can you get fat from not eating enough?

Question

i have way cut my calories but i am not losing weight. i haven't GAINED in a while but how come I haven't LOST if I have reduced my calories so much? I figured I got "fat" from eating too much. Now I hardly eat and I am not getting skinny.

Answer 1

Dieting, especially crash-dieting, makes you fat. When you suddenly drastically reduce your calorie intake your body thinks there's a famine out there and starts to store up your fat cells in preparation for "hard times".
The best way to get slimmer is to change your eating habits and only eat healthier things (not necessarily eat less) and take regular exercise.
Also learn to trust your instincts and eat what you feel like eating. The reason why pregnant women have 'cravings' for instance is because their bodies are telling them that they need certain nutrients. So if, for instance, you feel like eating cheese or chips, eat them. Then stop when you are full. Then you won't want them any more. If you deprive yourself of food you will only crave it more. Next time you are hungry you may feel like a yummy green salad with oily fish, followed by a fruit salad. Just stop stressing about food. Give it a try.

Answer 2

You didn't say how much you cut your calories, what your diet plan is, or if you are exercising.

If you stop eating you will find at first after you stop eating, you'll gain weight, as your fat cells will fill up with water (bloating).

After about three days you'll notice a weight loss, but that is temporary, as soon as you eat you'll be right back where you started. Your body hoarding every calorie and taking it to the source (the food hungry fat cells).

It works much better to intake at least 1200-1500 calories a day, in six or more small meals and snacks spread out about every three hours to keep your metabolism up, and not mess with your blood sugar. If you try to starve yourself, or not eat often enough, your body will rebel, you will get headaches, muscle aches, intestinal distress... you'll feel deprived ... then you'll eat more and end up worse than you started.

I don't have a source for this right now, but have read several articles in many sources online and in magazines and the news about this.

Answer 3

Yes, you CAN gain weight from not eatting enough. The best method to losing weight is many SMALL meals throughout the day, and a meal doesn't mean 3 courses...it could be a bottle of water and a peach. If you do not provide your body with enough calories, it will find itself storing the calories you DO give it, because it is making sure you have something for later when "the food runs out" (or at least thats what your body thinks) if you feed it small amounts throughout the day, your body finds no reason to store the energy as fat, and will burn it off more readily. In addition, it also matters WHAT you eat. I don't care if you eat 3000 Calories of Carrots, or 3000 Calories of Chips, even if its 3000 Calories, the condition of your food changes how your body processes it. Eat smaller, HEALTHY portions 5-6 times a day, (AND EXCERCISE )and you will be able to watch yourself shrink

Answer 4

When you drastically cut back on your calorie intake, your body goes into starvation mode. It starts to conserve whatever calories you consume, meaning you maintain or gain weight. Your best bet is not to cut back so much,maybe only 500 calories from what you normally eat, mostly from the simple carbs (breads and pastas) and fats (butter and oils). Then exercise 5 days a week, moderately for 30 minutes a day. Eat several, smaller meals, drink lots of water, and eat lots of veggies. You'll see a difference and you won't be hungry and dizzy-which you probably are now! Good luck!

Answer 5

Ironically, yes.

Check this with your doctor:

Your body will no longer trust you and will stay in starvation mode. That means it will hold on to every single calorie it can get. Your digestion actually slows down so your small intestine can eek out every tiny bit of whatever you put in your mouth.

Eat 150 calories of protien and carb plus some roughage every 4 hours. Don't let your body down and your metabolism will go back to comparative normal. It will take awhile, but you will loose. Make sure to get your 8 glasses of water, but not the same time that you are eating. Factor in some fat too or you will get gallstones.

Answer 6

when you reduce your caloric intake, your metabolism adjusts to only burn however many calories you have cut to. when you eat a very small amount of food daily on a regular basis, that will be all the food your metabolism will be adjusted to burn, and if you eat slightly more that day, it won't burn it, and that is how you could possible gain weight, or stay at the same weight. The best way to lose weight is to SLIGHTLY reduce your calorie intake but still eat plenty of healthy foods daily, which will keep your metabolism active, and of course exercise. That's the only real way, and it's best for you. Starving yourself doesn't do as much as people tend to think. good luck!!

Answer 7

of course you can, if you do not eat enough then your metabolism slows which makes your body turn more calories into reserve (fat). The thing is to lower your calories like 70 percent of what you currently eat and spread them in five small meals a day. this way you will never feel hungry and you will speed up your metabolism.

Answer 8

yes. well..you'll retain the fat you have and you could also lose lean muscle that helps you burn calories. it's a natural defense mechanism. when you eat too few calories, your body thinks it's living in the time of a famine and will store and hold onto everything it can get for survival. your metabolism slows. you have to get that back up with eating properly and moderate activity.

Answer 9

the problem today is that everyone wants to lose weight by eating different foods its usually not that its the fact that you need to exercise and as far as getting fat by not eating, there is a point when your body has been starved that you bloat horribly, you dont gain weight but inches yah but im sure your not that underfed im talking 3rd world country homeless children skinny

Answer 10

You need a little exercise also to lose weight, don't expect it to be just cutting calories or carbs.