Success on 900 calories a day?

[Teacher Terry]

2 years ago I dropped 50lbs in 6 months by eating 1600/calories a day and getting 10k steps. One day a week I didn’t count calories to keep my body confused. I mostly drink water and 2 cups of coffee a day.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Drink more water. We need water to convert our fat into glucose and ketone bodies. I think 900 calories is too low.

I’m surprised your doc didn’t mention swimming and strengthening exercises. Swimming exercises the entire body and is really easy on the hips. And it burns tons of calories. There are a number of ways to exercise your core and legs which have virtually no impact on the hips. Plus upper body strength is too low.

900 calories is too low-and without strengthening you’ll lose muscle mass. Also, some studies have shown that too low a caloric intake slows your metabolism even further, and it may not increase when you liberalize the calories.

 

[Out of Steam]

My BMR is 1975 calories a day, and normal consumption is about 2700.

I can't relate to anything under 1500.

 

[Teacher Terry]

The year I took a water aerobic exercise class 3xs a week for a year and didn’t lose weight. I read that water lowers your body temperature which slows down your metabolism.

 

[Scuba]

Thank you all for your feedback. I agree that I need to track my current calorie consumption and go from there. I also agree that eliminating alcohol helps. I don’t eat much processed food and almost never eat fast food, but my portions are probably larger than needed to lose weight.

I’ve been to my PCP and 3 different ortho docs and none think my problem is severe enough for hip replacement surgery. The doc I’m going to now wants me to try his program, which is limiting my activity to 30 minutes of pool walking and 30 minutes of stationary bike workout on alternating days for 3 months. I’ve had one cortisone injection and it didn’t help. This doc says they can actually be damaging and he wants me to just stick with this exercise program for 3 months and see how I feel.

It’s frustrating because this is actually a lower activity level than I usually have but he says it’s necessary to cut back to prevent further injury to the joint.

I was able to maintain a good weight for several months eating 1,200-1,350 calories per day and doing intense workouts burning 350-800 calories at least 5 days/week. I was doing things like 5-8 mile hikes with 2K ft+ elevation gain, swimming laps for 60-90 minutes, and working out in the gym with a combination of cardio and strength training. I was in great shape but my net caloric intake after adjusting for exercise was definitely less than 1,000.

Then COVID happened and like many, too many months of sitting around the house wearing sweats and eating comfort food caused me to put on weight. Also our gym and pools were closed for months. I tried some YouTube workouts but they just weren’t the same. I gained about 15 lbs and then did a fitness challenge to try to get it off, and injured my hip in the process. The injury has been negatively impacting my mobility for over a year now, making it even more challenging to lose weight. Hence the idea of cutting back to 900 calories per day.

 

[NgineER]

I would also put intermittent fasting and fasting out there as an option.

My wife and I do a 16:8 version most days, and I think my wife ends up eating less, I’m not sure I do. We also throw in two 22 hour fasts. We’ve done 36 hour fasts, which are supposed to do wonders for boosting your metabolism. While on these longer fasts I think the net is a lower caloric intake even if I eat a huge meal when done.
As long as I’m active, I don’t really notice that I’m skipping meals, drinking water helps as well when you are feeling hungry. I have also been able to exercise while on the longer fasts, biking to and from work, 17 mile each way, without feeling weak.

Good luck

 

[Amethyst]

So frustrating! You are used to lots of exercise, know it's good for you, and now an injury has sidelined you. I totally empathize.

I have heard the same thing about cortisone injections being bad for the joints, long-term. I cringe when friends post on FB about their rounds of cortisone shots, when what they really need is to lose weight and take the load off their joints. In the end, they are only buying themselves a little time before the inevitable joint replacement.

It sounds like your doctor has a more conservative long-term plan for recovery. I also like the suggestions of upper-body workouts, which can burn more calories while increasing your total strength and mobility. Perhaps you should ask your doctor about that.*

Best of luck, I think you are on the right track and can beat this.

*At one time, I belonged to a gym that also did rehab for an orthopedics center next door. They had machines for people in wheelchairs and walkers, such as an "arm bicycle." I tried it once, and could get my heart rate up with it without any problem.

Thank you all for your feedback. I agree that I need to track my current calorie consumption and go from there. I also agree that eliminating alcohol helps. I don’t eat much processed food and almost never eat fast food, but my portions are probably larger than needed to lose weight.

I’ve been to my PCP and 3 different ortho docs and none think my problem is severe enough for hip replacement surgery. The doc I’m going to now wants me to try his program, which is limiting my activity to 30 minutes of pool walking and 30 minutes of stationary bike workout on alternating days for 3 months. I’ve had one cortisone injection and it didn’t help. This doc says they can actually be damaging and he wants me to just stick with this exercise program for 3 months and see how I feel.

It’s frustrating because this is actually a lower activity level than I usually have but he says it’s necessary to cut back to prevent further injury to the joint.

I was able to maintain a good weight for several months eating 1,200-1,350 calories per day and doing intense workouts burning 350-800 calories at least 5 days/week. I was doing things like 5-8 mile hikes with 2K ft+ elevation gain, swimming laps for 60-90 minutes, and working out in the gym with a combination of cardio and strength training. I was in great shape but my net caloric intake after adjusting for exercise was definitely less than 1,000.

Then COVID happened and like many, too many months of sitting around the house wearing sweats and eating comfort food caused me to put on weight. Also our gym and pools were closed for months. I tried some YouTube workouts but they just weren’t the same. I gained about 15 lbs and then did a fitness challenge to try to get it off, and injured my hip in the process. The injury has been negatively impacting my mobility for over a year now, making it even more challenging to lose weight. Hence the idea of cutting back to 900 calories per day.

 

[Montecfo]

Scuba,

Sorry you are having these challenges. I do not know that I can add much that others have not already stated.

My diet go-to is avoiding carbs and enjoying lean meat and vegetables. Alcohol can torpedo any diet so have to be careful there.

As far as activity your primary goal is to get healthy. Hard to tackle weight issues when injured. But perhaps you can find low impact activities you can tolerate, perhaps focused on your "core". I find this helpful to limit wear and tear on my own pre-op ankle.

I wish you the best!

 

[Aerides]

Personally, when calculating calories I don't give a lot of credence to the exercise side of the equation. I mean it helps, and certainly raises metabolism, but every body is so different that the true burn rates can vary wildly.

So I eat X and burn Y therefore... nah. Focus on the eating part, and reducing that perhaps a couple hundred per day, and go from there. Tracking is key to getting started. It's amazing how an extra 300 calories can creep in without us even realizing it.

 

[street]

I would also put intermittent fasting and fasting out there as an option.

My wife and I do a 16:8 version most days, and I think my wife ends up eating less, I’m not sure I do. We also throw in two 22 hour fasts. We’ve done 36 hour fasts, which are supposed to do wonders for boosting your metabolism. While on these longer fasts I think the net is a lower caloric intake even if I eat a huge meal when done.
As long as I’m active, I don’t really notice that I’m skipping meals, drinking water helps as well when you are feeling hungry. I have also been able to exercise while on the longer fasts, biking to and from work, 17 mile each way, without feeling weak.

Good luck

I really haven't been considered overweight in my life-time but intermittent fasting did so much for my over all health. It helped me stop the snacking and have a regular time to eat which was a big deal for me. I eat just about any thing and all I want when I eat. Weight has been very consistent, BP and cholesterol has been outstanding in the process.

A good option to consider.

 

[BH58]

Yes 900 is too low. If you are trying to do that, you are making your body think it is starving and it will be too hard to lose weight. You need to determine the right calorie deficit to lose weight but not make your body think it is starving. You can use a TDEE calculator. https://tdeecalculator.net/

 

[Chuckanut]

I gained about 15 lbs and then did a fitness challenge to try to get it off, and injured my hip in the process. The injury has been negatively impacting my mobility for over a year now, making it even more challenging to lose weight. Hence the idea of cutting back to 900 calories per day.

One thing I learned a while back is that getting injured in the single biggest obstacle to being in good shape. As I get older, I find I injure more easily and recovery times are far longer.

Last week I pulled a muscle in my leg. A very bad strain. When I was 40 or even in my 50s the soreness would be gone by now or very slight. Not anymore. I still have t go up stairs carefully. I imagine it will be at least three more days until the pain is gone and I can get back to an exercise routine. And go up the stairs without giving it a thought.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Personally, when calculating calories I don't give a lot of credence to the exercise side of the equation. I mean it helps, and certainly raises metabolism, but every body is so different that the true burn rates can vary wildly.

So I eat X and burn Y therefore... nah. Focus on the eating part, and reducing that perhaps a couple hundred per day, and go from there. Tracking is key to getting started. It's amazing how an extra 300 calories can creep in without us even realizing it.

"Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym" I heard that somewhere and tend to agree

 

[street]

One thing I learned a while back is that getting injured in the single biggest obstacle to being in good shape. As I get older, I find I injure more easily and recovery times are far longer.

Last week I pulled a muscle in my leg. A very bad strain. When I was 40 or even in my 50s the soreness would be gone by now or very slight. Not anymore. I still have t go up stairs carefully. I imagine it will be at least three more days until the pain is gone and I can get back to an exercise routine. And go up the stairs without giving it a thought.

I find that to be very true as well. I had a very bad ankle sprain a couple months ago and still feeling the aftermath of that injury. I find that getting back up on the horse as soon as possible is the best medicine for me. It is easier just to sit but getting up and getting active is huge for the healing part and works for me.

 

[Scuba]

Thank you all for the tips and encouragement. I had started intermittent fasting and liked it, but then got off track when I was prescribed a drug that had to be taken with food every 12 hours. I’m not on the med anymore though, so I can certainly go back to IF.

 

[Amethyst]

My problem is I hate to sit. I go back to exercising, working outside, etc. as soon as I feel better, and promptly re-injure myself.

It is easier just to sit but getting up and getting active is huge for the healing part and works for me.

 

[skyking1]

My brother is fighting that now. he has an unstable back and has worked hard all his life, and likes it. Now he has to watch everything he does and pace himself, and still he gets hurt and has to take time out. Surgeon can fix it but the recovery is 18 months, and he is 69 and wants to go to Europe for 6 months and get an apartment in the Netherlands and just do a travel about.
He is going to put off the surgery and go there, once his DW recovers from the hip surgery she had last week
It is always complicated

 

[audreyh1]

Extreme calorie restriction slows your metabolism.

6 Years after The Biggest Loser, Metabolism Is Slower and Weight Is Back Up
The work provides new insights into why it is difficult to keep off the pounds
https://www.scientificamerican.com/...r-metabolism-is-slower-and-weight-is-back-up/

 

[Turbo29]

It is easier just to sit but getting up and getting active is huge for the healing part and works for me.

I find this to be true also. For >>90% of injuries, they heal faster if activity is maintained, not necessarily 100% of pre-injury activity, but as much activity as can be tolerated.

 

[teachme]

Does anyone else have success tips on how to eat well and enjoy life eating 900 calories per day or less? I’m wondering if I should just fast on alternating days?

No, having dropped weight for competitions to make my weight class I'd say it was rarely "enjoyable" and focused on other things. Just kept busy so I thought about food less and did teas and lemon flavored waters.

You could just go all out and do "The Machinist" diet that Christian Bale did and get it done quickly.

 

[ddoorn]

I prefer Fasting

I fast routinely from Sunday night to Wednesday noon, nothing but water, tea or black coffee. Then I eat without worrying about portion control with intermittent fasting, eating only between noon and 8 pm.

My foods tend to be fairly healthy options (being extremely careful around anything with sugar or flour) but I refuse to piddle around with calorie counting or portion control…that would drive me crazy.

It’s much easier for me to take a black or white approach: eat or don’t eat.

I’ve been doing this for years successfully holding the line against weight gain, maintaining my weight between 210-220 at 6’ 2” height. I’m 65.

I have a history of morbid obesity topping the scales at 450 in my late 20’s. I’ve tried everything under the sun when it comes to food management and this really works for me. YMMV

Don

 

[KarenF]

Intermittent Fasting

Have you read the Obesity Code by Jason Fung? He advocates for Intermittent Fasting. It is not all CICO either.
As others have mentioned, insulin matters. You will burn more calories in the pool because of the water temperature as well. I think Intermittent Fasting is wonderful! I have lost 10 pounds at about half a pound a month through intermittent Fasting. I feel great, and not deprived at all.

 

[Safe Harbour]

My BMR is around 1,250. If I want to lose weight, say 1 LB per week, and I’m only going to burn 150 calories per day doing exercise, that puts my calorie consumption goal at about 900. I’m not sure how to eat that little.

Does anyone else have success tips on how to eat well and enjoy life eating 900 calories per day or less? I’m wondering if I should just fast on alternating days?

I suggest you loose 1/2 lbs per week then you can eat probably 2,000 cals a day, which is no problem. It's probably more sustainable and better for you.

 

[old medic]

900 calories is a little low. My wife's on WW at around 1200 calories, and it too is a little tough to follow.

Serria Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine... I downed 990 calories just yesterday...

 

[street]

Serria Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine... I downed 990 calories just yesterday...

A few of those barley soups would do it (990) in calories. Lol