Truth or myth...

[betheboo 40]

So after my last fill I dropped 14 lbs in a lil over 2 weeks... Now I'm on a 3 week dry spell. I am super on track of my calories, about 300~600 per day, so why the heck am I not loosin?! I workout @ bootcamp 3~4 days per week.

So people tell.me that I'm in starvation mode & not burning calories just storing them. Do u guys believe in this "starvation mode" or no?

[YngGram 73]

I do very much so. I am one who forgets to eat and usually get in enough cals. at these times my weight just sits there. I vowed to eat and get in Protein this past weekend and loss 1.5 lbs. I don't work out, when I did the inches came off reall well. I am heading to gym tomorrow and hope that the weight will move off better. Good luck..Be sure to look at your measurements.

[Jachut 487]

Myth. Eat little enough for long enough and you will lose weight. The less you eat the more weight you lose. Plateaus are not a reason to eat more. You just have to keep on keeping on and eventually they break. Otherwise people would never starve to death!

Have you ever noticed that people who dont eat a lot arent fat?

[SageTracey 608]

It's fact. If your body thinks it's not going to get enough calories it will do all it can to hold onto what it has. Try upping your calories a bit for a week or two until you start losing again, then cut them back. Yourbody wont get into a routine of thinking it is going to be limited and will respond well.

[Jess55 97]

I believe in it. How the heck can your body function on no calories. Which is what your body is getting if you're eating only 300-600 calories and working out. I was a skeptic at first, I was only eating 1200 and working out 6 days a week. I hit a plateau and I bumped my calories up and started losing again. But now I'm having issues again.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

3 to 600 calories a day is less than a child eats. If you want to be anorexic I guess the weight will eventually fall of due to not eating but you will also become deficient and all that hard work your doing in exercise it will take it from your lean body mass eventually. Anyone who starves themselves will eventually lose weight.

[hah131 7]

I think it's a myth. I definitely think you need to eat more than 300 calories a day, but I will be banded a year tomorrow and have lost 109 pounds in that year eating between 600-850 calories per day 97% of the time. There are a lot of people who say you need at 1000-1200. I beg to differ. I eat a lot of food, just a lot of really low calorie fresh veggies, etc, so I am fueling my body. I also work out 1-2 hours 6-7 days per week. I'd say up your calories a little, but there's no need to go as high as 1000. Good luck!

[bromo 17]

I also think more on the myth side. Look at anorexics and how extremely thin they get albeit unhealthy. Also, my late husband died of Pancreatic Cancer and I watched him lose over 100 pounds in less than a year because he could not eat and keep anything down. I do think our goal here is to get healthier so I would assume that more calories would be needed not to affect muscle mass, bone density and other such things. I want to lose weight and know that if I keep my calories within the 800 to 1000 a day range, I will, eventually. But I also want my health to improve, so I will try to eat healthy foods that will nourish my body as needed.

[Tamie2169 2]

I think you should be talking to your nutritionalist! I have never heard that you should only be eating 300-600 calories a day, unless you're doing that insane diet where you take shots and stuff to help eleviate your hunger.

I was told to eat between 1200-1300 calories a day and you should lose between 1-2 lbs a week. Losing 14 lbs in two weeks is too fast, and you're more likely to have hanging flesh on your bones when you're done. I guess if you want to have more sugery, like reconstructive surgery for all that hanging flesh, then sure keep it up. But otherwise I would get in to speak to someone about what exactly you're eating. Are you logging your foods? What exactly are you eaing for this 300-600 calories a day?

I am diabetic and have seen many different nutritionalists for my issues. To lose a healtyh amount of weight I've been told, over and over again, to never drop below the 1100 calories a day for it would cause issues to your muscle mass and eat away at muscle and not the fat that I'm trying to lose. That you should ONLY lose between 1-3 lbs a week and no more!

Get in and see your doctor and have this discussion. I can not believe that what you're doing is healthy in any way.

[stateofzen 46]

It's both. Sure, if you starve yourself, eventually you will starve. But that doesn't mean that your body doesn't fight to keep what it can when it's clear you're not eating enough to sustain your health.

If you are eating less than 600 calories everyday, then you're in eating disorder territory. I'm not saying you have an eating disorder, I'm just saying that with your exercise level and lack of calories, you are in the territory. It's probably time to have a really honest discussion with your doc about what you're doing and WHY (i.e., you eat 300 calories because you just aren't hungry vs you eat 300 calories because it makes you feel pride in your ability to control your food intake and/or it's related to extreme perfectionism).

Good luck.

[stateofzen 46]

Myth. Eat little enough for long enough and you will lose weight. The less you eat the more weight you lose. Plateaus are not a reason to eat more. You just have to keep on keeping on and eventually they break. Otherwise people would never starve to death!

Have you ever noticed that people who dont eat a lot arent fat?

I am sorry, but this attitude is really concerning to me. I know a lot of people on this site look up to you because of your success and experience, as they should, but this is extreme.

Sure, people who don't eat a lot of food aren't fat. . . but they also aren't always healthy or even alive. You are right-- don't eat enough and you will in fact eventually starve to death.

[betheboo 40]

Thank u everyone for ur input it has given me a lot to think about. Tami2169 I do log my calories religiously I eat a lot of salad & some fruit, I just don't really eat much in gerneral I'm just never hungry & watching people eat food makes me sick. Staeofzen I have started seeing a counselor for my eating issues. My mind is kinda broken, I think..."well if I loose weight on 800 calories then I should loose even more if I eat less!".

Problem is none of my local support has ne band knowledge & my doctor is 3 hrs away. I am trying to get in to meet with someone tomorrow when I take my mom there for doctors appts.

Thanks again for the input it gives me a lot to think about.

[lakegirl88 13]

Good luck betheboo. We are here for you.

[stateofzen 46]

Thank u everyone for ur input it has given me a lot to think about. Tami2169 I do log my calories religiously I eat a lot of salad & some fruit, I just don't really eat much in gerneral I'm just never hungry & watching people eat food makes me sick. Staeofzen I have started seeing a counselor for my eating issues. My mind is kinda broken, I think..."well if I loose weight on 800 calories then I should loose even more if I eat less!".

Problem is none of my local support has ne band knowledge & my doctor is 3 hrs away. I am trying to get in to meet with someone tomorrow when I take my mom there for doctors appts.

Thanks again for the input it gives me a lot to think about.

You have our support betheboo-- I'm glad you're seeing someone. We can all use all the help we can get!

[Jachut 487]

I am sorry, but this attitude is really concerning to me. I know a lot of people on this site look up to you because of your success and experience, as they should, but this is extreme.

Sure, people who don't eat a lot of food aren't fat. . . but they also aren't always healthy or even alive. You are right-- don't eat enough and you will in fact eventually starve to death.

I didnt say it was healthy to starve, I merely stated that if you dont eat, you lose weight and eventually starve. I'm also no fan of eating below 1000 calories a day becuase you'll fight to be well nourished and keep lean muscle on your body. They question was do you believe in starvation mode, not what is the healthiest way to lose weight.

But I've also never claimed my opinions should be gospel - they're just my opinions . I also believe low carb diets are nonsense and Protein shakes arent necessary. I think running is the bomb and everyone should do it. I think a lot of things that people are welcome to agree or disagree with.