I don’t know that the numbers are necessarily true, though. Not Lynn’s numbers, but the BMR calculator.
I’m between 5’1" and 5’2", and weigh about 115. I am not underweight, let alone* dangerously skinny*. And my Sparkpeople entries show that, on days when I don’t exercise, it’s not unusual for me to top out at 1000 calories. I think the estimates for what a person needs on the online calculators are way too generous. I remember basically having to tell Sparkpeople that I was bedbound in order for them to estimate my caloric needs at a place where I could lose weight (when I was heavier and needed to lose weight).
Now, the question of sustainable is different. The only times I have sustained anything in the hundreds for daily calories over a long period of time, I was dangerously skinny.
Excuse you! Scummy and I are in love now. See, that’s why he was acting the way he was toward me before- sort of like a little kid on the playground punching another in the arm because they are in love. And I made him take down his Myspace because I couldn’t dare see the sight of him and his horrible, blonde ex. I did keep the pictures of him playing with his ninja swords though. . . for me.
I’m still overweight, just not nearly as overweight as I used to be. I have an extremely efficient metabolism, that is, I don’t need many calories. And I do mean that my daily intake is under 1000 KCal a day…I have measured and weighed my food so often that I am very accurate at eyeballing my foods, and of course if I eat or drink a prepackaged meal it has the calorie count on it.
Thanks Lynn, that does clear up some questions I had. Have you considered taking thyroid treatments? Those might be able to let you eat more. Also, your mobility is a bit limited, right? So I could see you also having a lower BMR than most, meaning your daily caloric needs are lower too.
I misunderstood Lynn’s post as saying that she’d been eating 1000 calories/day for a really long time, and not as part of a recent weight-loss effort. Makes more sense now. I agree with lorene that the BMR calculators are only a ballpark estimate, too, although I believe that 1000 calories per day is not enough for most people. (Obviously outside people who are intentionally losing weight.) lorene, you don’t weigh 85 pounds but you are still a small, petite person.
Sounds like your experience has been pretty similar to my mom’s friend. She has the added benefit of not currently being on steroids (which is only going to make the situation worse), but her body really, truly does run on far fewer calories than most people would ever believe.
And she receives treatment for the hypothyroidism, but it’s really difficult to get those hormones just right.
I think you mean you have an inefficient metabolism.
If you aren’t moving around much and are eating healthy, 1000 calories a day for a short person with hypothyroidism makes sense. Have you tried medication for it though?
I do take a thyroid supplement, but this is complicated because my insurance company constantly changes its mind as to which supplement it will pay for THIS month. It’s also complicated because if I take as much as I should, then my heart goes into overdrive. I have heart problems, so this isn’t a good thing. So my doctor and I are trying to find the dosage which is effective, but doesn’t make my heart go wild.
Eh, my doctor won’t go along with my Master Plan. Some years ago, I told him to just remove my brain, put it in a jar with nutrient input and waste output, put in direct access to a computer, and hook up to the internet. He seems to think this is unrealistic. I call it being practical.
Similarly, when my dentist told me that I’d need to have all my upper teeth removed, I wanted an upper plate with fangs. NOOOOOO!!! he said. Not vampire fangs, I said, just kittycat fangs. My cats are SO happy with their fangs that I’m convinced that fangs are the way to go, and all the really cool critters will have fangs in the future. However, I have a boring upper plate now, it has no fangs at all.
