Weight loss surgery and the 1,200 calorie stigma

LonsyBoy

I do 1,000 - 1,200 calories for my weeks of stripping down a bit harder after a plateau period

KickassAmazon76

ggirard27 wrote: »

I'm a 5'11", 172lbs starting weight 23 year old male that has been eating 800-1300 cal (usually around 1000-1100) a day for 30 days so far. I weigh everything solid, measure everything liquid. I don't underestimate my food intake.

I do 60 push ups 4 days a week, 60 sit ups 4 days a week. Otherwise, I'm a couch potato. I eat pretty much the same thing everyday, although there are some variations. My macros target is 40% proteins, 35% fat, 25% carbohydrates. I usually don't hit those targets, I'm more around 3X/3X/3X.

I focus on eating less at supper, which was the meal on which I feasted the most. My typical dinners used to top 1000 calories easily.

I've never felt better. I don't feel tired, although I sleep better than ever. I don't have headaches. I don't have problems concentrating at work.

I'm not advocating that everybody should be eating sub-1200 calories, just saying that your mileage may vary. Listen to your body and use your brain properly.

I now weigh ~159lbs, some weight I've lost could very well be lean mass, I know. I'm targeting 150lbs. Target date is December 21st. Afterwards, I will increase to 1600 for 2 weeks, then 2000 for 2 weeks, then tune up 100 cal a week until I find my maintenance daily intake. That way, When I'm back at maintenance, I should still be around 150lbs.

I'm a long-time lurker of these forums, and I think I know the typical user well enough to know that I will receive hate-mail. I don't mind, don't even bother, your words are wasted on me.

PLEASE READ:
I am not a dietician, doctor, or voodoo shaman, don't take my advice, I am in no way accountable for your issues.
I am aware of food disorders.
I don't encourage rapid weight loss at the detriment of one's health, consult a doctor or stop your diet if you feel side effects. I would do the same.

But... why are you doing this? I'm 6'1", female, and 163. I'm about as low as I should go before I start looking gaunt.

I'm taking in 2000 cals on average and losing.

Why on earth are you starving yourself at such an already healthy bodyweight for a man your size and age?

Plus, you're exercising on top of it, what do you think you're fueling your body with? How do you think it'll respond when you decide to start eating again.

I am sorry if I seem judgy... but I believe you need to seek help... Both physically and mentally.

annacole94

Zombie thread. This is from 2014.

KickassAmazon76

annacole94 wrote: »

Zombie thread. This is from 2014.

DAYUM! Good catch!

Colorscheme

The reason obese people can do this is because they have excess fat. 800 calories is fine if you're morbidly obese, under a dr's care and are taking vitamins. However, it is not okay for a normal weight person to do this and considering that WLS patients sometimes do regain weight, they're def eating enough to put it on.

brownels150

My doctor referred me to a metabolism expert, the researcher who invented the glycemic index.Really. When I asked him about the 1200 number, he told me that it was a somewhat arbitrary number that the profession has arrived at to make sure people get the min number of vitamins and minerals from food, as the science around vitamins and amounts needed is very iffy. After looking at my blood work, he explained my resistance to losing weight this way: 'let me put it this way. If we were in the Ice Age, you would be one of the survivors.'

trigden1991

There are many studies on therapeutic starvation, and as far as I recall, there has only been 1 death in the early 1900's.

I believe that 1200 calories comes from the minimum intake for a human to get the appropriate nutrients required for health.

fbchick51

JaneiR36 wrote: »

I don't know where the stigma or recommendation came from

The recommendation came from the simple fact that it becomes nearly impossible to maintain nutrition levels adequate enough to NOT cause some bodily harm on anything less.

When my SIL went through a gastric bypass, food for her first week was nothing more then a nutrient packed protein shot (2 oz) several times a day. She was allowed small shots of other liquids no more then once or twice a day. After that first week, she continued with the protein shots, but was able to start eating other foods (starting at small amounts and building up) and other supplements were added in as well. But the gist of her daily nutrient intake was controlled by the protein shot and nutrient supplements she was taking (at least for the first few months). Though she was encourage to slowly build up her calorie intake to 1200 cals, which she hit somewhere about 6 months post surgery. At that point, she was pulled off the protein shots and supplements and placed on a doctor monitored diet

thedarkwombat wrote: »

But hypothetically, if someone was overweight and was able to eat 800 calories a day, saw their doctor once a month, got their blood and numbers ran every couple months and got enough protein and water, whats makes then so different from someone who had the surgery?

Primarily... the supplements. Technically, you could probably get away with doing such a low calorie diet for a very short time without doing any lasting damage, but it's probably not good advice to give because, you know, stupid people.

Now if said Dr was doing more then just checking, but rather prescribing supplements based on the blood test results... Then sure. But I would consider that a Dr. monitored diet (which do currently exist).

fitmom4lifemfp

thedarkwombat wrote: »

This is more of a hypothetical question.

I see a lot of talk on here and the internet regarding the "dangers" of going below 1,200 calories. That topic in of itself has been done to death. I am not taking the position of suggesting anyone go below that amount.

At the same time though, I question it's genesis. We see people having LapBand and gastric bypass surgery and can barely eat 600 to 800 calories a day. Now, yes they are in a "doctor monitored" diet. But hypothetically, if someone was overweight and was able to eat 800 calories a day, saw their doctor once a month, got their blood and numbers ran every couple months and got enough protein and water, whats makes then so different from someone who had the surgery?

Has there ever been a case of someone who was eating 500 to 800 calories a day and got sick or died? Even on these websites if you try to calculate super low calories information they REFUSE to go below a certain "healthy" amount of food and warn you of the "dangers". Is this just an obligation of responsibility so some moron doesn't starve to death?

So I guess my question is, where did this 1,200 calorie stigma start?

I assume that it came from the era of anorexia. I know two people that had bariatric surgery, and both ate at far below that number (500 to 600 calories) for many many months. They were quite obese, and obviously they had a doctor's support and care. They suffered no ill effects, but they definitely had to eat very carefully and take vitamins. Without that, surely it would, after a time, be quite detrimental to one's health.

One has kept the weight off, and has totally changed her life. The other one regained much of her weight, years later.

andrea4736

It definitely seems like an arbitrary number. It is quite a blanket statement to say that a certain number of calories is necessary to get proper nutrition. I've seen some pretty crappy nutrition at really high calories. I don't condone under-eating or eating so little you feel lethargic or show physical malnutrition symptoms, obviously. But I've had my BMR (RMR?), I get confused, lol, tested and I fall well below the "average".

annacole94

Why?
Why would anyone make the goal eating as little as possible to survive?

If you can eat 800 calories to lose weight super fast, you can eat 1600 and do it for longer and end up in the same place, well nourished and with skills to keep it off. There are plenty of weight loss surgery failures because it turns out the "secret" is that you have to learn to live to maintain a lower weight, not just get there the fastest.

fitmom4lifemfp

annacole94 wrote: »

Zombie thread. This is from 2014.

Oh good grief!!!!! *headsmack*