Do I REALLY need 1200 calories a day?

Caz

Repeat Offender
I know that everyone says about if you eat under 1200 calories a day your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows down etc. but I'm wondering, is it really that essential to eat 1200 calories if you're not that hungry?

I'm amazed at how little I actually want to eat to be honest. Or maybe it's just because I'm eating more filling lower calorie foods. Today I've only eaten just over 600 calories, it'll be 700 by the time I've had to muller yoghurt in a bit. Then I'm out the door for work and not back until 11pm so I don't see me having 500 more calories! And I'm so stuffed after dinner I don't even know if I want the yoghurt.

Yesterday I only had 1100 calories, the day before 1000 and it seems to usually be 1000-1150. So the question is, do I really need to force myself up to 1200 a day if I'm really not that hungry? I'm not going to not get there if I am hungry just so that I'm under but if I'm actually not hungry I don't much see the point in eating!
 
I'm on a doctor-supervised diet of under 1000 calories per day. So far I don't appear to be suffering any side effects and I'm eating remarkably well.

I'm sure someone will be along to explain why under 1200 is a bad thing. For me, 1200+ didn't work. 600-800 a day is working for me - as you can see from my signature :)
 
It's all a case of trial and error sometimes, see how your losses go on what you're eating right now, if it's too little you'll soon know and you might have to start adding a few more calories. I find when the weather starts getting warmer like it is I don't really want to eat loads so maybe that's what it is. Good luck babe x
 
I hope people read this post before they start going "I'm on 800 calories and losing why are you all telling me to up my calories" before I actually explode from repeating myself.

1200 (consumed, not NET) is what you need as a minimum to ensure you get your nutrients and vitamins for a woman who is not sedentary (i.e. disabled) or has health issues.

The reason you don't want to go lower is because then your body will start to eat your muscle. Yes, you will lose weight on a low calorie diet. For an extreme example, an anorexic is not overweight and eats very few calories. However, they have no muscle definition. You will not be overweight but you will be "skinny fat" and it's fat that makes you unhealthy, not your BMI (provided you're not obese or with a high Body Fat percentage). Losing muscle lowers your metabolism (building muscle increases it which is why weight training is great!) so your losses will slow eventually. Moreover, losing muscle long-term can be dangerous because the heart is a muscle (which is why so many underweight / anorexics die of heart failure).

Take the slow losses rather than risking your health! If you want ways to up your calories then I'm more than happy to help you with some non-filling ways to up it :)
 
So do you honestly think that people who are disabled and/or have health issues/food allergies etc are risking their health by having to cut calories so significantly? What about people on VLCDs? How are they different to dietician balanced diets on real food?

Your vehemence has made me stop sharing my experiences on threads other than my own diary. I shouldn't have done so here.

Edited to add: your advice is useful and valid, but reading it over and over and over again is what causes me to feel like my experiences have no validity.
 
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The Moog, I'd just like to start by saying that I respect your point of view and understand where you're coming from - but Fattack is right on the ball. I did exactly what you are doing for 4 months. I lost 50lb and felt great until one day the VLCD hit me like a train. I passed out daily, became weak and I became a first rate moody cow. Unless you're clinically overweight then a VLCD will hit you at some point. That's why VLCD like CD aren't recommended by a lot of doctors, or any doctor worth their salt.
 
I know that everyone says about if you eat under 1200 calories a day your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows down etc. but I'm wondering, is it really that essential to eat 1200 calories if you're not that hungry?

I'm amazed at how little I actually want to eat to be honest. Or maybe it's just because I'm eating more filling lower calorie foods. Today I've only eaten just over 600 calories, it'll be 700 by the time I've had to muller yoghurt in a bit. Then I'm out the door for work and not back until 11pm so I don't see me having 500 more calories! And I'm so stuffed after dinner I don't even know if I want the yoghurt.

Yesterday I only had 1100 calories, the day before 1000 and it seems to usually be 1000-1150. So the question is, do I really need to force myself up to 1200 a day if I'm really not that hungry? I'm not going to not get there if I am hungry just so that I'm under but if I'm actually not hungry I don't much see the point in eating!

In reply to the original question, you won't feel hungry the first few days, or even months on 600-800 calories but is the months creep in, it'll start having a negative effect. Fattack explains it very well in her post :)
 
happyhealthy said:
The Moog, I'd just like to start by saying that I respect your point of view and understand where you're coming from - but Fattack is right on the ball. I did exactly what you are doing for 4 months. I lost 50lb and felt great until one day the VLCD hit me like a train. I passed out daily, became weak and I became a first rate moody cow. Unless you're clinically overweight then a VLCD will hit you at some point. That's why VLCD like CD aren't recommended by a lot of doctors, or any doctor worth their salt.

I can't actually believe you said that about CD. Many doctors recommend diets like CD etc because they are incredibly effective safe ways to lose weight

Being so dismissive is incredibly offensive to those of us doing VLCDs

I think my doctor would also take offence at being classed as not worth her salt :mad:

Thats not to say anyone doing CC should eat so few cals though. cc and VLCDs ate very different
 
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I can't actually believe you said that about CD. Many doctors recommend diets like CD etc because they are incredibly effective safe ways to lose weight

Being so dismissive is incredibly offensive to those of us doing VLCDs

I think my doctor would also take offence at being classed as not worth her salt :mad:

Haha, well I'm honestly sorry if I've caused offence, but from my own experience they aren't safe in the long run. I do believe I said ''Unless you're clinically overweight then a VLCD will hit you at some point.''

I don't want to cause an argument, I'm just giving my two pence :D
 
I think my GP, dietician and physio are all very happy with my progress. I'm monitored carefully and currently feel much healthier than I've done in years.

Yes, Fattack is right, but she isn't right in all cases or in all diets. I have no idea whether she's right in Caroline's case or not. I would always recommend consulting a GP anyway with lower cal intakes - often there can be underlying issues.

Not wanting to start an argument either, but I do feel like I daren't even mention what I'm going through on other threads.
 
Very interesting but the advice u gave about CD.. I don't think is true my very first CD counsellor was told by her doctor to try the diet and she was very successful with her weightloss and had the support from her doctor.

I will just say through that CD is 100% safe and one of many health diets to follow.
 
Caroline G I'd say try going lower caliore wise and see how u feel?

Are u doing exercise too ? Maybe increase your caliores on them days
But good luck with your Journey x
 
Haha, well I'm honestly sorry if I've caused offence, but from my own experience they aren't safe in the long run. I do believe I said ''Unless you're clinically overweight then a VLCD will hit you at some point.''

I don't want to cause an argument, I'm just giving my two pence :D

Im sorry but haha just because a VLCD didnt suit you doesnt mean theyre unsafe. If you have a look round this site youll see dozens and dozens and dozens of people who are very successfully losing weight healthily and happily on a VLCD

Im sorry that you had problems on it but you cant just dismiss them out of hand because of that and to say no doctor worth their salt would recommend them is absolutely outrageous
 
Im sorry but haha just because a VLCD didnt suit you doesnt mean theyre unsafe. If you have a look round this site youll see dozens and dozens and dozens of people who are very successfully losing weight healthily and happily on a VLCD

Im sorry that you had problems on it but you cant just dismiss them out of hand because of that and to say no doctor worth their salt would recommend them is absolutely outrageous

I'm going to stick to my guns and say that no doctor worth their salt would recommend the diet to someone that wasn't clinically overweight. Read any entries in the British Medical Journal and you'll see what I mean. There is no question that it works in the short term. There is no question that some people have lost lots of weight on it and maintained that - and I take my hats off to them. I'm sorry to disagree with you as it obviously has worked for some people, including yourself but it is not the safest way to lose weight. It is however the fastest, and that's why it is so attractive to many.
 
Its not even a case of a doctor being worth their salt or not. Noone is even allowed to do a VLCD unless theyre overweight and over a particular BMI :confused: So regardless of a doctor or anyone elses recommendation it just wouldnt be allowed

They also work a lot more than in the short term. Theyre every bit as effective as CC/WW or SW

Ok, let's agree to disagree. I've had bad experiences, you've had good experiences. I was just putting my point across. No ill feelings - I not someone who enjoys being part of any tension :)
 
Man alive I didn't expect to create such a kerfuffle!

Take the slow losses rather than risking your health! If you want ways to up your calories then I'm more than happy to help you with some non-filling ways to up it :)

As I've said, it's really not about trying to increase my losses. I've accepted 2lbs a week over the 3-4lbs a week I used to lose on CD and I'm happy with that. It's just genuinely not being hungry and not being able to fit that much food in! Like tonight for dinner I had a HUGE meal for 320 calories and couldn't even fit in a muller light. And I don't want to eat things which are high in calorie but not overly healthy just to bump my calories up. So if you have suggestions, that'd be great.

I lost 50lb and felt great until one day the VLCD hit me like a train. I passed out daily, became weak and I became a first rate moody cow. Unless you're clinically overweight then a VLCD will hit you at some point. That's why VLCD like CD aren't recommended by a lot of doctors, or any doctor worth their salt.

Well first of all, I am clinically overweight. Secondly, I did a VLCD and was absolutely fine with it. I think there are lots of people, clinically overweight and otherwise, who are able to cope with one just fine. But I don't think that it's right for everyone. And actually, there are a lot of doctors who do support Cambridge Diet and Lighter Life etc. and who will actually recommend them.

Caroline G I'd say try going lower caliore wise and see how u feel?

Are u doing exercise too ? Maybe increase your caliores on them days
But good luck with your Journey x


I think that's probably what's going to be best for me. I don't think I'm going to force myself just yet but just see how I go. I'm not doing huge amounts of exercise just yet. I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome though thankfully not too bad but it does mean that I get very tired and can't do too much exercise otherwise I'm wiped out for days. So I'm trying to build up, starting with 20 minutes of my workout DVD twice a week, then I'll up it to 3 in a couple of weeks and then a few weeks after that I'll start working swimming back in again. I just have to build up to things and I'll be alright. On any day that I exercise I will try and eat more, well at least to 1200.
 
Go and see your GP and request a referral for Graded Exercise Therapy. Seriously. A physio will set you up an exercise programme that you can build up without (hopefully) knocking yourself out.

I'm happy to talk you through what I've learnt about Graded Exercise if that helps, or there's a little about it in my diary from last night. ME is one of the reasons I've ended up on the diet I have.
 
Go and see your GP and request a referral for Graded Exercise Therapy. Seriously. A physio will set you up an exercise programme that you can build up without (hopefully) knocking yourself out.

I'm happy to talk you through what I've learnt about Graded Exercise if that helps, or there's a little about it in my diary from last night. ME is one of the reasons I've ended up on the diet I have.

I was actually offered this last year but I decided to go for the CBT first. It was useless! I may go back to the doctor and see them about it actually. My friend went to see a physio for it because he has CFS, much worse than mine, and he said it was just useless and patronising and really not particularly helpful which put me off a bit!
 
VLCDs like Cambridge are only medically recommended for 12 weeks at a time, and they are only recommended because the sachets are formulated to provide all your nutrients and vitamins. Eating the same number of calories as doing something like Sole Source yourself is very, very different and will result in deficiency. It's very difficult to meet all your nutrient goals under 1200 calories, unless medically supervised (The Moog has had help from a nutritionist to make sure she/he meets everything, and is doing very well).
 
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