What "low cal" is TOO low?

Question

I hear thing like people who eat under 1200 cal on diets end up messing up their metabolism. HOw exactly do they mess up their metabolism? & I know that calories consumed a day depend on each person, but is there a certain or rough guideline of how low to go, I mean there were studies done that said people live longer when they eat low cal? but then others say its bad? whats your opinion? ( by the way Im not eating this way, I just read this arcticle of how supposedly people who eat less calories a day tend to be healthier, and I mean REALLY low cal)

Answer 1

I was eating too little (under 1200), and my body went insane. I was fine for two weeks. After that, I was in pain, I was sluggish, I was starving, and no matter how much I ate, it wasn't enough to make me feel better. I started eating more, and it took three days, but I'm feeling much better.

Basically, the daily recommended calorie amount depends on your age, body type, gender, etc. But the average is 2000. People recommend 1500 if you are trying to lose weight, but anything less than that gets questioned.

Answer 2

Really, how many calories a day is dependant on many aspects of your life such as your weight, your target weight, your metabolism, whether or not you are pregnant, etc. If you read the back of any package of food there is the nutrition label and it say that the average persons diet is 1200 calories a day. My doctor once put me on a 1000 calorie a day diet and it worked. However, because I didn't eat as much as my body needed I lost entirely too much weight too quickly and started to feel weak. I would think that under 1000 calories a day would be almost too low for any normal person. I think that a person should eat at least 1400 calories unless you are a very small person. Bodies need nutrition to survive. I don't know the exact answer to this question but I do have a suggestion to finding the answer. You could ask you family doctor the next visit and most likely he would tell you. You could also go to a medical website and most likely you could find your answers there.
Good Hunting!

Answer 3

Research has shown that a subsistence diet may well lengthen your life, but would you really wish to live even longer if you were starving? That said, when you are not getting enough calories your body goes into survival mode. To the extent that women will cease to ovulate, and menstruate. You will also see a decrease in muscle mass, and eventually bone density. On the other hand eating just as many calories as you use will serve you much better. This will help you to raise your metabolic rate, and you will be able to increase your intake, to build lean muscles. You will also have better endurance, and a stronger immune system.

Answer 4

Everyone is different, but the guideline is that most women should not go below 1200 calories a day for weight loss.

It messes up the metabolism by making the body think that it's starving. So it (the metabolism) slows down and trys to conserve the fat that one is trying to lose.

Answer 5

when the calories are reduced to a level which is insufficient to support the basal metabolic rate (BMR) will slow. this is one of the most basic functions of human metabolism.

the term low calorie is rather subjective. what is low for a 200 lb man would be a caloric excess for a 150 lb man. basically if you have an excess of body fat then you are consuming too many calories for your level of daily activity/exercise

Answer 6

low cal is where you dont eat the whole day thats bad for you. but if you eat like twice a day no matter what it really is you get up to 1000 or more. cus you have to consider the meal size if any toppings your drink, etc, etc.
i mostly take water now i stop drinking soda which helps me feel a lot better.

Answer 7

i wouldn't go under 800-1000 but if you're gonna go that low you should take vitamins to make sure u're not missing out on any of ur essential minerals and vitamins. i'm sure ppl who eat low cal diets are healthier b/c you can pretty much stick to a low cal diet when you're eating food that is good for your body.

Answer 8

Too low will kill you slowly. Too much will also kill you slowly. If you want to be 130 pounds, then you should eat 1300 cals, if you want to be 125 pounds, then you should eat 1250 calories, etc. Hope this helps!

Answer 9

i'm no longer significant sufficient to categorise stuff. i think there is me, and each little thing else. Doesnt replace my process the day, if issues/beings are greater or decrease on any scales. I only attempt and be the appropriate me i'd be. something of the universe has to shield itself.

Answer 10

do you mean "sow-cal" that is southern california (durr, thats what it stands for...) San Diego is the lowest california city (thats where u get "low-cal" lowest california) but Los Angeles would be more north of it.