800-1000 calories a day

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I've been losing weight since April 2012. I started out around 400lbs. It took a year and 4 months to get 70lbs off doing it the "right way" and I hit a plateau in June 2013 and I decided to shock my body this month. I'm eating 800-1000 calories a day and I've lost 8lbs this past week. If I workout, I may go as high as 1200. I know people say it's not healthy, but I just want to be under 300lbs so badly and I only have 18 more pounds to go! I've heard of doctors putting extremely obese patients on an 800-1000 calorie diet. When I get to 299, I plan on taking it back up to 1200 calories a day for a while. As long as I'm not hungry, not passing out from low blood sugar, and losing weight, then what is the harm in this? Just want some opinions...no rude comments please.

Unless you are a doctor or are under a doctor's supervision on a diet that low, please do not do it. I know the impatience of wanting to get to a lower weight, but you're doing great without resorting to that.

^ This. It wouldn't be my ideal recommendation to go that low even under a doctor's supervision, but I certainly wouldn't try it without.

I know plateaus can be frustrating. Your diary is not open, so others cannot comment on the specifics. It does sound though like you've made some progress and you look good and in the updated picture I can see progress.

Good luck to you.

me advice is to up your daily calories you will still lose a lots, if you want that decifit try to make it happen with exercise. don't kill your metabolism!! then will be harder to get back on track, you will hit another plateau and what will you do then? reduce calories? up your calories while your are still on time.
Also if you lose too fast you may have more chance to see lose skin, which is not what we want!
Talk with some doctors they can advice you better. Also to avoid plateau you can just change workout you don't need to change your daily calories.
Anyway congratulations for your 70 lbs loss! Keep doing what you were doing!

Also what's your current calorie level?

eating under BMR = damaging your body. Organs, heart (which is a MUSCLE), bones, hormonal systems etc... just, NO.

check out www.iifym.com and see what it suggests your BMR to be. YOU MUST eat AT LEAST that. BMR is the amount of calories your body uses to basically keep you alive. Eat under this, and where do you think your body gets the extra energy? Sorry, it's NOT all fat. Muscle is included in that list. Your heart is a muscle.

Don't be naive or think that your case is different. Such a restrictive diet is harming yourself and going to make it HARDER for you in the long run

/endrant

VLCDs have specific risks. If you are aware of them and are trying to mitigate them (from binging to galls stones to nutritional issues) you can do this for a short time successfully. I would strongly recommend you see a doctor for supervision and supplements.

It's generally an unhealthy way to diet, but you seem to be aware of that.

So what happens when you hit a plateau again? Cut more? Then again? Until you're eating 100 calories a day and die.

That's what's wrong with it, if you are eating less you have less leeway to cut later.

Okay, I try not to be rude to anyone and you are no exception. My opinion, however, is probably not the one you are hoping to hear. Based on this reasoning:

You know it's not healthy and you acknowledge that you've prioritized speed over sustainability.

It's unhealthy, unsustainable, and ultimately not even the most effective method. So what's the point? To get to an arbitrary number on the scale and then to increase your calorie goal to another still-too-low number, equally arbitrarily? You'll still have a long way to go. Wouldn't it be better to build the right knowledge base and habits now?

What I would recommend is what I believe you already know.....educate yourself, look at this as a lifestyle change (read: long-term change rather than quick fix), fuel your body.

There are lots of success stories posted where people have lost weight comparable to what you're looking at and are now the most fit they have ever been. How many of them do you see who did it like this? I would rather learn from and imitate people who are healthy and successful than those who sprinted for a while and then gave up.

I hope you do well and I cannot in good conscience encourage this course of action.

It doesn't sound like a good idea to me, but your doctor can advise you better than any of us. I know weight loss can be difficult and you're getting desperate, but make sure you're not damaging your body more in the process!

Thanks everyone for your input. I just do what works for me. As for seeing a doctor, I would if I could afford it. I ironically work at a hospital and the medical insurance is so high I can't afford it. Just a fact. I wish all of you the best with whatever goals you're trying to reach. I feel better than I have in years. This website is a God-send.

This is not my first time reading this on mfp :frown: I almost cannot imagine our neighbors cannot see a doctor when needed. I won't hijack your thread, I could type forever on that subject. However, if you cannot see a doctor and you want to not only increase the quality of life but prolong it, do not do unnecessary damage to your vital organs.
If you eat 800 cals, and 1200 on the days you work out, you are confident you are 100% burning less than 400 calories? Because eating under your BMR is so dangerous and on top of it, you could have a caloric intake of less than 800 cals if you burnt more than 400 on a workout. What you are doing is dangerous when you have access to health care, but knowing you have family and people counting on you and no doctor to see you may not be aware of the damage that is occurring. That's the problem you don't feel the damage being done. Also the "what works for me?" umm this is science, our bodies all come down to scientific equations unless you have a medical condition "what works for me" should be the same across the board. If someone is eating well and working out hard, giving it 100 and not losing; they are either not eating as well as they claim, not working out as hard as they claim, or have a medical condition. So if you have a medical condition and have a deficit as large as this and have no access to a doctor this worries me.

I've been losing weight since April 2012. I started out around 400lbs. It took a year and 4 months to get 70lbs off doing it the "right way" and I hit a plateau in June 2013 and I decided to shock my body this month. I'm eating 800-1000 calories a day and I've lost 8lbs this past week. If I workout, I may go as high as 1200. I know people say it's not healthy, but I just want to be under 300lbs so badly and I only have 18 more pounds to go! I've heard of doctors putting extremely obese patients on an 800-1000 calorie diet. When I get to 299, I plan on taking it back up to 1200 calories a day for a while. As long as I'm not hungry, not passing out from low blood sugar, and losing weight, then what is the harm in this? Just want some opinions...no rude comments please.

I started off at the same weight as you (give or take 5 pounds) in May, 2013. Now it's September, and I have lost 76LBS.

I did this the "right way" I simply counted calories, stayed within my daily allowance and I started to exercise. As of yet, I've not hit a plateau.

Lowering your calories probably isn't going to help. I hate being hungry, it makes me miserable and short tempered. I think maybe twice I've had around 1000 calories since I started eating healthy, and that was due to work and travelling, and I felt tired and lethargic the next day.

The best way to go about this (IMO) is exercise. Build up a calorie deficit, go swimming, go for long moderately paced walks, etc. Then you can eat calories back, whilst still having a large deficit.

If you need any advice, just drop me a friend request.

Good luck!

I've been losing weight since April 2012. I started out around 400lbs. It took a year and 4 months to get 70lbs off doing it the "right way" and I hit a plateau in June 2013 and I decided to shock my body this month. I'm eating 800-1000 calories a day and I've lost 8lbs this past week. If I workout, I may go as high as 1200. I know people say it's not healthy, but I just want to be under 300lbs so badly and I only have 18 more pounds to go! I've heard of doctors putting extremely obese patients on an 800-1000 calorie diet. When I get to 299, I plan on taking it back up to 1200 calories a day for a while. As long as I'm not hungry, not passing out from low blood sugar, and losing weight, then what is the harm in this? Just want some opinions...no rude comments please.

I would advise caution with this approach. Intermittent fasting is supposed to have some benefits if done properly (and doesn't appear to be what you're suggesting here) but massive ongoing calorie deficits can backfire in a myriad of possible ways ranging from encouraging a binge/purge mentality, to 'falling off the wagon,' to nutrional deficits, and, if done long and consistently enough, to screwing up your metabolism.

It's sometimes hard to accept, but slow and steady seems to work best in the long run.

I've had the VSG and I'm down 80 lbs since May. Whether or not you've had surgery, please consider the following: Weigh and measure everything you put into your mouth. Eye balling it is not an option. Get a minimum of 50 to 60 grams of protein in everyday. Get a minimum of 64 fluid ounces in a day, preferably water. Watch your sodium intake. If you can exercise, even a walk around the block, do it, everyday. Follow the 30/30 rule, i.e., stop drinking any fluid 30 minutes before a meal, never drink with a meal, and wait 30 minutes after a meal to drink again. Eat your protein first, then vegetables, then fruit, then carbs, if any room. I personally don't count calories but I do monitor my protein intake closely. You are welcome to add me, if you'd like. I wish you the best.