I wasn't pulling stomach in. I can, but not a real representation - apart from a good party trick!
I do a bit of strength, but not much, mainly sit-ups, ab works and toning training.
Really the slim look is quite common. I wear mainly tight or waist-hugging tops, and quite a few people do. Maybe now the massive look isn't as popular and slim is.

You dont look fit nor slim my friend, you look emaciated and unwell.

When your vital organs fail because of the diet you take you will end up for certain being NG fed and probably detained.

performance related, forget about it. are best, mo farah, has a bmi of 22 - 65kg at 5 foot 8. he is pure muscle and power with no fat. this is how to be as an elite athlete. severe anorexia and starvation is certainly will not help performance plus you just look sick.

I'm assuming you can't train very hard on 1000 calories a day. I burn more than that on a training run.

The slim look is quite common? Where? Eritrea? 1945 Auschwitz? The UK has 60% overweight, and most of the others are healthy looking. There isn't a nutritionist or doctor anywhere in the country that would agree that your diet is healthy, whatever your opinion is.

to answer the orginial question. it is quite simplistic to look at calories alone. you can eat a lot of food on 2500 calories or you can eat very little. it depends on what you eat. people tend to eat a similar quantity of foods so it often depends on your food choices. most people eat dense packed energy foods so they do not actually eat much but it is junky food so the total energy intake is high. often however these are made from unhealthy foods but many people are not aware that many of the healthy markered foods are really junk foods. if you eat 'healthy' marketed junk - yoghurt/cereals/cereal bars etc - often they have low fat (but added excessive sugar to have the taste) - and they are really not better than eating chocolate. i think if your calorey intake has lots of fresh foods you an eat a lot more. plus if you include rotein in - then you can eat a lot more nuts, steak, chicken, prawns - then you will feel fuller. so yeah basically it is more complicated than calorie counting.

I'd guess that more females and gay men would prefer the look in the attachment. Frankly, if they say they don't, they're probably lying.
Anyway, moving away from aesthetics because I'm not trying to compare you with anyone, was just responding to that comment. I am no doctor but what you're doing doesn't appear to be healthy. How much do you run? What's your height and weight? On the plus side, I'd say it's better to be where you are than an obese mess because you could quite easily add some lean muscle quite quickly.

Attached Images

Pic.jpg (18.1 KB, 116 views)

__________________
5% off at www.myprotein.co.uk - quote discount code MP162111

2,500 cals is 2,500cals, though. Body composition may be different but weight should generally be the same. Not sure I understand your post; are you saying that one would maintain weight on 2500 of whole foods but gain weight on 2500 of junk? Apologies if I've misinterpreted.

__________________
5% off at www.myprotein.co.uk - quote discount code MP162111

if you live off high energy dense foods your calorie intake will be met with only a small quantity of food. if you live off lower energy dense foods you can eat a lot more quantity of food and you wont be hungry. basically i'm saying that the food choice can mean you eat very well or very badly on a calorie restricted diet.

Ah yes, agree. Thought we were talking about weight loss/gain, though. Sorry, my mistake.

__________________
5% off at www.myprotein.co.uk - quote discount code MP162111

I prefer the look in the attachment, though it's for aesthetic reasons more than sexuality. It just looks better.

yeah it looks that way to me too,i prefer my men to carry a more weight

one of the big problems in the uk and usa etc is the empty calories we eat/drink consume, processed food hides a multitude of sins fat sugar etc.
how strictly do people really count their calorie intake i only ask cos i have been watching that programme secret eaters where people said they didnt eat very much and couldnt understand why they were not loosing weight. secret cameras and private investigators soon showed them and many really didnt realise how much they were eating it was very interesting

Hands down a bigger look is more attractive than an emaciated one. Its a primitive response to a man who looks like he would be able to provide for a family. That's a very basic idea but I believe it to be true. Paul, I don't think that your lifestyle is healthy. You aren't eating enough and I think that you know that but for whatever reason it's a lifestyle that you have adopted and will carry on until you have a catastrophic breakdown and then may have no choice about the number of calories you take. It's your business however.

Couldn't agree with you more.

I'd be concerned for Paul's health - certainly in the long term.

__________________
2012 challenges:
Dundee HM - 29 July 2012. Done 2:40:57 (garmin time) 2:42:12 (official time)
Jedburgh Half Marathon - October 2012

I agree with you both but I get gunned down when I mention that Paul may have an eating disorder.

__________________
If you see me collaspe, pause my garmin.