Starvation mode

Yes very hectic but as long as I manage my schedule I will be able to do whatever is necessary. What is TDEE?

TDEE = total daily energy expended. Its the amount of energy you burn throughout the day from normal life and exercise on top of your metabolic rate (BMR).

So if you use the tool above (BMR calculator), your estimate metabolic rate is 1300 calories. This is the amount of calories you burn in a day. lets say you sat at a desk for 8 hours, your TDEE multiplier would be 1.2 according to Katch McArdle formula (see guidelines below). And you workout and burn 300 calories.

TDEE = 1300 * 1.2 + 300 =1860. This is what you burn in a day. So to do body recomposition, you want to add about a 20% deficit (used for generic purposes).

Caloric needs = 1860 * .8 = 1488.


* Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
* Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
* Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
* Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
* Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)

There is a very good chance that if you are netting less than 1000 cals that a large portion of any weight loss will come from lean muscle, not just from fat. With only 20lbs to go your goal should be set to lose 1lb/week at the most, and to eat back what you burn (provided you calculate that correctly). Too large of a deficit will cause you body to burn muscle as fuel.

To increase calories you don't have to eat more just make different choices.
For a snack have nuts, seeds or dehydrated fruit
add nut butters to your existing snacks
avoid diet and lite foods
drink and eat higher MF% milk products (don't eat 0% yogurt go for 2-5% instead)
drink some calories (instead of 1 glass of water have a glass of juice)
add olive oil to soups and sauces
add avocado to salads and sandwiches
etc.

I agree with this! ^^^

I think it takes a long time to go into starvation mode. I think that term is used way too loosely these days and especially on this site. Is there a such thing as starvation mode? Sure. But, you're not going in it from a few days.

What I do believe is that your body is a very smart engine. You keep giving it a very low amount of calories and that is what it is going to start requiring from you. Then when you do eat more you are going to wonder why you aren't losing weight still even though you are in a deficit. You wouldn't run your car (or a plane! :laugh: ) on low or no fuel for fear of breaking down so don't do it to your body.

Also, you are burning many calories with Turbo Fire. If you do not eat enough calories your body will attack your muscle mass and burn it for energy. Personally, I'd rather eat a few more calories to prevent that the best I can.

If you are having a hard time eating enough since you are so busy, just add in something that is simple and high calorie. Trail mix is a great option. It is really high in calories and good fat. But, it's also really good for you. Or you could find a protein bar that you like.

I also agree that you shouldn't be focusing on losing more than 1 pound per week. Twenty pounds is what I have left to lose and while it's driving me crazy to only be losing 1 pound each week, I know it is what is healthiest for me and will help me keep it off in the long run.
Hang in there, girl! You'll be there in no time. :flowerforyou:

Many different opinions, I will definitely aim to eat 1200 calories from now on!

I'm 5'2, 19 and was weighing 123.5lbs on new years day. Cut out junk food as best as I could and gave up on pop. Recently started TurboFire. I want to lose 20lbs because that is what I gained from my first year in college and I used to feel extremely sluggish everyday!

You probably dont' have 20 lbs to lose. That gets dangerously low on the scale. You would be better off working on burning body fat than losing weight. Weight is kind of meaningless and won't determine how you look in a bathing suit.


http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blweightfemale.htm

Okay so what should I be doing instead? How can I ensure I lose fat and not muscle mass??

eat around 1200 cals a day and try doing some weight training