Does too few calories really slow weight loss? (reposted from Chat)

[apurpleglow]

I don't feel hungry but.....MyfitnessPal tells me I need to eat more some days.
If you can be bothered to read here is today's food.

Nearly half a pint skimmed milk in tea/coffees
2 bananas
Bowl strawberries
Salad of leaves, celery, cucumber, olives, cherry tomatoes, with light honey/mustard dressing
2 slices baguette plus spread
2 egg omelette made with smoked salmon trimmings
Small bag skips (poor choice I know)
1 square dark chocolate

Comes in at just under 1000 calories. According to my weight/goals I need 1200 calories a day.

Can I ignore this or does it really make weight loss less effective?

(I may yet have another square of chocolate!)

You can ignore it unless you are a 6fr teenager, who runs marathons.

I'm 5'2 and put on weight at 1200 calories a day.

Starvation mode is a thing, but it is seen in people who are in internment camps, or famine affected countries, places like that.

Or in people with severe anorexia I suppose.

unless you are a 6fr teenager, who runs marathons.

Nope!

So ok to ignore.

800 cal a day for several weeks is actually now recommended for the morbidly super obese.
the theory of starvation mode has been disproven multiple times.

If you're using mfp, it's pretty personalised so ignore the 6' teenager comment.

Btw mfp won't allow under 1200 calories per day, no matter now petite and inactive you are. I think their attitude leaNs towards needing more individual attention if this is an appropriate intake for you.

No, as the OP says, MFP won't approve anything below 1200 calories.

Which is ridiculous if you are short, older, and pretty sedentary.

Oh that's interesting. So I could manage on less (what I'm eating seems fairly substantial) but it needs to be done safely.

Today I've been working at laptop all day (and on MN all night) so probably fine on lower calories. I've barely moved.

a huge part of your metabolism is how your body processes food. so make sure the food you eat needs processing; chew your fruits don't blend them, eat food with fiber, meat and veg etc.
walking helps

MFP only disallows less than 1200 total calories.
It does allow less than 1200 net calories.

If you make a big deficit in calories you will lose quicker. But it might be muscles rather than just fat unless you exercise as well and it is not recommended to be too low for too long. Too hard to fit in the correct nutrients in a very low cal diet.

That said I have been eating very low for a couple of months but under medical supervision which is fine.

u shouldnt need to eat lower than your bmr to keep losing weight which is probably somewhere between 1400 -1900 depending on your size. bananas and the baguette are just sugar so you would be able to eat more calories and more food if you just swapped those for real food like a protein or sweet potato / lentils/ green veg