Need some help please

L

letsdoit

Guest
Hi guys I'm kinda new to this hoping to seek some help here!

A few months ago about feb-may I went on an unhealthy diet, eating only 600-800 cal a day. Lost truckloads of weight (20pounds) but soon after found myself bingeing on 2300cal a day from may-sept. packed on the pounds all the way about 15?

Then I got desperate, lost another 5 pounds by eating only about 1000 cal a day. Now I've lost a total of 10pounds. But it's been a month + and I have been eating 800 cal a day and yet I don't seem to see any weight loss and even some weight gain. Why is this so?

Has my metabolism stopped working? Is it only burning like 700?!

What should I do? I'm getting really depressed over this.
 
Your in starvation mode,ur body will soak Everything in,check ur calorie need,myfitnesspal does it,Its an app,:)

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using MiniMins
 
Basically, you've screwed your body up and it doesn't trust you to feed it anymore so it's basically gone into shut down. It's running at a bare minimum because you've regularly not given it enough to function really. You need to up your calories to a sensible level, no less than 1200. You will probably gain a bit of weight to start but that's fine, it's normal and it will come off again. You need to stick at that and give your body the chance to readjust itself and it will start coming off again. If you're exercising, make sure that your net calories are at least 1200. Don't eat 1200 calories and then burn off 500, that's as bad as just eating 700 calories, you need to eat your exercise calories back when you've already got a calorie deficit. You need to be sensible about your weight loss because what you do now has a major impact on your body. You haven't gained weight overnight so you won't lose it overnight, as much as I wish we could! You just need to remember that losing weight shouldn't be at the sacrifice of your health.
 
Thanks feelinggood! Caroline, but if I increase my caloric intake, wouldn't I put on weight again then lose a little and be the same at where I am right now?

Or is what I'm going to lose much more? I'm really really petrified to increase my calories. I know it takes a leap of faith but sigh...... I just need to be reassured.
 
Feeling good, my bmr is about 1500-1600. But I highly doubt my metabolism burns that much now :/ it's so slow I don't even feel hungry.
 
Thats probly bcos u havnt been eating enuff,best bet is to weigh in then do a healthy 1500 cal 3meal,3snack day,and see after wk 1 and 2 if u dnt feel better drop to 1400 maybe :)
 
You'll keep losing as your metabolism would be better. If you give me your height, weight and goal weight (in a message if you'd prefer) I can calculate how many calories you should be eating to lose 2lbs a week. I know you're scared to up your calories but you really have no choice, eating how you are isn't helping you lose weight and it's damaging your body. So though it's hard, it's for the best and you might see a gain at first but you just have to remember that it's only temporary. Give your body some time to get back on track again and you'll get there, I'm sure.
 
Feelinggood, what's tfr diet?

Caroline, it's okay I'm open about my height and weight. I stand short at 5'2 weighing about 118-119 pounds.

Used to be 110 a few months back. Suddenly shot all the way up. I can see your point and where you're coming from. How much should I eat?
 
tfr = total food replacement. these are vlcds (very low calorie diets) under 800 cals. you buy all your 'food' (mostly shakes and soups) from a company like lighterlife or the cambridge diet.

unlike cutting calories that far by yourself, they're nutritionally complete. so they provide exactly the right amount of protein and carbs to stop your body going into starvation mode. They put you in ketosis so you're not hungry, but they're an extreme solution, on the very borders of what is healthy, and i'd only recommend one as a last resort if your weight was seriously affecting your health. and even then they're not for everyone. also, they have a refeeding programme: a structured reintroduction of foods over time, which helps to gradually reset the metabolism.

as for how you can be eating less than your BMR and not lose weight... well, you will eventually... but before that your body will try and keep you alive by shutting down inessential functions. Like growing hair. It also holds on to your fat stores (because those would be a source of fuel to keep you alive if you were in a famine situation) and instead starts using lean tissue as fuel. Including your internal organs. Including your heart.

Basically if you're seriously restricting calories and your body stops losing weight for more than a fortnight, it's seriously bad news, and you should up your calories immediately.
 
Thanks for the info spangles , really appreciate it but.. One more qn. So do you mean that if I push on to eat below my bmr my body will finally lose weight?

It's been about 2months + that ive been eating under my bmr by at least 300-500. Mostly like 800 cal and i still haven't lost any weight.

Should I push on or take the leap of faith and up my cal?
 
oh heavens! yes you would, but only because you'd actually be starving to death. and before that happened you'd be losing hair (that's a sneaky one, cos you don't start losing most of it it til you start eating properly again and new hair growth finally starts and pushes out a whole load of old hair all at once), and more importantly you'll have weakened your heart. Oh, and you'll possibly be making yourself infertile too. In addition you could be storing up osteoporosis for old age.

Please don't follow this path. if you're not losing weight on that many calories, something is very wrong.
 
Well I think the other issue that you've got is that you've got a BMI of 21 so you're a normal, healthy weight and so maybe your body is telling you that it's ok how it is about doesn't need to lose more? I suggest upping your calories to about 1400, you'll see a gain and then keep going until you're back to 118, then slowly up your calories by say 100 or so a week until you find what level you maintain at
 
Spangles, yeah I lost my period at the initial stage. But when I started on a binge, I got my period back. And even now when I'm taking 800-1000 cal a day, I'm still having my periods. So i don't think I'm in starvation mode?

Feelinggood, that's the shake/food replacement meal?

Caroline, I'm trying to lose another 10 pounds because that was where I used to be. :/ but do you think my body is indicating that it doesn't wanna be at 10pounds lighter since when I was there I lost my period and I was always cold, losing hair etc??
 
Yeah, I would say that it does hun. Those are the symptoms that anorexics get because basically they're underweight and because they're not getting enough calories to fuel their body, it means that there isn't enough there for your body to function, so it stops doing things that aren't seen as needed for survival, like your periods. You have to be really careful because those things can have long term effects. Your periods for example, if you go for that long without them because of it, it can effect your ability to have children later on. The risks of being underweight are just as bad as being overweight.

Personally, I recommend that you go and see your doctor about it all. They'll be able to help you come up with a healthy plan that will help you to increase your calories to a healthy level. I think maybe you might want to have a chat with them about how you're feeling emotionally because you're obviously not at a point where you need to lose weight but you feel like you do. Your doctor is there to help you and they'll be able to work together with you to find out what's best for you. The going way under calories and then bingeing isn't good for you, at all, but they can help you deal with these things. I know going to your doctor about things like this are always difficult but please consider it?
 
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