Will Lose Weight Eating Under 1000 Calories

Joe is an online weight loss coach and qualified personal trainer of 15 years who helps busy, professional men and women lose fat and build muscle.

Quick Answer Unless you’re already very light (110lbs/50kg) then you WILL lose weight on under 1, 000 calories a day, as long as you’re tracking calories accurately, and eating under 1, 000 calories for a long period of time

Let’s get this straight, eating less than 1, 000 calories a day is considered a very low-calorie diet and will be enough for almost anyone to lose weight

Weight Loss: How To Burn 1000 Calories In A Day

Yes, there are of course very rare exceptions to this rule, but for 99% of you reading this, 999 calories a day or less absolutely WILL produce weight loss, no question.

That’s on the condition that you are eating less than 1, 000 calories a day, consistently, i.e. day after day, week after week.

In order to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, i.e. you need to use more calories than you eat each day, for a long period of time.

Myth: Eat Less To Lose More Weight: Dr. G's Weightloss: Medical Weight Loss Clinics

Almost everyone will use more than 1, 000 calories a day (whether that’s just your body using calories to stay alive or to fuel movement or exercise), so eating less than that. Will produce weight loss.

Absolutely not, in my opinion, it’s far too extreme and difficult to stick for most normal people, but it will theoretically work.

The fact is, one week simply isn’t long enough to see the significant weight loss or to even to gauge if the calorie amount you’re eating is enough to produce weight loss.

Why You're Not Losing Weight On Less Than 1,000 Calories A Day |

When you start a new diet, change ONE variable. For example, reduce the number of calories you’re eating and keep everything else the same

3 weeks is a long enough time period for you to be able to see how these new variables actually affect your weight the way you want.

The chances are, if you are genuinely eating less than 1, 000 calories a day, you’ll see significant weight loss in that period of time, most likely between 3-5lbs

How To Eat 1000 Calories A Day & Feel Full (10 Tips)

Well, it’s perfectly possible to weigh yourself on a Monday, wait 7 days until the following Monday to weigh yourself again and be the same weight.

All these things can mask fat loss – but unless you’re weighing daily, you won’t know that. You’ll get annoyed, assume what you’re doing isn’t working, and quit.

At some point during that period of time, they’ll be a birthday, a work night out, a wedding, a holiday, a vacation or some other random event where you’re confronted with the prospect of delicious food and drinks.

Let's Say I Eat A 1,000 Calorie Lunch, And I Don't Eat Anything Else For The Rest Of The Day. Have I Gained Or Lost Weight At The End Of The Day?

It’s far better to be honest with yourself, accept that you won’t be able to skip/avoid social events (or practice restraint if you do go), and just have a higher calorie target. Yes, weight loss will take longer but it’ll be enjoyable, more sustainable and you’re much more likely to stick to the calorie deficit.

You’re eating less than 1, 000 calories a day and you’re eating a lot more, then this could be the reason why you’re not losing weight.

It could be that you’re not tracking your calories accurately, e.g. you may not be weighing meat accurately, and you might think that you’re eating 100g of chicken when you’re actually eating 175g

What You Need To Know About The 1000 Calorie Diet

It’s SO easy to eat hundreds of extra calories that you may not even acknowledge, which means it’s vital to track everything you eat, no matter how insignificant you think it is.

It could be that you’re just not tracking your calories at all, in which case you’ll have no idea whether you’re eating 1, 000, 2, 000 or 5, 000 calories a day.

It might be that you’re eating less than 1, 000 calories on some days, but unless you’re eating under 1, 000 calories every day, you’re averaging under 1, 000 every day.

The 1200 Calorie Diet & Meal Plan For Losing Weight: Myths Vs Facts

This is what your daily calorie intake would need to look like if you were genuinely eating less than 1, 000 calories a day.

But what most people mean when they say they’re eating under 1, 000 calories a day is that they eat under 1, 000 calories some days, but on others, they eat way more.

You’ll probably hear some people claiming that ‘you can’t lose weight on less than 1, 000 calories a day because your body will go into ‘starvation mode’.

Why Should We Eat More Than 1000 Calories A Day When Our Body Can Get Energy From The Fat Store?

Think about it – if that actually happened, starvation wouldn’t be a problem, you’d have people in famine-ridden countries gaining weight uncontrollably.

Your body can’t store fat if it doesn’t have enough energy coming in, so if you’re not losing weight and you’re eating less than 1, 000 calories a day, you’re either;

Exactly how much weight you’d lose by eating 1, 000 calories a day (and how quickly you’d lose it) will depend on the number of calories you need to eat to maintain your weight.

The 1000 Calorie Diet: The Secret To Rapid Weight Loss Or Complete Bs?

Let’s say for example that you managed your weight by eating 2, 000 calories per day. If you ate 1, 000 calories a day, you’d lose 2lbs (1kg) per week or 8lbs (3.6kg) per month

Below, I’ve created a handy table so you can see roughly how much weight you’d lose eating 1, 000 calories a day (obviously, if you ate less, you’d lose more).

So, using this TDEE calculator, we can get an idea of someone who might need to eat less than 1, 000 calories a day to drop weight.

Calorie Diet: Try Or Avoid?

So, you can see above that a 50-year-old 5ft 4 female weighing in at 110lbs (50kg) would maintain their weight on 1, 325 calories.

So, In order to lose roughly 1lb (0.5kg per week), this person would need to be eating around 800 calories a day.

You can probably appreciate however that there aren’t many people around that weigh 50kg, and even fewer that weigh 50kg and want to lose more weight, which is why the requirement to eat under 1, 000 calories a day is so rare.

Is It Because I'm Only Eating 1,000 Calories I'm Not Losing Weight?

Eating under 1, 000 calories a day certainly isn’t easy, but it is possible IF you ensure you’re sticking low-calorie-dense (or zero-calorie!) foods.

This means eating mainly vegetables, fruits, very lean protein (white fish, chicken breast, turkey breast), low-calorie carbs like beans, pulses and potatoes, as well as low-fat dairies such as 0% fat yoghurt and milk.

Below is a list of some of the lowest calorie density foods you can eat (N.B. this is not an exhaustive list, just some examples)

How Long Does It Take To Gain Weight?

Be mindful that, if you are trying to eat under 1, 000 calories a day, you’ll probably need to avoid even moderate calories density foods.

These are foods that contain a lot of calories, but relatively little ‘weight’. These foods are generally high in fat and include things like;

If you are physically inactive, and don’t have a physically demanding job or do any active hobbies (gym, swimming, sports) then eating a very low-calorie diet shouldn’t carry any health risks.

Is The 1,000 Calorie A Day Diet Safe?

However, if you are eating less than 1, 000 calories a day AND expending a lot of energy too, then this amount of food likely won’t be enough to fuel you sufficiently

Now, you might be able to cope with some or all of these symptoms if you’re sitting around at home all day doing nothing.

If you have a physical job, however, these symptoms could seriously affect your ability to do your job, or even your safety.

Signs You're Eating Too Little For Weight Loss

Even if you’re a knowledge worker, you may not be able to think logically, solve problems or be creative, so productivity could be impacted.

If you are suffering with any of the symptoms above, then you can be pretty sure you’re in too much of a calorie deficit.

Realistically, if this is the case you won’t be able to maintain this kind of calorie deficit to see significant weight loss anyway, so you’re far better off having a more manageable, moderate deficit and losing weight more slowly.

Will Eating 1000 Calories A Day Cause Weight Loss?

This 2021 meta analysis states that “deficits of 500–750 calories per day have been used for weight loss and are recommended by many obesity societies and guidelines”

A 500 calorie deficit generally works well for most people, that means if your maintenance calories are 2, 000 per day, then you should eat 1, 500 calories a day.

If you’re not losing weight by eating less than 1, 000 calories a day, then you’re either an already very light person that doesn’t need to lose any more weight OR you think you’re eating less than 1, 000 calories a day when you’re actually eating more.

Calorie Diet: Meal Plan, How To, And Safety

Remember, under 1, 000 calories a day means under 1, 000 EVER YDAY for a significant period of time (Weeks and months, not days).

The vats majority of people will be able to lose weight by eating a lot more calories than that, and in doing so they’ll find weight loss easier, more enjoyable and more sustainable.Joe is an online weight loss coach and qualified personal trainer of 15 years who helps busy, professional men and women lose fat and build muscle.

Quick Answer If you eat 1, 000 calories a day, the amount of weight you will lose will depend on your maintenance calories. If you maintain your weight on 2, 000 calories a day, eating 1, 000 calories

I Ate 1000 Calories Over My Limit, Now What?