Low calorie intake. Is it always bad?

[HurdyGurdy19]

Sorry - this turned out quite long (and probably a bit needy)

I am in my "happy time of year", i.e. salad season.

I love salads, and had one for lunch and one for dinner yesterday. I never eat breakfast, other than occasionally a banana or some porridge, but not before 11am.

I am on a weight loss mission, with a lot to lose, and have set myself a daily calorie limit of 1,500.

In each salad yesterday, I had salad leaves, baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion, celery and some coleslaw. With lunch I had some chicken, and with dinner I had half a can of tuna in spring water. I don't usually have dressings on salads.

I also had a strawberry Solero in the evening, but all in, my calorie intake was 674. I had 9.9 servings of the 5 a day, so eating healthily.

I would happily have the same sort of food intake all the time, but I keep seeing articles (well, headlines, as I don't tend to read them) about the dangers of low calorie eating.

I feel I'm getting plenty of vitamins etc from the salads, and protein from the chicken/eggs/tuna/feta etc that I add to the salad. Is there a reason I should take in more calories?

Here's my thoughts...
Instead of thinking about how many calories you are consuming, think about how you feel and the changes you are seeing.

If you are tired, irritable, starving, weak, struggling to focus. This is a sign you need to eat more.

If you are losing more than 1kg per week, consider having more calories ,as rapid weight loss puts your body under a lot of stress.

If you feel good and are losing weight at a sensible rate. Keep going.

🤷

Calories is a very small part of it, its completely safe to eat say 800 calories a day but only if your getting all the nutrients and vitamins you need. I wouldn't be able to do this with food alone but if your using some kind of meal replacement absolutely as it will have the right stuff in it

Same here, I’m short and 57, to lose a few pounds I go to eating 800-1000 cals. Maintaining I do around 1500 but I run and do regular gym work. Thick shiny hair etc very healthy

If you have lot to lose you need to aim for more calories.
1500 I what someone 8st would be eating
If you are prone to overeating this would be very hard to stick to. I would be bingeing by day 3.

If you've got 6 stone to lose, and you have energy and are eating foods that you enjoy, I would continue as you are OP.

Perhaps smash off 3 or 4 stone and then tweak your diet to something more sustainable and nutritious.

What were you eating pre summer diet? How long have you been doing the summer diet?

* would happily have the same sort of food intake all the time,*

I ask this gently and genuinely but if that’s the case, why are you 6 stone overweight?

How lovely for you. Are you 6 stone overweight?

I would up the protein element - more chicken, whole can of tuna etc. Then some beans or chickpeas, and some avocado and olive oil for healthy fats. That will increase the calories to something more sustainable, but also give you good nutrients, it's not like you'll be chowing down on crisps and biscuits.

Honestly - because prior to this light bulb moment, my diet was awful. I'd tell myself I was eating healthily, because evening meals were always around 500 calories, and we eat a wide variety of vegetables.

Of course I'd "forget" all the very unhealthy snacking between meals, and the times when the meals weren't so healthy 🙄 where the cheese would be generously added to the buttery mashed potato that topped the shepherds pie, or scattered thickly across the pasta bake, which was served with very buttery home made garlic bread, etc etc

I have a very sedentary lifestyle, and now that, since the pandemic, I work from home all the time, there isn't the 40 minute walk or 25 minute cycle to and from work any more (knackered knee put paid to cycling). The weight has crept on slowly, and I've just been ignoring it.

I know where I went wrong and I can only blame myself.

This thread has been a bit of an eye opener, and really helpful.

Well 1500 (1547 to be precise) is my maintenance so I dont consider that low calorie

How lovely for you. Are you 6 stone overweight?

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has replied. I'm on my phone, so can't name individually, but I have read all your replies with interest. I've got some very good, helpful advice, for which I am very grateful.

I will definitely be changing what I'm eating - I've been salad-ing for about four weeks now (e.g. tuna nicoise, Santorini salad copied from Bill's restaurant) chicken feta and strawberry salad, as well as the ones I outlined in my first post) and wondered if I was doing more harm than good, as I wasn't seeing much change in my weight.

But from reading your replies, I can see that I've not really been looking at the bigger picture, just thinking that all that salad veg must be doing me good 🤣.

Changes coming. And again, thank you all for taking the time to respond.

Used to be double that, but whats the relevance.

OP asked if it was low calorie. Its not particularly

Another poster has already posted my strategy which was eat at your target weight's maintanence.

I also ate much lower than that and the Newcastle diet will also advise that for morbidly obese patients with type 2. My partner did it and put his diabetes into remission.

Eating at your target weight maintenance is very low calorie and absolutely not advised. You need to fuel your body properly to minimise loss of muscle and all the other health issues. If you advocate a starvation diet that's fine for you but you shouldn't be advising others to do the same.

Well, truthfully, I was focusing more on the health benefits of loads of vegetables and congratulating myself for swerving the unhealthy snacking I was prone to.

It was only when I input my food for the day yesterday, to the app (only just started using it, and kept forgetting it was there) that I realised that the calorie count wasn't very high.

But thanks to the excellent replies I've had on the thread, I will make some big changes, which will increase the calories and protein intake.

Its not low calorie, I dont know where you're getting this from. Those who lose very vast quantities of weight will lose muscle mass, you can only protect that to some degree. Im far far far healthier on all markers losing the weight and eating within my range and have been throughout my loss.

I also havent advised anything.

.

OP, if you’ve historically had trouble remembering or registering all the things you eat in a day (the reason for your weight gain) and you think you feel full and satisfied on a day of 650 ish calories, can I suggest it might benefit you to weigh all your food and keep a food diary for a little while? It sounds like you already have an app for this. 1500 kcal is a very normal suggestion for sustainable weight loss for women. As you are very overweight, your daily caloric needs will actually be higher than someone with a similar activity level but a lower weight - because you have to carry that weight around with you all day and keep blood pumping etc to your whole larger body. As you lose weight, you should also aim to increase activity levels. Probably 1500 kcal will leave you with a manageable daily deficit of 300-500kcal that you can sustain for as long as you need to eat to get to a healthy weight. It is true that some women need fewer calories than others. Age and muscle mass are factors. But the part where many people actually slip up is underestimating their portion sizes - like mentally calculating their cheese sandwich should be 300kcal but it’s actually on thicker bread or has more cheese than they thought and it’s really 450kcal.
I would suggest picking a very boring, sane diet to follow that makes boring, uncontroversial suggestions about levels of macros (protein, fat and carbohydrates) and a sensible calorie count to aim for (starting out with 1500kcal as a target is very sensible. It can be adjusted if need be). And then weigh your food for the first few days or weeks until you get confident in estimating your portion sizes.

The NHS has a free weight loss plan app. Might be a good place to get advice about a good target number of calories and the mix of foods to aim for. www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/

@FortyElephants no, I’ve been a couple of stones overweight before but lost it by tracking (properly, not guesstimating) fasting, and keeping to under 1000cal with a little more on a Saturday. I’ve been at BMI of 23 for over 10 years so probably in a better position to advise than someone who is overweight 🙄

How have you been doing OP?

I generally eat about 800 calories Monday - Friday. It’s fine for me. I’d gain weight if I ate over 1000.

You must be very short/already quite light then. A very low calorie diet like that isn’t great for most people.