Advice Needed Very Low Calorie Diet/Intermittent Fasting

bikerchick82

I've done a lot of reading on a very low calorie diet - 800-1000 calories. I would like to know if anyone's tried it and what worked and what didn't. At this point I am looking for any advice. Here's my back story (kinda long):

I am a 33 year old female who has always been overweight. At my highest I weighed 225 pounds. I am right around 195. I seem to bounce between 190-205. I am an emotional eater - particularly a stress eater. I don't think I understand the difference between being hungry, satisfied, and full. I know that sounds strange but I can eat whenever. I have a good knowledge base when it comes to nutrition and calories. I also love to workout but I know that losing weight is more about calories than working out.

The community I live in is having a contest where you pair up with a partner and the highest percent of weight loss in 3 months win $1000. That started my research on different diets. I've read that the very low calorie diet is safe for people with a BMI over 35 and no health concerns. Vitamins are important. I also have read that intermittent fasting is great for your body whether you are dieting or not. The basis of the kind is intermittent fasting I thought was the most realistic is to eat all of your calories within an 8 hour time frame. First bite of food at 11:30 am and last bite of food at 7:30 pm. This gives your body time to be empty, burn fat, etc. I firmly believe breakfast is not as important as everyone says it is.

I'd like to get down to a healthy weight of 140-150 while retraining my body to understand what normal eating/hunger feels like. My plan is to eat a very low calorie diet most days while intermittent fasting for 3 months. I will focus on very high nutrient dense foods and make sure I get enough protein. Up my water intake and take a daily multivitamin. I will almost do moderate exercise until the snow melts and I can get on my bike again. After three months I will slowly increase my calories weekly while learning how to eat 'normal' and healthy. I feel like I don't do well with moderation and tend to give up after a few days. I feel like I need to make a drastic change, see results, and gradually relearn how and what to eat to stay healthy.

So if you have any advice of what to do, what not to do, recipes, or want to join me please respond!!

TavistockToad

My advice is to not do a diet that involves only eating 800-1000 calories

TeaBea

You won't get much (if any) support for your very low calorie diet (VLCD) because supporting it would be against MFP guidelines.

The lowest default minimum MFP supports is 1200 (before exercise)....there are very petite (or senior) ladies who need to eat a little less.

If you're looking for the fast "weight" loss (number on the scale)....a low carb diet will give you quite a bit of water weight loss the first week. There are other Biggest Loser "tricks" that have nothing to do with fat loss really. You can look them up on-line.

Very low calorie diets often sacrifice more lean muscle than is necessary. VLCD also don't help you learn lifestyle changes needed for maintenance. I've lost weight and regained too. This time I want to do it right. A moderate weekly loss goal will help me retain more lean muscle and reduce my body fat percentage. BMI is not terribly helpful. Plenty of bodybuilders have high BMI's - perfectly healthy.

Here's a link to the intermittent fasting group.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

The eating window is just another method for reaching a deficit. No magical properties (no hard science yet) anyway.

Edited to add .....what WinoGelato said is true: intermittent fasting is still about a moderate deficit. Even 5:2 fasting averages out to moderate calories.

WinoGelato

Promoting VLCD is against the TOS so I don't expect this thread to last long...

VLCD should only be done under doctors supervision, certainly not to lose weight to win a contest. That kind of contest seems like it would promote all sorts of unsafe weight loss practices.

Also OP, there are lots of people on MFP doing intermittent fasting, you would probably find some helpful advice if you take the VLCD out of your title. When doing IF though, the total calories over the week balance out to a moderate calorie deficit. Is that what you were envisioning with your plan?

100df

I wouldn't do something that drastic without medical support. It's very difficult to get the nutrients you need on 800 calories. With the right medical support (nutritional and psychological), some people can be successful with it.

I don't eat breakfast. Most of my calories are consumed from 3pm-10pm. I feel the best when I eat like that. I don't think it helps me lose weight other than it being easier for me to eat at a deficit by saving the calories for when I like to eat.

kshama2001

VLCD can cause hair loss as well. Winning $1,000 wouldn't be worth it to me.

rosebarnalice

Try to find evidence that fasting leads to permanent weight loss, and I think you'll be hard pressed to find any valid and reliable medical evidence that it is an effective way to make permanent changes to your eating habits.

If say that your goal is "retraining my body to understand what normal eating/hunger feels like". You can do that without fasting.

janjunie

Aside to the health issues. vlcd more often then not lead to major binge sessions, then a feeling of failure, then more weight gained and nothing lost. I can't think of a time when someone did a vcld and "retrained" their body to eat in a healthy manner.

lulalacroix

Intermittent fasting can be helpful because it can be difficult to overeat during the shortened eating window. Some people eat all of their calories in an even shorter window than 8 hours. Other options are the 5:2 diet and alternate day fasting. On these diets you eat 500 calories during the fasting day and eat "normally" on the other days. People lose weight because the calories more or less even out during the week and dieters feel more satiated because they can eat what they like on the non-fast days. But obviously if you spend your eating days consuming pizzas and burgers, you probably won't lose weight.

Sarah4fitness

No one here is going to support your plan. It's unhealthy. It's not what MFP is about, and frankly I think your reasons for doing it aren't healthy, either. A monetary gain that motivates you to flirt with fasting and court an eating disorder is a poor motivation to begin what could be a positive change in your life. I'm half convinced this is another troll post.

tristen_leigh

VLCD only leads to an unhealthy relationship with food. It's not an easy road from there. Definitely not worth the money or negative effect on your body and mind.

jemhh

Rather than embarking on a crash diet plan (because that's what this is), you need to learn healthy eating habits and attitudes. A VLCD does absolutely nothing to teach you any of that.

WinoGelato

bikerchick82 wrote: »

I've done a lot of reading on a very low calorie diet - 800-1000 calories. I would like to know if anyone's tried it and what worked and what didn't. At this point I am looking for any advice. Here's my back story (kinda long):

I am a 33 year old female who has always been overweight. At my highest I weighed 225 pounds. I am right around 195. I seem to bounce between 190-205. I am an emotional eater - particularly a stress eater. I don't think I understand the difference between being hungry, satisfied, and full. I know that sounds strange but I can eat whenever. I have a good knowledge base when it comes to nutrition and calories. I also love to workout but I know that losing weight is more about calories than working out.

The community I live in is having a contest where you pair up with a partner and the highest percent of weight loss in 3 months win $1000. That started my research on different diets. I've read that the very low calorie diet is safe for people with a BMI over 35 and no health concerns. Vitamins are important. I also have read that intermittent fasting is great for your body whether you are dieting or not. The basis of the kind is intermittent fasting I thought was the most realistic is to eat all of your calories within an 8 hour time frame. First bite of food at 11:30 am and last bite of food at 7:30 pm. This gives your body time to be empty, burn fat, etc. I firmly believe breakfast is not as important as everyone says it is.

I'd like to get down to a healthy weight of 140-150 while retraining my body to understand what normal eating/hunger feels like. My plan is to eat a very low calorie diet most days while intermittent fasting for 3 months. I will focus on very high nutrient dense foods and make sure I get enough protein. Up my water intake and take a daily multivitamin. I will almost do moderate exercise until the snow melts and I can get on my bike again. After three months I will slowly increase my calories weekly while learning how to eat 'normal' and healthy. I feel like I don't do well with moderation and tend to give up after a few days. I feel like I need to make a drastic change, see results, and gradually relearn how and what to eat to stay healthy.

So if you have any advice of what to do, what not to do, recipes, or want to join me please respond!!

I just reread your original post. You are trying to lose approximately 50 lbs? There is absolutely no need to embark upon a VLCD in order to do this.

I suggest you read this, and other helpful threads in the stickied posts at the top of each forum section OP.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

Intermittent Fasting is fine if that is something you think is a sustainable approach for you, but there are no magical benefits to it and you need to make sure you are doing it correctly.

Ready2Rock206

I'd never risk my health for only $1,000 - and you split it with your partner - so really only $500... Is your partner planning to do this in a unhealthy manner also or will (s)he be doing in a healthy sustainable manner which will drag your team total down causing you to resort to more extreme measures in order to win?

Nova

Dear Posters,

I wanted to offer a brief explanation for closing this topic.

The forum guidelines include this item:

3. No Promotion of Unsafe Weight-Loss Techniques or Eating Disorders

a) Posts intended to promote potentially unsafe or controversial weight loss products or procedures, including non-medically prescribed supplements or MLM products will be removed without warning.

b) Profiles, groups, messages, posts, or wall comments that encourage anorexia, bulimia, or very low calorie diets of any kind will be removed, and may be grounds for account deletion. This includes positive references to ana/mia, purging, or self-starving. Our goal is to provide users with the tools to achieve their weight management goals at a steady, sustainable rate. Use of the site to promote, glamorize, or achieve dangerously low levels of eating is not permitted.

c) Photos intended to glamorize extreme thinness will be deleted.

d) Those seeking support in their recovery from eating disorders are welcome at MyFitnessPal.

If you would like to review the forum guidelines, please visit the following link:

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With respect,
Nova
MyFitnessPal Staff