1200-1500 Calories...really?

[Tiffykins 672]

I've been reading about starvation mode, and what I found out is that we don't go into starvation mode until our body fat is below a certain percentage. I believe it was 5%. So is all the other info we hear about hype? What do you guys think?

http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

Here's a great article on starvation mode and why it's just not true for obese to super morbidly obese people.:

MTYHBUSTERS: Starvation Mode

There are a number of nutritional myths running around out there on the web. Mythbusters is one of my favorite shows and misinformation annoys me, so I decided to do a series of articles on each myth examining what is and isn't true about it. (Plus stealing the Mythbusters title makes me feel like Kari Byron, or at least like I could be her mother.)

So let's start by examining the whole "starvation mode" idea that you see all the time in articles about dieting. I picked this one to start with because I'm now tracking my food on My Fitness Pal and the number of people there screaming "starvation mode" is about 10x higher than most of the other weight loss boards I go to. They annoy the heck out of me, so I want to "answer" them in a permanent way vs. just arguing with them over and over on the boards there.

So what is the Starvation Mode Myth? It goes like this:

"If you don't eat enough, you won't lose weight!"

Okay, so all I have to do to lose weight is ... eat more food! Wow, isn't that awesome? If I stall out at 800 calories, I'll just go up to 1000. And if I stall at 1000, I'll go to 1200. If that doesn't work, how about 1500? 1800? 2200? Oh wait, when I ate 2200 calories, I weighed 223 pounds. Okay, that's not going to work.

But what if I just don't go below the magic "1200" that "everyone" says "no one" should go below? That must be what they mean by "starvation mode," right? If I stay at 1200, I will lose weight but if I go below that, I won't.

The problem with this idea is that, if it were true, no one would die from starvation and obviously people do. Clearly, even if you eat what is obviously too few calories to be healthy, such as an anorexic does, you will continue to lose weight.

So where did this idea -- that not eating enough calories makes you not lose weight -- come from?

It started with the famous Minnesota starvation study. Some normal-weighted men agreed to live on a compound where their exercise and diet was strictly controlled. For portions of the study, they were on a "starvation diet" which is defined as 50% of the calories your body needs to function.

For me, these days, that's about 750-850 calories a day. So I was on a starvation diet up for the first four months after my surgery. Yet I lost weight just fine during that period -- better than fine, really. Most of the people on The Biggest Loser are also on starvation diets, from what I can tell. They may eat a lot more than I do but they also exercise strenuously 6-8 hours a day. So they are often below 50% of their calorie expenditure for the day. They seem to lose just fine too.

How can this be?!

The answer lies in what actually happened to the Minnesota guys when they were on their starvation diets.

Like most of us on a diet, their metabolisms did slow down. In fact, after they'd been on this diet for a while -- we're talking months, not days here -- their body fat percentage got to a point below what is considered minimal to live on (about 5% for a guy, 6% for a gal). At this point, their metabolism had slowed down as much as 40%. But -- and this is the important point for those of us on a diet -- they continued to lose weight. Even with that big of a slow down in their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), they were still operating at a great enough calorie deficit to lose.

If this is true with a 40% slow down, it's even more true when the slow down is somewhere in the 14 - 22% range, which is more where if falls with normal dieting.

WARNING MATH CONTENT AHEAD:

Take an individual who needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain their current weight. Assuming calorie expenditure remains the same, they will lose (approximately) as follows:

Calories Expected

Loss

Per Week Actual Loss 2,000 0 pound 0 pound 1,500 1 pound 1 pound 1,000 2 pounds 2 pound 500 3 pounds 2¼ to 2½ pounds

As you can see from the table, once you go below a certain calorie level, you aren't getting the weight loss you'd expect. This is because your BMR will go down more if you eat only 500 calories compared to eating 1500. But, as you can see, you are still losing more than if you were eating 1000 calories.

This is a lot different than the "no" weight loss that the "starvation mode" myth touts.

The other important point to note about this study is that it was performed on normal-weighted men. When starvation studies have been done on the obese, they find that the impact of the starvation diet is much less. Our bodies have fat stores designed to get us through a famine (i.e., a diet) and when we have a famine (i.e., a diet), those fat stores get used. The drastic slowdown of the metabolism doesn't happen until those fat stores are largely gone -- which takes a lot longer for the obese than for those who only have to lose 10-25 pounds.

So why are we told not to go under 1200 calories a day, unless under a doctor's supervision?

Mostly because, the more you reduce your intake, the harder it is to get the nutritients you need from food. If you are on a very low calorie diet (as I am), you need to see your doctor(s) regularly, get labs done regularly, etc. Not to mention, Vitamin supplementation is a must. Doing what I'm doing on your own can be dangerous, as you may not know or noticed the signs of a Vitamin or mineral deficiency. Don't forget: some vitamin deficiencies can kill you!

Another reason not to go below a certain calorie expenditure is that human beings are not machines and, unlike the guys in the Minnesota study, we aren't living on a compound with our activity and food strictly controlled. As a result, when we reduce our calories substantially, there is a tendency to subconsciously (or even consciously) reduce our calorie expenditure. Combine this with our tendency to under-report what we eat and over-report our exercise, and you can see where we can get into trouble.

As an example, one Saturday I did a killer two hour workout. After which, I came home and took a three hour nap! Obviously my calorie expenditure that day was lower than if I hadn't taken the nap.

Now, I still lost weight that week. But if I was only eating 500 calories for months at time, I doubt I'd be able to have done that workout to begin with -- I'd still be doing the 30 min. low intensity workouts that I started with. Plus, I might also be taking naps a lot more than once in a while. Both of which would have impacted my weight loss because they would have decreased my calorie expenditure.

Eating more over time has allowed me to exercise more so that, as a result, my rate of weight loss hasn't gone down as much as it could have as my calories have gone up. Plus I'm happy because I'm fitter and healthier.

In the end, it's important to consume enough calories that you have the energy to perform the daily activities you want to and to keep your body healthy. Otherwise, it's self-defeating. After all, the point of losing weight is to be healthier and to get our lives back. It's not to starve ourselves to the point of malnutrition and have so little energy we can't go out and do fun things.

If you want to learn more about starvation mode and read more details about the studies I alluded to, here are some good articles on it:

Are You In Starvation Mode or Starving For Truth? (some typos but the best summary article I've seen)

The Starvation Myth (where I got my table from)

The Truth about "Starvation Mode" (lots of research is discussed)

And here's an article from the other side... Tom Venuto is a big proponent of Starvation Mode and avoiding it. Yet even though the tone of his article makes it sounds like he disagrees 100% with the articles above, about 90% of what he says is exactly the same:

Is starvation mode a myth?- No! It's very real and here is the proof

[lsereno 2,525]

Each doctor's plan is different, but your Dr. does seem aggressive about the amount of calories to consume.

I don't know the answer to the starvation mode question, but I didn't hit a starvation mode thing. I've lost weight steadily until the last month. I'm already at a lower BMI than many people at goal, but I prefer I thinner look and I'm small boned.

I moved steadily up the calorie range, but am just now regularly hitting 1200 calories a day at 10 months out. I went from 400 calories to 600, then 800 and 900 to now, when I average between 900 and 1000 most days. On days I go over 1000, I generally have had Snacks or drink ( I was cleared for 1-2 drinks a couple of times per week at 6 months).

Lynda

[Tiffykins 672]

that is what I thought...but he told me that the reason I am not losing hardly is because my body has decided that i am starving it...I am going to shoot for the 1200 each day this week and see what my scale says at the end of the week...If i show a decent loss then i will stick with it...if I show no loss then I will be going back down to a lower caloric intake goal. so far today I have had eggs with cheese, a sugar free Jello, more eggs with cheese, tea, Water..so I am NO WHERE close to 1200 calories, but I am having taco meat with cheese and a dollop of sour cream tonight for dinner...no shell or tortilla.. but should still be tasty...which it will still put me below 1200 calories but only by about 300

This is why you are in a stall. It's normal and expected. Your body will never go into a stall as long as you have body fat to burn:

Weight Loss Stall or Plateau

A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf.

Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below.

The Inevitable Stall

By Diana C.

A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why.

Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days.

What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau

If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements.

Too Many Carbs?

Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section on Carbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating.

Fit Day

Spark People - If you join Spark People also join the DS group.

The Daily Plate

Calorie King

For more tips on keeping a food journal see the Personal Nutrition Guide.

Eating Enough?

If you are under-eating or go more than 4-5 hours without eating, your body will shift into fasting mode, slow your metabolism and conserve your stored energy (fat). This can contribute to a weight loss stall or plateau. Make sure you are eating small meals or small Snacks throughout the day and also ensure you meet your daily Protein requirements. Try eating some Protein with every meal or snack. For more information on protein requirements see our section on Protein.

Drinking Enough?

An adequate level of water in your body aids in the effective breakdown of fat. The daily minimum recommendation is 64 Fluid oz of water a day. If you are in ketosis you will need to drink even more water to ensure the ketones are flushed out of your system. You may also need more than the minimum amount of water if you are exercising or live in a warmer or dry environment.

Exercising?

Exercise can increase your metabolism and burn fat. Strength training will build muscles and will boost fat burning. In a stall you can try increasing your volume of exercise or changing up your routine to overcome a weight loss stall or plateau. If you have been doing mainly aerobic activity, try doing a bit of strength training, and if you have been doing mainly strength training, try an aerobic work-out.

The High Fat - High Calorie Stall Buster (I've only seen this work when people are super close to goal, and their body fat percentage is way lower, or temporarily and then they gain weight back, just my 2cents)

Many DSers swear by the fat/calorie shock as an effective weight loss stall or plateau buster. Having a day of higher fat and calorie eating followed by a returning to consistent low carb eating can sometimes "shock" your body back into weight loss mode.

[Miriam 50]

http://fattyfightsba...ation-mode.html

Here's a great article on starvation mode and why it's just not true for obese to super morbidly obese people.:

MTYHBUSTERS: Starvation Mode

There are a number of nutritional myths running around out there on the web. Mythbusters is one of my favorite shows and misinformation annoys me, so I decided to do a series of articles on each myth examining what is and isn't true about it. (Plus stealing the Mythbusters title makes me feel like Kari Byron, or at least like I could be her mother.)

So let's start by examining the whole "starvation mode" idea that you see all the time in articles about dieting. I picked this one to start with because I'm now tracking my food on My Fitness Pal and the number of people there screaming "starvation mode" is about 10x higher than most of the other weight loss boards I go to. They annoy the heck out of me, so I want to "answer" them in a permanent way vs. just arguing with them over and over on the boards there.

So what is the Starvation Mode Myth? It goes like this:

"If you don't eat enough, you won't lose weight!"

Okay, so all I have to do to lose weight is ... eat more food! Wow, isn't that awesome? If I stall out at 800 calories, I'll just go up to 1000. And if I stall at 1000, I'll go to 1200. If that doesn't work, how about 1500? 1800? 2200? Oh wait, when I ate 2200 calories, I weighed 223 pounds. Okay, that's not going to work.

But what if I just don't go below the magic "1200" that "everyone" says "no one" should go below? That must be what they mean by "starvation mode," right? If I stay at 1200, I will lose weight but if I go below that, I won't.

The problem with this idea is that, if it were true, no one would die from starvation and obviously people do. Clearly, even if you eat what is obviously too few calories to be healthy, such as an anorexic does, you will continue to lose weight.

So where did this idea -- that not eating enough calories makes you not lose weight -- come from?

It started with the famous Minnesota starvation study. Some normal-weighted men agreed to live on a compound where their exercise and diet was strictly controlled. For portions of the study, they were on a "starvation diet" which is defined as 50% of the calories your body needs to function.

For me, these days, that's about 750-850 calories a day. So I was on a starvation diet up for the first four months after my surgery. Yet I lost weight just fine during that period -- better than fine, really. Most of the people on The Biggest Loser are also on starvation diets, from what I can tell. They may eat a lot more than I do but they also exercise strenuously 6-8 hours a day. So they are often below 50% of their calorie expenditure for the day. They seem to lose just fine too.

How can this be?!

The answer lies in what actually happened to the Minnesota guys when they were on their starvation diets.

Like most of us on a diet, their metabolisms did slow down. In fact, after they'd been on this diet for a while -- we're talking months, not days here -- their body fat percentage got to a point below what is considered minimal to live on (about 5% for a guy, 6% for a gal). At this point, their metabolism had slowed down as much as 40%. But -- and this is the important point for those of us on a diet -- they continued to lose weight. Even with that big of a slow down in their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), they were still operating at a great enough calorie deficit to lose.

If this is true with a 40% slow down, it's even more true when the slow down is somewhere in the 14 - 22% range, which is more where if falls with normal dieting.

WARNING MATH CONTENT AHEAD:

Take an individual who needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain their current weight. Assuming calorie expenditure remains the same, they will lose (approximately) as follows:

Calories Expected

Loss

Per Week Actual Loss 2,000 0 pound 0 pound 1,500 1 pound 1 pound 1,000 2 pounds 2 pound 500 3 pounds 2¼ to 2½ pounds

As you can see from the table, once you go below a certain calorie level, you aren't getting the weight loss you'd expect. This is because your BMR will go down more if you eat only 500 calories compared to eating 1500. But, as you can see, you are still losing more than if you were eating 1000 calories.

This is a lot different than the "no" weight loss that the "starvation mode" myth touts.

The other important point to note about this study is that it was performed on normal-weighted men. When starvation studies have been done on the obese, they find that the impact of the starvation diet is much less. Our bodies have fat stores designed to get us through a famine (i.e., a diet) and when we have a famine (i.e., a diet), those fat stores get used. The drastic slowdown of the metabolism doesn't happen until those fat stores are largely gone -- which takes a lot longer for the obese than for those who only have to lose 10-25 pounds.

So why are we told not to go under 1200 calories a day, unless under a doctor's supervision?

Mostly because, the more you reduce your intake, the harder it is to get the nutritients you need from food. If you are on a very low calorie diet (as I am), you need to see your doctor(s) regularly, get labs done regularly, etc. Not to mention, Vitamin supplementation is a must. Doing what I'm doing on your own can be dangerous, as you may not know or noticed the signs of a Vitamin or mineral deficiency. Don't forget: some vitamin deficiencies can kill you!

Another reason not to go below a certain calorie expenditure is that human beings are not machines and, unlike the guys in the Minnesota study, we aren't living on a compound with our activity and food strictly controlled. As a result, when we reduce our calories substantially, there is a tendency to subconsciously (or even consciously) reduce our calorie expenditure. Combine this with our tendency to under-report what we eat and over-report our exercise, and you can see where we can get into trouble.

As an example, one Saturday I did a killer two hour workout. After which, I came home and took a three hour nap! Obviously my calorie expenditure that day was lower than if I hadn't taken the nap.

Now, I still lost weight that week. But if I was only eating 500 calories for months at time, I doubt I'd be able to have done that workout to begin with -- I'd still be doing the 30 min. low intensity workouts that I started with. Plus, I might also be taking naps a lot more than once in a while. Both of which would have impacted my weight loss because they would have decreased my calorie expenditure.

Eating more over time has allowed me to exercise more so that, as a result, my rate of weight loss hasn't gone down as much as it could have as my calories have gone up. Plus I'm happy because I'm fitter and healthier.

In the end, it's important to consume enough calories that you have the energy to perform the daily activities you want to and to keep your body healthy. Otherwise, it's self-defeating. After all, the point of losing weight is to be healthier and to get our lives back. It's not to starve ourselves to the point of malnutrition and have so little energy we can't go out and do fun things.

If you want to learn more about starvation mode and read more details about the studies I alluded to, here are some good articles on it:

Are You In Starvation Mode or Starving For Truth? (some typos but the best summary article I've seen)

The Starvation Myth (where I got my table from)

The Truth about "Starvation Mode" (lots of research is discussed)

And here's an article from the other side... Tom Venuto is a big proponent of Starvation Mode and avoiding it. Yet even though the tone of his article makes it sounds like he disagrees 100% with the articles above, about 90% of what he says is exactly the same:

Is starvation mode a myth?- No! It's very real and here is the proof

Thanks for posting this - really fascinating! I'm definitely low on energy with the amount of calories I'm eating and would like to increase, but of course am not going to overeat my sleeve (when I do that accidentally, I just throw it all up anyway, so couldn't even if I wanted to). In the meantime, I figure that I'll do whatever light exercise I can and enjoy the weight loss as it comes.

[sallynew 18]

so i read all posts

but i dont know now to eat alittle or more

i can reach 1200 calories easy by adding a chocalate to my diet

it give calories and take no room of the stomach so it doesnt make us feel full

so what to eat high or low calories?

[Tiffykins 672]

so i read all posts

but i dont know now to eat alittle or more

i can reach 1200 calories easy by adding a chocalate to my diet

it give calories and take no room of the stomach so it doesnt make us feel full

so what to eat high or low calories?

It depends on what your goals are. Are you still trying to lose, maintain?

I can eat 2000 calories EASILY, but I choose not to do so. Just because we can doesn't mean we should, and NO, I never eat junk food to up my calories.

When I needed to get my weight losing to STOP, I added high calorie/high healthy fat food that didn't take up much room and still gave me nutritional value. Food such as cheese, Peanut Butter, nuts, avocados, very nutrient/calorie dense foods that were just empty chocolate calories.

[sallynew 18]

im trying to loose weight

[Catracks 865]

I use this formula. It works for normal weight people:

1. Eat when really hungry, not bored or head hungry.

2. Eat quality lean Protein first, vegetables and fruits second and complex carbs if any room left.

3. Eat slowly.

4. Don't take that one bite too many.

5. Give yourself a treat once in a while. The world didn't end when I had a tiny piece of dark chocolate with my coffee.

[bellabbr 50]

I have to disagree with everyone. You have 230 lbs to loose by your ticker. Even 1200 calories is a major deficit for you compared from before. Everyone else that only has 100 or 90 lbs to loose yeah 1200 calories a day is too much, but when you have that much more to loose, your doctor is probably scared about the shock your body will incur if you drop to 400-500 calories a day.

[IowaAndy 95]

Well I know that at 2 weeks post op I was not getting even close to 1000 calories. That just seems like a lot to me. I do not even get that much now and I am 3 months post op.

[Tiffykins 672]

im trying to loose weight

My first reply to anyone is to make sure to check with your program/surgeon before changing your eating. And, I never felt hunger so I couldn't just eat when hungry. I had to set a schedule, and a meal plan so I would make sure to hit my Protein and calorie goals per day.

My days back in my losing stage this is what I did until goal :

600-800 calories per day

60+gr of Protein

no more than 30-40 TOTAL carbs

64ounces of clear fluids

I did NOT indulge with any treats, snack, no breaking my plan until after I got to goal and was getting into maintenance. I personally could never just eat 1 hershey's kisses. At least not when I was trying to lose weight, if you can let "treats" into your daily calorie intake and not miss protein because of the calories in junk food then that's something you can choose to do, but if you can't stop at 1 or 2, don't pick up the habit. Some people can have indulgences, they can say NO to not eating those things every day, many of us needed to have surgery because what we had done in the past had not worked. So, I really worked on my relationship with food and what I knew I could handle. I ate 4 meals a day with each meal consisting of 15gr of protein. If I had room for greens, I ate them. But, I didn't touch junk food, fruits or breads/pasta/rice until after I getting into maintenance. If I could have just cut my portions, I would not have had 85% of my stomach removed. Like I said, some people choose to do things differently, from all my time around the boards, few patients are able to just eat what they want in smaller portions and lose weight and KEEP it OFF. That's the key, keeping it off which is way harder than a lot of people think. There's 2 active posts right now on obesityhelp from 2 women who had surgery last year, lost 75-100lbs and have put on 40lbs. It's not hard to gain with the sleeve or any other surgery choose. It happens and if you don't work on the food issues, then eating smaller portions will only help in the short term. When you get to about a year or two out, you will be able to 2-3 times the amount you did the first month or two. I can eat way more today than I could the first 3 months so making the "best" choice is way harder today than it was 2 years ago.

I never stalled, every single week for 6.5 months I lost weight. It might have been only 1 pound, but there were lots of weeks where I lost 5-6 pounds. I only kind of 'stalled' I was close to goal and it only lasted 10 or so days and then I dropped big time pounds and got below 2lbs below goal.

[Liberated Sleeve 148]

Yep, I'm pretty sure on this 3 week liquid diet I am still on I ain't getting anywhere near 500 calories!

[brandymarie81 108]

I think I finally got about 800 today...I wasn't able to eat much of the taco meat for dinner...but I was successful at eating more today than in the past 2 weeks...I do have to force myself to eat...cause I am never hungry...I just don't want to mess this up...that's what scares me..

[carbgrl 119]

H

My first reply to anyone is to make sure to check with your program/surgeon before changing your eating. And, I never felt hunger so I couldn't just eat when hungry. I had to set a schedule, and a meal plan so I would make sure to hit my Protein and calorie goals per day.

My days back in my losing stage this is what I did until goal :

600-800 calories per day

60+gr of Protein

no more than 30-40 TOTAL carbs

64ounces of clear fluids

I did NOT indulge with any treats, snack, no breaking my plan until after I got to goal and was getting into maintenance. I personally could never just eat 1 hershey's kisses. At least not when I was trying to lose weight, if you can let "treats" into your daily calorie intake and not miss protein because of the calories in junk food then that's something you can choose to do, but if you can't stop at 1 or 2, don't pick up the habit. Some people can have indulgences, they can say NO to not eating those things every day, many of us needed to have surgery because what we had done in the past had not worked. So, I really worked on my relationship with food and what I knew I could handle. I ate 4 meals a day with each meal consisting of 15gr of protein. If I had room for greens, I ate them. But, I didn't touch junk food, fruits or breads/pasta/rice until after I getting into maintenance. If I could have just cut my portions, I would not have had 85% of my stomach removed. Like I said, some people choose to do things differently, from all my time around the boards, few patients are able to just eat what they want in smaller portions and lose weight and KEEP it OFF. That's the key, keeping it off which is way harder than a lot of people think. There's 2 active posts right now on obesityhelp from 2 women who had surgery last year, lost 75-100lbs and have put on 40lbs. It's not hard to gain with the sleeve or any other surgery choose. It happens and if you don't work on the food issues, then eating smaller portions will only help in the short term. When you get to about a year or two out, you will be able to 2-3 times the amount you did the first month or two. I can eat way more today than I could the first 3 months so making the "best" choice is way harder today than it was 2 years ago.

I never stalled, every single week for 6.5 months I lost weight. It might have been only 1 pound, but there were lots of weeks where I lost 5-6 pounds. I only kind of 'stalled' I was close to goal and it only lasted 10 or so days and then I dropped big time pounds and got below 2lbs below goal.

THANK YOU so much for posting this. This really helps me. I'm about 6wks out and I often question my foods and this really helps give me a range and guide that I've desperately been searching for. I have been hitting between 500-800. I think that comes naturally when you follow the "rules" of protein first. I was also told by the hospital to eat 2 oz meat and 2 oz of veggiesor fruit and if any room left to have carbs. I try to avoid all simple carbs because it helps cut down my cravings. I've really been wondering about carb ranges and fat ranges. Tiff how many fat grams did you range per day????

This is a great topic. I don't think I'm in starvation mode but, I do think after so many years of yo-yo dieting that my metabolism is messed up. Since most days I get closer to 500/600 cals when I do get close to 800 cals then I usually gain. I try not to let it bother me and keep waiting for my body kick in. It has to eventually. It's a mathematical certainty.

[Catracks 865]

Like was said: get your Protein in and your fluids and the weight loss will follow. Honestly, I was told to not even count calories, but I was curious and so entered them on fitday.

Maybe trade the taco meat for a leaner Protein. Seafood is the BEST for that. Salmon and ahi sashimi grade tuna really packs the protein per ounce. Cut the sour cream and use Greek yogurt (excellent for protein BTW).

Don't force. At 2 weeks I was just off Clear liquids and on to full liquids. I wasn't hungry at the two week mark either.

Don't forget the Protein shakes either, You can doctor them up so they taste incredible (SF Jello powder, frozen fruit, SF Torani syrups, etc.)