Low Calories, Starvation Mode... keep it accurate

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foxyv069
foxyv069 Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
First, "starvation mode" isn't what people keep yelling on here. You will not gain weight if you eat too few calories. Your metabolic rate slows a certain amount, but you still lose weight. And, yes, eating too few calories makes it hard to receive adequate nutrients WITHOUT using supplements. And after a low calorie diet, you have greater chances of gaining all the weight back plus some because of your lowered metabolic rate.

If you are doing a low calorie diet (800-1200) it should first be approved by a doctor and it should only be done for a short time, not long term. And this is for the extremely overweight, not someone looking to lose just 50 lbs or so.

The reason I bring this up is because I have seen several people telling others who are consuming few calories that they will gain weight, turn anorexic or they need therapy.

Last year, I was on a supervised 800 calorie diet and I posted that I was having a hard time reaching the calorie count in healthy ways so I asked for suggestions. I was advised that I needed counseling, that I was a troll and I was unhealthy. WELL, I got passed the snarky remarks, and I did drop 30lbs. I reset my hypothalamus and after going back to eating like crap, I managed to keep this weight off (within 5lbs). But I see these same remarks going towards other people, and I just hope before the know it alls make inaccurate assumptions, research before you ridicule. <3
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Replies

  • jdb3388
    jdb3388 Posts: 239 Member
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    You're pissin up a rope ma'am. It's a lost cause to argue VLCDs on this forum. I believe in them, I've used them, and they work for people who are obese like I was. But these health nuts will crucify you for mentioning it around here. Some of them don't understand, but I think for the most part, it's one of those things that you just don't want to be glorified because if it becomes glorified then that means people who aren't fat enough to be doing it will start doing it and then you have a bunch of people who are doing more harm than good. So it's best just talk talk about VLCD like they are Satan's diet so no one goes down path, even tho some should.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    This forum has user agreements and such. I would never recommend anyone Net below their BMR without being under DIRECT supervision of their doctor for other health issues.

    That being said, if anyone "attacks" you on this forum? Then report them to the moderators.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    I understand that people who are severely overweight are often told to go on VLCDs to lose weight quickly because their health is more at risk by being overweight than by following this diet for a limited period of time. But I have seen posters on this site who are normal weight eating 1000 calories or less. I've seen females following this plan so they can get to 90 lbs. and even normal weight or slightly overweight males following this plan to lose "the last 10 lbs" quickly because they are impatient. I suppose this is a risk of having a site completely devoted to diet and eating, that people who are obsessed are going to go on it and find out how to continue with their obsession.
  • foxyv069
    foxyv069 Posts: 23
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    Yes, I completely agree that it is not for those that are simply overweight. In my instance I was morbidly obese and was even advised by my doctor to have gastric bypass (my BMI was 42%) So I did the diet until I got under 40 bmi. Everyone definitely needs to do this the healthy way. Thats one of the points of losing weight, right? For health. :) Once I tried the HCG diet (500 cals) WITHOUT supervision and I lost weight, yeah, but was dizzy and ended up gaining all the weight back plus another 10. NOT RECOMMENDED!! Right now I am on a VLCD, but my nutritionist has me on a diet similar to those post gastric bypass, ensuring I recieve adequate nutrition. :) I normally dont post on here bc of the hell I received a year ago, but I felt very sad for another woman I had seen who was jumped on bc of it. I was just hoping to help some people understand that sometimes people are advised of low cal diets, and its ok.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    ...I normally dont post on here bc of the hell I received a year ago, but I felt very sad for another woman I had seen who was jumped on bc of it. I was just hoping to help some people understand that sometimes people are advised of low cal diets, and its ok.

    I'm glad you didn't give up on us and that you're still willing to help others here. Good luck with your goals! :flowerforyou:
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    The problem is that there are some young girls that come on this site that are eat very low calorie and they are not under a doctors supervision. They exercise for hours burning even more calories. Sad part is...some of them are already underweight.

    I tend to think that if someone is an adult and they make the choice to go low calorie...I might not agree...but it is their choice. In your case...your choice was made along with your doctor...I am sure that you are probably being monitored so at least you are doing it wisely.

    How do you feel about someone that has less than 50lbs going VLCD?
  • foxyv069
    foxyv069 Posts: 23
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    How do you feel about someone that has less than 50lbs going VLCD?

    Personally, I think it's better to just change eating habits all together. If all I had to lose was 50lbs, my doctor would not have put me on a VLCD, nor recommended bariatric surgery. But I had to lose 120 to be considered in healthy weight range. I was prediabetic, have PCOS and now arthritis and a fatty liver (and im only 28)! It is for those that are obese, or in serious health risks, where a VLCD is in immediate need to drop pounds. I did this to myself, I know. And I have to say I HATE the vlcd, and I wouldnt wish it on anyone. But it was years of poor eating that got me here, so I must suffer with it for now. If anyone out there wants to do it just to drop a few pounds, I plead with you to not. It really sucks. Not to mention, we have to each relearn how to eat in general and a VLCD isnt to teach us that, it is just to get us out of the danger zone. But, to those that are on it (correctly), I sympathize and I am totally understanding what you are going through.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
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    Would you please explain exactly what you meant when you said this in the first post:

    "I reset my hypothalamus and after going back to eating like crap, I managed to keep this weight off (within 5lbs). "

    Thanks!
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
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    800-1200 is not considered a VLCD. it's 800 or under that is considered a vlcd medically. 1200 is the lowest considered here just because it's the lowest number where you can still hypothetically get all the nutrients you need to be healthy.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    If that 800 calorie diet worked so well, why did you go back to "eating like crap?" You just negated your argument. Some of us create a plan that is moderate, nutritious and satisfying for life. We don't need to abandon that.
  • kdillson70
    kdillson70 Posts: 63
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    If that 800 calorie diet worked so well, why did you go back to "eating like crap?" You just negated your argument. Some of us create a plan that is moderate, nutritious and satisfying for life. We don't need to abandon that.


    If your Dr. recommends it, then so be it under strict supervision. However, this is a quick fix solution for a short period of time. Do you plan on eating this way the rest of your life? It will be short lived life at that rate.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I agree with you on the "starvation mode" thing, I see that misrepresented on these forums all the time, people claiming that if you go to low in calories your body will start storing fat or other such nonsense.

    As for the VCLDs I actually understand the response they get on a forum like this. You are right that such a diet should only be followed under close scrutiny from a medical professional...which is exactly why no one on an internet forum is going to dare to recommend them or even say they are okay. No one wants that responsibility, if you want to eat that low that's between you and the doctor but leave me out of it is generally my response.

    My understanding is the only legitmate reason for a VCLD is amongst the morbidly obese where a doctor might prescribe such a diet in the short term because the persons blood pressure is so high they might stroke out at any moment. Its not meant to be a weight loss regime that is sustainable or healthy.
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
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    It's mostly for the young women (and sometimes men) who see those posts and think "gee, if it's okay for her, it must be okay for me and be an awesome way for me to weigh 100 pounds at 5'7."
  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
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    Every time I did a VLCD, i lost weight, and kept it off. The only reason i gained back 43lbs was because I refused to endanger my fetus while pregnant, and after i gave birth, i kept the same crappy eating habits. Today is the first day of my new VLCD. God. It's like im quitting drugs!
  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
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    i would like to add in that as i lost weight, i went from 800 calories a day to 1200, to 1500. I would add 100 cals for every 10 lbs lost. Worked for me, but i had 65lbs to lose.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I am with you on starvation mode. It is incorrect the way that most people use it here. I think a lot of people think the way to get people to eat more is to tell them a big scary lie, and a lot of other people believe it because they read it somewhere. It's one of those "common knowledge" things that turns out not to be true. But there are plenty of other, better, reasons not to eat so few calories. Muscle loss, hormonal issues (from low fats), binging, mood swings/disorders, and poor nutrition are all good enough reasons for me.

    The reason VLCDs are discouraged is that many many people will see that a person is doing one and dropping a lot of weight fast, and they'll do it too. Only they won't consult their doctor. And maybe they only have a few pounds to lose or they have a perfectly healthy metabolism. I see it in success stories often when someone posts that they lost 150 lbs in a year. Everyone wants to know what that person did so they can emulate them, and that's generally not a good thing.

    Imo, VLCDs are for the morbidly obese who are under the direct supervision of a doctor and a dietician. It's not the sort of thing that should be encouraged on a forum where no one knows another person's physical or mental health.
  • foxyv069
    foxyv069 Posts: 23
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    Like I said, I dont encourage it, nor recommend it. It worked well for me, why did I stop cold turkey if it worked so well? Because Im human, because Im fat and oreo cookies keep coming out with new flavors. Why does anyone quit any diet or healthy way of life? I was on 800cals then, and am on it again this year under doctor and nutritionist supervision. I quit just short of my 2 month plan, and I did disappoint myself, but I managed somehow to keep the weight off. People will say how unhealthy this is, but it was also unhealthy the way I was eating. Claims are that I am not getting enough nutrients, but I wasnt getting any from my mcdoubles and cookie 4000 cal diet. Im getting all the nutrients I need. Maybe those that are so harsh against the VLCD'ers have never been morbidly obese? People post bariatric op eat less calories than I do, but my diet is similar to theirs. I just chose not to have surgery. I still have about 80lbs to lose, and in 2 months I will be upping my calories again (god willing I resist temptation) and incorporating exercise. :) Good luck to everyone, and even the nay sayers <3<3
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Like I said, I dont encourage it, nor recommend it. It worked well for me, why did I stop cold turkey if it worked so well? Because Im human, because Im fat and oreo cookies keep coming out with new flavors. Why does anyone quit any diet or healthy way of life? I was on 800cals then, and am on it again this year under doctor and nutritionist supervision. I quit just short of my 2 month plan, and I did disappoint myself, but I managed somehow to keep the weight off. People will say how unhealthy this is, but it was also unhealthy the way I was eating. Claims are that I am not getting enough nutrients, but I wasnt getting any from my mcdoubles and cookie 4000 cal diet. Im getting all the nutrients I need. Maybe those that are so harsh against the VLCD'ers have never been morbidly obese? People post bariatric op eat less calories than I do, but my diet is similar to theirs. I just chose not to have surgery. I still have about 80lbs to lose, and in 2 months I will be upping my calories again (god willing I resist temptation) and incorporating exercise. :) Good luck to everyone, and even the nay sayers <3<3

    That may be true, but it's excluding the middle. The choices aren't 4000 calories worth of cookies and fast food or 800 calories of healthy food.

    There's a whole range in the middle of a moderate deficit, plenty of nutrient dense food, and a few treats. The kind of plan that isn't quite so hard to stick to long term.

    I don't have a problem with the way you're doing things if that's your decision for yourself and you're getting medical support. But if I see someone asking about VLCDs in the forums I'm going to recommend against it, for all the reasons above.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,565 Member
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  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Yeah that is pretty much the image I get when I hear someone talk about their VLCD diet. I am sorry but there is no way thats good for you. You may drop fat fast but at the cost of muscle and general nutrition. If you are obese you can lose weight with a 2000 cal diet as long as you track your intake go for walks and are honest about it.

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