Can you be starving yourself without knowing it?

Question

I'm on a diet where I eat a net total of 1000 calories or less in a day.

(usually eating 1500 calories but burning at least 500 calories)

I'm 19, 5'5'', 133 lbs and am eating mostly veggies, fruit, complex carbs and chicken.

I'm never really hungry cause I drink a lot of water..I just wanna know if I'm starving myself cause I don't want my body to start storing excess fat.

How many calories should I be consuming for healthy weight loss?

Thanks a lot guys.

Answer 1

The body must have at least 900 or so calories a day just to maintain itself.  Normally for weight loss, they recommend about what you say you are eating, that is around 1200-1500 calories per day.  If you are not losing about a pound a week at the current level, then you can eat less or exercise more.  Just don't drop the calorie intake below 1000 calories per day and maintain the same exercise regimen.  To be sure you are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals, take a chewable multivitamin/mineral tablet each day.  A children's chewable will fill the bill nicely without costing an arm and leg.  Actually, for your height your weight is about perfect.  You don't actually need to lose any weight at all.  To maintain your weight, you ordinarily can eat about 2000 calories per day, with moderate exercise.  The average intake should represent the average over a week, rather than any specific day as well.  The body doesn't instantly gain weight if today you eat a bit more, and tomorrow you eat a bit less. Weight can and does vary by a few pounds from day to day- so you don't need to worry until you have shown a definite 5 pound gain.  At that point, simply reducing calories a bit each day will remove it pretty painlessly.  

Answer 2

Well you should be eating more than 1500 calories a day if you're going to be exercising, not just for health but to optimize fat loss (instead of muscle loss) by keeping your metabolism levels high.  Anyway, you're not starving yourself.  If you were, you'd feel extremely lethargic and unhealthy.  And eventually, you'd look like a POW or something.

Answer 3

It doesn't sound like your starving. starving is like in all the 3rd world countries when they have to share one rice bowl for 8 people. Now those ppl are starving. I hate when people say that they are "starving" when they are just remotely hungry. Just say your hungry not starving. Too literal.

Answer 4

Your diet is fine so long as you aren't terribly active. 1,000 calories a day is fine.

Answer 5

its possible

but i know i would feel it cause i got my gall bladder removed and when im hungry my stomach really hurts so i know when im starving

Answer 6

..O.o Ugh you dont need to lose weight muh dear. lol

Answer 7

eat

Answer 8

it dosent really matter just less but alot of time and u wont be gaining any weight

Answer 9

I always thought, although I may be wrong, that a starvation diet was 1300 calories a day

I would think from what you are saying that 1000 is not healthy, it is starvation slowly