Am I eating enough?

I am a 4’11”, adult female, and I’ve lately been eating roughly 1000 calories a day, sometimes a little over. It’s not a crash diet, I’ve just cut out the junk food and am eating healthier foods. I’ve been getting a lot of mixed signals about this, as most people insist that 1000 calories is extremely unhealthy. Is it? I’m not a particularly active person; my work involves sitting in front of a computer. –Joanne

Hi Joanne,

It is hard to guess the calorie amount that would work best for you without knowing some more information such as your weight, your weight history, and your goals. Generally speaking, 1000 calories is on the lower end of the spectrum that I would normally recommend for my patients. However, if you are not losing weight, and are feeling energized throughout the day, it may work for you.

At such a low calorie intake, you may be at risk for malnutrition due to not getting enough vitamins and minerals, since the amount of food you are eating to obtain the 1000 calories is not very high. Some type of multivitamin might be a good idea for you just to make sure that you get all the vitamins/minerals. Lastly, when you go in for a doctor’s checkup, you could mention your diet, and he/she can order certain blood tests which will measure your blood vitamin/mineral levels.