What is considered too few calories

[kirinm]

I’ve finally managed to stick to reducing my food consumption for more than a day and am seeing some good results. It’s early days and so I’m sure some of it is water weight but it is motivating me to keep going which is what I need.

I’m not exactly calorie counting - I’ve got a rough idea but don’t particularly want to weigh things and do the maths - but also don’t want to be eating too little.

I am 5ft6 and weigh 15 stone so fall into the obese category. Is 1200 calories too little or can I get away with that level for a while?

I’m also doing 800 calories a day (6 weeks in) and have gone from 100kg at 5 ft 1, to 86 kg. I’ll do 800 for another 6 weeks then up it a bit, although I genuinely have no idea how to work out what I should be tapering it towards. Does slowly going from 800 a day to whatever my TDEE is in 6 weeks minus 500 sound reasonable?

What’s the reason you want to increase the calories towards TDEE-500? Not saying you should be on 800 calories forever at all btw - but I’d really base it on how you’re feeling and your progress. As it is pretty low I’d definitely recommend at least a week’s diet break before going again. Then if you are at your target weight/ BMI/ body composition by then you could bring the calories up, ideally to maintenance. There’s been a few mentions of TDEE in this thread but I’d say the main thing that most people get wrong with this is that it’s not fixed and changes from day to day. There are a few online calculators around to estimate it but do treat it as this - an estimate. Then adjust based on how you feel, what happens with your weight and so on. Worth bearing in mind that your weight may increase by a few kilos when you go back to maintenance and this is unlikely to be fat - glycogen and water stores mainly as you increase your calories (this is a good thing and necessary).

You will have weeks where you lose more than expected, weeks where you stay the same and weeks where you gain, it’s just the way it works. It’s affected by hormones, illness, too little sleep, too little water, more exercise than usual, less exercise than usual, hotter weather making you retain water…..the list goes on. I’ve attached the spreadsheet I used to track my weight when I was actively losing. As you’ll see it was not a straight one, lots of zig-zagging about.

Op, I've been in peri for about 6yrs and on HRT for 3. Am also 48.

I am also on a diet rn. I dont weigh myself, I do it on how my clothes look and feel.

You lose weight by tracking consistently. Every single morsel.

It is absolutely possible as long as you track, stay in a deficit and don't count exercise calories.