I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

[EnergizeMe]

So I've been on low carb for a few weeks now. I started to track my food intake delay the past week or so on fitday.com and noticed that I've been eating significantly below my normal calories burned. Even without any exercise, I'm projected to burn about 2700 calories per day while my average calories eaten is less than 1500.

I was curious if there's any problems or side-effects with this?

Thanks.

[Iapetus999]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

Yup you need more calories.
You need to eat fat to burn fat.
Just a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil or
some cheese might do the trick.

[cleochatra]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

I'm going to disagree with iap, and tell you that even Dr Atkins knew this is a lower-calorie way of eating.

I, too, eat between 900-1200 calories a day. Mr Dr has 0 issues with it, because I eat when I'm hungry,m stop when I'm satisfied, and still exercise with no problems. Some days, I eat 900 calories and burn 1200 by exercise. This is a deficit of 300 calories per day and yet I thrive and my doctor condones this. So long as you eat when you're hungry, note that some days you'll be more or less hungry than others and don't try to starve you'll be just fine.

[Isabeau]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

I think you have to be careful consistently eating too low calorically. I think it will mess up your metabolism in the long run. I do agree that with this woe, we feel full and are prone to eat less. I think that's fine but that on average you should eat above your bmr. I also think that if you consistently eat too few calories you will lose muscle mass.

[Laurenfra]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

I would ask. How are you feeling, How are you loosing? Then I would descide.

[EnergizeMe]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

Laurenfra, I'm feeling okay I guess, not really sure though. I'm often not that hungry either. I'm losing about 2 pounds/week.

I'm kinda tired of eating cheese after having eaten alot of it for 2 weeks on induction.

[cleochatra]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

If the body has to choose between fat and muscle, it'd much rather consume the fat, especially where exercise is involved. So, in the absence of exercise, the body will break down muscle for food. With exercise, the body will metabolize the fat so long as there is fat, and muscle isn't broken down. That's what I've been told. I asked my doctor these questions.

[not2late]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

As you lose weight, you will adjust your portions according to your appetite and energy needs. You shouldn't stay below your BMR consistently, because you don't want to put your body into starvation mode and you won't lose weight because your body will try to conserve what little energy it has left. Granted some of us have more excess energy reserves than others so you really can't put a time on exactly how long it will take for your body to go into starvation mode.

The other thing that can possibly happen is that your body will convert some of your fat into "brown fat". Brown fat is a high energy storage fat. Hibernating animals like bears have large reserves of this type of fat in order to keep them alive during hibernation and during times when food is scarce. For many years, it was known that newborn human babies had brown fat, but human adults did not. In recent years, radiologic imaging techniques have shown that human adults have brown fat reserves and that human adults can convert some of their regular or "white" fat to brown fat during times of stress (starvation, illness, etc.)

[EnergizeMe]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

cleochatra, that's exactly what I was afraid of.. losing muscle instead of fat.

I'm not a big fan of eating extra calories or increasing exercise though. I guess if I wanted the most benefit of already eating the low calories, I should exercise regularly to keep muscle and burn fat? Wonder if I can get away with losing muscle by just eating more calories for time being.

I'm kinda easing my way into exercising. My plan is to lose as much weight as I can without exercise and as soon as I start to stall, immediately start exercise. Unfortunately, that might not be the right approach if I've been losing muscle.

[californiacasey]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

Ok..someone clear this up please.
Jamie - You are saying that you eat way below your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which is probably around 1850. But you eat between 900-1200.
Isabeau is saying you need to eat above your BMR.

Which is the correct answer????

Don't I have to eat below my BM to lose weight? On the site I looked on for my BM, it is about 1825, and that to lose weight I should eat below 1825 and no less than 1400.

What is the correct answer here people?

[Isabeau]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

In my opinion, I think (see not2lates post) that you should be eating above your bmr on average and below your amr. Of course we will have days that we eat below and days that we may eat above. Again, in my opinion I would strive for eating above your bmr as an average over a week.

I also think that it's important to exercise. As we say around here, if you're not exercising, you're not doing Atkins. By exercise, I don't mean training for the Ironman. I mean, going for a walk everyday after dinner or whatever!

[jimmie 48]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

energizeme,
why do you want to hold off on the exercise? exercise is going to burn calories and allow you to eat more. i think you should rethink the exercise. it will help to energize you!

you want energized? exericse!

[cleochatra]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

Hey, casey!

It's just my opinion that differences in methodologies within Atkins don't have to mean there's a right way and a wrong way. I don't believe in black and white when we're talking about weight loss. There are different camps in Atkins regarding methodology. some of us believe in one golden shot. Some of us don't. Some of us believe in calorie counting on Atkins. Some of us don't. I think there is room on this WOE for many different theories and practices. I'm a relativist when it comes to Atkins and the small particulars, but I a universalist when I state that I follow the 2002 DANDR, same as everyone else. To me, the minute differences are minute, and each person has to decide for themselves what works and what doesn't within this way of eating.

Again, this is just my opinion. Agreeing to disagree doesn't weaken us. I think it just puts more options out there on the table! and I totally think this is a good thing.


Energize me-- whoa. Tell me I just didn't hear you say you want to crash diet and cut calories instead of being healthy. You have to exercise and you have to feed your body. You can't pull a skinny-Olsen-twin and expect that's healthy. You don't have to be a fan of exercise, girl. You just do it. I don't support what you're proposing. I stalled when I cut calories and didn't exercise. I messed up my metabolism when I cut calories and I stopped exercising. I fell off the wagon when I cut calories and stopped exercising. You can't do that. It's just not healthy. Not for your body or for your mind-set. You have to commit to doing this right. Crash-dieting isn't practical, it isn't healthy and it isn't Atkins.

I hope you'll reconsider.

[Bugaboo]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

I'm kinda easing my way into exercising. My plan is to lose as much weight as I can without exercise and as soon as I start to stall, immediately start exercise. Unfortunately, that might not be the right approach if I've been losing muscle.

Not only could you lose muscle but you could end up with sagging skin. As you lose that skin sometimes won't just magically snap into place. Keeping the muscles fit will give you that nice lean look instead of a saggy look.

[jimmie 48]

Re: I'm doing low calorie and didn't even know it

another thing is, i suspect because you don't want to exercise, you are depending totatlly on the scale to tell you what "size" you are. we all know around here that the scale is only part of the story. the tape measure shows much more and if you aren't exercising, you will not get the disired results you seek.