Low Calories, Starvation Mode... keep it accurate

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  • Samstan101
    Samstan101 Posts: 699 Member
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    There's a 3rd option to VLCD or 'the knife' and that's to change eating habits, learn moderation, exercise and realise there are no quick fixes. By doing all this I've gone from morbidly obese to losing 103lbs in a little over a year (54 weeks) and am losing an average of 1.5lbs a week whilst eating 1900 cals a day.

    I agree that if a Dr recommends VLCD for a short period of time and its supervised then fine, but if a Dr was then recommending to continue to eat below your BMR (which anyone at over 200lbs, of a normal height range and with no underlying metabolic disorders is doing) if they're eating 1200cals a day I'd be querying how much time they spent studying nutrition & diet.
  • LoriLee133
    LoriLee133 Posts: 6 Member
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    Right, i don't know how a lot of people will react to this post but i'm going to post it anyway and hope for no abuse, or minimal abuse.

    i am a healthy weight now, but i now try to (unless a celebratory/special event) eat around 800-1000 calories a day, otherwise i start gaining weight. i don't know why but i do, its not even like i sit all day, i walk (quickly) at least 9 hours a week around 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, plus i go running at least twice a week and i go to the gym around 3 times a week. but i still gain weight if i eat any more.

    its bloody difficult to eat that amount, but i'd rather do that than go back to how i was. i have low calorie drinks or a cup of tea for breakfast, the same for lunch, sometimes i will eat a salad, and for dinner i cook healthy meals but i only eat around a tennis ball sized portion, the rest is salad.

    that is the only way i stay slim, and to be honest i don't even feel that slim. even though i'm a uk size 6 (us size 2) i don't feel skinny, but i trust in my size and am not actively trying to lose weight.

    the point i'm trying to make is that not everyone eats a low calorie diet to lose weight quickly, some have to do it for a living.

    How tall are you? If you don't mind me asking!

    i am a measly 5 ft haha!! short from my mothers side, shes the same

    Well you got an inch on me lol.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    There's a 3rd option to VLCD or 'the knife' and that's to change eating habits, learn moderation, exercise and realise there are no quick fixes. By doing all this I've gone from morbidly obese to losing 103lbs in a little over a year (54 weeks) and am losing an average of 1.5lbs a week whilst eating 1900 cals a day.

    I agree that if a Dr recommends VLCD for a short period of time and its supervised then fine, but if a Dr was then recommending to continue to eat below your BMR (which anyone at over 200lbs, of a normal height range and with no underlying metabolic disorders is doing) if they're eating 1200cals a day I'd be querying how much time they spent studying nutrition & diet.

    Excellent point on Dr recommendation.

    Is this the general Dr just going for common recommendation they recall and see all the time, relying on their one 6 month course of diet and nutrition?

    Or is this a specialist Dr as OP sounds like she had that knew his stuff?

    Perhaps that's why I see comments of ones who claim to be Dr supervised sounding like they didn't listen or weren't told much and have no clue about things it seems.
  • bethcox16
    bethcox16 Posts: 229 Member
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    Right, i don't know how a lot of people will react to this post but i'm going to post it anyway and hope for no abuse, or minimal abuse.

    i am a healthy weight now, but i now try to (unless a celebratory/special event) eat around 800-1000 calories a day, otherwise i start gaining weight. i don't know why but i do, its not even like i sit all day, i walk (quickly) at least 9 hours a week around 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, plus i go running at least twice a week and i go to the gym around 3 times a week. but i still gain weight if i eat any more.

    its bloody difficult to eat that amount, but i'd rather do that than go back to how i was. i have low calorie drinks or a cup of tea for breakfast, the same for lunch, sometimes i will eat a salad, and for dinner i cook healthy meals but i only eat around a tennis ball sized portion, the rest is salad.

    that is the only way i stay slim, and to be honest i don't even feel that slim. even though i'm a uk size 6 (us size 2) i don't feel skinny, but i trust in my size and am not actively trying to lose weight.

    the point i'm trying to make is that not everyone eats a low calorie diet to lose weight quickly, some have to do it for a living.

    How tall are you? If you don't mind me asking!

    i am a measly 5 ft haha!! short from my mothers side, shes the same

    Well you got an inch on me lol.


    its great being small though!! the best things come in small packages, i love being short and if i'm honest i'm not even really 5 ft , 5ft on a good day maybe haha!!!
  • sevvakatsjoy
    sevvakatsjoy Posts: 1 Member
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    caloric expenditure ..... not starvation mode !!!!!!
  • Roaringgael
    Roaringgael Posts: 339 Member
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    Each to their own.
    Try anything with doctors supervision! Give it ago.

    I made a decision to stop over eating last September due to a ridiculous injury caused by my being too heavy.
    Enough was enough for me.

    In late January I started swimming, thanks to someones enthusiasm for it right here on MFP.

    Thanks to another thread (many threads) of information I corrected my intake to take in the extra calories needed for the energy I was out putting. Not only did I start to lose more weight I was eating more - thank you MFP people who pump for plenty of food!!!

    I think this is sustainable! for the rest of my life because I am eating plenty, when I'm hungry I can satisfy myself.

    Thank you MFP you are all wonderful and keep up all that information!!!!!

    :flowerforyou:
    :love:
    :laugh:
  • jdb3388
    jdb3388 Posts: 239 Member
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    People, often times, criticize the VLCD and don't really even know what it is, or more importantly, WHY it is. I don't think you need to be under strict supervision of a doctor to be on a VLCD. I think that's a "safe word" thing to say so that people who have no business on one don't get to thinking it's ok for them. The whole entire point of a VLCD is this, and this alone: the risk of serious injury or death due to obesity is a more immediate concern than the risk of complications due to malnourishment. The other thing that I think a lot of folks don't realize is that VLCD is a temporary thing. You only do it until you get out of the "obese" category and back into the "overweight" category. And then, once you are there, you can't just come off of it like you weren't on it, you have to ween yourself off of it and back on to a regular diet. It was never meant to get you to the peak of health and it has never claimed to be a healthy way to diet. What it does is quickly gets you out of the fire and back into the frying pan, so to speak, so that you can make wise, healthy decisions from there on about becoming healthy and physically fit.
  • foxyv069
    foxyv069 Posts: 23
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    I guess to the OP's point then.

    If you are correctly on a supervised VLCD - why mention it?

    Why does it have to come up at all.

    If the complaint is the weight loss has slowed down or stopped - then why would someone being supervised ask here for help?

    I did not ask for help nor did I ask any questions. The only complaint I made was the viciousness of others on another woman I saw who was on a low cal diet here. I see 2 doctors regularly, my main doctor who initiated the diet and I see a dietician weekly. The way I am eating right now there is no risk of becoming malnourished. I get more vitamins/minerals than I ever did before, and like I pointed out to try to calm the waves was daily intake is roughly 100-120g protein, 70 carbs, and all the vitamins/minerals I need. Do I enjoy this? No, I'd much rather eat a large pepperoni pizza and a 2 liter of pepsi. If I had a question, I wouldnt ask it here really because I see alot of ignorance as it is. Everyone's body is different and everyone's outlook is different. For the time being, I'm losing weight, in a healthy way, on a VLCD.

    No one has to live in my shoes, no one lives my life... I just didnt appreciate people discouraging others bc they are on a VLCD. If they are legitimately obese and not some young thin person, why treat them poorly? Why treat anyone you dont know like that at all? Look up the post gastric bypass diet yourself. Its a common VLCD. People post op go months on just eating a few hundred calories. But they recieve their calories in such a way that their bodies receive ample nutrition. I have PCOS and I am not the same as the next person who can just cut back calories and drop weight. I also gain weight crazy easily. It's just how it is sometimes. Just please stop becoming so defensive bc someone says that is the diet they are doing. Im speaking to everyone in general. I dont argue with those that pop diet pills, nor those that just eat fruits and veggies. Its their life and body. I just root for them anyways because ultimately we are all cheerleaders for everyone else.
  • foxyv069
    foxyv069 Posts: 23
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    And might I just add... people who are having to do a VLCD, it takes a great deal of strength and will power. I think if they are on it correctly then they should be commended and not lectured. It's hard going from eating like crap to 800 cals/day. My 800 calories of supplements, bars and chicken breast is much better nutritionally than a person eating 2000 calories of fruits and veggies. And even though the VLCD doesnt teach us HOW to eat, it does teach us to realize when we are hungry, or just eating to eat. My dietician says to not allow myself to be hungry. But, first drink a glass of water to make sure I truly am hungry. often times I realize I was just thirsty. Then, if I really am hungry, then I eat something. I do not deny myself food. But at the end of the day we all are trying to lose weight and be healthy. Giving up many foods is not what I wanted to do, nor is it something any over eater wants to do. Like, I am a recovering addict. I havent had a drink or drug in 2 months. That is difficult, but it is what I must do. Now I must give up the pizza and oreos because I am killing myself. Its hard. Very hard. And its the pats on the back that keep me going and the encouraging words that give me motivation.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
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    I do think you need a pat on the back and encouragement because you are suffering during your weight loss journey and that is unfortunate. I wonder why your doctor wants you to take such drastic measures. That was a rhetorical question and I don't expect an answer. I really would like to know what you were talking about earlier when you said you were resetting your hypothalamus gland. How did your doctor explain that, please? I've never heard of that as a requirement/part of a weight loss strategy.
  • foxyv069
    foxyv069 Posts: 23
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    oh, its not a requirement at all. Sorry, I did forget you mentioned that. Because I have PCOS and I was above 40% BMI, and I refused surgery, my doctor also recommended medications for my hypothalamus, in addition to metformin for my hormone imbalance (insulin resistance). However, that is about when I tried to go chemical/toxin free in my life and I refused the meds. I am a pain in the *kitten*, I know. lol. I was not intending to reset it, quite simply bc I knew nothing about it. I just did a diet that was suggested to me by him, and was referred to a nutritionist/dietician. I was placed on a low cal diet that apparently had much thought and research behind it. I dropped about 30+ lbs in a very short period. I was not supposed to just go off it, but, like I said, Im a pain in the *kitten*... and I started slacking on regular visits to the doc and eventually just went back to eating what I was before the diet. Somehow, the diet alone caused it to reset, although I still have pcos and hormone imbalances, I managed to keep that 30+lbs off regardless what and how much I ate. It was like when I was at 265. If I lost a pound or two by dieting myself, I would eventually gain it back, just like if I ate like a cow, my body would regulate itself back to that weight. My new regulated weight is about 233. I cant explain the science behind it, but I dont argue it. :) Eventually, I hope to rid of everything that PCOS and bad diet have done to me and my body. :)
  • countscalories
    countscalories Posts: 418 Member
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    Oh, brother. Most people who are on a VLCD are on it to stay alive, not to look svelte in a bikini in two weeks! I'm not talking about people who get nagged by their doctors because they have 20 pounds to lose. I'm talking about extremely overweight people who often have to drop serious weight immediately. The luxury of a 1400-calorie diet is just not an option for them at this point. Once they are out of the "danger zone", a higher-calorie plan can be implemented until maintenance is reached. Is that so hard to understand? Also, different doctors have different opinions and levels of nutritional education as it applies to the overweight. But all doctors (I hope) have the same basic concern: they don't want their patients to die. Thus, the need for a VLCD for some people.

    The OP has not advertised nor recommended her diet to others. She told us what SHE is doing to lose weight and get healthy. It's HER story. If someone posts that they are doing well by following a doctor-supervised diet that requires them to eat their shoes* for dinner, good for them! Unless they are advertising or recommending the diet, it's no harm, no foul. If you're dumb and decide to try it for yourself without asking your doctor, that's your problem. We all need to be responsible for ourselves. If you're intelligent enough to realize you need to lose weight, if you were able to use a computer to find this site, register as a member, and read the posts, you should be intelligent enough to know that what works for one person may not work for you.


    *nutritional data varies depending on size and style-- see database
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
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    oh, its not a requirement at all. Sorry, I did forget you mentioned that. Because I have PCOS and I was above 40% BMI, and I refused surgery, my doctor also recommended medications for my hypothalamus, in addition to metformin for my hormone imbalance (insulin resistance). However, that is about when I tried to go chemical/toxin free in my life and I refused the meds. I am a pain in the *kitten*, I know. lol. I was not intending to reset it, quite simply bc I knew nothing about it. I just did a diet that was suggested to me by him, and was referred to a nutritionist/dietician. I was placed on a low cal diet that apparently had much thought and research behind it. I dropped about 30+ lbs in a very short period. I was not supposed to just go off it, but, like I said, Im a pain in the *kitten*... and I started slacking on regular visits to the doc and eventually just went back to eating what I was before the diet. Somehow, the diet alone caused it to reset, although I still have pcos and hormone imbalances, I managed to keep that 30+lbs off regardless what and how much I ate. It was like when I was at 265. If I lost a pound or two by dieting myself, I would eventually gain it back, just like if I ate like a cow, my body would regulate itself back to that weight. My new regulated weight is about 233. I cant explain the science behind it, but I dont argue it. :) Eventually, I hope to rid of everything that PCOS and bad diet have done to me and my body. :)

    I'm going to guess that your body is comfortable eating at maintenance for the weight now (233) just as it was comfortable eating maintenance for 265 at one point. I do understand that. The highest I ever saw on a scale was 235 about 15 years ago, at a doctor's office of course because I did not own a scale for much of my life. I likely was at that weight for a few years due to my clothes fitting the same for a time period. When I started having uncomfortable upper back pain I was diagnosed with gall bladder problems (2 stones detected by ultra-sound) and like you I did not want surgery or drugs so took my doctor's advice to cut back on "fatty foods", especially deep fried foods and soups where fatty meats were cooked in the liquid without cooling and removing fat before eating. This lifestyle change eliminated the gall bladder discomfort and also resulted in about a 10 pound weight loss which I maintained without any effort -- so I figure I was eating at maintenance for 225 for the past decade, more or less. There may have been times I went up or down a few pounds but since I never weighed myself until last August I was not aware of it.

    I've noticed that much of the trade-off I've done with calories since finding and using the MFP calorie deficit plan, is replacing processed/refined carbs with complex carbs and increasing my protein intake. Obviously I've also decreased my calorie amount too because I'm losing weight week after week. Interestingly, to me, is that I had convinced myself before starting on this weight loss journey to better health that as I was getting older my body didn't need as much protein. I now think maybe that was bunk.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    I understand that sometimes vlcd are used for extremely obese people, but I have a real problem with young girls that come on here and eat very little food. For example, "I'm 19 female weigh 125 and need to lose 10 lbs so I eat 900 calories per day" that's where I get angry. I think everyone will have their own opinions, but I believe that vlcd have a place for very overweight people, with doctor supervision. But they shouldn't be used for vanity weight.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Oh, brother. Most people who are on a VLCD are on it to stay alive, not to look svelte in a bikini in two weeks! I'm not talking about people who get nagged by their doctors because they have 20 pounds to lose. I'm talking about extremely overweight people who often have to drop serious weight immediately. The luxury of a 1400-calorie diet is just not an option for them at this point. Once they are out of the "danger zone", a higher-calorie plan can be implemented until maintenance is reached. Is that so hard to understand? Also, different doctors have different opinions and levels of nutritional education as it applies to the overweight. But all doctors (I hope) have the same basic concern: they don't want their patients to die. Thus, the need for a VLCD for some people.

    The OP has not advertised nor recommended her diet to others. She told us what SHE is doing to lose weight and get healthy. It's HER story. If someone posts that they are doing well by following a doctor-supervised diet that requires them to eat their shoes* for dinner, good for them! Unless they are advertising or recommending the diet, it's no harm, no foul. If you're dumb and decide to try it for yourself without asking your doctor, that's your problem. We all need to be responsible for ourselves. If you're intelligent enough to realize you need to lose weight, if you were able to use a computer to find this site, register as a member, and read the posts, you should be intelligent enough to know that what works for one person may not work for you.


    *nutritional data varies depending on size and style-- see database

    If a person posts that they're doing a VLCD and losing lots of weight they are promoting it. That's the way the community guidelines are written and that's the way they are enforced.

    Like I said earlier, I think the OP is going about it the way it should be done if one is going to do it. But I still think MFP is correct not to allow the promotion of VLCDs on the boards.

    And yes, if a person posts that they're on a shoe-based doctor supervised diet I'm going to tell them to get a second opinion.
  • billhilly1968
    billhilly1968 Posts: 75 Member
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    I eat 800-900 calories a day and have since November 2013. I am trying to lose some weight, I have lost some but have hit a stand still and am quite hungry. Am I doing something wrong? My RNY doctor told me to keep my calories around 800 for losing weight and work up to 1000 for maintaince. Any one else a RNYer?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I eat 800-900 calories a day and have since November 2013. I am trying to lose some weight, I have lost some but have hit a stand still and am quite hungry. Am I doing something wrong? My RNY doctor told me to keep my calories around 800 for losing weight and work up to 1000 for maintaince. Any one else a RNYer?

    Yes, that's very wrong. Here, read this and follow the instructions:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • Dgydad
    Dgydad Posts: 104 Member
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    Your initial post clearly defines why VLCD's are a generally bad idea if not truly medically necessary. One, they require proper medical supervision, b/c they DO skirt starvation. Second, b/c "you go back to eating like crap". So, your net gain is zero. Fad diet hucksters love folks like you, hon......................
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    My problem is the woman on the first page who has 18lbs to lose who saw this post as a validation for the VLCD she wants to do. My biggest problem with posts like this is that you put tons of qualifiers on it: short term, have a lot of weight to lose, recommended by doctor, closely followed by a doctor. However, many people skip all that and read what they want. Of course, they skip all the posts about people with success at higher calories too, so I'm not sure there is much of a way to get through to those people anyways.

    OP: congrats on your progress and keeping the weight off once you switched to a more moderate diet. Good luck with the rest of your loss.
  • Tigermum9
    Tigermum9 Posts: 546 Member
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    My doc advised a vlcd...approx 800 cals a day. I did it for 2 weeks then completely went off the rails and ate like crazy, I gained 13lb on top of what I lost. I couldnt do it... too boring and too restrictive. But respect to those who can. I am not on a diet now...just cutting portions down and am losing slow and steady

    Good luck x

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