Hi! F, 22, 5’5, 150lbs. I’ve been doing IF for several weeks now and I was eating around 1200-1400 calories per day. I wasn’t really losing weight but I did lose almost 3 inches off my waist. I only started losing weight on the scale when I started eating closer to 1000 calories per day. I know it’s a general rule for anyone not to go under 1200 calories but my eating windows are usually 4-6 hours and I find it hard to eat more than that anyway . My first meal is usually a 3 egg omlette with veggies and a fruit and my dinner is a veggie salad with chicken soup or a no carb chicken stir fry. I also don’t snack much, if I need to I eat a built protein bar. I drink coffee and tea throughout the day but I use monk sugar/ stevia and little to no cream. I think I’m eating enough and I feel fine, but I remembered that calorie rule and suddenly I’m not sure if I’m doing this right. I’ve also seen a lot of people on this subreddit who fast for extended periods of time, does that mean they’re not getting enough nutrients?
I was wondering the same thing. Even on the days when I’m not fasting I am not that hungry anymore. O haven’t really watched carbs too much (I just started so I’ll work my way to it!) I do try to eat a lot of protein and things that are nutritious. When I break my fast the first meal is always small. I find that I get full quickly. I know I am not always eating 1200 calories.
Don’t rely on scale weight for your results. You had a really significant “gain” by losing 3” from your waist and likely elsewhere on your body. That will continue if you continue your plan.
Your clothing, measurements and your mirror are the only barometers you need. People say eventually scale weight will catch up- but if you look and feel good, that number won’t matter.
Yes, my understanding is it’s generally not recommended to go below 1200 calories for an extended period of time because it’s difficult to fulfill the body’s nutritional needs and you can sometimes cause the body to start using more lean body mass instead of fat.