I am sure you are tired of people posting how shocked they are but I have to join the bandwagon. I feel week if I workout too hard on 1200 calories but 700!! Supplements and vitamins are in addition to solid foods not a replacement. Maybe you should talk to a nutritionist who is specifically trained in this type of thing. My doctor did not try to put me on a weight loss plan, he suggested a few things which included seeing a nutritionist.

I am sure this is working for you know but 700 calories/day is killing your metabolism which will eventually kill your weight loss.

I would suggest more protein before you workout. I eat peanuts or a tablespoon of peanut butter before I workout if I cannot eat a full meal.

Good luck!

ok. let's just forget i said anything at all.

i have seen two different nutritionists.

as for losing metabolism, i weight train 3 days a week to promote muscle development, which is related to metabolism. anyone who is dieting at all is slowing down their metabolism, not just me.

This has happened before here. If you ask a question like "how much is too much" and post your feeling weak, what sort of response where you wanting??? For us to say "fine, ignore your body keep going???"

You're preaching to the choir about obesity. My bmi was 45. That's not obese. It's morbidly obese. I have lost weight on 1800 calories, reducing to 1400 now.

I weight train, I do cardio, I swim. I'm not on a diet. This is me, for life, with the odd relaxed day where I don't give a flying houdini about my calories, but keeping a strong watch on my weight forever.

I wasn't crticising your plan, I was just saying that in response to your question and symptoms that I had concerns.

And I'm sorry if you think I'm being inflammatory, but you must have had concerns to post in the first place. If you were so confident in it, you wouldnt need random opinions of people on the internet to validate or otherwise your concerns.

Concerns are normal. In my opinion, the "1200 calorie rule" is not a rule. Yes, you want to eat in a way you can stick with and yes you don't want to develop an easting disorder. It sounds to me aerotigergirl that you are keeping a very close watch on your nutrition. I also suggest everyone who's posted here to read this thread:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64562
That might help answer some of your questions aerotigergirl. I might be the only voice that suggests what you're doing isn't bad, but it sounds like you've thought about it a lot and coming her for support is a good thing. People will always have different opinions about what you are doing right and wrong. I have been criticized in the past for offering advice when a poster saw I had just logged In'n'Out on my Fitday the day before, so everyone is going to have their opinions and depending on TOM might not think your plan is valid. I think for now it sounds like a good plan for you. I wouldn't stick with it for life, but it might be a good way to jump start your loss and get your hunger trained to a lower level, than you can increase as needed later on (unless you seriously plan to eat at 700 calories a day for the rest of your life, in which case you'd eventually have to stop working out in order not to waste away to nothing). Anyways, don't sweat people's opinions on here too much. Your concerns are valid and people are concerned. If you and your doctor are confident in your plan than I think it is a good one.

aerotigergirl

There's no right way and wrong way. Well ok, there is LOL But in your case, I think you're being smart about it. It's not like you pulled the diet out of your...well ya know LOL A lot of people go on very restricted diets for some immediate damage control (as you said, blood pressure etc). If it wasn't a supervised diet, I'd be pulling out my rolling pin right about now but you're being followed by your doctor so I don't really see a problem.

As for feeling weak after a mega workout session, it has happened to me in the past too. For a while, I though I was training for the Iron Man competition or something. lol But I was sooo tired, Iron Man I wasn't I've scaled down to more reasonable workouts and haven't been tired since. I find I also feel weak if I don't drink enough before/during/after my workout or if I work out and haven't eaten in a while.

People will surely be concerned if someone says they are not feeling well on a diet. You talked to your doctor, he offered some advice. So hopefully you will be back to your normal self.

There are a billion ways to lose weight. Low fat, no fat, no carbs, just carbs, surgery, barks and twigs, sauna belts...(rofl! I'm soooo gonna tell people I lost all my weight using one of those when I get to goal. ) The important thing is that you are comfortable with what you are following and that of course, it's not affecting your health negatively.

kykaree--The concerns I had were clearly posted in my initial message. Weakness after a huge workout session, advice for healthy snacks, etc. I was not seeking validation from "random people on the internet", as I know already how and why my diet (current life choices/relationship with food/new way of living/whatever is the most appropriate way of conveying that I am not doing this as a crash diet for a short-term result) is working. I appreciate everyone's concerns, however, including yours.

Not unlike most people who come to this forum, I was looking for people to relate to (as the people in my life probably don't want to hear about it all the time because they're not going through it with me). Sometimes you find that here, and other times you don't. This time i didn't (at least not in the majority).

aerotigergirl - i've been in the same situation as you...trying to come here for advice and all i got was really no support and a lot of people telling me what i was doing was wrong. it was very discouraging to me...and it hurt because a lot of these people on here seem to support their friends, or long-time posters on this site, but then when it comes to me, i don't get as much support. just telling you what i noticed, and you're not the only one.

i guess i would suggest listening to your doctor, because HE is the one with the degree, and he knows what he's doing. if you've gone to nutritionists and they seem okay with it too, then your plan obviously isn't that bad. obviously lowering your calorie intake will help you lose weight, and then slowly increasing it will help your metabolism and help you maintain. it's good that you're working out, because that ultimately will help your metabolism too.

do what works for you, not what works for other people just because people on here say it's unsafe doesn't mean you have to follow their advice, they're just making suggestions. they haven't done this type of diet before, so they're no experts, as i'm not either. but as long as you're doing it under your doctor's supervision, you should be safe.

ok simply put without *** kissing or being rude-just my opinion

you will loose weight on your diet-for now

you will not be able to keep it up forever, you will get sick and will stop exercising and probably gain most of it back

the only way you will be ok on this diet is maybe a cycle of eating more (but clean) for a few weeks, and then for a week or so do your low calorie diet. That is the only way you might be allright and keep loosing/maintaining the weight.

like i said this is my opinion, but not only-bodybuilders, wrestlers, professional fighters -athletes in general and even those who just want to live a healthy life have the same opinion - eating less and exercising more is not the way to go - it is eating better and exercising that will give you good results

good luck

Yes! You would not believe the number of times I get criticized for saying this!! Eating less may make you lose weight... but eating RIGHT makes you healthy!!!

I'm no doctor/nutritionist. I'm just a 36 year old woman who restricted/binged for 20 years. I started my first "diet" at 15 years old when I weighed a HUGE 133 lbs. I ended up 35 years old and weighing close to 200 lbs.

What finally worked was giving up my unhealthy eating habits forever and embracing (I mean, completely embracing) the idea of eating for health.

I'm no doctor/nutritionist, I'm just a 36 year old woman who lost 65+ lbs and have kept it off for a year - no restriction, no binging. I ate a ton of healthy food every day, felt wonderful and haven't been sick ONE day since I started in July 2004.

Just based on my own personal experiences, extremely low cal diets are doomed to failure (and I know there are wonderful exceptions). One day, you stop the low cal diet and then what? If you are me, you gain back all the weight and more. If you are me, you gain it back so quickly you get permanent stretch marks on your belly. Low cal/low fat diets also made my hair fall out by the handful.

After nearly 20 years of failure and wondering why I had no will power, thinking I was just genetically destined to be fat, that I was "big boned" and had a slow metabolism and all the other lies I told myself, it still seems like a miracle how easy it was to lose weight when I finally figured out the secret. I quit "dieting" and just started eating as many healthy foods as possible while avoiding foods that were not healthy as much as possible.

I have so much energy. My skin is fabulous. My hair is shiny. Shopping is such a joy, almost everything looks so pretty on. I don't need as much sleep, I quit drowsing off to sleep every afternoon in my office. The transformation is completely amazing - "dieting" never made me feel this way.

here we go again, this is the thread that just refuses to die...

I appreciate everyone's helpful advice. I realize that everyone thinks that their way is best, etc., and I appreciate people worrying about my well-being. However, I've actually thought about all the issues that you're all bringing up, too, and I'm not stupid (i'm a graduate student in Aerospace Engineering, in fact). If I believed that I was doing my body harm or anything of that sort, I would definitely seek out a new plan. I'm in this thing to be healthy, just like you are. I'm looking for weight loss results, just like you are. I am trying really hard, just like you are.

Like I said, I appreciate everyone's concern. But, quite honestly, being told that I'm "doomed to failure" and that I'll "gain it all back" etc. makes me not want to come to 3fc anymore. The whole point here is to support one another, no?

I've not posted here again, because I think it's all been said. You've thought it all out, you've considered all the issues, and I wish you nothing but good karma and I'll support you 100% and say no more about it.

And I'll be the first to congratulate you when you get to goal

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA THERE!!!!!!


Everyone take a step back, collect their thoughts, and calm down. Deep cleansing breaths...now doesn't everyone feel better???

Clearly this thread is in need of intervention at this point, and I am glad that it was brought to my attention. I spent the last 20 minutes or so reading through this whole thing...and I do have some opinions. Before I go any further-as the official mediator here, I would first like to say that I think that BOTH sides of this issue have valid points-but I also think both sides are beginning to get a little defensive, and I don't want that here in the Support Forum. If things don't calm down a bit-I will have to go through and clean things up a bit.

I would like everyone to read my opinions on the following, because I am going to be addressing both sides of this issue.

aerotigergirl-
I am sorry that you feel that you have been attacked here at 3FC. I want you to realize that these ladies DO indeed have good intentions, but they have been a bit agressive with them.
When I read your first post-here is what caught my eye-you are feeling very tired and weak on your 700 calorie diet. You also had a very extreme workout that day.
I understand that there are very low calorie diets sometimes done under the supervision of a physician. BUT-this is where the "but" part comes in-they are not usually accompanied by the kind of exercise that you did the day you mentioned. Extremely low calorie diets of 700 calories, while under the supervision of a doctor, usually have mild exercise-20 minutes of walking, or something like that. 700 calories a day, no matter how healthy those 700 calories are-are not enough to sustain you on really heavy exercise. The weakness you experienced afterwards was your body telling you this. While you continue on the 700 calorie level of your doctor's diet-please exercise caution, and do not exercise that extremely on such little calories.

Secondly-I would suggest that you take this diet plan and get a second opinion from a different physician other than the one who prescribed it for you. This is very important. The reason I am saying this is because there is a very good analogy here. Think about your high school graduating class. There was the valedictorian of the class with the highest grade point average, and then there was the handful of students who scraped by, barely passing. This is true with any form of education. Not all doctors are equal. The same goes with hair stylists, mechanics, engineers, and everything else.

Also, my mother is a nurse-and I have been around all of the doctors/nurses/aids at her workplace for years. The same nurse that treats and cares for someone with terminal lung cancer may be lighting up a cigarette on her lunch break. Just because someone has a degree, it doesn't mean we should just assume that what they are saying is okay.

I suggest that you discuss your bouts of tiredness and weakness with your doctor-and suggest maybe upping your calorie intake slightly. Your doctor may feel okay with 700 calories, but your body has been telling you that it is not.

What I want you to try and understand, is that the main reason I think that you have been under attack in this thread is not so much because of the calories alone...but because of your reaction to those calories. You have stated that you have felt weak, and then defended your position after there were comments of concern.

I personally don't understand the plan that you are on-starting out at 700 and going up over time. Usually it works the opposite way-because the more you weigh, the more calories your body uses per day. So, a 200 pound woman could start at 1800 and lose, and drop slowly down, 100 calories at a time, every 10 pounds or so, to around 1200 as her weight dropped to continue losing...then once goal is achieved, the calories are slowly added back in the same exact way, until the calorie level is found where you can eat the most without gaining.

To the responders-

The first thing I would like to address is the comments about her photo. It is only a face shot, and it is very difficult with any accuracy to say she is already thin without seeing any of her body.
Body type is a huge key here. Apple shapes carry their weight in their faces and upper bodies, but usually have slim bottoms and legs, hourglasses carry their weight pretty evenly all over, and pear shapes tend to have thinner faces and upper bodies, but carry weight in their hips, buns, and legs.
If you are looking at a face only of a stranger in a photo-you may see someone who you would deem to be on the heavy side. In fact, this woman may be an apple shape, and in reality only be a mere 10 pounds overweight-she just carries those 10 pounds in her face and upper body.
On the contrary-I have a friend who is a pear shape-and she is about 250 pounds. She has a THIN face. No chubby cheeks, no heavy neck. She is tall, and carries all her weight from her waist down. In a shoulders and above photo-she wouldn't look overweight to you at all.
Please do not try to pass judgement by a mere face photo alone.

Also-I really do understand all of your concerns. But, with that being said-I think that they can be said without such an attacking manner. I am genuinely suggesting that this beautiful young lady go and get a second opinion on this diet from another physician, and I am also suggesting less exercise on this calorie level, and confronting her current physician about her symptoms of weakness.
What I am not doing-is telling her she is going to gain her weight all back, or that she is going to turn anorexic, or other things. These comments can make a person instantly defensive.

Please take care in any further discussion of this topic. Any more heated comments and I will close the thread.

Thank you,
Aphil