Forums / Diet and Nutrition

About very low calorie counts

Olivine posted on: 3/11/10
I noticed some discussion in a group about how some people are recording 500 or 600 calorie days in their nutrition journals and thought others might have some input on the subject.

This is something I've spoken about with my doctor, since I find it tough to get in enough calories to be full and healthy when I'm not eating junk. What I was told is that if you're hoping to lose weight on a low calorie count your metabolism will just slow down to match your intake unless you're eating under 300 calories per day, and no one can or should ever try to get by on that.

However, he also said that since I'm short (4'11) and small-framed, I can eat a little less than the average woman. I often have days where I'm full on 800 or 900 calories, though I usually make up for it over the next few days. Also, I think people might forget to finish recording all their food for the day sometimes. My calorie count for yesterday was 400 until I finished it just now and brought it to a normal level. That might be part of the reason for seeing such low numbers.

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dsbride replied on: 3/12/10
What you said about forgetting to record the rest of the calorie count is very true at least in my case. When I fill this out during the day, I put down what I plan to eat. As the day progresses, I correct whatever I actually do but by the end of the day, I might not go on the computer to put the final corrections in. The next day, I just start over and forget about the day before.

I basically use it as a guide to make sure that I am not eating too much but if has been working for me.
lindaminer replied on: 3/12/10
One chocolate chip cookie can have 100 calories but so does 7 cups of spinach. However, there is absolutely no comparison in the nutrient value of these 2 foods. I would rather see people focus on the nutrient value of food than the caloric value.

I challenge anyone to consistently eat 1,000 calories a day of just vegetables and not lose weight. You would be so full and so energized, it would be amazing (I should try this myself and see if I can do it - I think it would be hard to reach 1000 in just veggies)

However, consistently eating 1,000 calories a day in cookies would have disastrous results.