600-800 Calorie Diets

Question for a dietician (or anyone who cares to answer).   I understand that its not good to eat low calorie diets because our bodies go into starvation mode and we won't lose weight because it holds on to the energy.   I am wondering if there is anyway to get around this.  I read about a guy that was medically supervised on a 600-800 calorie diet and lost a lot of weight.   I want to eat very nutrient rich foods at each meal (5-6 smalls meals a day) and of course lots of fiber and protien. I'm wondering if the starvation mode thing still applies if I am eating my 5-6 meals every two hours.  It seems like if I'm getting food on a consistent schedule my body will know I'm not starving.  Actually, when I've eaten this way I haven't been hungry AT ALL ...maybe because of all the water.    I know it sounds drastic but so is weight loss surgery...which is my other alternative.  Any insight?

Hi there, Yes, we do put people on very low calorie diets (VLCD) - and they work, for a while. These diets are typically supervised by a doctor and/or a dietitian. Whether it's starvation mode or not, I don't know, but I do know that these diets typically do not work over a long period of time (I'm talking about people who use a VLCD WITHOUT weight loss surgery). I personally think that they don't work well (for non-surgical people) because people just get tired of being hungry all the time. They get tired of not being able to eat anything. So, they stop the diet. I also think VLCD are good for immediate weight loss, but not for a lifestyle change. For example, if you need to lose 40 lbs before surgery (I worked for a clinic at one time that did not do WLS for people with BMI >60 & I used VLCD to help people get some weight off fast - to get their BMI < 60 for surgery). With all that being said, I know your question is really about Starvation Mode. There is a lot of conflicting opinions about the Starvation Mode theory. As far as I know now, it's just a theory - not proven to be true. So, what I'm giving you is OPINION, not FACT. I think that if we are going with the starvation mode theory, that even it you do eat your 600 calories on a consistent schedule, your body would still know it's starving. And, over time, you'd still hit Starvation Mode. What concerns me about using a VLCD for weight loss is MAINTENANCE. What would your plan be once you lose weight? Do you continue to eat a VLCD? Or do you start adding food back in? How are you going to change your lifestyle so that the weight does not come back? Would this be a long-term solution for you? This is the biggest problem with VLCD (and many diets, in my opinion) - eventually, you get tired of the diet and go back to your old ways of eating. I don't want to discourage you from dieting -- please don't get me wrong. But, I want to ENCOURAGE you to choose a diet that you can stick with -- FOREVER. Make a true lifestyle change in your eating and exercise habits so that you not only lose weight, but keep it off --- I think this is why WLS is so popular. It helps maintain healthy habits. I know WLS is drastic. Have you considered intense nutritional counseling with a dietitian? Along with a solid exercise routine? This could be a better way to go if you are trying to avoid WLS. I hope more people chime in for you -- I'm sure there are others on this board that have used VLCD & may be able to give you more feedback.

THANKS Sara for your response it was very helpful.   I totally agree with you with regards to the 'lifestyle' change and exercise.  I'm with you on all of that and have incorporated those things into my life.  (I'm training for a 5k, so any tips in that area would be great too).  I just really want to get this weight off quickly (gained it out of college and during a time of depression in my life where I used ice cream to cope).  I honestly believe that once I get the weight off I will be able to maintain...now that I'm not depressed and not eating a pint of ice cream daily in conjunction with my regular food. I really am interested in becoming a vegetarian...I've tried the lifestyle a while back and was pretty content.  What I like about the way I've done the diet is that it's made me more concious of my food intake...I keep a food/exercise/thought journal, I weigh everything I put in my mouth and I count calories.  So I'm hoping that once I get to my goal weight I will continue using those tools for life. 

I'm going to chime in a little...

VLCDs should really be reserved for medically supervised programs.  Though there is not a lot of research on these diets, there have been a couple of long term studies that showed a lowering of basal metabolic rate for those people who used VLCDs to lose weight.  What that means is that the body needs less energy to just sit there & breathe - so when you go back to eating a "normal" diet, less calories means more weight gain.

I hear you saying you are training for a 5K - you need adequate energy to train seriously!  A VLCD is probably not the best idea.  I think it would be more worthwhile to lower your calories while increasing your exercise.  There are many methods you can use to achieve your goals.  Doing it yourself is probably the hardest - but possible.

You may also wish to keep an eye on the OH board for non-surg weight loss.  There are some very supportive people there who know exactly what you are dealing with.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks Danielle and Sara for your help!!