Curious about calories

[faithstar 3]

I was just reading something and it mentioned that when we go under 1200 calories, our bodies hold onto our fat reserves as it thinks we are in a famine. I knew this before and most people term this as the starvation mode.

My question then is, how have most of us managed to lose the weight faster than with our previous diets, which ranged from 1200-2000?

In my experience, I ate 1400 calories on weight watchers and lost half of what I have now that I am on half the calories.

And does our body quickly come out of this starvation mode when it realizes we are continuing to eat as we are?

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

I was just reading something and it mentioned that when we go under 1200 calories, our bodies hold onto our fat reserves as it thinks we are in a famine. I knew this before and most people term this as the starvation mode.

My question then is, how have most of us managed to lose the weight faster than with our previous diets, which ranged from 1200-2000?

In my experience, I ate 1400 calories on weight watchers and lost half of what I have now that I am on half the calories.

And does our body quickly come out of this starvation mode when it realizes we are continuing to eat as we are?

I do believe starvation mode is real and credible. I've seen many studies on this and even seen a story on it via Discovery Health not too long ago. Eating little to no food/calories slows down our metabolisms to a crawl - and even slows down our bodies cell growths. Some thin people purposely eat low calorie diets to help themselves stay younger looking!

My body gets accustomed to the amount of calories I'm feeding it, so I try to constantly shake things up. I never stay steady. I tend to bump anywhere from 800 calories up to even 1400 sometimes. I've only ever had one true stall, and I think it was my own fault by grazing too much. As soon as I cut that out my stalls stopped. The only time now my scale slows is during TOM which is always been the case for me, so I don't really beat myself up over it.

Other than that I'm losing at a steady rate of anywhere from half a pound up to five pounds per week. I'm averaging about 2.5 to 3 Lbs per week.

[SFOTraveler 42]

I also believe in the whole starvation mode theory, however I think that the bariatric surgery diets circumvent this because you are getting in high Protein, which in essence, is still feeding your muscles. That's my thought anyway. My doc recommended 6-800 cals a day in the losing phase.

I do not log what I eat because quite simply, I can't eat much, and I don't eat anything super high calorie anymore. I figure that I stay within my range each day. But like Irene, I am finding that when I shake things up a bit (last night I went to dinner for my bday and nibbled on restaurant food which I am sure was high in calories) and I woke up this morning 2lbs lighter. WEIRd!!!!

[Billy363627 15]

I bellieve in the starvation mode but you have to ask yourself about keytosis itself. I know I am in keytosis right now and the pounds are just shedding off out of control..It is really interesting how one experiences differ from another. I know adkins you and eat 5000 calories as longas you keep your carbs under 50 you will continue to lose weight..It is very interesting everyone's opinion on this. In theory if you have Protein and a couple of Vitamins this is all your body needs.. So is it starvation or keytosis??