800 cal. to lose regain - is it starvation?

I am just over 3 years out from VSG.  I am struggling with regain and have returned to a 800 calories high protein low carb diet like I followed the first year out from surgery. I have tried higher calorie levels but my body just does not lose at the higher levels.  At 800 per day and minimal exercise I lose about 1/2 pound to a pound a week which if fine with me.

Here is the problem.  I am being told, by many, that I have put my body into "starvation mode" and that is why I can't lose.  I am so tired of hearing this but have no ammunition to fight it.  So, is there such a thing as starvation mode and does anyone have any medical documentation on the subject?

I know I am not unique in having to eat at this low level to lose. I also know that if I did more exercise I could probably eat more but I am 60 and high intense workouts are not possible.  I do walk and do kettlebells.

What do the California docs say about staying at low cal for long periods of time. I now know maintenance has to be around 1000-1200 and will do maintenance differently this time round once I lose my regain. I followed Dr. Cirangle's plan for weight loss as my center did not have a plan for VSG and was very successful.  My regain is my own fault.  Too much fruit and thyroid problems that I didn't have looked at asap. Thanks.  Paula 

Dr. Cirangle says that "starvation mode" is ridiculous. If that were true there would not have been any starving people in the Nazi concentration camps. In order to lose 1 pound you need to burn up 3500 calories. If you eat 1000 per day and your body burns 1500 per day you will use up stored fat calories (500). It will take you 7 days to lose a pound. However, you should make sure that the calories you are eating are mostly protein as if you eat mostly carbs (especially refined carbs) you will lose muscle as well as fat. Protein feeds muscles. If you need to lose 20 extra pounds that means you need to burn up 70,000. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks cece58. That is what I thought but when educated people gang up on you you question what you thought you knew.

I agree with the other post about starvation mode. I also want to throw in there -- maybe either stop discussing this with people, or stop caring what they think about what you are doing? Easier said than done, I know! But with practice it gets easier. If I discuss my strategies with people who are not weight loss surgery patients or medical professionals, I make it clear that I am following an approved plan from a medical bariatric expert and that I'm not interested in deviating from my plan. If people bring up starvation mode, I challenge them to cite me to studies proving that it exists. Why should I be the one who needs to defend myself and my practices? There are a lot of armchair weight loss experts out there who just regurgitate what they learned from some examiner.com article or from a "trainer" who got certified online somehow. Why should I care what they think?

If it was just plain folk I would have an answer for them but these are very educated RNY active bloggers who work in the bariatric industry.  Hearing it from them makes me angry and I have asked for info to support their statements but they never provide them.  I am trying to educate as I go along but some are very stuck in their thinking.  I don't care per se, I am just trying to figure my body out and look at all info provided to see if it may apply to me.  If there is something out there to help me on this journey than I want to know about it.  We do not have pro-active VSG docs in ON Canada like you guys do in the states.  I feel very alone in my position at times but that is why I posted - to get some reassurance that what I am doing is OK.

I agree with both of the above. Starvation mode as most people understand it is total bullcrap. If you are eating fewer calories than yo burn, you'll lose. If you have fat reserves, you will burn them, and won't be starving.

Reducing by 500 calories a day is probably the most common figure to use when shedding regain.

Where is the link, Grim???? I want to share that article about why you are not losing weight with a friend and cannot find it. 

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weig ht

Best article I've read in a long time. Very informative!!

Thanks!!