Calorie restrictions and hair growth?

[FallingDarkness]

So, long story short, I'd really like to lose a few pounds before prom. And I know I'm not fat, but it'd still be nice to be slimmer than I am now! So I'm going to be eating a smaller breakfast, skipping lunch, still eating dinner, and exercising. However, I am afraid that not eating my normal amount is going to have a negative impact on my hair growth! Is this true? IDK!!!

[noteve]

You shouldn't skip lunch, just eat smaller portions!

Aside from that, if you're just going to lose a few pounds before prom and don't starve yourself completely, your hair should not suffer. Just don't eat too little, and get enough proteins.

[FallingDarkness]

:) Okay great! That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I <3 my hair, and I want it to be as long as possible as soon as possible! :)

[sumidha]

I'm not an expert, and generalizations are, well, generalizations, but I would say that rather than trying to eat less food, it would be better for your body to focus on eating healthier foods. For example, instead of entirely skipping lunch, eat some raw vegetables and nuts or fruit and plain yoghurt instead of a deli sandwich or hamburger.

[In2wishin]

I agree with the others, just cut down portions and eat healthier food. From my personal experience, I have only had hair loss when dieting if I don't eat enough protein and fat.

[~Abi~]

If you 1) drink plenty of water and 2) cut out a lot of starches and sugars, you'll probably lose a couple of lbs and your hair growth should stay the same as you'll still be getting plenty of protein and vitamins. Skipping meals to lose weight is not going to work as well as it sounds...it'll just make you hungry and cranky. Try eating more fruits/veggies with your meals as they have much much few calories and you can still eat relatively large portions of them and still be taking in few calories over all. Just my 2 cents!

[HazelBug]

I did the sacred heart diet with a friend once. I liked it pretty well. But I modified it and put some whole grain rice and a little bit of beef in the soup. That made it more filling, and I felt that it added a few more calories which was a good thing. We did that diet because it was full of fresh fruit and veggies. Basically, fresh veggies and fruit usually have less calories then bread and cheeses. But they have a ton of nutrients which is great. Also, high protien is a good idea. Protiens fill you longer than carbs. The adkins diet has a lot of useful information. Of course I've always modified things to fit me personally better.

[FallingDarkness]

Thanks to all for your input! I try to eat some good protein throughout the day. :)

[LunaLuvsU]

You actually gain weight when you starve yourself because your body takes it as "omg there is no food! I need to store fat to survive!" and then once it uses up its reserves it will start to eat the healthy fat, the muscles, etc. It also slows the metabolism, helping you gain and keep weight. Its better to eat small healthy portions through out the day. I eat every 2 (min.) - 4 (max.) hours. Fun fact: When you go a long time without food and then eat, and keep doing that, your body will turn the food into mostly fat because it doesnt know when it will eat next.

[FallingDarkness]

Well I'm not going to STARVE myself...
But you pose a good point.
I just wish that weight loss was easier lol.

[In2wishin]

Well I'm not going to STARVE myself...
But you pose a good point.
I just wish that weight loss was easier lol.

Don't we all, Sweetie. Don't we all.

[jeanniet]

Eating significantly less can throw your body off, though. You don't have to be starving. You'd do better eating multiple small meals a daily, and eating waaaay more greens and veggies. If you eat at least five to nine servings a day, you'll be too full to add in too much else.

[lazuliblue]

I lost a lot of weight with an eating disorder and my hair fell out by the handful - so just be careful that your weight doesn't get too low! It would be best to have a healthy lunch rather than skipping it! It's not good to let your blood sugar get low, you will just end up feeling faint, and very hungry for dinner, which may lead to you eating more in the evening.

[Rosetta]

I was on the 5:2 diet for about 5 months last year and saw no effects on hair growth, at least no negative ones. :)
(For those who don't know, the 5:2 diet is where you fast two days a week and eat normally the rest; "fasting" here means calories restricted to max 500 per day. It's more a lifestyle than "diet" in the actual sense, though. It prevents or lowers the risk of several diseases including cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.)



You actually gain weight when you starve yourself because your body takes it as "omg there is no food! I need to store fat to survive!" and then once it uses up its reserves it will start to eat the healthy fat, the muscles, etc. It also slows the metabolism, helping you gain and keep weight. Its better to eat small healthy portions through out the day. I eat every 2 (min.) - 4 (max.) hours. Fun fact: When you go a long time without food and then eat, and keep doing that, your body will turn the food into mostly fat because it doesnt know when it will eat next.
This has no scientific basis; there's plenty of misinformation like that going around, unfortunately. Occasional fasting, including calorie restriction, is actually good for your body in every way.

[Libbylou]

I have to agree with some of the others that eating veggies and fruit and high protien meals really works. I use myfitnesspal.com to track my nutrients. It has the minimum amount of protein you need for day plus, the minimum calories you need for goal body weight. My favorite meals are serving of fish or chicken and a ton of vegetables usually is about 400 calories. I also carry a protein bar or two with me at all times so I'm not tempted by the high cal no nutrient snack machines. Plenty of water, avoid even sugar free soda's.