« Is My Cat Pro-Aging? | Main | The Average Weight of An Almond Is 1.2 Grams »
June 9, 2006
What Happens When I Eat 1100 Calories A Day
The last few months have been very stressful, including much eating out for work and socializing. For a little while, I felt like I had lost control of my CR, and while I was still eating well, I was eating a few too many meals out and "treats" at the Carb Castle (aka my mom's apartment, where she can live with a candy store worth of gummy bears and jujubees and not eat it, and I can't keep my hand out of the candy jar!) As always happens when I don't carefully weigh and measure (I do when I'm home, but you can't when you're out, and I was out toooooooo much!) I was going over my carefully constructed 1300 cal a day average and gaining weight, feeling awful, and genuinely worrying that I wasn't going to live to catch that bus to radical anti-aging biomedicine.
Of course MR was worried, but he tries not to be an anal controlling freak, and he's usually successful. (About my eating anyway... he's rather controlling about the recycling, but he's so good to me and so good at so many very important aspects of partnership that I'll wash he cat food cans, remove and recycle all the labels, and place them in the right bin, even though I used to throw them all out before I met MR.) He doesn't want to spend a lot of time in his radically extended lifespan missing me and wishing he could find another girl who fits him in so many bizarre ways. I don't want to deprive him of my company for all eternity, nor do I want to miss anything exciting that might happen in 80 years or so, so I wanted to get more serious.
Well, meeting my classmate who is living, bravely, honestly, courageously and powerfully with HIV was a big kick in the not-so-skinny butt to me. If this dude can live so very well with a life-threatening virus, the least I can do is take care of myself. Out of respect for him, love for MR, and most importantly, love for MYSELF! I decided to get back on the hardcore bandwagon.
So I dropped back down to 1100. Quotidian diet, lots of megamuffins, brewers yeast everywhere, no more than 1 glass of wine per night (except for that night when I got the really bad work news right after dinner and joined Luke and Christine at the local pub for a Cosmo, quoting that dude in Airplane who says, "I picked the wrong week to quit drinking!")
Right after reunion, where the food was good but not measurable and on the highish calories side, I had hit 110. My weight had been hovering around 108 for about two weeks before then. That's way up from my usual 102 - 106 fluctuation (based on time of month and how much salt I'm eating) that had been consistent for about a year and a half. Now, it is unbecoming for a woman of 110 or 108 to complain about her weight unless she is 4' 5". And it bears repeating that CR is not about weight loss -- my skinny friend Christine weighs 95 and eats gak -- she's in less than ideal health and definitely won't be extending her lifespan unless she radically changes her ways. However, gaining weight is a pretty clear indicator that you increased your calories (unless you were a marathon runner and turned abruptly into a couch potato) so I was getting nervous that my calories were skyrocketing with all the restaurant eating. I cut back to 1100 calories a day. That was Sunday.
Sunday -- 110
Monday -- 108
Tuesday -- 108
Wednesday -- forgot to weigh myself
Thursday -- 106
Friday -- 104.6
That weight loss would be way too fast if I weren't already well above my new "set point," and if I didn't know that quite a bit of it is no doubt water loss. Still, it's very fast. I upped my calories yesterday when I ate 1045 before heading out to a work event (political fundraiser cocktail reception) and had two glasses of wine and some celery, red peppers, fruit, and (yikes!) a couple of crackers with portwine cheese.) I may go back up to 1200 consistently until I level off a bit. Back in the early days of CR when Mary warned me that I was losing too fast, I was dropping at this rate for more than a few days, I regret to report. Dropping weight too fast isn't healthy, and there is no question that eating 1100 calories a day makes me drop weight.
I am not particularly active... I don't get to the gym nearly as much as I would like to. I am also very small: under 5'2" and usually 102 - 106. 110 at my highest in two years. If I drop weight that fast at 1100, I find it hard to believe that there are very many women out there who eat less yet weigh more. Hence my skepticism about Mary's reported low calorie levels, and even about Liza May's. Liza claims to eat 800 to 900 a day, but freely admits, even boasts, that she does not use a food scale. She is very, very skinny and very tall, so who knows, she may be right, but there are very few people who can guestimate food portions that well.
If you're new to CR, don't try to eat 900, 1000, or even 1100 a day unless you are 4'5". You'll just starve yourself and lose weight too fast. Figure out where you are now by doing an HONEST inventory of what you've been eating and plugging it into software. Take a look at nutrition info for fast food menus to get an idea of how much any fast food you eat may be costing you. Don't think you can guess restaurant food -- it's always higher than you think. Start by cutting your calories by 200 a day and see how you feel, and pay attention to nutrition! Get 70 g protein or more a day, mostly packed into the early part of the day. Get your calcium. Eat vegetables. Just cutting calories won't extend your life -- if it's done too fast, or without adequate nutrition, it could shorten your life.
Any amount of CRON seems to have health benefits, and I support anyone who is making an effort. We all hit hard times for our CR -- the key is to jump back on your program and find better ways to handle stress. I am not the queen of this, to be sure... I am under tons of stress right now, and I have had to return to weighing and measuring everything to keep my diet and nutrition from going to hell. But my scale is my friend, my partner is supportive (and helps me relax in healthier, calorie-free ways!) and the rest of the world won't be any better off is I'm feeling bad and aging faster. The support of my bloggiefriends is a constant help.
In the end, I think it comes down to self-respect. When you feed your body what it needs, but no more, you're showing that you respect yourself and value your own life. When you don't, you're telling yourself that you're not worth the effort, that other priorities (work, family, friends, etc.) matter more than your own health and life. It's hard, especially for the women among us, to take a stand for ourselves. But our lives depend on it.
[BTW: comments are back! One of our Mprize computer genius volunteers hacked it somehow to get rid of the 20,000 spam comments that had appeared. Thor, you're our hero!]
Posted by april at June 9, 2006 9:38 AM
Comments
Dear April,
I very much enjoy reading your blog. Indeed it's most inspirational! I am fairly new to the world of CRON, although I''ve been probably following such an eating scheme without realising it! However, while I generally track what I've eaten and the quantities -- I've been a bit lax in terms of tracking vitamins, minerals, etcetra. I'm not doing this and discovered that I'm a little low on a few things... This I purchased some Brewer's Yeast today... although I'm not certain I know what to do with it! I don't really like hot food and the idea of putting it in yoghurt seems a little odd!!! Any ideas?
Best,
A
Posted by: alex at June 10, 2006 7:01 PM
Very inspirational. Thank you. My nutrition tracking software popped up a dialog this morning basically saying "Hey, if you're trying to maintain your current weight, you're not doing a very good job; you're up two pounds from your target goal." Woops! :)
Posted by: Erin at June 10, 2006 8:59 PM
I was very struck by your last paragraph ("In the end..."). The thing is, this applies not just to eating, but to all health-promoting activities (meditation, exercise, whatever) that require taking the time it takes. The tricky part is not just doing it today, but also doing it tomorrow and the next 200 days and the 200 after that. Results are cumulative in all cases.
Posted by: Andrew E at June 20, 2006 5:52 PM
Oh my goodness! not 106 pounds! I weigh 360. Now thats something worth writing about!
Posted by: fattie at July 18, 2006 5:09 AM
even skinny people like me have weight loss goals.heavier people always tell me,"y do u want to lose weight,ur like a toothpick."I just reply,"i have my own goals for my body."They'll probably leave u alone after that.good luck!
Posted by: adrian lopez at October 18, 2006 10:11 PM
I am age 24 ,239 pound male, going to Gym, 1100 callories I burned,In the stepper, and wow I feel really good, eating lowfat soups 110 callories, its ok for me
Posted by: elliot at December 8, 2006 8:57 PM
wow
Posted by: lydia at March 1, 2007 3:09 PM
so i am dieting. hence why i am writing. i am 5'8 and i weigh 113. i keep my calories low. i eat at most everyday 900 calories. but i hate t. i try to eat 500 calories a day and i am fasting until monday. do you know how i can loose 5 lbs in 3 days?
Posted by: Alyssa mueller at October 12, 2007 5:20 PM
umm, thats extremly un healthy. if your 5'8 and weigh only 113, you should be satisfied or trying to gain weight, not loses it.
Posted by: yeahyeah at February 3, 2008 7:04 PM
Im sorta worried im a teen 54 weigh 127 eat 1100 a day every three days boost it to 1300 is it to low for my age i lost 6 pounds in one moth i feel good but i just dont know...my dad just gives me useless answers i just want to know im i wrong?
Posted by: gwen at April 16, 2008 7:32 PM
ha six pounds in a month,i can do that in a week or less
Posted by: brock m at July 10, 2008 7:44 PM