Good Morning everyone! Hope you’re having a fabulous and beautiful day so far!
In the past, I faced an intense fear of honoring my hunger. This fear got worse as I continued along this destructive path of restriction. I was so terrified of my energy output that I neglected to nurture my body properly. I went through a fear that many people with disordered eating struggle with; calories.
* My absolute favorite tea, alongside a delicious Fall scent *
When I meet with friends, there is one topic that seems to come up, now matter how many time we discuss it. Diets, calories, and our bodies. Many times I hear that they are going on a new “diet” consisting of 1200 calories and exercise. We are frequently reminded of this idea that 1200 calories is the “magical number” of calories that will help us lose weight.
In turn, we start to believe that this (very small amount) is an amount we can live on. We can certainly survive on this low amount of calories (at least for a period of time), but it will have negative consequences.
Not only is this diet super restrictive, but it prevents our bodies from functioning normally. Restriction only leads to negative things; like a sluggish metabolism, brain “fog”, and training our bodies to “cling” onto calories.
* Afternoon snacking on a pumpkin protein cookie. Fabulous *
I’ve heard people say they gain weight on a low amount of calories, and I believe that restriction is why they initially gain weight. Many of us cling onto this low calorie belief, because we don’t truly know how many calories our bodies need in order to function.
That unknown is scary, especially for those of us (ahem, me) who don’t like to be out of control. The presence of hunger is a beautiful thing, it means our bodies are working properly. We shouldn’t respond with fear when our bodies ask for food. Hunger is meant to be honoured. With an increase in calories, feelings like anxiety and confusion are sure to follow.
* Topped the pumpkin cookie with the remaining strawberries from yesterday *
These are unpleasant emotions, but they happen to everyone when facing a fear. I also had some pretty great side effects, that outweigh the negatives. Better cognitive thinking, improved mood, and increased energy.
Since I proceeded to match my intake of calories with the proper outtake, I no longer suffer daily from intense fatigue. I still get it at a certain point in the day, but it’s no longer an all day feeling. Not only do I feel better physically, but I haven’t noticed a change in the way my clothes fit.
* Get ready for this new recipe coming soon!:) *
Some days I feel everything is “super tight”, but that is mostly due to anxiety, not changes happening in my body. It seems as if things haven’t changed too much, besides being able to eat more.
Our bodies are capable of amazing things if we just listen to them. Bodies don’t want to be “fat”, they have a “happy weight” and its silly to try and control them from their happy place, because there will be consequences.
Living a healthy lifestyle means we honor our hunger and we don’t force our bodies to suffer through things that negatively effect them.
[Source]
Our health is about nurturing our body to have energy and positive mental health to live life.
It’s simple really, the more food we fuel our bodies with, the more they want to move and provide us with energy for our active lifestyles.
Take the time to do things your body wants to do, take time for what makes you and your body happy. Live healthier and simpler.
And just say no to low calorie diets;)
Have you ever fell victim to the popular low calorie diets?
Are you good at honouring your body?
Have a great day all!
About Lisa
Yes I have! But you’re spot on! It has taken me years to get to a happy place weight wise and I still have moments of anxiety about my size but it is much nicer then starving and obsessing over food!
“Our bodies are capable of amazing things if we just listen to them. Bodies don’t want to be “fat”, they have a “happy weight” and its silly to try and control them from their happy place, because there will be consequences.” AMEN SISTA!!!! This post is awesome
Low calorie diets just aren’t worth it in the end– I mean with all the fatigue and consequences that come with them, you just feel (and eventually look) like crap! Way to tell that evil restrictive voice to SHUT UP!! You rock Lisa!!!
“Living a healthy lifestyle means we honor our hunger and we don’t force our bodies to suffer through things that negatively effect them.” Perfectly said girl.
Yes!!!! I struggled a ton with calorie counting and restricting in the past and have been working for a very long time on shifting my thinking to viewing food as fuel for my body! One of the things that helps me ensure I eat enough is that I want to have energy to be active and to live! Living a life of fatigue is just no fun! Btw: Cannot wait for that recipe….looks like something pumpkin
This resonated with me so strongly. My brain knows that I don’t eat enough calories to make my body function optimally, but my ED voice is always there telling me that increasing my intake by even a small number of calories will make me gain weight. I really admire you for being smart and nourishing yourself properly. How did you take that initial first step and up your calories? What kinds of changes did you notice immediately?
Hi Dana Marie! This isn’t Lisa, but for what it’s worth, I have a bit of experience with what you’re going through right now, and I just want to throw it out there. During my ED, I ate about 900-1500 cal. a day (with quite a bit of exercise thrown in, mind you), and maintained a weight that fell about six or seven pounds or so below what I now weigh on about 2500+ calories per day. Once your body gets used to the idea that it’s being nourished sufficiently again, there’s a good chance your weight will level out. In short, even though the ED voice (and, God, I hated that voice) tells you you’ll gain some huge/horrible amount of weight, you likely won’t gain nearly as much as you think you will. As for me, I just woke up one day and decided I was sick of being the Girl Who Obsessed Over Food, and ate a normal amount of calories (around 2500) and just tried to ignore the ED voice to the best of my ability. It sucked at first — that first instance of losing control reeeeeally sucks — but I swear that it gets exponentially easier. As for immediate changes, I honestly just remember a lot of fear mixed with relief mixed with gradual weight gain that leveled out pretty quickly (and by gradual, I mean over the course of about three weeks or so). I’m sure Lisa has a great response for you, but I couldn’t resist chiming in
Oh goodness, yes I have certainly fallen victim to the low cal restrictive diets! Throughout college it was almost like a game to me – sad but true. But then if I went over that 1200-1400 calorie range, I was totally defeated and beat myself about it. It took a longggg time to get me past that low calorie mindset. I still have moments that I catch myself thinking I “ate too much” even though my calorie intake was completely normal for the day, but thankfully those are minimal now. Dumb numbers!
I love how you said “Just say no!” Awesome!!
This is me all over. Right now I’m actually in the process of getting out of this mindset– it’s hard, but I know in time I’ll get past it
i love that ‘health is about nurturing our body’ – amen to that.
I actually do like to keep my calories in check. I don’t think 1200 is enough but I try to stick to 1500 as a goal number on most days. If I have a super active day I’ll eat more. I feel that I fit in my jeans best when I stick to that amount of calories along with some exercise. I never go to bed hungry or feel as though I’m depriving myself either. Over the summer I didn’t count calories at all and I gained a few lbs, nothing crazy but just enough to make my jeans uncomfortable. So I started to watch it again and it’s coming off. It’s a method that has been working for a while now.
I know you are trying to be helpful or just add in your opinion here, but this is simply not an okay thing to write here! 1500 is a very low number for anyone and while you may feel comfortable, you are likely starving your body to an extent. Either way, not the best thing to add on someone’s blog that is trying to feel ok increasing calories to a higher and more normal amount. Trust me, I know.
I agree with Tessa! 1500 calories , isn’t a healthy, normal amount. It’s still waaay too low, unless you need to lose weight.
Um, I have to agree with Tessa. I imagine you meant well with your comment (I don’t think you would have posted otherwise), but you do realize that you’re effectively starving your body, right? Also, considering that you eat more when you’re “super” active, I take this to mean that you think your intake is enough for a *moderately* active person? It’s not. You may not be depriving your *self*, per say, but I assure you — and anyone else on a 1500- diet — that you’re depriving your body. I realize that you didn’t ask for my opinion, but, to put it bluntly, it makes more sense to invest in a new pair of jeans that fit your body at its healthy weight than to restrict yourself to fit them. I don’t underestimate the desire to fit into clothes that “fit” a body at a lower weight, but I’ve also learned not to underestimate the danger of a desire to “watch it” again. I wish you the best, Chelsa, but I also wish the best for others reading this blog. The “best” is never ever going to mean cutting back on an already low calorie diet in order to feel more “comfortable” in some stitched together pieces of fabric that don’t give a damn whether the person wearing them is healthy or not.
I can’t stand that ‘magic’ 1200 calories a day idea. I don’t think our bodies were meant to survive on that little at all, and I think that trying to stick to such a low number for any extended period of time is what gets a lot of people into trouble to start with, and why they have a harder time maintaining a normal body weight in the long run. I definitely fell victim to the low calorie diet mentality, and it was hard as hell to abandon, but being constantly tired, moody, and afraid of good food is no way to live. Our bodies -do- need more than we imagine, and I think that learning to honor that is one of the most rewarding things.
I love this!! I never thought about “calories” until after college. I certainly fell into that trap. Now, I’m honoring my body and feeding it when it is hungry, but it is still hard to not think… oh no! I’ve overeaten. Ya know??
Ugh, the 1200 calories diet thing. Who on earth decided this was the magical weight loss number? Makes no sense whatsoever.
I’ve recently increased by calories (again) and I’ve actually noticed more fat loss than before, as well as better energy and more power in my workouts. When we’re hungry, it’s for a reason! Eating more does not necessarily equal weight gain, but eating too little certainly ends in hunger, the possibility of binge eating due to extreme hunger, and a slowed metabolism that will cause you to gain weight later anyways. Ridiculous – our bodies know what they are doing, and we need to trust them.
As always, a beautiful post Lisa.
When I was younger I tried a bunch of fad diets, but they left me tired, hungry and cranky. Most of the time I’d just binge anyway because I was so hungry! Sometimes it takes being there, to realize how stupid and unhealthy fad diets are. The only diet we should be following is a healthy one that makes us feel great and enables us to enjoy life! Great post
Our bodies aren’t stupid, we can’t con them into losing weight by restricting calories for a long period of time. They’ll just go into starvation mode and the next time you eat more the body grabs it and holds on to it like it never would before. I see food as fuel to keep me healthy and happy, and run as fast as I can! Hehe
This post is a favourite!
1200 cals is sooo low, I mean, the govt. recommends around 2000cals for women for a reason! It takes roughly that amount of food to get adequate nutrients for good health.( Obviously everybody IS different, &once you factor in exercise, that number increases) So it’s no wonder people end up undernurished, don’t feel good, & mess up how their body’s function, when they dramatically under eat.
Putting the body into starvation mode wreaks havoc with cortisol levels, thyroid function, metabolism, & SO many other things- it is not worth it to just slightly ease a disordered mind. Plus, food is pretty alright;).
I actually got really ill eating vastly more than 1200 calories. So its important to remember, even if you aren’t eating a silly low amount of food, you CAN still be really under eating for your own body ,& get unwell.
Xxx
“The unknown is scary”. Yes! I actually think that was the scariest part of getting well. The scariest part of anything, really. This post is quite lovely, Lisa. I really love how short, sweet, concise, and heartfelt your posts are!
WOW did I need to read this. Its like you were writing down exzclty the thoughts that have been going through my head over the past week. You’re so right that I LOVE the way I feel when I eat more. I’m clearer, happier, nicer, and have so much more energy! I don’ t get dizzy when I stand up or go up stairs, and can make it through a full yoga class feeling great. And though I keep thinking that I look really different when I look in the mirror, my clothes are fitting relatively the same. So why do I still find it so hard to stop counting calories, exercising to “justify” what I eat and being terrified of food some days?? Our bodies want to be healthy, not “fat” but we have no control over what healthy looks like–and we don’t need to worry about that anyway. All that matters is how we truly feel! Thanks for your beautiful words sweetheart!
Amen, sista. Well written post as usual! I do nooooot believe in low-calorie diets, either – our bodies need fuel! I honestly see girls posting about 1200 cal diets a day on social media sites and I try to explain to them that they need more than that. They usually don’t want to listen, and I blame the media! lol I’m so glad you are feeling better and more energized. That is what I love to hear!<333
I have definitely fallen victim to low calorie diets. Even in a period of recovery I have struggled with allowing myself over a certain amount of calories, even though the amount would not be considered restrictive. I think challenging ourselves to look outside calorie counting is incredibly important and a good indicator of true recovery. Sometimes I am really good at honoring my body, but its something I’m currently really struggling with.
I’ve never dieted in any form (my need to watch my weight goes in the other direction, to be perfectly honest), but 1200 seems like it would barely sustain organ function, from the very tiny bits I know about nutrition. I had a tube going into my small intestine for six weeks recently because of my malfunctioning GI tract and when I went saw a dietitian who calculated the amounts for my tube feeding, she gave a range for what my BMR might be and even at an underweight weight and a pretty short height, the basic number was almost that much…and the high end of the possible range was considerably more! And how much you burn through a day isn’t just your BMR + whatever you do in an hour at the gym…just sitting around in bed all day burns more, let alone walking around, typing, working, etc! 1200 calories just seems incredibly little — it’s really sad to think that people are holding themselves to that. I also wonder if it’s hard for them to get an adequate supply of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and such in that few calories? Starvation and malnutrition are so incredibly dangerous — there are so many ways that the body can be damaged — it just seems crazy that a such a low level would become accepted as a standard for dieting.
I definitely believe in honoring my body and eating when I’m hungry and stopping when I’m full. It’s a little more complicated right now because of my chronic illness, but this experience has just made me all the more excited for when I can get back to normal. Also, for whatever it’s worth, in addition to your body telling you when it needs food, apparently it can often tell you what you need — my doctor told me that cravings are often the body’s way of asking for a nutrient or set of nutrients. Apparently kids allowed to choose from a whole range of different foods naturally choose a healthy, balanced diet after a few days without any interference. Our bodies are amazing things.
totally agree! and i think our minds get nourished too! we are less stressed and our body kinda stays in touch with our minds, yes? The lack of calories can totally make people gain weight. Starvation mode is no bueno. Gotta remember that for sure. Our brain takes calories to function as well, good thing!
I am so proud of you, Lisa!! Freedom from calorie restriction is one of the best feelings in the world! I lived a numbers game for years, and even though it felt “okay” at the time, looking back now, I realize that it was such a debilitating and depressing existence. It makes me sad knowing that I devoted so much time and energy to silly number-counting, all while missing out on the pleasures of being young. However I realize now that my experiences are now helping me help others, which is exactly what you’re doing too. Merely by writing this post, you’re inspiring others to take a leap of faith–to let go of that deceitful control–just like you’ve done!
You’re so right–our bodies don’t want to be fat; they want to be HEALTHY! We have nothing to fear. Nothing. Only health to celebrate. <3 Love you!
Thank you for this FANTASTIC post!!!!! I totally agree with everything you said! This may sound weird, but I feel that often the less I eat, the more anxious I feel physiologically…like my BODY (as opposed to my mind) starts to panic, begging for food, as opposed to psychological anxiety. Does that make any sense? I feel when I am eating better (read: more), there can be more anxiety, yes, due to fear/weight gain/calories/carbs etc, but I am better able to deal with these emotions from a psychological perspective when my body is nourished. I am stronger both mentally AND physically. Thank you so much for writing this post <3