Possibly eating too little?

[threeeggsontoast]

Just wondering how many calories people typically eat per day on WLI? I’m wondering if I need to increase mine in order to kickstart my weight loss again.

I’ve lost 1.5 stone so far but in the last month of 5mg, have really not been hungry at all. I track my calories and I’ve doing 900-1000. Noticed that my weight loss seems to have slowed down to about 0.2lb a week (I’d at least like 0.5lb to 1lb per week).

I’m not intentionally under-eating, I’m just not hungry and seem to get full quite quickly. If I push the calories up to 1100-1200, although counter intuitive, wondering if that’ll boost my weight loss?

I eat around 1500-1600 and have lost 6 and a half stone so far on 2.5mg.

I would definitely try eating more, 1000 calories isn’t enough to fuel your body effectively.

900-1000 consistently long term is too low for most people to be healthy.

1200 is usually the lowest recommended, but even then it is difficult to get your nutrients, protein, etc requirements in when it is so low.

I aim for 1400 on average, but I have a desk job and pretty sedentary activity level (trying to improve)

I would try to gradually up your calories to around at least 1200, prioritising good quality protein, veg, healthy fats. It does sound counter intuitive that it may help your weight loss, but your metabolism should adjust and you should be able to lose weight on 1200.

If you simply cannot consume that on 5mg, consider dropping a dose, or spacing out further so you average at least 1200/day over each week. It is ok if it is 900 cals one day and 1500 another (calorie cycling) as long as you hit the average over the week.

Have you calculated your TDEE?

I agree with you @threeeggsontoast and @ohbee that 1,000 calories does not sound enough.

You could try another strategy altogether....

I have not counted calories at all, and lost 5 stone.
I decided at the start that I wanted to reset my 'relationship' with food, drink, meals and portions.
ie To try and live without counting, tracking or recording what I ate. I had done all that when dieting in the past, but doing so had only led to my putting on weight whenever I stopped doing all the 'control'.
So, with the support of MJ, I have been eating modest sized meals, of healthy home cooked food. a few small glasses of wine at the weekends and basically no bread or sugar or white carbs in everyday life, just a small amount at celebrations like birthdays.
I lose roughly 1-2lb a week. Occasionally for no good reason I will lose 3 or even 4lb!

I agree with @NoTouch that if you wish to count calories, calculate your TDEE, and maybe drop down the dosage if you simply cannot eat enough.
However adding some healthy fats (eg Olive oil) to your diet will bump up your calories and also help you lose weight, without adding much in terms of quantity.
Also remember to drink lots and lots of water!

Yes, my TDEE is 1796 so around 1200-1300 for a loss. I’m going to slowly move up - going to have 1050 today and then ease up to 1200. I eat lots of good protein, drink plenty and have multi vits too. My main issue is that once I’m off WLI, I need to find a calorie level that I can comfortably maintain. Obviously 900-1000 isn’t sustainable.

Will see how I get on by pushing things up a bit!

The importance of keeping above a minimum level is that once you stay too low for too long your body starts cutting back its energy expenditure on its antinomic functions. This is why some people start losing their hair. Apart from being unpleasant, poor functioning autonomic systems will leave you tired , with poor nails, skin and hair and generally not running at the right level. This obviously means you have turned down your ‘engine’ so your metabolic rate decreases. So it’s counter productive.

There is two issues here.

no. 1. Yes 1000 is too low.
no 2. You are not eating 1000. You are eating to just below maintenance. So you’re either under estimating your cal intake over a week or over estimating your tdee.

if you’re in a deficit, then to get the energy you burn for your tdee your body burns fat or muscle, this makes your weight reduce. If your weight doesn’t reduce it means you’re backfilling it with fluid. Water retention, to the exact same amount you’re losing, and you need to see a doctor.

as a first step I’d be not eating more, you will gain. I’d be counting everything I consume for seven days, measuring everything including fats to cook, drinks etc and then dividing my seven. The simplest explanation is usually you’re simply eating to maintainance cals. Otherwise you need to visit your doctor.

One of the things I have been very careful with is to make sure I am getting enough calories a day. I make sure I have breakfast, dinner and lunch. And drinking Kefir (homemade) so my gut health is not compramised.

I have friends say they have not eaten all day, and that does not sound healthy. I think it leads to binge eating and, that it will result in rapid weight gain once people get to their desired weights, and stop Mounjaro because they have literally been starving themselves beforehand. So the moment they start to eat again, the body goes.. yummy food and starts to store energy or fat reserves.

This is only my OP ofc.. but yeah .. try to eat something three times a day. They dont have to be big, but they should be healthy meals to ensure sure you are getting enough nutrients for your body to function properly. You will still lose weight. :-)

I live on milk shakes and noodles.

Perhaps you should go back to 2.5? I’ve read that some people stay on that dose.

The tdee is interesting though isn’t it? Because for some it really works but for others it doesn’t. I’ve got Pcos and I recently discovered a pcos tdee calculator which essentially lowers you more because people with the syndrome simply need less calories to lose weight (it’s bloody annoying!). So in the past I’ve weighed and calculated every calorie but it’s not budged. Now I use the tdee which is 1100 for me I’m actually losing weight? So I wonder if anyone else has had this experience? I would love to be eating closer to 1400/1500 a day particularly for when in maintenance as I’m also worried about that but just can’t see it with the blimming Pcos!!!

The tdee is interesting though isn’t it? Because for some it really works but for others it doesn’t.

Yep, it’s interesting and I assume it’s a ‘best guess’. I know that if I ate my maintenance calories of 1700+ per day, I’d absolutely gain weight. My maintenance calories are probably closer to 1500 (maybe even a bit less) but I normally seem to lose weight most effectively at around 1000 to 1100. Every body is different.