starvation mode ?

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13

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  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I am supposed to be eating the 1200 calories a day, but I did that for the first week and I felt like I was eating all the time. I am not saying what I am doing is right by any means, its just what my body is accustomed to. I was only eating at 8:30 at night due to kids practices, etc. It is REALLY hard to force yourself to eat when you just are not used to doing it.

    The lipo shots may be a waste of $, but since they are vitamins, etc.... it wouldnt hurt.

    I'm confused then. How did you come to the point of needing to lose weight if you aren't used to eating even 1200 calories per day? You must have been eating far more up till recently.

    I have had 3 kids and an office job. I sit 90% of the day. I guess everything I ate just made its way to my waist. If I could just repostion the fat I would be a REALLY happy camper LOL. Its not so much my weight as a number as much as what it is looking like I am 5 months pregnant.

    Sounds like you need a body recomp program more than a weight loss program.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I am supposed to be eating the 1200 calories a day, but I did that for the first week and I felt like I was eating all the time. I am not saying what I am doing is right by any means, its just what my body is accustomed to. I was only eating at 8:30 at night due to kids practices, etc. It is REALLY hard to force yourself to eat when you just are not used to doing it.

    The lipo shots may be a waste of $, but since they are vitamins, etc.... it wouldnt hurt.

    I'm confused then. How did you come to the point of needing to lose weight if you aren't used to eating even 1200 calories per day? You must have been eating far more up till recently.

    I have had 3 kids and an office job. I sit 90% of the day. I guess everything I ate just made its way to my waist. If I could just repostion the fat I would be a REALLY happy camper LOL. Its not so much my weight as a number as much as what it is looking like I am 5 months pregnant.

    Even with an office job, it's likely that your body uses more than 1,200 calories a day just to stay alive.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    edited February 2016
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    _Figgzie_ wrote: »
    mommazach wrote: »
    Never skip meals.... Especially breakfast as it starts your body. This was one of the hardest things I ever learned. If it's drinking a meal replacement... Get it in. Otherwise your body does go into starvation mode and holds your calories. Start the day right. Eat a protein, and start exercising. Once your body is done with the starvation mode, and you are honest with your counts, you will lose weight.

    starvation mode is a myth, if you are in a caloric deficit you will lose weight. After being in a caloric deficit for an extended period of time, weight loss and metabolism may slow down but not to the point of actually stopping weight loss.

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

    ^^This. Ever see any photos of Holocaust survivors?

  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    I am supposed to be eating the 1200 calories a day, but I did that for the first week and I felt like I was eating all the time. I am not saying what I am doing is right by any means, its just what my body is accustomed to. I was only eating at 8:30 at night due to kids practices, etc. It is REALLY hard to force yourself to eat when you just are not used to doing it.

    The lipo shots may be a waste of $, but since they are vitamins, etc.... it wouldnt hurt.

    Meal timing is irrelevant. I eat at 1030pm every night and then go straight to bed. So if you have time at 830pm to eat, its okay ! Just do it ! It won't hurt you . weight loss comes down to calories not what time you've eaten them.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    mommazach wrote: »
    Never skip meals.... Especially breakfast as it starts your body. This was one of the hardest things I ever learned. If it's drinking a meal replacement... Get it in. Otherwise your body does go into starvation mode and holds your calories. Start the day right. Eat a protein, and start exercising. Once your body is done with the starvation mode, and you are honest with your counts, you will lose weight.

    I hate when my body stops.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I am supposed to be eating the 1200 calories a day, but I did that for the first week and I felt like I was eating all the time. I am not saying what I am doing is right by any means, its just what my body is accustomed to. I was only eating at 8:30 at night due to kids practices, etc. It is REALLY hard to force yourself to eat when you just are not used to doing it.

    The lipo shots may be a waste of $, but since they are vitamins, etc.... it wouldnt hurt.

    I'm confused then. How did you come to the point of needing to lose weight if you aren't used to eating even 1200 calories per day? You must have been eating far more up till recently.

    I have had 3 kids and an office job. I sit 90% of the day. I guess everything I ate just made its way to my waist. If I could just repostion the fat I would be a REALLY happy camper LOL. Its not so much my weight as a number as much as what it is looking like I am 5 months pregnant.

    Even with an office job, it's likely that your body uses more than 1,200 calories a day just to stay alive.

    This...a quick throw of your stats into a TDEE calculator I get a TDEE of almost 1700 (BMR of abut 1400).

    How are you estimating your calories to feel full on 500 and overeating on 1200?
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    It is REALLY hard to force yourself to eat when you just are not used to doing it.

    So before you started doing these injections, you think you were eating less than 1200 calories? Probably not the case.

  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
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    I am supposed to be eating the 1200 calories a day, but I did that for the first week and I felt like I was eating all the time. I am not saying what I am doing is right by any means, its just what my body is accustomed to. I was only eating at 8:30 at night due to kids practices, etc. It is REALLY hard to force yourself to eat when you just are not used to doing it.

    The lipo shots may be a waste of $, but since they are vitamins, etc.... it wouldnt hurt.

    I'm confused then. How did you come to the point of needing to lose weight if you aren't used to eating even 1200 calories per day? You must have been eating far more up till recently.

    I have had 3 kids and an office job. I sit 90% of the day. I guess everything I ate just made its way to my waist. If I could just repostion the fat I would be a REALLY happy camper LOL. Its not so much my weight as a number as much as what it is looking like I am 5 months pregnant.

    You did not gain weight eating 500 calories a day. How many calories were you eating when you put on weight?

    You are either underestimating your calories or undereating.

    I also have three kids and an office job. Lots of us do. Welcome to MFP. You can lose weight by eating correctly, without receiving vitamin shots which do nothing for weight loss.

  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,012 Member
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    I've taken B-12 injections for over 10 years for B-12 anemia. I managed to gain quite a bit of weight during those years so I can't imagine how that is supposed to help you lose any weight. I guess it will give you extra energy which might encourage you to be more active, but unless you watch what you eat that won't matter. I try to be very mindful of what I eat and whether I am really hungry or not, but I can't imagine that you can't make yourself eat 1200 calories a day. I think that the clinic you are going to sounds kind of sketchy.
  • rreynolds2905
    rreynolds2905 Posts: 19 Member
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    This...a quick throw of your stats into a TDEE calculator I get a TDEE of almost 1700 (BMR of abut 1400).

    How are you estimating your calories to feel full on 500 and overeating on 1200?[/quote]

    I eat when I am hungry- Yesterday for example I ate a prepackaged marketplace chicken salad (one container was 3 servings @ 190 cal a serving) Thus being 570. Nothing else was eaten or drank yesterday except for water.

    When I was logging everything i had a smoothie for breakfast, forcing my self to eat a salad for lunch and then was once again forcing myself to eat a lean cuisine for dinner. I was having to force myself to eat all the time just to manage the 1200 cal. And even then was barely passing 1100.

    @Nuke_64 actually eating less than 1200 cal absolutely. I have only eaten 1 x per day for years. However I was a tea/coke junkie. So I was drinking my calories then.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    @Nuke_64 actually eating less than 1200 cal absolutely. I have only eaten 1 x per day for years. However I was a tea/coke junkie. So I was drinking my calories then.

    That's basically semantics-you have been "consuming" more than 1200 calories a day before you started to try to lose weight.

    Eating once a day is fine; consuming less than 1200 calories (or consuming less than 1200 + exercise calories) is not. Although may not be nutritious, you can go back and drink those drinks as long as you log them.

    That being said, if you are only consuming 570 calories a day, you should be losing weight, albeit in a very unhealthy way.
  • jesscran815
    jesscran815 Posts: 37 Member
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    I have a desk job and I would not rate myself as having much physical activity after I get home besides cooking and/or cleaning. I am at 152 lb right now and on a 1230 calorie diet (set by MFP and adjusted as I lost weight). If I only ate 500 calories once a day I would probably pass out...but that's just me. Have you tried eating smaller portions? Maybe 5 times a day. When I was in college, I got used to small meals (more like snacks) and a larger volume of food in my stomach made me feel so full I could hardly move. As a result, I did feel hungry necessarily, but I wasn't eating enough and I did not feel good, mentally or physically (moody/tired, weak, dizzy, headaches, etc...). I realized what was going on and retrained myself to eat more in order to be healthy again.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    B12 injections only give you energy, etc if you are deficient in B12. If your B12 level is normal they are a huge waste of money
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
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    This...a quick throw of your stats into a TDEE calculator I get a TDEE of almost 1700 (BMR of abut 1400).

    How are you estimating your calories to feel full on 500 and overeating on 1200?

    I eat when I am hungry- Yesterday for example I ate a prepackaged marketplace chicken salad (one container was 3 servings @ 190 cal a serving) Thus being 570. Nothing else was eaten or drank yesterday except for water.

    When I was logging everything i had a smoothie for breakfast, forcing my self to eat a salad for lunch and then was once again forcing myself to eat a lean cuisine for dinner. I was having to force myself to eat all the time just to manage the 1200 cal. And even then was barely passing 1100.

    @Nuke_64 actually eating less than 1200 cal absolutely. I have only eaten 1 x per day for years. However I was a tea/coke junkie. So I was drinking my calories then.
    [/quote]

    You can easily get up to your calorie goals without need to feel overly hungry. You are eating foods low in calories. How about eating some almonds..just 28 almonds is 170 calories.. or Peanut Butter and a banana. probably over 300 calories. There are good choices out there. If you struggle, splurge and have some bread with a meal, or pasta with a lean protein. There are lots of choices to get you there without feeling over stuffed and not forcing you to feel like you are eating all the time. If you eat 1200 calories of Salads it will take alot to get there which may be why you feel like your eating alot and not getting anywhere.

    Also, if you've eaten a meal full of sugary drinks as a meal for "years" you really should consider seeing your family doctor and discuss your eating habits. I feel like there are some issues at play here around food and you really need to get on the right track for your future health.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
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    This...a quick throw of your stats into a TDEE calculator I get a TDEE of almost 1700 (BMR of abut 1400).

    How are you estimating your calories to feel full on 500 and overeating on 1200?

    I eat when I am hungry- Yesterday for example I ate a prepackaged marketplace chicken salad (one container was 3 servings @ 190 cal a serving) Thus being 570. Nothing else was eaten or drank yesterday except for water.

    When I was logging everything i had a smoothie for breakfast, forcing my self to eat a salad for lunch and then was once again forcing myself to eat a lean cuisine for dinner. I was having to force myself to eat all the time just to manage the 1200 cal. And even then was barely passing 1100.

    @Nuke_64 actually eating less than 1200 cal absolutely. I have only eaten 1 x per day for years. However I was a tea/coke junkie. So I was drinking my calories then.
    [/quote]

    That the salad says it contains 3 servings isn't necessarily true. The only way to be close to knowing how many calories would have been to weight it. Was it eaten plain or did you add dressing? Packaged salads often come with salad dressing packets and the packets which are usually not included in the calories listed on the salad.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    Tomk652015 wrote: »

    Also, if you've eaten a meal full of sugary drinks as a meal for "years" you really should consider seeing your family doctor and discuss your eating habits. I feel like there are some issues at play here around food and you really need to get on the right track for your future health.

    +1
  • majigurl
    majigurl Posts: 660 Member
    edited February 2016
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    OP.

    I'm shorter than you at just under 5 feet :/
    I'm just a little lighter than you :/
    I have an office job and 2 kids :/
    I also have a job at home at night after the kids are in bed :/

    I get being busy.. I get not having time to eat..

    honestly.. I lied to myself about this for YEARS! I tried all kinds of fads.. it NEVER worked.

    I was down to my ideal weight in the summer from finally admitting my excuses and fixing them. I gained back the weight because of some issues I had. ( personal related and I stopped caring what I ate and stopped moving.. I had given up. But whatever. I'm back .. and I will drop the weight again. )

    This is how you do it. I know it works, because I did it.

    You log everything. You eat all the time. I always have fruit at my office and I eat every 2 hours. I hate breakfast and I love my coffee. that's my breakfast.
    I have my lunch at my desk :/

    this one was important to my success. I forced myself to take my breaks and my lunch. I walked my 15 min morning break. I walked 25 mins at lunch ( 5 was for eating, doesn't take long to eat a little meal ) and I walked my 15 min afternoon break.

    I park at the almost farthest spot in a parking lot. I tell my kids, " every step counts". ( I never stopped this one). It teaches them to not take the easy way and to walk!

    I try to take stairs.

    Things I'll be getting back into the habit of to get me moving. Walk when I fold my laundry. You can do this! lol it's weird at first, but you get used to it.
    Walk when I brush my teeth.
    Playing with the kids!!! this is the EASIEST way to get more steps in! carry your kids! that extra weight will help AND they love it! You can only carry them for so much longer till they are too big :(

    Take a slightly longer route to the park when you take them to the park.

    and lastly, stop making excuses like "no time", "busy", "work", "kids" etc etc.

    We all have these. It's all hard to get into the habit. I used to use all those excuses till I just. Stopped.

    When I was really doing well I got up 30 mins earlier, turned on youtube and just danced or did workout vids from there. all free. just move. It is HARD to get up at 5 am! I already got up at 5:30 and I kept saying I couldn't get up earlier.. it's Bs. you can!

    YOU CAN DO THIS!! it's hard. it is. I'm right there with you with a busy sedentary life with kids.
  • Jessika29669
    Jessika29669 Posts: 34 Member
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    It's possible too that your metabolism has adjusted to you only taking in such a low amount since you say you have been doing it for years. If you plan on working out, your body will need more energy aka calories. And all of the vitamins you need can be found in a healthy diet. I hope you are able to use MFP to help you achieve your goals in a realistic and healthy way that will create a sustainable lifestyle for yourself, best of luck.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    It's possible too that your metabolism has adjusted to you only taking in such a low amount since you say you have been doing it for years.

    As she had gaining weight by eating only once a day but drinking a lot of calories, I do not think this applies.

  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
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    So is this part of a "doctor supervised" diet clinic where you are given a very low calorie diet and shots?

    Been there. Done that. Gained it all back.

    Stick with MFP, OP. Eat the amount of calories you are allotted. Use a food scale, weigh everything and log religously. It WILL work!

    ^^^^ this. Save the $25 bucks a week for a new post-weight loss wardrobe

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