What am i supposed to do now?
lovinmamaxo
Posts: 368 Member
It seems i have been really strict on myself. My calorie allowance is 2100 range and i typically don't ever go over 1400 plus i add in exercise... i talked to a nurse today that was stunned at my weight loss in 2 weeks. She said i need to go higher in my calories because my body is in shock mode and probably thinks i am starving it.. she said gradual calorie reduction is better than straight under calories which is what i am doing. She said the weight will come off not as drastic as now but she said if i continue this way i can set myself up for gaining it all back if i have 1 bad day... is this true?? I find now that i am used to the calories being under 1500 i don't know how i could get it at least to 1800 most of the time i don't feel hungry.... ah
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i'm in the same boat.
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my cal target is supposed to be 2200 after my defecit, but my dietician says i can eat anywhere between 1000 and 2000 a day, i usually stick to the lower, but you should follow healthcare advice. good luck0
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Absolutely true... I have my intake set at 1220 and I try to never take in less than 1120... When you exercise you should go ahead and eat those calories you burn... I also take one day (Friday or Saturday) and eat whatever I want... This helps keep me from snacking an messing up all week long and it also confuses my metabolism so it keeps working hard... You don't have to restrict yourself so much... You never want to lose more than 2 lbs a week... Hope this helps!0
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If you have 200 lb to lose ( not sure I read your ticker right) then it is going to be mostly water weight if you lost 18lb in two weeks and you certainly won't be doing that every week. When I was in my 20's, a 14 lb loss was usual for me in the first fortnight but it would go down to about 3 a week after that. I am not medically trained at all so I can't advise you but I would be going for closer to 1700 at this stage and eating some exercise calories back. But that is just me and I must reiterate that I am not qualified to advise you. You will hear all sorts of theories here and you need to make the judgement on what is right for you along with medical advice. I do work on the principal that if I feel well then I must be doing it right and if I do ever feel real hunger I will eat a bit more. Good luck with your journey0
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My opinion ---just add a fruit or two ---that will quickly meet the 1800 calorie intake and not jeopardize your fitness plan . And btw GOOD JOB on your discipline and weight loss in just 2 weeks. If I can lose that amount in 2 months that would be great
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Yes it's totally true and I know this from experiance. About 9 years ago I gradually changed my diet and added excersise, I was able to lose 40 pounds slowly (took me about 2 yrs) but then it stalled.....so I started eating less and working out more - I would say I was probably consuming about 1200 - 1300 calories a day and working out hard core 1 hr at the gym 5 days a week, walking everywhere AND I was a waitress - on my feet, running for 8 hours a day - I got completely stuck about 15 pounds away from my goal weight. Talk about FRUSTRATING!!!! I tweaked everything, except adding more calories back, I excersised/moved more and just got more frustrated and more frustrated. 5 yrs ago I became pregnant with my daughter. I didn't eat like crazy, BUT I did add back some calories to be healthier for the baby. You want to know what happened??? My body HUNG on to every calorie I consumed - resulting in me gaining 70 pounds during pregnancy and then about 30 pounds after I had her. So here I am starting all over - I lost 23 pounds before beginning MFP - and I'm on this journey again! But this time I will not let myself limit more and more calories and I am working out but I am not going become obsessed.
I found this calculator http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm and when I enter in my weight/activity level from 5 yrs ago when I was stuck at 15 pounds until my goal weight, what it tells me is that I was definitly NOT EATING enough. Society has set us up to believe that less is more, but what I'm learning is that that is not the case!! So trust in MFP, I am, I work out but I now eat back some of my excersise calories and if I hit a plateau again I will be able to take a look back and see what I've been doing, what I need to add, what I need to subtract etc!!
Good Luck and listen to doctors, nurses, nutritionists - there is a reason they are called professionals!! :happy:0 -
Unfortunately this is true. Your body goes into starvation mode if you don't eat enough calories over a prolonged period of time. Some people who don't eat enough calories even gain weight which is wierd I know! Also, if you continue to lose weight at a drastic rate you will quite likely be losing muscle rather than fat. If you get to goal weight by following an overly low calorie diet and then go back to eating normally you will put the weight back on more quickly. If you lose weight more gradually your body will adjust and it will be harder to gain it back. That said, once you do get to goal you shouldn't up your calories all at once but gradually introduce more calories over a period of time.
Great loss so far :flowerforyou: but you need to slow it down a bit - wish I could say the same. It will be hard to up your calories but perhaps you could do it gradually over, perhaps, a week. Good Luck, keep up the great work. 0 -
First off, I'm not a doctor.....but from everything I've read and been told you really have to take into consideration on where you started. If you were consuming 3000+ cal a day before starting your diet then suddenly dropped drastically your body will go into starvation mode....which is bad. However, I know that with a higher weight you will loose a lot of water in the beginning. I think you should listen to your doctor and do it at a slow steady pace.
You are doing awesome and are surely and inspiration to me! Good luck to you and take care of your body honey....it's the only one you have! = )0 -
Some people who don't eat enough calories even gain weight which is wierd I know!
Fewer calories in than calories out will cause you to lose weight. Starvation mode only starts being a reality if you're under 6% body fat.0 -
The other thing to keep in mind is that a slow, steady weight loss will result in less of that loose, extra skin that you see on so many people who have lost weight too quickly.0
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Okay the comment about starvation mode only happening if you're under 6% body fat is WRONG. Sorry but it's flat out wrong and anyone who knows anything about nutrition (including my nutritionist) will tell you that. Starvation mode can happen to anyone - all it takes is not reassuring your body that it's going to get the calories it needs to function. So anyone, regardless of body fat, including the woman who began this thread, can enter starvation mode if the body is continually forced to maintain a high exertion (e.g. lots of exercise) while not being provided enough fuel.
I for one am not 6% body fat by any stretch of the imagination, but have entered a plateau (i.e. "starvation mode") because I've maintained the same level of intake for 6 months but have put on ~10 pounds of muscle and workout (intensely) 6 times a week and moderately twice a week. I've increased my intake now, because my body started worrying that it wasn't being given what it needed.
Before you make comments like "you can only reach starvation mode if you're 6% body fat or less" could you please do a little research? Spreading false information is just detrimental. Sorry to be cranky, but false information about food/nutrition/exercise, particularly on a website like this, needs to be kept to a minimum, if not eliminated entirely. Just look at Courtney on the Biggest Loser - plateau central! And she was most definitely not 6% body fat ...0 -
Okay the comment about starvation mode only happening if you're under 6% body fat is WRONG. Sorry but it's flat out wrong and anyone who knows anything about nutrition (including my nutritionist) will tell you that. Starvation mode can happen to anyone - all it takes is not reassuring your body that it's going to get the calories it needs to function. So anyone, regardless of body fat, including the woman who began this thread, can enter starvation mode if the body is continually forced to maintain a high exertion (e.g. lots of exercise) while not being provided enough fuel.
I for one am not 6% body fat by any stretch of the imagination, but have entered a plateau (i.e. "starvation mode") because I've maintained the same level of intake for 6 months but have put on ~10 pounds of muscle and workout (intensely) 6 times a week and moderately twice a week. I've increased my intake now, because my body started worrying that it wasn't being given what it needed.
Before you make comments like "you can only reach starvation mode if you're 6% body fat or less" could you please do a little research? Spreading false information is just detrimental. Sorry to be cranky, but false information about food/nutrition/exercise, particularly on a website like this, needs to be kept to a minimum, if not eliminated entirely. Just look at Courtney on the Biggest Loser - plateau central! And she was most definitely not 6% body fat ...
Amen girl!!! Those who have never lived it are quick to disregard it. It is one of the reasons I find the forums here so frustrating to read! As much as they are helpful they can be confusing as well!! I spoke with my nutritionist about "starvation mode" as well, and she believes in it, so I'm going with her on this one! Plus the fact that I've lived it. I think it has a lot to do with genetics as well, some people are able to eat very little and never have to worry about plateauing at all, where as the rest of us have to watch our numbers like crazy!!0 -
It may help to read this thread that discusses metabolism. Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be "700 cals" - it is all relative to how much YOU burn in a day. That includes BMR (what you burn just being alive), your daily activity, AND purposeful exercise on top of that. The larger you are, the more you burn. So if you're burning 3000 cals a day and only eat 1200, that CAN be too little - and slow your metabolism.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing0 -
Okay the comment about starvation mode only happening if you're under 6% body fat is WRONG. Sorry but it's flat out wrong and anyone who knows anything about nutrition (including my nutritionist) will tell you that. Starvation mode can happen to anyone - all it takes is not reassuring your body that it's going to get the calories it needs to function. So anyone, regardless of body fat, including the woman who began this thread, can enter starvation mode if the body is continually forced to maintain a high exertion (e.g. lots of exercise) while not being provided enough fuel.
I for one am not 6% body fat by any stretch of the imagination, but have entered a plateau (i.e. "starvation mode") because I've maintained the same level of intake for 6 months but have put on ~10 pounds of muscle and workout (intensely) 6 times a week and moderately twice a week. I've increased my intake now, because my body started worrying that it wasn't being given what it needed.
Before you make comments like "you can only reach starvation mode if you're 6% body fat or less" could you please do a little research? Spreading false information is just detrimental. Sorry to be cranky, but false information about food/nutrition/exercise, particularly on a website like this, needs to be kept to a minimum, if not eliminated entirely. Just look at Courtney on the Biggest Loser - plateau central! And she was most definitely not 6% body fat ...
uhm, i've done my research, and I stand by my comment: it depends - of course - on what you term starvation mode.
The usual definition of starvation mode is a situation when the body has depleted its store of fat and will begin burning energy from the protein in muscle tissue.
As long as you have over 6% body fat, the body will take to burning that fat if carbohydrates are not readily available (as glucose)
So please, if you desire to lecture on correct information, use correct definitions.
Starvation mode in its true sense is something that will hopefully never be experienced by people posting on myfitnesspal forums.
Actually what you and your nutritionist seem to be referring to is thermogenic adaptation to calorie restriction, but that is really something else than "starvation mode". I get kind of desperate when that term is thrown around here, without people realizing what it really means. And i wish it would disappear from the below 1200 calorie warning, because for 99% of people coming here it just isn't a reality.
and here's a research link
http://www.nature.com/nrm/journal/v6/n4/box/nrm1616_BX1.html0 -
It may help to read this thread that discusses metabolism. Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be "700 cals" - it is all relative to how much YOU burn in a day. That includes BMR (what you burn just being alive), your daily activity, AND purposeful exercise on top of that. The larger you are, the more you burn. So if you're burning 3000 cals a day and only eat 1200, that CAN be too little - and slow your metabolism.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
an endocrinologist commenting in that thread pointed out that that person's weight gain will probably have been caused by bingeing, not by the documented calorie restriction per se.0 -
Okay the comment about starvation mode only happening if you're under 6% body fat is WRONG. Sorry but it's flat out wrong and anyone who knows anything about nutrition (including my nutritionist) will tell you that. Starvation mode can happen to anyone - all it takes is not reassuring your body that it's going to get the calories it needs to function. So anyone, regardless of body fat, including the woman who began this thread, can enter starvation mode if the body is continually forced to maintain a high exertion (e.g. lots of exercise) while not being provided enough fuel.
I for one am not 6% body fat by any stretch of the imagination, but have entered a plateau (i.e. "starvation mode") because I've maintained the same level of intake for 6 months but have put on ~10 pounds of muscle and workout (intensely) 6 times a week and moderately twice a week. I've increased my intake now, because my body started worrying that it wasn't being given what it needed.
Before you make comments like "you can only reach starvation mode if you're 6% body fat or less" could you please do a little research? Spreading false information is just detrimental. Sorry to be cranky, but false information about food/nutrition/exercise, particularly on a website like this, needs to be kept to a minimum, if not eliminated entirely. Just look at Courtney on the Biggest Loser - plateau central! And she was most definitely not 6% body fat ...
Amen girl!!! Those who have never lived it are quick to disregard it. It is one of the reasons I find the forums here so frustrating to read! As much as they are helpful they can be confusing as well!! I spoke with my nutritionist about "starvation mode" as well, and she believes in it, so I'm going with her on this one! Plus the fact that I've lived it. I think it has a lot to do with genetics as well, some people are able to eat very little and never have to worry about plateauing at all, where as the rest of us have to watch our numbers like crazy!!
And again: "plateauing" is NOT starvation mode. Indeed, these forums are frustrating on account of their misinformation.0 -
I am a nurse too... I think 1400 calories per day is just fine (Make sure it is close to 1400 though, not too much under)!! You aren't starving. But I would make sure to eat back your exercise calories if you are feeling really hungry.
** If you are heavier, you will lose weight really fast in the first few weeks, then it will start to slow down. Enjoy the weight loss!!! Feel good about yourself and your accomplishemnts.
Are you sure that nurse wasn't just jealous at your success??
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No. Clearly not. It's 3500 calories per 1lb of body weight so the maths is completely wrong. Other things like having a high sodium day could make you appear to have gained weight but only temporarily due to water retention. if you can eat the same number of calories in a healthy range consistently then you will lose weight. It's not that complex. If you like the results you're getting and you aren't doing anything stupid (like a faddy diet or eating like 500 calories a day) then congratulations and I hope you continue to get the results. If at some point the results stop coming, then you can reassess what you're doing.she said if i continue this way i can set myself up for gaining it all back if i have 1 bad day... is this true??0 -
To the original poster: a helpful article that I think helps flesh out what your doctor is trying to tell you (with most information coming from an RD):
http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/fewer-calories-stalls-metabolism.aspx
And here, that RD does indeed use the term "starvation mode" as a way to describe the metabolic slow-down that often accompanies caloric restriction (a slow-down that will lead to halted weight loss, or what lots of us on here call a "plateau"). The RD in the article describes starvation mode as the point, not at which the body has depleted its fat stores necessarily, but rather the point at which the body begins to store more fat because it's worried about when the next meal is coming (and how long that will be).
Actual starvation is when that "mode" is not broken and the body is not fueled properly. At this point, stores of body fat are indeed completely depleted and the body goes after lean muscle mass, as this gets it the highest energy return (I've seen this first-hand in people close to me who have eating disorders - they lose any and all muscle mass because it's what the body instantly goes after when caloric restriction becomes drastic).
My point is that there's a distinction between actual starvation and "starvation mode" (a term tossed around by people on here, fitness websites, RDs, etc.). Which is not to say, however, that the two things aren't connected - they most certainly are.
As to the point about gaining everything back, I think she's trying to get at what the article is saying - a metabolic slow-down can be downright frustrating, since you're working hard to drop weight but your body is fighting back. You can easily become frustrated in this scenario, and frustration can lead to throwing in the towel, bingeing, and other behaviors that will counteract all your hard work. 1 bad day will certainly not do you in. It's about modifying your behavior/lifestyle appropriately so that your body is nourished, fueled, and reassured that it's ok (and even healthy!) to let go of some of your fat stores - but this needs to happen over a longer period of time.
Lastly, I follow a blog written by an RD here in MA and in one of her posts she addresses (briefly) the repercussions of reduced caloric intake, which you can find here:
http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2010/07/daily-exercise-is-must-or-so-you-think.html (again, remember that she is talking long term, and not one day).
And to be diplomatic and share the flip-side of this coin, there's a variety of opinions in the medical field as to whether "starvation mode" is a real phenomenon or not. I can speak only from personal experience - I have not gained any weight in the last two months, but I have also only dropped 2-3 pounds while maintaining an intense workout schedule and the same intake as I started with last August (which would mean I'd be dropping about 1lb a week - clearly, I am not). As a reaction, I have not binged but instead have chosen to add ~50-100 calories to what I eat each day (still following a plan designed by an RD who knows my BMR, daily activity, etc.). The increased calories have definitely boosted my metabolism (as evidenced by increased hunger and further weight loss).0 -
Fewer calories in than calories out will cause you to lose weight. Starvation mode only starts being a reality if you're under 6% body fat.
Men and women need different amount of body fat so I can't imagine there is a set "6%" number for everyone. A man's essential body fat is in the 2-5% range (average is 18-24%) while a woman's is in the 10-13% range (average is 25-31%). Seeing a woman even as LOW as 6% is pretty rare unless she is in extreme malnutrition and then starvation "mode" is moot. We'd probably be looking at true starvation.0
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