Reena Das Reena Das Asked 4 months ago

Can undereating cause weight gain?

I've been severely restricting my food intake to lose weight, thinking less food means less weight. But to my surprise, I'm actually gaining weight instead. I've heard that undereating can cause weight gain sometimes, is this true?

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7 answers

Kriti Saxena Kriti Saxena Joined Mar 2026 4 months ago
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Honestly this literally happened to me last year. I was eating barely 1000 calories trying to lose weight and my weight just stuck and then actually started going up thoda. Once I started eating properly and met my daily nutrition needs, my metabolism repaired itself and my weight dropped.

Rohan Deshmukh Rohan Deshmukh Joined Jun 2026 4 months ago

Technically it messes up your basal metabolic rate. I track everything on my health app and saw that when my calorie deficit was too extreme, my body went into starvation mode and held onto water and fat. Try tracking your macros properly instead of just skipping food, it helps a lot.

Aradhana Sen Aradhana Sen Joined Jan 2026 4 months ago

While it can affect metabolism, please don't assume undereating is the only reason for weight gain. Sometimes thyroid issues or hormonal imbalances like PCOS can also cause this. Please get a full blood panel done to rule out any internal issues before changing your diet too much.

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Consult a dietary specialist

Vikram Malhotra Vikram Malhotra Joined Apr 2026 4 months ago

I was facing the same confusion so I visited a senior nutritionist at Max Hospital. She clearly explained that starving yourself ruins your thyroid function and insulin levels over time. It is best to consult a clinical dietitian who can give you a proper eating plan based on your blood work.

Sneha Reddy Sneha Reddy Joined Jan 2026 4 months ago

Oh absolutely, mere saath bhi yahi hua tha! I was starving myself on salads and my body just bloated up so badly. Eating home-cooked balanced meals with daal, chawal, and ghee in the right quantity actually helped me get back in shape.

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Kartik Subramanian Kartik Subramanian Joined Mar 2026 4 months ago

My mother always tells me that starving the body is the worst thing you can do to your health. I checked with our family doctor too and he confirmed that undereating slows down digestion completely, making you gain weight even from tiny portions. Please eat your regular meals on time.

Ananya Joshi Ananya Joshi Joined Jun 2026 4 months ago

I am actually trying to understand this too because I also skip dinner hoping to lose weight but nothing is changing. Can this really happen because of starving? If anyone knows how many calories we should minimum eat daily, please tell me.

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