800 calories minimum is okay... for me!

I can understand the excess fat storage... seriously. Did you ask specifically about "starvation mode"?

You know... A few years ago I did a 1000 calorie diet and I exercised like a mad woman. I lost A LOT of weight pretty fast. I don't know my starting weight because I refused to look at the scale at first, but I went from being a size 16 to a size 6 within months, almost a 4. But, look at how I am back where I started It didn't teach me to eat healthy. It didn't do any favors to my metabolism. I lost the weight but the second I started eating regular food, not indulging but just eating I gained it all back. So, I don't know about that little of calories because it is just not something I could do for life.

Just to share my experience....

I've been steadily losing weight for a little over 6 months. The first three months I was doing a minimum 700 calories a day. My week averaged out to 900 calories per day. I steadily lost 1 - 2 lbs per week. I wasn't hungry, didn't feel faint or grumpy, had no ill effects.
Then I started really getting into these message boards here. I saw what everyone was saying about eating too little. I got worried. So, I started eating between 1100 and 1400 calories per day instead. My weekly average is about 1200 per day. The first week I gained a little weight. The second I maintained. The third and past 3 months-ish I've steadily lost 1-2 lbs per week.
So... my weight loss has been exactly the same at an average of 900 calories and an average of 1200 calories. Plus I get to eat more food. I like food.

So this is what I think... I don't believe in "starvation mode". I have no *personal* reason to tell you to eat more. Actually, I really don't care what you do because I don't know you. However, if I were talking to a friend I would say... try 1200 calories and see how it does for you. If you don't lose at a satisfactory rate at 1200 THEN go the more controversial route.
Why make losing weight harder on yourself than you have to?

PS.... I'm 5'5'' and 125 lbs. I started at 167 lbs in January.

Awesome! Optifast is only 800 calories a day and people are required to do that for 4 months, then slowly incorporate food back into their diets. As long as you eat when ever you start to feel hungry and don't go back to old habbits, you should be fine. When people get done drinking Optifast for 4 months, you're suppose to slowly incorporate meals into your diet not go haywire on chips.

No, you're right. Those with more weight to lose can still lose with a larger calorie deficit to a point. Then your body will stop losing and you'll have to eat more. Happened to me!

i followed a strict diet of 800 and i was fine i had my doctor support and i have not gain any of my weight back contrary to most belief again no matter how you lose it you are who decide what happen after the weight is gone you have to have a plan to keep it gone.
good luck!!

You must do what is beneficial for you. I can't tell you what to do and i will not. I wish you all the best . Everybody body is differernt. We don't look the same or weight the same or lose the same amount of weight. Have a great evening
S.W 350
C.W 220
G. W 150
Highest weight 369

I started my weight loss journey through a medically monitored program. I was given a nutrition plan as well as exercise program. I rarely if ever has eaten over what they have said. It's amazing cause I thought I would be hungry all the time. I started I was a lot heavier than you. You're weight would be in the area of my ultimate goal. I am 5'7". Some tips, which I am sure your nutritionist or doctor has told you. Eat about every 4 hours but the right stuff that will fill you up. That keeps me going. Also, the most important thing I learned doing this is the more you resist temptation, the easier it is to resist. The only day I veared off plan was when I had to drink a gatorade and an orange juice because I was rushed to hospital for dehydration. Worked out too early before I could consume enough water for my workout. Good Luck. Friend me if you'd like.

Anecdotal evidence abounds.
I'm 5'4" and started here at 275lbs. I started off eating about 1200 calories a day and burning 500-1000 calories most days with exercise (and not eating those calories back). The weight FLEW off of me. I lost about 60 pounds in 4 months. Then I crashed into a wall. I tried increasing my calories, decreasing my calories, eating my exercise calories, increasing my exercise intensity, everything, but over the next 8 months I only lost about 20 more pounds. I fought hard for every single pound.

Then pregnancy happened. I started eating what I thought should've been maintenance calories for my height/weight/activity level (about 1700/day plus exercise cals). My weight SKYROCKETED the first couple months of my pregnancy because my metabolism was so royally effed. I kept on eating 1700-1800 calories a day because I knew I needed to for my baby's health. I've now gained 38 pounds with my pregnancy (I'm 2 days past my due date now because little bugger is too comfy in there ) which I'm not thrilled about but I'll tell you what I am happy about -- I'm currently eating about 2400 calories a day and I'm only very lightly exercising (30 minute walk about 3x/week) and I've lost a pound in the last 2 weeks. It took about 6 months of eating enough to get my metabolism back in order. That's something I never would have had the patience to do on my own without a reason like being pregnant. My metabolism would've stayed pathetic and I would've struggled with my weight forever.

I'm so happy to have a fresh start with weight loss knowing what I know now about how my body reacts to being starved. I don't think I'll ever be eating less than 1700 calories a day again (I love running so I'll be getting back to that shortly after baby is born).

The bottom line is that EVERYONE is different and that's a factor even a doctor or nutritionist can't take into account when they advise you. I still had a good 60 pounds to lose when my body decided enough was enough. Some people would have never hit the wall at all.

All the best! :flowerforyou:

This thread is a few months old but I wondered if those who were going under 1200 calories at the time had success? My doctor had recommended I try eating around 800 calories a day, which some days is doable... other days much harder!

I just found this thread. Lots of stories, eh?

I lost weight on a low calorie diet (800 to 1k net cals/day) and had a great weight loss experience.

I eschewed MFP's recommended nutrient percentages. I used 50% protein instead of 50% carb. In the 7 months that I was losing weight, I was hungry 5 times.

Was I hungry only five times because I used a high protein diet?

Perhaps.

But I dunno so try it and see if that works for you.


But low calorie diets aren't big news, despite the high-tech lynching that it gets here on MFP.