Okay, so i have a BMI of 40 which is shocking and horribile..i just found out and unfortunatly in front of a few friends i didnt want to find out..So i was thinking about the number of shakes you drink which is 4(packets) and then your healthy dinner..and the total number of calories will total maybe 900...is this too low??? is this unsafe? Im afraid of putting my body into starvation mode and i was told by some that going below 1200 would be too low?? Do you experience starvation mode? Is this supposed to be low calorie??

I did not experience starvation mode on IP and I was eating between 600-1000 calories a day. I think I read somewhere that when in ketosis you will not go into starvation mode? Somebody please correct me if that's not true-but it makes sense to me, because I feel that on 600 calories I definitely would have entered starvation mode.

I think part of why you don't go into starvation mode on this diet is simply the amount of times you eat in a day. I have 4 packets + my meal, so I am eating roughly every 3-4 hours. Once again, please correct me if I am wrong.

Short answer - if you're following the IP protocol you're going to be fine and you shouldn't worry unless you start to have negative effects such as feeling very lethargic, headaches, massive irratability, etc.

Long answer -

What is starvation mode? True starvation mode is when your body starts to shut down non essential functions. For example in true stavation mode women may experience amenorrhea (loss of monthly cycle.)

Most people think starvation mode has something to do with severe slowing of the metabolism by the ingestion of too few calories. This is a myth for the most part. The body will slow down the metabolism but not by much. How much depends on a number of factors but at most it seems to slow down by 10-15% in healthy individuals based on what I have read.

There are a number of other factors that can affect this such as medication, bad thyroids, etc. This also doesn't take into account that on too few calories you might feel lethargic and have a drastic reduction in NEAT.

Another major factor is how much fat you have to lose. The more fat your body has the more you can restrict calories without causing any problems. A common misperception is that fatter folks need more calories. Yes - they will burn more calories but they can actually get by with fewer calories due to the fuel stores they have on board their bodies.

All people have certain essential nutrient requirements their bodies need to not only survive but thrive. The IP diet covers all these requirements.

The number of times you eat in a given day doesn't matter. Ketosis doesn't matter although it can be beneficial for mood and energy levels.

I'm not sure where the 1,200 calorie number came from. Probably it is a simple rule to make sure people eat enough so their essential nutrient needs are being met. Obviously a 4'10" 60 year old woman will need less than a 7' 25 year old man but breaking down individual requirements is far too lofty a goal so the baseline of 1,200 is thrown out there to ensure people don't stupid things. (As if that would stop them ... )

I started with a BMI of 39. Yes, 900 calories may seem low, but you have to remember that you have a "savings account" on your body with 350,000 calories (wanting to lose 100 lbs, 3500 calories per pound of fat) to "spend". As long as you're getting enough protein in, you'll be fine.

I second LeaArr. I also do 4 packs a day plus my dinner meal (8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm). I found that when I dropped to 3 packs a day as an experiment I did not lose as much. I also do a restricted once a day and find that it gives me more variety.

The Ideal Protein protocol is specially designed to provide the right amount of protein to prevent starvation... the amino acids in the protein suppress the use of muscle proteins for fuel, thereby sparing the breakdown of muscular protein... this is because they can sacrifice themselves as fuel so the body can concentrate on burning fat... that's why it's important to eat/drink all your protein each & every day, even when you think you aren't hungry...

hugs

My understanding is that this diet is formulated to provide our body with the requirements we need vitamin and protein wise so that the body turns to our stored fats to make up for the required energy it needs. I have not experienced any stalls in weight loss that might indicate starvation mode. I think as long as you follow the protocol correctly you will be just fine. For the first week because I had so much to lose I started by having 5 packs a day (1 of which was a restricted) The second week I dropped to 3 (1 of restricted) plus of course my veggies and meat protein for dinner and the pounds are coming off consistently. Don't worry just do it !!