Being told 1200 cal a day= starvation mode

arewethereyet

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines

Good Morning my MFP Friends,

I have cleaned up this thread, started by our new member just asking a simple question that was new to her!

MFP does NOT promote any type of VLCD in our forums. For that reason some of your posts were deleted, or edited to remove a post you quoted.

Also, please be kind. We were all new here at some point, and didn't have all the answers.

She has a right to post a question without fear of being attacked or mocked.

I did not issue warnings for some of the infractions, as they were just heated, not outright rude.

Thank you for continueing to keep the boards fun for EVERYONE!

:flowerforyou: Arewethereyet MFP Moderator

kathyms13

i actualy eat quite well and i dont try to get other people to eat as i do tho to eat lots of veg lean meat fruit and low sugar is quite a good diet.
i have loads of energy more than before i lost the over 7 and a half stones. i feel more healthy than i have done for years.
All i can say to you is good luck on your journey, we all do this our own way we travel the same road but in different shoes.
god bless.

--edited by Moderator AWTY----

ClementineGeorg

I am not going into that starvation mode discussion.

What I want to tell you, and some have already said, is that 2 pounds a week is to much for a person needing to lose 44 pounds. For a person needing to lose 100 lbs may be more ok.

I know that we all want to lose as fast as we can, but try to get more documentated on the efects of losing weight slowly vs losing quickly.

Everybody is different, but try to take more things into consideration.
Maybe trying 1.5 pounds a week with lowering to 1 pound as you loose your first 20 pounds.

katevarner

Keep in mind that MFP can only go with the information it has, too, so like others have said, you have to see how it works for you. I have a lot less body fat than most women my age, and MFP doesn't take that into account, so it tells me to eat a lot less than I eat. I actually have it set to gain even tho I'm in maintenance, and I still eat most of my exercise calories and I've actually lost over the last 2 weeks. Going to have to eat all of my exercise calories to maintain, I think, and that's with it set to gain .5 lb. per week.

If 1200 doesn't work for you, then like others have recommended, check out Dan's roadmap. And get your body fat measured if you want the BMR and TDEE calculations to be more accurate.

angiechimpanzee

Thats how I lost my weight. and I've kept it off for 2 years now.

You never hit a plateau?

chelbivandine

I honestly believe that starvation mode is a myth, atleast for me anyway. I workout like crazy and I eat only 1400 a say even when I work out and burn 400-500 calories. I know this isnt healthy for me but I cant eat anymore I just dont have the appetitie. Most of my diet is fruits and veggies and you have to eat A LOT to get to that amount. My point is even will be only taking in 900-1000 calories a day (that is including the calories I burned from workout) I am still losing about 3 lbs a week so you will lose weight, trust me.

arewethereyet

Good Morning my MFP Friends,

I have cleaned up this thread, started by our new member just asking a simple question that was new to her!

........

:flowerforyou: Arewethereyet MFP Moderator

"Cleaned up"?

I had to tend to something in the kitchen, came back to read a very long, extremely helpful post written by someone nearer my age, and poof, it's gone!! I'm 71, and what that 60-sonething had to say was a lot more relevant, and frankly a lot more interesting, than your weightloss experience.

Seems to me that one can get deleted from here just by mentioning certain verboten topics! So I won't mention my daily calorie level, my thoughts about starvation, my doctor's advice, etc.

I gently suggest that "decimated" is a more accurate description of the editing that has taken place here. 95% of the posts that were deleted were not degrading or demeaning in

Hi! I had to move some stuff around because, as I stated,per the Guidelines VLCD are not encouraged. If someone quoted the post, I removed it or any reference.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines

Honeslty, I do the best I can as a 5 yr member and volunteer to give back. Any reference to very low calorie diet is not allowed. So I removed it.

I hope you have a lovely day

SassyCalyGirl

I ate less than 1200 cals when I was in "weight loss" mode. I did not starve and didn't do any damage. In fact I lost my unwanted 10lbs and a significant amount of body fat while actually increasing my lean mass.(through exercise and weight training) It can be done-despite all the crap people here will tell you. Do what works for YOU (lots of protein and fiber helps keep you fuller longer)

RachelSRoach1

Starvation mode is only a myth and doesn't exist. If it did, you wouldn't see people in third world countries that are skin and bones from lack of calories.

Everyone is different. You have to figure out what works for you. I've lost 100 pounds in 8 months eating 1200 calories. It works for me but it may not work for others.

If you feel 1200 isn't enough, try to up it by 100 calories for a week and see how it goes. What works for one person, wont always work for the other.

Good luck!

^^This

shirleyd1959

1200 calories a day (non-exercise days) of whole food is good to start with. Your body most likely will not go into starvation mode. Important though is to be sure you get enough good fat (olive, coconut, canola to name a few). Consider taking quality multi-vitamins, calcium, omega-3 (from Krill fish is best) and probiotic supplements. If 1200 a day is difficult for you, you can choose to increase that by maybe 100 calories and just be OK with the fact that your weight loss will slow down. One way you can compensate is to NOT eat all of the calories you burn on your exercise days. Maybe save 100 calories on exercise days for your 1300 calorie days. Protein and healthy fats will help you feel more full. Alternate between hot and cold liquids. I've been using a protein powder that I really like. Its called Garden of Life Raw Protein. I mix 1 scoop (80 calories) of it with 1C of Good Karma Unsweetened Flax Milk(25 calories) and add up to 1tsp of Flora Flax Oil. Its a satisfying snack or a refuel after exercise. In my humble opinion the average exerciser creates more damage than help because they credit themselves with more calories burned than what honestly was burned (even using a calculator). It takes a lot of hard exercise to burn a significant number of calories, so beware of over-compensating. Enjoy the journey!

jmk6500

I have lost 50 lbs over the last 8 months (I am a 60 yr old woman). I try to keep it at 1400 calories a day. If I exercise, I sometimes eat more which allows me a little extra. I did not exercise at the beginning and ate the 1400 and still lost. I do not eat many starches or processed foods. I eat mostly protein and vegetables, little fruit. 1200 does seem pretty low, I haven't lost real fast, but steady. I have my times I eat over 1400, but I try to keep it around that and the weight comes off. I have been trying to make this a lifestyle instead of just a diet. I do use MyFitnessPal every day to track..it is kinda fun. I have a girlfriend who is much smaller built than me and she has maintained a 40 lb loss for about 6 years now and she says she stays around 1400 or 1600 with exercise. If you are younger, you probably have an even better metabolism than me.

arewethereyet

Arewethereyet,

Your response would be more useful if you told me what vcld means.

Also, "have a nice day" is a flippant phrase that strikes we older folk in the same way a thumb flip off the noses does. Sorry to tell you that, but it doesn't create a sense of community here when you say things like that.

Best wishes,
Amanda

Amanda,

Sorry, I did not mean it in that way at all! I always wish every one a lovely or nice day and honeslty mean it.

Very Low Calorie Diet = VLCD

:flowerforyou: Jeannine

josyjozy

Just to chime in and repeat another poster

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

It's an extremely helpful post that put things in order for me. I check back to it every month or so. I encourage you to read it.

Miss_Mabee

My best advice to you is that everyone thinks they are a weight-loss expert but all of our bodies work differently. What works for the ladies at work may not work the same for you. Everyone who finds out I am tracking calories has some advice of some sort or another but most are misunderstood facts from unrelated fad diets.
I find it easiest to listen and agree with them and then continue your weight loss plan that is working for you. No one has to know! lol

cwoodruff24

Starvation mode is anything under 1200 calories a day! 1200 is the minimum calorie intake for an adult. Even the MFP app will tell you if you haven't consumed it least 1200 calories your body will think it's starving. Once you complete your diary it's in the small black print on the bottom. It only appears there if you have consumed less than 1200 calories though.

Helloitsdan

Its not starvation mode.....but its probably not your number either.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Figure out your TDEE then just cut from there.

And props to the posters of the road map.

RobKarmic

Eat often but in small amounts and you will be fine

geetarGayle

never go below 1200....ever, always eat up to the 1200 if you exercise. be patient........this program works awesome.. . .but it is steady as she goes. I am going on 3 yrs doing it. when I try to change up or eat less, I gain ? Body tries to keep it's fat to nourish itself, esp if a female.
I have lost 66 lbs in 2 yrs, gained back 10 this last yr and now realizing I probably have to document my food for the rest of my life to stay in goal range.
I have 15 to goal and want to hit it before my 60th birthday in April.

thin2b56

It depends on you and your own metabolism I think.......I had a metabolic test done a year ago and
for my body response on their testing equipment ...etc..they had be all hooked up....it said 1300 is
what I needed a day to maintain......as we age we need less food and that is kindof the cut and dry of it....
I know if I eat 1500 or over too many days in a row I gain.....I also know that for my body if I stick at 1200 and under
and exercise on a schedule i can loose about half a pound a week......
It depends on your own body burn...if that makes any sense

Helloitsdan

If you eat good quality wholesome foods you'll be fine

I'm losing weight and building muscle. I don't feel hungry and I take a daily viatmin because I was having trouble getting enough from what I was eating which I honestly think is because allot of the foods entered in the data base aren't entered properly.

Your body will tell you when you are hungry. Listen to it and feed it if that is what it needs

You arent building muscle at 1200 unless you are 3 foot tall.
You need a surplus or alien DNA to do that.
You probably are losing it though.

Before saying stuff like this i'd like to quote Brad Pilon "DEXA or it didnt happen!"

What you meant to say is "Ive lost significant fat around my muscle and so i have better definition.

If you break down the macros for each food you eat at 1200 youd probably realize that its really not enough to feed your body.

Are you getting 1g protein per pound of LBM?
Are you getting .40-.70g of fat per pound of LBM?

99% of the people doing the "1200 calories diet" arent and thus failing at said diet.