how many calories should you eat?

This question has always been a simple one for me. I usually eat around
8-10 calories x my current bodyweight. But today at the gym, the gal who
was teaching our body power class was talking to me about achieving a low
bodyfat. She asked me about my eating and she swears I would lose faster if
I ate more. She said I can eat more, as long as it's the "right" calories -
like from lean protein and things like fresh or steamed veggies, and avoided
simple carbs. Like hello, this has been my diet for months! I feel like
eating more is so counter-intuitive. But she insisted I was shutting down
my metabolism by eating so few calories. But 1200 calories a day isn't all
that low, is it?

determined wrote:
> This question has always been a simple one for me. I usually eat around
> 8-10 calories x my current bodyweight. But today at the gym, the gal who
> was teaching our body power class was talking to me about achieving a low
> bodyfat. She asked me about my eating and she swears I would lose faster if
> I ate more. She said I can eat more, as long as it's the "right" calories -
> like from lean protein and things like fresh or steamed veggies, and avoided
> simple carbs. Like hello, this has been my diet for months! I feel like
> eating more is so counter-intuitive. But she insisted I was shutting down
> my metabolism by eating so few calories. But 1200 calories a day isn't all
> that low, is it?

>From memory, it is safe to eat 75% of you BMR calories each day. Any
less and you are in serous danger. Don't quote me on that though.

Chris

"determined" <determined@comcast.nest> wrote in message
news:LPSdndGU9vLaZNLYnZ2dnUVZ_q-dnZ2d@comcast.com...
> This question has always been a simple one for me. I usually eat
> around 8-10 calories x my current bodyweight. But today at the gym,
> the gal who was teaching our body power class was talking to me about
> achieving a low bodyfat. She asked me about my eating and she swears I
> would lose faster if I ate more. She said I can eat more, as long as
> it's the "right" calories - like from lean protein and things like
> fresh or steamed veggies, and avoided simple carbs. Like hello, this
> has been my diet for months! I feel like eating more is so
> counter-intuitive. But she insisted I was shutting down my metabolism
> by eating so few calories. But 1200 calories a day isn't all that low,
> is it?
I would ask "how do you feel". Are you cold all the time? (assuming you
don't live in like Mexico or central america or srilanka or someplace
hot). How is your energy level? If you metabolism is way slowed down
by starvation you should be able to tell by how you feel.

del

"determined" <determined@comcast.nest> wrote in message
news:LPSdndGU9vLaZNLYnZ2dnUVZ_q-dnZ2d@comcast.com...
> This question has always been a simple one for me. I usually eat around
> 8-10 calories x my current bodyweight. But today at the gym, the gal who
> was teaching our body power class was talking to me about achieving a low
> bodyfat. She asked me about my eating and she swears I would lose faster
> if I ate more. She said I can eat more, as long as it's the "right"
> calories - like from lean protein and things like fresh or steamed
> veggies, and avoided simple carbs. Like hello, this has been my diet for
> months! I feel like eating more is so counter-intuitive. But she
> insisted I was shutting down my metabolism by eating so few calories. But
> 1200 calories a day isn't all that low, is it?
>
Yes, 1200 IS low when you are exercising as much as you do.


--
Rachael

176/116/<119

www.justgiving.com/rachaelslondonmarathon

"determined" <determined@comcast.nest> wrote in message
news:LPSdndGU9vLaZNLYnZ2dnUVZ_q-dnZ2d@comcast.com...
> This question has always been a simple one for me. I usually eat around
> 8-10 calories x my current bodyweight. But today at the gym, the gal who
> was teaching our body power class was talking to me about achieving a low
> bodyfat. She asked me about my eating and she swears I would lose faster
if
> I ate more. She said I can eat more, as long as it's the "right"
calories -
> like from lean protein and things like fresh or steamed veggies, and
avoided
> simple carbs. Like hello, this has been my diet for months! I feel like
> eating more is so counter-intuitive. But she insisted I was shutting down
> my metabolism by eating so few calories. But 1200 calories a day isn't
all
> that low, is it?
>

About 20% less of your daily caloritic intake is what is right.
Always go for protein!! By eating too far under you can shut down your
metabolism. You have to have enough calorie energy to burn.

Now, if you eat too far under you still lose weight, but you
will also lose muscle and that is something you DO NOT
want to do!!! So by properly eating the correct calorie deficit
will maximise your fat burning...especially someone who works
out at a gym!

On Nov 6, 7:11 pm, "determined" <determi...@comcast.nest> wrote:
> Like hello, this has been my diet for months! I feel like
> eating more is so counter-intuitive. But she insisted I was shutting down
> my metabolism by eating so few calories. But 1200 calories a day isn't all
> that low, is it?

You should try alternating or zigzagging your calories with say an
extra 200-500 calories on weight training days and keep the calories
lighter on the cardio days. Eat/supplement with some good fats.
Guaranteed you will rev up your metabolism from its semi-starvation
mode.
A bit of reading about metabolisms/eating more to lose weight:
http://www.skwigg.com/id11.html
http://www.skwigg.com/id27.html
http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displaysection.php?sid=4



joanne

Yes, 1200 calories is too low for you right now. No doubt in my mind. It
sounds to me like the woman you talked to today has some good advice for
you.

Reading Krista on dieting and the starvation response might help you
understand what's happening:
http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=30 and on EFAs and
calorie storage: http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=33
(and her whole section on "eating").

I don't know you very well, but you do seem to be carrying some baggage from
the mass-media myths about calorie-restriction. Maybe it would be a good
idea to try to forget what you think you know about diets so far, start
fresh, and read really reputable stuff like Krista's site and the reading
that she recommends. Just give it a try -- re-learning nutrition and
fitness from scratch, but from the reputable sources, not from people who
are trying to sell you something -- even if it's just a book. Honestly,
this is good advice for us all, especially if we have body-image problems
like you've mentioned having.

ep

"determined" <determined@comcast.nest> wrote in message
news:LPSdndGU9vLaZNLYnZ2dnUVZ_q-dnZ2d@comcast.com...
> This question has always been a simple one for me. I usually eat around
> 8-10 calories x my current bodyweight. But today at the gym, the gal who
> was teaching our body power class was talking to me about achieving a low
> bodyfat. She asked me about my eating and she swears I would lose faster
> if I ate more. She said I can eat more, as long as it's the "right"
> calories - like from lean protein and things like fresh or steamed
> veggies, and avoided simple carbs. Like hello, this has been my diet for
> months! I feel like eating more is so counter-intuitive. But she
> insisted I was shutting down my metabolism by eating so few calories. But
> 1200 calories a day isn't all that low, is it?
>

"determined" <determined@comcast.nest> wrote in message
news:LPSdndGU9vLaZNLYnZ2dnUVZ_q-dnZ2d@comcast.com...
> This question has always been a simple one for me. I usually eat around
> 8-10 calories x my current bodyweight. But today at the gym, the gal who
> was teaching our body power class was talking to me about achieving a low
> bodyfat. She asked me about my eating and she swears I would lose faster
> if I ate more. She said I can eat more, as long as it's the "right"
> calories - like from lean protein and things like fresh or steamed
> veggies, and avoided simple carbs. Like hello, this has been my diet for
> months! I feel like eating more is so counter-intuitive. But she
> insisted I was shutting down my metabolism by eating so few calories. But
> 1200 calories a day isn't all that low, is it?
>

Yes. She's right.

"determined" <determined@comcast.nest> wrote in message
news:LPSdndGU9vLaZNLYnZ2dnUVZ_q-dnZ2d@comcast.com...
> This question has always been a simple one for me. I usually eat around
> 8-10 calories x my current bodyweight. But today at the gym, the gal who
> was teaching our body power class was talking to me about achieving a low
> bodyfat. She asked me about my eating and she swears I would lose faster
> if I ate more. She said I can eat more, as long as it's the "right"
> calories - like from lean protein and things like fresh or steamed
> veggies, and avoided simple carbs. Like hello, this has been my diet for
> months! I feel like eating more is so counter-intuitive. But she
> insisted I was shutting down my metabolism by eating so few calories. But
> 1200 calories a day isn't all that low, is it?
>

I'm always leary about the "gym trainers"... where is she getting her
information from? She sounds like she's all about "Starvation mode"
dieting and avoiding it. blah, blah, blah.... she could probably teach
you how to tone your hips and abs and she might even tell you that muscles
weighs more than fat.

Bottom line - eat more, exercise more in order to retain muscle mass while
losing fat. :-)