milk or starve on 800 cals junk food... it's still starving whether you want to accept that or not.  If you're aiming for 105lbs at 5'4" you're also trying to be clinically underweight - why do you deliberately want to be sick?

If you've stopped losing weight is because you're already very thin, malnourished and you're over-exercising.  You've crashed your metabolism into the dirt because your poor body is desperately trying to hang on to every ounce of energy it has.  Your muscles will be wasting away and if you still have regular periods, that's a minor miracle.   Do see a doctor... you're exhibiting a lot of behaviour patterns of disordered eating.

CC does not support, endorse or encourage dangerous and unhealthy lifestyles, behaviours and eating patterns

To be honest I find it hard to eat as many calories as I am at the moment. I eat 3 large meals a day with plenty of fruit in between and my weight is low because I have quite a small frame. I have plenty of fat left to lose and this is not coming from the deluded mind of a foolish anorexic, I am eating large regular meals and have the energy to exercise almost daily whilst doing a degree. The thing is, I would just rather be very thin than curvy; it is acceptable for people to over-eat so they are fat and if they are happy with that people support it, why should eating a controlled diet with the aim of being thin be any different? They are just two differing conceptions of beauty, it does not mean I have an eating disorder.

However, if you think my metabolism has crashed do you have any ideas of how to speed it up again? Coffee, diet pills perhaps? I don't think I can eat any more than I am.

Sorry if this sounds a little strange, I can assure you I eat a hell of a lot it just happens to all be plant based!

x

Original Post by ally1988:

To be honest I find it hard to eat as many calories as I am at the moment. I eat 3 large meals a day with plenty of fruit in between and my weight is low because I have quite a small frame. I have plenty of fat left to lose and this is not coming from the deluded mind of a foolish anorexic, I am eating large regular meals and have the energy to exercise almost daily whilst doing a degree. The thing is, I would just rather be very thin than curvy; it is acceptable for people to over-eat so they are fat and if they are happy with that people support it, why should eating a controlled diet with the aim of being thin be any different? They are just two differing conceptions of beauty, it does not mean I have an eating disorder.

However, if you think my metabolism has crashed do you have any ideas of how to speed it up again? Coffee, diet pills perhaps? I don't think I can eat any more than I am.

Sorry if this sounds a little strange, I can assure you I eat a hell of a lot it just happens to all be plant based!

x

 Actually, it could very well mean that you have an eating disorder.  People who are willing to hurt their bodies and knowingly under-eat to lose weight are on a very short path to disordered eating. 

Furthermore, you and you alone can ultimately decide to do whatever you want to lose weight, but you are not allowed to post it on here if it breaks regulation and if you are not actively trying to raise it to a healthy level.  I will state again.  If you are willingly and knowingly undereating for weightloss purposes and are not actively trying to improve on this, Calorie Count cannot and will not support you in your efforts.

Now, if you are under-eating simply because you feel too full to eat your required 1200 calories, there are some things that I can suggest.  Try cooking your veggies in a few tbsp of olive oil.  This is a good fat and packs alot of calories into it as well.  Nuts are another good source of fat and protein and are not very filling.  Avocados are another one.  Put some avocados in your salad or make it into guacamole.  If you eat dairy such as yogurt and cottage cheese, get the fuller fat version instead of the lowfat kind.  There are so many things that you can eat to make sure that you your needed calories without making you feel overly full.

~Sincerely, Michelle - Volunteer Moderator

Fair enough, I'm not trying to starve myself in the slightest I just didn't realise eating so few calories was a problem if I don't feel I need them and am eating regular large meals.

I'll keep the avocados in mind.

That formula won't work for anyone as thin as you are.  It's meant for people who are actually overweight.

You need to stop trying to lose and concentrate on being healthy.  If you have an unreasonable fear of gaining a few pounds, which you could stand to do, then get professional help from an eating disorder specialist.

Original Post by ally1988:

I have plenty of fat left to lose and this is not coming from the deluded mind of a foolish anorexic

 As someone recovering from an ED, I'm actually too offended by this to point out the irony of it.