OK question....

this nurse I know told me that it's very unhealthy for a woman to go below 1200 calories a day for a long period of time. We'll, i've been dieting now, and about the higest I ever get is 800, i'm on average 700... I might have a day where i hit 1000 but that is few and far between. Anyone know if/how this hurts me? I don't purposley do that, I just eat when i'm hungry, and sometimes i'm very busy.

any help?

Yes, that will really hurt you. Anything below 800 calories is considered starvation. You need more calories. If you keep this up you're going to do some real damage to your body.

i wonder how many calories i have a day.

well isn't that just dandy...
so what would be a good snack to throw in for some calorie upping.

Ive been on my lil diet for about a month now, and for a couple weeks I swear I wasnt even getting 900 calories. I think its caught up on me though because these past 2 days I have been starving and eating everything bad for me. I need to get back on track.

Originally posted by JoJoJoJoJoJoJoJoJo
well isn't that just dandy...
so what would be a good snack to throw in for some calorie upping.
Well, let's think. You want something healthy. How about yogurt? Maybe try 2 yogurts a day, or throw some fruits and veggies in there. You have to read the amount of calories that are in the things you eat. Two years ago, I spent most of my days calculating my caloric intake. A normal day for me consisted of a few sticks of sugarfree gum, a small carton of iced tea, a little salad, and on some days I would have a few grapes or maybe a peach. I was consuming way below 800 calories and I got sick. So you have to be careful when you are paying attention to calories. It becomes obsessive. It got to the point where all I did was look at the amount of calories that were in EVERY single thing that went in my mouth. I even tried to find out how many calories were in toothpaste. Seriously, all that went through my head was numbers. And I hate math!

I'm not quite sure how many calories a day you should consume. It differs from each body type anyway. But you know that you need more than 1200, so just try to figure out how to do that. A bowl of cereal for breakfast... soup for lunch... maybe a salad, some meat and veggie pizza for dinner. You have to figure out what a good sensible meal is.

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤
Ive been on my lil diet for about a month now, and for a couple weeks I swear I wasnt even getting 900 calories. I think its caught up on me though because these past 2 days I have been starving and eating everything bad for me. I need to get back on track.
Crystal... what are we going to do with you? ;)

You see what happened? You weren't getting nearly enough calories. When you go a while not consuming enough calories, your hunger builds up and when you try to eat normally again you can go overboard and just binge or eat stuff that isn't good for you because your body is trying to make up for the period of starvation. You have to eat a fair amount of calories in healthy foods and exercise for a little bit. That way, when you go off a diet, the chance of you swerving back into the bad eating is slim [no pun intended] to none.

Originally posted by Sourbabie
Crystal... what are we going to do with you? ;)

You see what happened? You weren't getting nearly enough calories. When you go a while not consuming enough calories, your hunger builds up and when you try to eat normally again you can go overboard and just binge or eat stuff that isn't good for you because your body is trying to make up for the period of starvation. You have to eat a fair amount of calories in healthy foods and exercise for a little bit. That way, when you go off a diet, the chance of you swerving back into the bad eating is slim [no pun intended] to none.
I.. I dont know! *bawls in corner* Someone beat me with a Slim-Jim.. but I might eat it.:o

Yah.. after a few weeks of not getting enough calories I thought, wow.. my stomache system adjusted fast. Meh, or so I thought! Yah.. these past 2 days Ive been eating non-stop it seems and Ive been eating some pretty junky things! Not to mention, Ive had craving (and gave in.. :mad: ) to things I dont even like such as donuts and chocolate. I stopped though. Tomorrow Im getting back on track. :D

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤
I.. I dont know! *bawls in corner* Someone beat me with a Slim-Jim.. but I might eat it.:o
Okay, wow. Congratulations, you are the first person to make me laugh today. Damn, that was great.

Good luck getting back on track. But just don't torture yourself, okay? You don't have to lose weight if you don't want to. Losing weight is a bitch.

calories? wait! i eat those...i just don't know how many.

Originally posted by Sourbabie
Okay, wow. Congratulations, you are the first person to make me laugh today. Damn, that was great.

Good luck getting back on track. But just don't torture yourself, okay? You don't have to lose weight if you don't want to. Losing weight is a bitch.
:lol: :D


Hey, thanks! Yah, Ive always been over-weight and self-conscious about my weight, but now that Ive been eating better.. I have more confidence in myself. I know Im not going to be a size 2 or whatever, but I dont need that. I want to just feel good about myself.:)

To find your healthy weight::

BMI:

703 x current weight / height: divide by heigh again

Mine: 702 x 122/65 / 65 = 20.3

healthy = 18.5-24.9 / overweight = 25.0-29.9 / obese = 30.0+




To find out how many calories you should consume to maintain your current weight::


1. Multiply current weight (lbs) by 10
2. Factor in your activity level
multiply result by .30 (average sedentary)
.40 (active)
.50 (male/ constantly involved in sports)
3. Result is estimation to maintain current weight




hmm... this made sense when we did it in health class.... oh well, Amanda, its not always the calorie issue, you'd be better off eating healthy and exercising... you dont need to drastically cut your intake, whatever you do, just don't hurt yourself sweetie.

I thought most women were between 1500 and 2000 a day. But I don't even count my calories, so I have no clue what I get. I just eat when I get hungry.

Originally posted by Babes_Cat
To find your healthy weight::

BMI:

703 x current weight / height: divide by heigh again

Mine: 702 x 122/65 / 65 = 20.3

healthy = 18.5-24.9 / overweight = 25.0-29.9 / obese = 30.0+




To find out how many calories you should consume to maintain your current weight::


1. Multiply current weight (lbs) by 10
2. Factor in your activity level
multiply result by .30 (average sedentary)
.40 (active)
.50 (male/ constantly involved in sports)
3. Result is estimation to maintain current weight




hmm... this made sense when we did it in health class.... oh well, Amanda, its not always the calorie issue, you'd be better off eating healthy and exercising... you dont need to drastically cut your intake, whatever you do, just don't hurt yourself sweetie.

THere is an easier equation to that BMI:

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm

And yes, to have a healthy 'lifestlye' you have to eat more than 1,000 cals since you are an adult

Originally posted by Babes_Cat
To find your healthy weight::

BMI:

703 x current weight / height: divide by heigh again

Mine: 702 x 122/65 / 65 = 20.3

healthy = 18.5-24.9 / overweight = 25.0-29.9 / obese = 30.0+


21.9...guess I'm okay.

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤
:lol: :D


Hey, thanks! Yah, Ive always been over-weight and self-conscious about my weight, but now that Ive been eating better.. I have more confidence in myself. I know Im not going to be a size 2 or whatever, but I dont need that. I want to just feel good about myself.:)
Me too. I've been overweight before. Not fun.

I'm sure you'll lose the weight. But if you don't, it's okay. It's more about getting into shape than losing weight anyway.

Originally posted by Sourbabie
Me too. I've been overweight before. Not fun.

I'm sure you'll lose the weight. But if you don't, it's okay. It's more about getting into shape than losing weight anyway.
No.. not fun at all. :-/

Yah, its ok. Of course I want to be able to wear nice small clothes, but right now Im more focused on feeling good.

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤
:lol: :D


Hey, thanks! Yah, Ive always been over-weight and self-conscious about my weight, but now that Ive been eating better.. I have more confidence in myself. I know Im not going to be a size 2 or whatever, but I dont need that. I want to just feel good about myself.:)

Though if you were a size 2, you have a lot of pants to pick from. Whenever I go to Old Navy and look thru pants on sale, or shorts going into fall, etc., there are always tons of 0, 1, and 2. And no 8 or 10, what I want. What says...there are very few tiny women wandering around.

Originally posted by dawsongirl
Though if you were a size 2, you have a lot of pants to pick from. Whenever I go to Old Navy and look thru pants on sale, or shorts going into fall, etc., there are always tons of 0, 1, and 2. And no 8 or 10, what I want. What says...there are very few tiny women wandering around. :lol: True true. My God, if I ever wanted to be a size 2, Id be starving for the rest of my life! LOl. I dont mind being a little overweight, I just wish it would kinda look good ya know? I mean.. a lot of people are overweight.. but its evenly distributed throughout so they look good. As for me, my fat ass and stomache gives off a lil too much padding! My hips are also waaaaay to wide. I mean, you look at my hips, and then go to the waist and its like meangya, my pants would be so much smaller if I could just hack them off.

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤
:lol: True true. My God, if I ever wanted to be a size 2, Id be starving for the rest of my life! LOl. I dont mind being a little overweight, I just wish it would kinda look good ya know? I mean.. a lot of people are overweight.. but its evenly distributed throughout so they look good. As for me, my fat ass and stomache gives off a lil too much padding! My hips are also waaaaay to wide. I mean, you look at my hips, and then go to the waist and its like meangya, my pants would be so much smaller if I could just hack them off.

:lol: I know that feeling. Those damn little fat sacks that sit on your hips...how the hell do you get rid of those damn things?? Hell, I could probably be a 6 if it were for the sack that stayed for dinner. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Babes_Cat
To find your healthy weight::

BMI:

703 x current weight / height: divide by heigh again

Mine: 702 x 122/65 / 65 = 20.3

healthy = 18.5-24.9 / overweight = 25.0-29.9 / obese = 30.0+






Well, according to that I'm obese:(

Eating too few calories can actually slow down your metabolism and reduce weight loss. I think its something like your body starts to assume its starving and begins storing fat. I'm not positive about exactly how it works, but I've read that plenty of places before.

This site gives you the amount of calories you should intake to maintain or lower your current weight, based on your normal excercise level.

http://www.caloriescount.com/

Holy crap...From where I..well, let's just say I didn't do much, according to this, a 6' Male, Age 18 (Had to round up by 5 mos), Wt. 295 (I really let myself go), needs 3000 calories to *maintain* weight.

Avoiding Pops and FAst Food, I intake MAYBE 1500 calories a day.

And, in case you're wondering how I GOT to where I did...EXCESSIVE pop drinking. Seriously. Wer'e talking in the neightboorhood of 8+ 12 oz cans a day.

Originally posted by Seth Thrasher
And, in case you're wondering how I GOT to where I did...EXCESSIVE pop drinking. Seriously. Wer'e talking in the neightboorhood of 8+ 12 oz cans a day.

I don't even drink that much liquid a day, combining juice, pop, and water.

Maintain current weight: 1804

Lose weight: 1304


Now I suppose it would help to know what I eat. :lol:

Originally posted by JoJoJoJoJoJoJoJoJo
well isn't that just dandy...
so what would be a good snack to throw in for some calorie upping.

Protein bars! Not only are you getting the calories your body needs, but the protein it needs as well. I know what you must be thinking, "ew...protein bars." Balance has some really yummy ones (especially the mocha chip). If you go to Trader Joes, all of their protein bars are yummy in the tummy.

If protein bars aren't your thing, you could always have some nuts, or dried fruit. Soy nuts are yummy too. :)

Hey diesilover, thanks for posting that BMI wesite. And thank god I'm normal range!!! I was almost afraid to enter my stats.

Now I need to figure out my calorie needs too. :) I think I'm too lazy to count em though.

Dawsongirl, I love Old navy, but you're right about all the small sizes! (although I usually wear a smaller size there than I do other places. :D I think that's why I like it)

Originally posted by InspectorExstead
Protein bars! Not only are you getting the calories your body needs, but the protein it needs as well. I know what you must be thinking, "ew...protein bars." Balance has some really yummy ones (especially the mocha chip). If you go to Trader Joes, all of their protein bars are yummy in the tummy.

If protein bars aren't your thing, you could always have some nuts, or dried fruit. Soy nuts are yummy too. :)

I eat the Atkins ones they are low in sugar since I can't have more than 8 grams of sugar. I love them my favorite is the Smores one

I wish we had a Trader Joe's in our town!

Do you eat the Atkins Advantage bars Mandie? I've never tried them. I like the candy bar sugar free ones he has though. :)

Originally posted by Lodee

Do you eat the Atkins Advantage bars Mandie? I've never tried them. I like the candy bar sugar free ones he has though. :)

yes those are the ones the only one I didn't really like was the Almond Brownie one it was like trying to eat a brick BLECH!

Originally posted by dawsongirl
Though if you were a size 2, you have a lot of pants to pick from. Whenever I go to Old Navy and look thru pants on sale, or shorts going into fall, etc., there are always tons of 0, 1, and 2. And no 8 or 10, what I want. What says...there are very few tiny women wandering around.
oh, and see when i go shopping and look for the sale stuff..they never have my size...only larger peoples. i hate it. there are too many skinny guys. *nods*

Originally posted by Lodee
Dawsongirl, I love Old navy, but you're right about all the small sizes! (although I usually wear a smaller size there than I do other places. :D I think that's why I like it)
That is always awesome!

Originally posted by Georgia's on my Mind
oh, and see when i go shopping and look for the sale stuff..they never have my size...only larger peoples. i hate it. there are too many skinny guys. *nods*

That sucks.

Originally posted by dawsongirl
That sucks.
indeed it does.