Question:
If your body is in Starvation Mode and you do not increase your food intake
does your body eventually still start to lose weight. Every time I complain about a plateau to my surgeon's office they tell me, the body needs very little food. Nothing is ever said about increasing calorie intake to jump start the weight loss. I would say I am getting between 300 and 500 calories a day. So, if I eat less food or go back to liquids (I have been thinking about that just to start my body losing again) will I still lose weight or will my body stay stuck thinking it is starving? — Eleanore Davis (posted on September 18, 2003)
September 18, 2003
Good advice from previous poster - you are not getting in enough calories
and your organs will start to suffer. An AMOS sister now has kidney
failure from not getting enough protein. My nutritionist recommends
500-800 calories a day, 60 grams of protein for me.
— bethybb
September 18, 2003
When I was 10 weeks post-op I was getting about 500 calories a day and my
surgeon told me that I had to up it to at least 1000 - preferably 1200 or I
wouldn't lose and I would get seriously ill. Your body needs calories to
function - just be careful of how you get those calories. Be sure to get
protein first, then vegetables, fruit and last starchy foods. We were told
to make sure that 80% of our calories come from protein. I do one
supplement a day and get the rest of my protein from foods. I am now 20
months out and get between 1000 and 1400 calories a day and am maintaining
nicely. By the way, I lost 181 pounds in less than a year.
— Patty_Butler
September 18, 2003
Hi there! I am 3 days shy of being 4 months out. Starvation mode is not
all it is cracked up to be. I have been extremely ill for the last 3
months and they are running mountains of tests. Most days nothing except
lemon water goes in my mouth. yes I am losing a lot of weight, but I am so
unhealthy, weak, sick and at my wits end, ect. that I would certainly
welcome a healthy weight loss while consuming calories enough to give me
strength to get out of bed. Above all make your decisions on what you and
your doctor feel are best for your health and longevity.
— J G.
September 18, 2003
Ditto previous posters. Another thing about starvation mode: it cause your
metabolism to slow down. Your body does everything it can to hold on to
the fat stores it has. One way to hold on is to reduce the number of
calories that you expend. Most of us have already messed up our
metabolisms through yo-yo dieting. It can't be a good thing to go back
there.
— Vespa R.
September 18, 2003
I was only eating 300 calories a day for the first 8 weeks and I was sicker
then a dog. I didn't do it intentionally. I just had NO appetite. Once I
increased my calories, I lost weight consistently and felt MUCH better.
You need to up your calories to at least 800 a day.
— Patty H.
September 22, 2003
Hon, if you beat up your body by starving yourself it will get you back.
Not only will your weight loss stop, but you will start loosing lean muscle
mass which makes your body be able to move. I had the idea the less I ate
the faster it would go, boy was I wrong! My doctor corrected my bad eating
habits and I'm doing much better. He would like me to eat 1000 calories a
day...I eat about 800, but I have lost 93 pounds in just 4 1/2 months so
there must be some truth to this. Good Luck, take care of the body that
carries you!!
~Open RNY 5/9/2003 -93 pounds!
— Sylvia E.
Click Here to Return