Success on 900 calories a day?

[Scuba]

I had posted a few months ago about hip issues. I finally saw an ortho doctor who clearly explained his diagnosis to me and showed me evidence in my MRI report to explain how he came to his conclusion - osteoarthritis. His suggestion was to eliminate all exercise except his two prescribed exercises - 30 minutes of shallow water pool walking, and 30 minutes on the stationary bike, alternating days. He also suggested I lose some weight, which I agree that I need to do. He said 10 lbs would help. All of this has the goal of avoiding surgery and restoring my hip to a normal pain-free function.

Prior to my appointment, I was doing things like playing pickle ball for an hour and going for 4 mile walks or 12-15 mile bike rides. These activists were burning 300-400 calories per day. Back when I was really fit, I was doing 5+ mile hikes or swimming a mile and a half or doing intense treadmill workouts and usually burning 500-800 calories in a workout. The exercises he has me doing now are so low impact that I’m burning only 125-150 calories per day doing them.

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?

 

[skyking1]

I am on a physician supervised diet, in week two of 800 kcal a day in meal replacements. If you get into mild ketosis the urges to eat drop off and you start burning your body fat.

 

[levindb]

Most of the items you listed as your preferred workouts are leg/hip intense...
Can you do upper body workouts?
Do you have access to water where you can kayak?
Do you have access to Bikram yoga...very different than traditional or hot yoga? It can do wonders for joints do to the heat (105°) and the stretching.

 

[Scuba]

Most of the items you listed as your preferred workouts are leg/hip intense...
Can you do upper body workouts?
Do you have access to water where you can kayak?
Do you have access to Bikram yoga...very different than traditional or hot yoga? It can do wonders for joints do to the heat (105°) and the stretching.

I’m kind of a mess right now. I tripped and fell onto my shoulder two weeks ago. Was hoping it would get better on its own but it hasn’t. I have a appointment Tuesday to see about that injury. Upper body workouts of any kind are out until I can deal with this.

No kayaking nearby, but probably do have the yoga. However my doctor would not approve the yoga right now. He wants me to stick with only the two exercises he gave me for 3 months.

Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe as I improve I can incorporate these.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

There are a number of papers these days linking osteoarthritis to high uric acid levels: "High levels of uric acid are most often associated with gout, another form of arthritis. However, research published in Arthritis & Rheumatology in 2017 found that people with OA who have high uric acid levels and are not diagnosed with gout could experience a faster progression of their OA. " - http://blog.arthritis.org/osteoarthritis/high-uric-acid-impacts-oa/


You can buy test papers or a meter on Amazon to measure your uric acid levels. Normal UA levels, not too high and not too low are linked to longer mortality so there isn't much downside in trying to keep them in range.

 

[Helen]

You probably won't like my suggestion, but I started putting on weight when my hormones began to change. I switched from a pescatarian diet to a vegan diet and dropped weight. I am about to turn 65 and my BMI is 19.5.

 

[Montecfo]

I'd be surprised your BMR is that low if you have been so active. Juat a comment.

 

[Bamaman]

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

We eat a really good salad most days for lunch. We try to lay off anything white, and eat as much green stuff as needed. When we eat in moderation, we seem to do better.

 

[Amethyst]

I had a thought. Do your restrictions allow you to do housework? It burns an amazing amount of calories, depending on your weight of course, and it is a whole-body exercise.

I'm not suggesting your house isn't clean, just that you might step up your routine and be really really clean while you're in this situation. Of course you need to be able to be on your feet, which may not be right for you just now.

 

[Marita40]

You might look into Optavia. I did it for about 3 months a few years ago and dropped the 25 lbs I gained with menopause. I've been maintaining that loss since that time. I very much enjoyed the program, and you would not need to be on it for long with so little weight to lose. Plenty of information online about it. It is about 900-1000 calories/daily.

 

[Pellice]

I had a thought. Do your restrictions allow you to do housework? It burns an amazing amount of calories, depending on your weight of course, and it is a whole-body exercise.

I'm not suggesting your house isn't clean, just that you might step up your routine and be really really clean while you're in this situation. Of course you need to be able to be on your feet, which may not be right for you just now.

Oh, Amethyst, I love this thought. Not that I'm the greatest housewife, but I always feel guilty if I skip my (not too taxing) exercise for housework, like today

Scuba, maybe don't aim for a pound a week, aim for less. I once lost ten pounds aiming for only a quarter pound per week. 900 seems too low to me.

 

[harllee]

Scuba I don't know if you drink alcohol but on Jan 1 I eliminated my one glass of wine a day and since then I have lost 12 pounds without doing anything else (did not otherwise change my diet or my exercise routine). There is no way I could make it on 900 calories a day.

 

[skyking1]

once you get into ketosis it is easy enough. If you have not been there you don't know what I mean.
The bulk of my issues with the diet are now psychological, the hand to mouth syndrome of recalling my old habits that will be tough to break.
I'm physically active and work in construction, 6'1" and do not feel hunger pangs @800 calories.
When I did this last time, I came out of ketosis and right up to 1200~1500 calories of lots of veggies, fish, lean meats, not much carbs. I kept losing weight at that level but was on the treadmill 40 minutes a day x2 and going to the gym a few days a week.
I kept it off until a bad bike accident and two torn rotator cuffs with surgeries, and I got really depressed and sedate.
Lots of hard work down the piehole!

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Goodpoint to add muscle to increase metabolic rate. 900 calories not sustainable long term. Possibly you could get to an avg through alternate day fasting. Prob better and easier just to eatcextremely loe GI/ keto. Fill up on sophiaticated vegetables meat healthy fat and water. Leave behind added and stealth sugar, rice potato bread. Cabbage and cauliflower, tomatoes and eggolant, cucumbers and avocado. Broccoli etc

 

[MRG]

From my dieting past under 1200 calories is supposed to be prescribed by a physician. I'd ask for recommendation from a dietician.

 

[Aerides]

900 calories a day does not sound healthy for anyone. 1200 a day is low, and is the number floated by silly magazines for 19 year olds looking to "shred by summer" - neither is sustainable, both cause your body to work against you.

Sure, you'll lose some weight, but you will probably lose a lot of muscle and water, and that's not what you want. After two weeks you'll be cold. You'll be tired. You'll get some brain fog.

I'm not sure where you got your BMR of 1250 but even that sounds super low, unless you are already incredibly tiny. It's entirely possibly your body won't lose weight because you're eating too little! And it's probably not enough to heal well either.

 

[Chuckanut]

Before I cut down to 900 calories I would eliminate most if not all of the highly processed foods that cause an insulin spike. Insulin is fat fertilizer. Eat whole foods like the came out of the ground or off the animal with minimum processing.

One of the advantages of many ways of eating - vegetarian, low-carb, etc. is that they force you to toss the highly processed foods and eat real food.

Don't drink your calories. I try to drink mostly water. My one exception is milk, which I find satiates me very well. And my aging bones can use the calcium.

The above helped me lose 20+ pounds 207 ---> 185, and keep it off. No need to go hungry at least in my case. YMMV. We are all different.

 

[tmm99]

900 calories a day does not sound healthy for anyone.

I have to agree. It sounds like a starvation diet to me and I don't know what kind of adverse effect or long-term effect it may cause metabolically.

 

[pacergal]

I would not cut below 1000 calories per day without being under the supervision of a physician. And a visit with an Registered Dietician would also be a good idea.
When you get to that low of calories, it usually needs to be either medically prescribed meals or a good daily menu worked out by an RD to make sure you have all of your nutrients.

 

[mystang52]

I find it hard to believe you have to be limited to 900 calories just to lose weight. I'm not a dietician, but I suspect 15-1800 calories/day will lead to consistent weight loss. Personal anecdote: Many years ago, desperate to shed my 50 excess pounds, I went on a daily 900 calorie diet. I figured if I did not see quick weight loss I'd lose motivation.
Yes, the diet worked......short term. I took off the weight, and kept it off for about another year continuing to starve myself. Then, at age 27 I needed to have my gall bladder removed. One of the cause of problems in gall bladder is quick weight loss, apparently. The 50 pounds came back over the subsequent year. 900 calories/day was beyond-strict for me, making me obsessive about eating (or, not eating), and constantly worried about the scale. It took another 20 years for me to find simple portion control and exercise.

 

[Turbo29]

And it's probably not enough to heal well either.

Definitely too low for your joints (hips or shoulders) to heal well.

 

[Aerides]

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.

I think BMR is supposed to be your rate if you literally laid in bed all day. Our sleeping rate is around 50 cph. But almost anything other activity burns more than that. Just puttering around the house, most waking hours with the mildest of activity burn closer to 100 cph. Including eating!

Either way, the way to determine your calorie deficit needed to drop weight is not to look at your BMR, but your current intake. If you are eating 1800 per day, then a goal around 1300-1500 is probably your best bet (and that's still assuming low exercise since you are in recovery mode). If you haven't been tracking at all, I'd spend a week doing that first. Use an app if you like to capture all your calories, then work down from there.

And yes, better still is to convert calorie-loaded foods to lower ones, and maximize nutrient rich and high protein foods over empty calories where possible.

 

[skyking1]

OP, this is what I am doing.
https://www.optifast.com/
You could consult with the local doctor in the program to see if they can help.
100% meal replacements, fully supervised.

 

[Philliefan33]

Unless the restricted activity is only meant to be followed a week or two until you get a handle on the pain, I would talk to a different doctor. There may be other options, such as cortisone shots to tide you over until you are ready for a hip replacement. If you enjoy pickleball and hiking and all your other activities, find out what you need to do in order to enjoy them again.

DH had OS in his left hip that over a period of a few years progressed from causing occasional pain if he overdid it, to him coming home from a road trip using a cane. At that point he told the surgeon it was time to get it done, and he wishes he did his hip replacement sooner. There was little pain and he had a quick recovery. He plays pickle for two hours at a time, 4-5 times per week.

Surgery is usually not something one looks forward to, but it becomes more palatable when the alternative is a lifetime of depriving yourself of calories and activity.

 

[street]

I'm with the rest on what they have said about 900 calories per day.

That just isn't enough to stay healthy.