im just thinking i might want to up my daily calories since i had been staying at about 1,00 calories on bad advice from doc but since i heard i might plateau my weight loss unless i work my way down from say maybe 1400 or 1600........but im scared ill gain back the 9lbs i already lost....or as long as i burn the same amount of calories as i eat (ex:1400) will i keep losing?mmm need advice thanks

Did the doctor tell you why he wants you to only eat 1000 calories a day. ? Is there a medical reason ? My doctor put me on an 800 calorie diet, once but I was under medical supervision and it was for a limited period of time. I didn't plateau . I would try 1600 calories a day. I don't think you will regain what you have lost.

You will get answers from people who know much more than me, but I just wanted to share my own experience since we have similar starting weights and heights. I started out at 1500 calories on a doctors advice, but really wished I had started out higher. As I progressed I could only drop the calories so much before I reached 1200 and couldn't lower them any more.

Bargoo brings up a good point to check and see if your doctor had a reason for the 1000.

I agree with the others! 1000 cals a day is too low unless there is a medical reason for it! As long as you are exercising and tracking your cals and expending more cals than you take in...you are going to lose.. I think if I was limited to 1000 I would be so hungry I would probably just give up. Keep us informed of what you do. (FYI......I have been eating anywhere from 1400 to 1650 a day and have lost 13 lbs in one month, while exercising at least 30 min a day 4-5 days a week). I split my meals and snacks up so I am eating approx every 3-4 hours and I feel satisfied! I also try to drink a min of 2 liters of water a day.

I would be worried that you won't be able to maintain that number for an extended period of time (I wouldn't last a week on 1000 calories/day) and like someone else said it doesn't leave you much room to reduce calories later on. My body bugg says I burn around 3000 calories a day so I eat between 1800 and 2000 and am able to lose at least 2 pounds per week.

I cant post links yets but I will try to give it to you this way:
caloriecount.about.com/truth-starvation-mode-ft28742

owdy. I can't imagine what would make your doc say 1000 cals. Are you sure it wasn't 2000? I eat between 1300-1800 cals a day, which is a pretty wide range, and usually average around the mid 1500's over the course of a week, and I have lost 36 lbs in 11 weeks, which is still pretty quick. I also take a multivitamin and I exercise as much as possible; I was doing more a few weeeks ago, then I had to change my lifestyle a little bit because of my work schedule. You might ask your doc about seeing a nutritionist if you need a referral, or just see one on your own if you are able. And call your doc's office and find out why he/she told you to eat so little. it sounds to me like a recipe for disaster...not medically safe and not doable long term...no way I can see to get enough nutrients on such a low calorie budget.

Barb

thanks...im going to nutritionist sometime this week but so far im gonna try to up my calorie intake....at least to 1400

My height is the same as yours, my weight just a bit below, and I eat around 1,800 calories a day and am losing a steady .4+ pounds every day.. I lost 3.2 last week (my first back on plan), and that was with no exercising other than a daily walk with my family. Yesterday I started week 2 and 20 minutes of cardio on top of may daily walk (the walk doesn't happen if the weather is bad )

sounds good girls thanks....mmm finding how long do you walk for/?

This sounds very sensible to me. If you're exercising regularly as well, I might go a little bit higher. I went to a nutritionist recently to get a professional opinion on my eating habits and found it very helpful to have a list of questions in advance to ask her and also I kept a detailed food log to bring in.

Good luck!

Hi All,
I am feeling a little discouraged as I am doing a daily weigh in, and have only lost 1 pound compared to others on the daily weigh in thread who have lost 4 to 5 lbs. I keep track of my calories and exercise on my iphone and I am consuming approx 800 calories a day and exercising off 600 calories so am coming in at about 800 fewer calories a day than recommended. I thought this might help me to lose an extra pound a week for a total of three lbs a week. Not so far! I just feel so impatient to lose this weight. Could my body have gone into starvation mode? Today I'll try to up it to 1200 calories and not do as much exercise?? Any suggestions how to get my head out of this 'fear' space.

do you mean you take in 800 cals, then burn 600 = 200 cal a day for your body to work with ?

that doesn't sound healthy at all.

I don't lose as fast as others in the daily thread either. Weight loss isn't that easy!

I aim to be between 1500-2000 cals a day, averging about 1600 a day for the week. I was losing steadily since Jan. but then hit a plateau 5 weeks ago. Finally lost 2 this week for a total of 30 in 4.5 months. I am a slower loser but I also don't feel deprived.