Bom 2,161 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 I started cutting calories drastically by accident from stress and I wasn't eating properly. Right now I'm not too stressed, I've been sticking with my plan as I have lost 1 and half stone (21lbs) so far over 2 months. I currently eat 1 small snack in the morning (anything between 150-200 calories) then I eat my dinner in the evening (about 500-600 calories). So altogether I'm eating around 800-900 calories per day, I'm 5'6 and want to continue losing weight. I don't do much exercise but after my dinner I go to work for 3 hours which involves a lot of walking, lifting things, mopping and sweeping a lot, stuff like that. So I assume I'm burning a lot of this off (?) I'm 5'6 and just wanted some advice whether this is healthy and sustainable or if I should be doing some things differently. I was overweight before and am not within the higher end of the healthy weight for my height. I just don't want to damage my body with my obsession for losing weight rn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver¥Light 173 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 You need at least 1500 calories a day even on a diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ego ista 1,344 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 You need at least 1200-1500 calories depending on gender to be healthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-masayume- 3,749 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 You don't have to strictly limit yourself like you're doing now, eat about 5 smaller portions throughout the day instead. You're seriously damaging your body this way. As for workout, from the description of your job I'd say you're enough active, but if you want to tone down your body you can add some exercises that are aiming at shaping your body (you can download apps). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquence 3,783 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 Assuming you're ~55 kg(lower end of "healthy" weight) your TDEE is around 1800 kcal/day. I would recommend a maximum daily caloric deficit of 300-350 kcal/day if you really want to continue losing a bit more weight, a 1000 kcal deficit is way too unhealthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaitoh 1,457 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 Eating less is not the way to go on a diet, you should exercise more instead of eating less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JihyoStoleMyHeartAYAYAY 22,189 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 You need at least 1200-1500 calories depending on gender to be healthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abra 40,910 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 It's OK for a shorter time period as long as you get nutrients, but it's not healthy in the long run so you should increase the calories a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maeo 13,011 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 no, 800-900 calories a day is not healthy, even on a strict diet + you said you have a high-active job so it's even worse, 800-900 calories is probably malnourishment or borderline malnourishment for you also 2 meals a day? with the heavy one in the evening? and no breakfast but a snack? there's nothing healthy about it rip some advices, spoiler cause long 1. you should calculate your BMR based on your height/weight/age which is your base metabolic rate so the calories your ogranism needs just to exist, literally while doing nothing - this is what you just have to eat cause otherwise your organism wont have enough energy to perform its basic functions BUT, that's not enough since you dont just sit/lay and exist - so what you should do next is estimate your daily activities and how much calories you burn while doing them - you add that number to your BMR number and you'll get your total number of calories you should eat daily (on average) - if you eat roughly the same number your weight will stay the same, if you eat more you gain, if you eat less you loose. So, if you want to keep loosing weight in a HEALTHY way without starving yourself and being malnourished you should eat just below your total need for calories 2. now that you have your estimated number calories you should "use" it in a healthy way: - eat 4-5 smaller meals a day so it keeps your metabolism in a good form (for ex 3 proper meals and 1-2 helathy snacks) - start with a proper breakfast and then make your meals lighter and ligher, dinner should be light and around 2h before you sleep so your organism can rest at night and not digest a 600calories dinner lol - eat healthy in general - no salty, greasy or fake-sweet snacks, no highly processed food, all the basic stuff most people know tbh - honestly the best advice for healthy meals imo is that the simpler the better, when you can see what's on your plate it should be easy to decide yourself if it's healthy or not 3. if you want not to just loose weight but also have a healthier, stronger and better looking body add even some basic acitvity, like a daily walk or small run or swimming, anything - you dont need a hard gym stuff - averagely intensive cardio is enough for a daily life most importantly - just dont starve yourself, if you ever feel hungry or tired because of lack of food this means sth is not ok (also loosing weight in such a way probably will come back at you later) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bom 2,161 Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 You need at least 1500 calories a day even on a diet. 1500 just seems so much But I'll try up my calories I just don't want to get into bad snacking habits again. no, 800-900 calories a day is not healthy, even on a strict diet + you said you have a high-active job so it's even worse, 800-900 calories is probably malnourishment or borderline malnourishment for you also 2 meals a day? with the heavy one in the evening? and no breakfast but a snack? there's nothing healthy about it rip some advices, spoiler cause long 1. you should calculate your BMR based on your height/weight/age which is your base metabolic rate so the calories your ogranism needs just to exist, literally while doing nothing - this is what you just have to eat cause otherwise your organism wont have enough energy to perform its basic functions BUT, that's not enough since you dont just sit/lay and exist - so what you should do next is estimate your daily activities and how much calories you burn while doing them - you add that number to your BMR number and you'll get your total number of calories you should eat daily (on average) - if you eat roughly the same number your weight will stay the same, if you eat more you gain, if you eat less you loose. So, if you want to keep loosing weight in a HEALTHY way without starving yourself and being malnourished you should eat just below your total need for calories 2. now that you have your estimated number calories you should "use" it in a healthy way: - eat 4-5 smaller meals a day so it keeps your metabolism in a good form (for ex 3 proper meals and 1-2 helathy snacks) - start with a proper breakfast and then make your meals lighter and ligher, dinner should be light and around 2h before you sleep so your organism can rest at night and not digest a 600calories dinner lol - eat healthy in general - no salty, greasy or fake-sweet snacks, no highly processed food, all the basic stuff most people know tbh - honestly the best advice for healthy meals imo is that the simpler the better, when you can see what's on your plate it should be easy to decide yourself if it's healthy or not 3. if you want not to just loose weight but also have a healthier, stronger and better looking body add even some basic acitvity, like a daily walk or small run or swimming, anything - you dont need a hard gym stuff - averagely intensive cardio is enough for a daily life most importantly - just dont starve yourself, if you ever feel hungry or tired because of lack of food this means sth is not ok (also loosing weight in such a way probably will come back at you later) Thank you so much for a detailed and very helpful reply. Since I accidentally stopped eating much and shrunk my stomach back to it's normal size, I should have no troubles maintaining all of the above. Like I said, I really don't want to harm my body in anyway. For my main meal I usually have 1 carb, 1 protein and vegetables. So my meal is not unhealthy and I've been adding sauces to up the calories a little. It's just breakfast that is hardest for me, I really can't eat much in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maeo 13,011 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 1500 just seems so much But I'll try up my calories I just don't want to get into bad snacking habits again. Thank you so much for a detailed and very helpful reply. Since I accidentally stopped eating much and shrunk my stomach back to it's normal size, I should have no troubles maintaining all of the above. Like I said, I really don't want to harm my body in anyway. For my main meal I usually have 1 carb, 1 protein and vegetables. So my meal is not unhealthy and I've been adding sauces to up the calories a little. It's just breakfast that is hardest for me, I really can't eat much in the morning. ye i know some people have problems with eating a lot in the morning, fortunately i dont have this problem so not sure what advice give for that - i suppose you should just try eating highly energetic stuff for breakfast so even if you the amount itself is not too big the calories and energy are still there also np and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bom 2,161 Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 ye i know some people have problems with eating a lot in the morning, fortunately i dont have this problem so not sure what advice give for that - i suppose you should just try eating highly energetic stuff for breakfast so even if you the amount itself is not too big the calories and energy are still there also np and good luck! Good idea! I'll try eating something small but energetic and see how I get on! Thank you very much, I hope I can do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilsone 187 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 1500 just seems so much But I'll try up my calories I just don't want to get into bad snacking habits again. Thank you so much for a detailed and very helpful reply. Since I accidentally stopped eating much and shrunk my stomach back to it's normal size, I should have no troubles maintaining all of the above. Like I said, I really don't want to harm my body in anyway. For my main meal I usually have 1 carb, 1 protein and vegetables. So my meal is not unhealthy and I've been adding sauces to up the calories a little. It's just breakfast that is hardest for me, I really can't eat much in the morning. yea try to add a little more or just as someone said have 5 small portions (up to you how many) and try some health meals but if you think its too much then try fruits, they are high i vitamins I have the same problem with breakfast, but what seem to work for me is juice and oatmeal with fruits or nuts whatever you like to add to it. Im sorry for asking, but how much do you weight? (you dont have to answer if you dont want to) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freya 7,202 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 I've been there though not because of stress. I also tend to break myself and overeat for a day or 2 and then back on it. I ate 900 kcal yesterday even though I did my workout and had to walk a lot more. It's not great. Someone else has already told you how to figure out how many calories you need so I'll just tell you about things I'm trying out to be better? I've added high cal but good for you foods like almonds and sultanas to my diet. I also drink this breakfast smoothie called Up and Go as an midday or afternoon snack. It's 250ml, 200 kcal with about 25% of some of your daily vitamin/mineral needs...and you can get the no sugar varieties. It's snacking but good and controlled snacking so I'm getting energy along the way. I don't like eating in the mornings too but I made oatmeal today because I knew I wasn't going to eat enough otherwise (my eating patterns are similar to yours- 1 proper meal). It wasn't too bad. I still prefer just coffee though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DolphinGremlin 938 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 I'm sorry but yes it's very unhealthy. You need way more calories like around 1500. Starving yourself won't help you lose weight in the long run. Your body gets used to being calorie deficit. If you start eating normally again you will gain that weight back RAPIDLY and probably gain even more than you used to. Trust me, I've been there. There are so many healthier ways to lose weight that don't involve starving yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bom 2,161 Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 yea try to add a little more or just as someone said have 5 small portions (up to you how many) and try some health meals but if you think its too much then try fruits, they are high i vitamins I have the same problem with breakfast, but what seem to work for me is juice and oatmeal with fruits or nuts whatever you like to add to it. Im sorry for asking, but how much do you weight? (you dont have to answer if you dont want to) Thanks, I'll try adding a little more. And I'll definitely try having something for breakfast I honestly hate eating so early but if I have something tasty it'll make it easier to eat. I weight 10 stone 7 (147lbs) which is in the healthy range but ideally I'd like to be around 9 stone (126lbs) I've been there though not because of stress. I also tend to break myself and overeat for a day or 2 and then back on it. I ate 900 kcal yesterday even though I did my workout and had to walk a lot more. It's not great. Someone else has already told you how to figure out how many calories you need so I'll just tell you about things I'm trying out to be better? I've added high cal but good for you foods like almonds and sultanas to my diet. I also drink this breakfast smoothie called Up and Go as an midday or afternoon snack. It's 250ml, 200 kcal with about 25% of some of your daily vitamin/mineral needs...and you can get the no sugar varieties. It's snacking but good and controlled snacking so I'm getting energy along the way. I don't like eating in the mornings too but I made oatmeal today because I knew I wasn't going to eat enough otherwise (my eating patterns are similar to yours- 1 proper meal). It wasn't too bad. I still prefer just coffee though Thanks for your advice ~ Good and controlled snacking sounds much better to me, so I'll try out some nuts and fruit and maybe a smoothie! I'm sorry but yes it's very unhealthy. You need way more calories like around 1500. Starving yourself won't help you lose weight in the long run. Your body gets used to being calorie deficit. If you start eating normally again you will gain that weight back RAPIDLY and probably gain even more than you used to. Trust me, I've been there. There are so many healthier ways to lose weight that don't involve starving yourself. Thank you, starving myself is not my intention I've just gotten used to not feeling hungry. And I really don't want to gain the weight back +more, since it's took me long enough to start losing weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilsone 187 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 Thanks, I'll try adding a little more. And I'll definitely try having something for breakfast I honestly hate eating so early but if I have something tasty it'll make it easier to eat. I weight 10 stone 7 (147lbs) which is in the healthy range but ideally I'd like to be around 9 stone (126lbs) well thats not bad, you still keeping it in the healthy range nuts are really good to add to your diet too and herbal tea are really good if you are stressed good luck ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bom 2,161 Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 well thats not bad, you still keeping it in the healthy range nuts are really good to add to your diet too and herbal tea are really good if you are stressed good luck ^^ I've been drinking green tea every night, only once a day because I'm not keen on the taste. Thank you, I'll do my best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T R O L L A R C H 20 Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Don't consume such less calories. That won't just cause you to lose fat but muscle as well. You need gains too! Just try and lose the fat by consuming the at least the minimum amount of calories required to lose weight and eat something that lowers cholesterol but also consume some protein for gains if you actually get sore from your work since it requires as much physical movement as you're describing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
co-ups 1,389 Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Maybe you could focus more on other macros? If you cook by yourself there are various blogs with easy, simple recipes (from 10 to 15 minutes) that also show you an approximate number of protein, fibre, carbohydrates, etc. I used to starve myself because I was too lazy to cock or buy myself healthy food, also I was kind of obsessed over how hungry I was or what I could have been eating at the moment or how I wasn't losing weight at the expected rate (all while trying to study). Later I realised cooking also helps to chill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bom 2,161 Posted January 18, 2019 Author Share Posted January 18, 2019 Don't consume such less calories. That won't just cause you to lose fat but muscle as well. You need gains too! Just try and lose the fat by consuming the at least the minimum amount of calories required to lose weight and eat something that lowers cholesterol but also consume some protein for gains if you actually get sore from your work since it requires as much physical movement as you're describing. I've been getting really sore from work and I am a bit concerned I don't want to lose muscle! Thank you, I'll start eating the minimum amount ~ Maybe you could focus more on other macros? If you cook by yourself there are various blogs with easy, simple recipes (from 10 to 15 minutes) that also show you an approximate number of protein, fibre, carbohydrates, etc. I used to starve myself because I was too lazy to cock or buy myself healthy food, also I was kind of obsessed over how hungry I was or what I could have been eating at the moment or how I wasn't losing weight at the expected rate (all while trying to study). Later I realised cooking also helps to chill Thank you! I definitely will and I actually enjoy cooking so idk why I don't focus more on that and try making my meals healthier ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T R O L L A R C H 20 Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 I've been getting really sore from work and I am a bit concerned I don't want to lose muscle! Thank you, I'll start eating the minimum amount ~ Thank you! I definitely will and I actually enjoy cooking so idk why I don't focus more on that and try making my meals healthier ~ No problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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