800 calories minimum is okay... for me!

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  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    I am 5'6" and weigh 207. I spent the first half of the year eating around 1700 calories and couldn't lose anything. Now I am doing P90X and generally eat around 2000 a day.
    Good luck to you. Hope it works.
  • brit49
    brit49 Posts: 461 Member
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    Everyone is different, not attacking what ever works for you, than thats what you should do!!!. :smile:
  • myiceisonfire
    myiceisonfire Posts: 782 Member
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    Ps, eating burned ores isn't pointless. I royally screwed my body by only netting 200 a day by not eating some back at least. Just my experience.

    I wouldn't say it's pointless. It all depends on how much you eat and how much you work out. If you're eating 800 calories a day, and burning 800, that's scary (to me, my opinion). And I'd be so hungry LOL
  • myiceisonfire
    myiceisonfire Posts: 782 Member
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    Go for it! Just remember you CAN eat a bit more if you start feeling faint. Most slimfast/weight watchers diets have you on 900 cals a day.

    I agree. I wont stick with 800 a day on purpose. Some days I'm over 1,000. All depends if I'm hungry. If my hungry says, "Hey, feed me!" I say, "Hehe, okay! I love to eat!!!!"
  • brianna_bananas
    brianna_bananas Posts: 11
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    dang, good luck. your probably going to be hungry with only 800 calories, i know i would. lol try and split it up a lot throughout the day to keep your metabolism going and also dont over exhert yourself when exercising cause you only have 800 calories in you for the whole day youll wear yourself out..
  • myiceisonfire
    myiceisonfire Posts: 782 Member
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    Everyone is different, not attacking what ever works for you, than thats what you should do!!!. :smile:

    Totally agree, everyone is different. This is just my experience. Even if someone is 5'6" and 207lb that doesn't mean it's the same for them, especially if they have healthy problems.
  • myiceisonfire
    myiceisonfire Posts: 782 Member
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    dang, good luck. your probably going to be hungry with only 800 calories, i know i would. lol try and split it up a lot throughout the day to keep your metabolism going and also dont over exhert yourself when exercising cause you only have 800 calories in you for the whole day youll wear yourself out..

    I was actually eating about 700-1,200 a day before I went to see the dr, so I'm actually okay with this. Doesn't mean I'm going to stick with only 800 a day. I'm going to most likely eat more. I love food too much! =P I was just saying it's minimum
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
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    If that's the instructions given to you by your Dr then there's nothing to discuss. I'm an inch shorter and started at 230+, I was told 1500 at least plus exercise, and I eat back most of my exercise calories so the weight is coming off and I easily stick to my calorie numbers.
  • shifthappens2011
    shifthappens2011 Posts: 25
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    My doctor told me the same thing. He said it's about making sure you get enough healthy protein and take supplements to make sure you don't dip too low on the basics. A good multi, extra calcium and I added a b complex. He set me at 800 per day.

    He said that Weight Loss Surgery has changed attitudes about what a "safe" low cal diet is. After more than a decade of people having the surgeries ( and Optifast type diets) and people not dropping dead from starvation, they are changing attitudes. It's almost
    unfortunate how little my body needs to function.
  • Getting_Fit_4_Life
    Getting_Fit_4_Life Posts: 401 Member
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    Glad you're working with your doctor. Do what works for you :)
  • LoveMy3Boys
    LoveMy3Boys Posts: 562 Member
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    I can understand the excess fat storage... seriously. Did you ask specifically about "starvation mode"?

    You know... A few years ago I did a 1000 calorie diet and I exercised like a mad woman. I lost A LOT of weight pretty fast. I don't know my starting weight because I refused to look at the scale at first, but I went from being a size 16 to a size 6 within months, almost a 4. But, look at how I am back where I started :( It didn't teach me to eat healthy. It didn't do any favors to my metabolism. I lost the weight but the second I started eating regular food, not indulging but just eating I gained it all back. So, I don't know about that little of calories because it is just not something I could do for life.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    Shoot, I'm 5'6" and weigh 100 pounds more than you. So by your logic, I should be eating like 500 cals a day? I'd chew my damn arm off!

    And maybe mine!! :laugh:

    Since I have done it the MPF way, I have slowly lost and KEPT off the weight. I am not miserable. I have not passed out to awaken in the ER with an IV in my arm. I have not gotten into a screaming match with a friend who dared to bring brownies to work........all real life stuff my friends.

    800 calories of good food can be accomplished. Egg whites and a pc of light ww toast, huge veggie salad with 3 oz broiled chicken with lemon as dressing, apple for snack. banana for snack. dinner of 3 oz turkey breast, plate full of brocoli.

    I think you could even fit in a low calorie 4 oz yogurut in there.

    My question is, how long can you do this?

    As for the professional. I always work what is good for MY body. I am proud of you for getting help. Guess I can't stop thinking about the doctor who insisted my mother would be dead in 4-6 months. No ifs, ands or buts about it. THANK GOD we got a second opinion and this doctor put her on low sodium, high protien diet and she lived 15 years to meet all her grandbabies!!

    I hope you do AWESOME!! But remember, when you get to within 30-40 pounds of your goal weight, where can you go with 800 calories?:flowerforyou:
  • SiltyPigeon
    SiltyPigeon Posts: 920 Member
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    Just to share my experience....

    I've been steadily losing weight for a little over 6 months. The first three months I was doing a minimum 700 calories a day. My week averaged out to 900 calories per day. I steadily lost 1 - 2 lbs per week. I wasn't hungry, didn't feel faint or grumpy, had no ill effects.
    Then I started really getting into these message boards here. I saw what everyone was saying about eating too little. I got worried. So, I started eating between 1100 and 1400 calories per day instead. My weekly average is about 1200 per day. The first week I gained a little weight. The second I maintained. The third and past 3 months-ish I've steadily lost 1-2 lbs per week.
    So... my weight loss has been exactly the same at an average of 900 calories and an average of 1200 calories. Plus I get to eat more food. I like food.

    So this is what I think... I don't believe in "starvation mode". I have no *personal* reason to tell you to eat more. Actually, I really don't care what you do because I don't know you. However, if I were talking to a friend I would say... try 1200 calories and see how it does for you. If you don't lose at a satisfactory rate at 1200 THEN go the more controversial route.
    Why make losing weight harder on yourself than you have to?

    PS.... I'm 5'5'' and 125 lbs. I started at 167 lbs in January.
  • myiceisonfire
    myiceisonfire Posts: 782 Member
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    I can understand the excess fat storage... seriously. Did you ask specifically about "starvation mode"?

    You know... A few years ago I did a 1000 calorie diet and I exercised like a mad woman. I lost A LOT of weight pretty fast. I don't know my starting weight because I refused to look at the scale at first, but I went from being a size 16 to a size 6 within months, almost a 4. But, look at how I am back where I started :( It didn't teach me to eat healthy. It didn't do any favors to my metabolism. I lost the weight but the second I started eating regular food, not indulging but just eating I gained it all back. So, I don't know about that little of calories because it is just not something I could do for life.

    Under 800 is starvation mode for me...
  • hyenagirl
    hyenagirl Posts: 206 Member
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    Awesome! Optifast is only 800 calories a day and people are required to do that for 4 months, then slowly incorporate food back into their diets. As long as you eat when ever you start to feel hungry and don't go back to old habbits, you should be fine. When people get done drinking Optifast for 4 months, you're suppose to slowly incorporate meals into your diet not go haywire on chips.
  • myiceisonfire
    myiceisonfire Posts: 782 Member
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    Okay some people who are commenting done understand something... under 800 calories is starvation mode. I never said I was going to only eat 800 calories every day. If you read other posts I have post on here, it says I eat 1200 some days. Sheesh... lol
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    No, you're right. Those with more weight to lose can still lose with a larger calorie deficit to a point. Then your body will stop losing and you'll have to eat more. Happened to me!
  • LoveMy3Boys
    LoveMy3Boys Posts: 562 Member
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    I can understand the excess fat storage... seriously. Did you ask specifically about "starvation mode"?

    You know... A few years ago I did a 1000 calorie diet and I exercised like a mad woman. I lost A LOT of weight pretty fast. I don't know my starting weight because I refused to look at the scale at first, but I went from being a size 16 to a size 6 within months, almost a 4. But, look at how I am back where I started :( It didn't teach me to eat healthy. It didn't do any favors to my metabolism. I lost the weight but the second I started eating regular food, not indulging but just eating I gained it all back. So, I don't know about that little of calories because it is just not something I could do for life.

    *Facepalm* DUH! LOL I should have thought of that. I am so stuck at the 1200 calories thing.

    I have a rough time with 1200 calories... so I couldn't do it. Good luck! Whatever works for you!

    Under 800 is starvation mode for me...
  • ppiinnkkmmoonn
    ppiinnkkmmoonn Posts: 418
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    i followed a strict diet of 800 and i was fine i had my doctor support and i have not gain any of my weight back contrary to most belief again no matter how you lose it you are who decide what happen after the weight is gone you have to have a plan to keep it gone.
    good luck!!:smile:
  • Lolyballs
    Lolyballs Posts: 180 Member
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    Always best to speak with your doctor when you are trying to lose weight. Now, my doctor told me to stop worrying about losing weight and start eating healthy. When I asked about heart rate while exercising she said "do what you can". I use the guidelines set up in my diet profile but I am trying not to eat back exercise calories and I stopped logging certain things as exercise because they are things I do everyday. Today I have totally blown it on eating but tomorrow is a brand new day and a brand new start!

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