I skimmed down from over 15 stone to 7 and a half stone AMA

[Scammell]

This!!

Have to say I do struggle with the additional stone I lost last year but it did take me into the 10 stone bracket which I hadn't been in since my teens 🤣 and now I'm almost 45 it's getting more difficult to lose it !

I completely agree. Some of the advice I read on mumsnet is laughable around weight loss. Most people will not lose weight eating 1600-1800 calories a day, that is ridiculous! 800-1200 is the right amount for many people, particularly those that are shorter/smaller framed. It’s really really simple. Remain in a decent calorie deficit and you will lose weight. The denial thing is so so true. People very quickly become ‘experts’ and jump on someone that has shifted 7.5 stone, how about using that energy to tell someone that is obese that they are endangering their lives eating chocolate, processed food and carbs to the point of excess? No, thought not.

@Namechangedforthisonetoday

Ive lost plenty of weight on 1800 a day. The only difference is it came off slower than the OP. Much more sustainable though. If you’re stupid enough to eat 800 calories a day then you can’t complain when your body adapts to this and you become a chronically low calorie burner even whilst at rest. You would lose a shit tonne of muscle of 800 calories a day. You’re not going to be eating adequate amounts of calcium on that to protect against osteoporosis, neither will you be consuming adequate amounts of good fats.

You’re body can survive on very little calories a day and it could also survive on very small amounts of liquids. That’s just survival.

You wouldn’t feel great and you wouldn’t thrive but you would survive.

That’s fine if you can go to the gym and can afford it. Many can’t afford it or don’t have the time. I’ve never done weight lifting in my life. I’ve always walked a lot though. I just don’t naturally have a high metabolism and I have a small frame. There’s no way I would lose weight on anything above 1200 cals a day.

But you’re wrong.
Most very low calorie diets work on eating dairy ,protein and fat. People are still lugging round their excess weight - Op was carrying 5 stone more than she needed all day long.
Very low calorie diets cut the carbs ( starch and sugar )which have little nutrients and obviously lots of calories.

Sorry but you’re wrong. 800 calories is barely enough protein to sustain any muscle that you do have, over a long term you’ll lose that.

The reason why people fuck their metabolism is on low calorie diets, not doing any weight bearing exercise so they have little muscle. The best thing to do is body recomposition (as suggested upthread), track your macros and look at weight bearing exercise which will slowly get rid of fat and build muscle.

This isnt correct. I have to have 80g of protein a day due to my weight and up until a few weeks ago I managed that on less than 1000 cals a day as I was on a low calorie diet. I had 3 meals a day, very small portions, no carbs (or low carbs) and high protein.

But cutting out entire food groups isn’t healthy either! Your body needs carbs!

If you don’t understand low carbing it’s probably best not to comment. You don’t cut ‘entire food groups’ - there are plenty of carbs to sustain premium health in the vegetables/foods you do eat.

The general recommendation is 1g protein per lb of body weight. Unless you’re about 6 stone this isn’t enough to maintain muscle.

If you’re eating foods that have carbs in then that’s no no-carb is it

Pp said ‘no carbs (or low carb)’ - one meal might be protein/fat only for example. The other two might be protein/fat/low carb.

It is a very healthy and balanced way to eat.

Theres carbs in fruit, veg and dairy products, along with lentils etc.

So although its very protein focused there will be a small amount of carbs, under 50g most days. There are different levels of what people consider 'low carb', some people are much lower than that.

Those advocating 800 calories a day have either never tried it or are vastly underestimating the number of calories they eat. You do not need research or a doctor to tell you it is unhealthy. You know it is not healthy. You can feel it.

If I try it for over a few days I get headaches, nausea, difficulty concentrating, constantly freezing cold, lethargy, and a weird emptiness. It's not hunger, it's beyond that. It's difficult to describe. It's like your whole body is empty. It's an uncomfortable, kind of crampy sensation. The tiredness is something else. I live on caffeine pills imported from Canada where they are allowed to sell stronger pills. I can take 600mg of caffeine and then nap 30 minutes later. My entire day is spent thinking of food and waiting for bedtime but once I do get to bed I cannot sleep properly because of the weird empty feeling.

No it isnt. Its usually .3 x lbs or .8 x kg

Mine is just about around 80 although I could aim for about 90 odd.

@Arrrrrrragghhh

No I am not wrong. You will be consuming some dairy, protein and good fats but certainly not enough for optimum health. Losing weight should be for health reasons mainly, followed by aesthetic reasons. If you’re doing it purely for aesthetic reasons then do carry on with 800 calories a day. If you’re interested in your health whilst also looking good there’s simply no need to lose weight on just 800 calories.

@ItWillWash

I had 6 weeks on a very low calorie diet after jaw surgery. It was grim. I lost a lot of weight but I gained it back the moment I started eating adequately again. I lost a lot of weight on around 1600-1800 a day combined with cardio and weights.

I'm an idiot and do it to myself deliberately. I have phases of extreme restriction followed by periods of binging.

I've fallen into the trap of restriction again atm after attempting to lose weight for a family event. I do feel like I have more of a handle on it this time. I try to eat around 1000 calories a day and don't panic or punish myself if I eat 1050 or 1100 like I used to.

I only restrict to 600-800 for a couple of days at a time now, and only if I have a higher calorie day coming up eg I have been on 800 calories since Monday because I am having a drink with family tonight. Tomorrow I will be hungover and will be more relaxed. I don't calorie count on relaxed days. I don't binge but I allow myself things I wouldn't normally eat. If I feel myself getting the same symptoms as I had last time when I ended up in the hospital I have a day where I eat no less than 1600 calories.

I think that is why this thread is upsetting me so much. I know what it is like to live with ED and what the effects of a VLCD can be if you follow them too long and I don't want anyone who may be prone to developing an ED to read this and think this is what they have to do to lose weight.

It wasn't really the calories that made me believe OP might be suffering from ED, it was the mention of only being able to eat pre-packed food. That level of control smacks of ED behavior and no one should take diet tips from an ED sufferer.

Health was exactly the reason I went in 800 calls. Pre diabetic. It could have well saved my life.
The you’ll lose muscle before fat isn’t true either unless you are bed bound ( in which case you’d not be making muscle anyway). All the very thin people still move around, hold down jobs, even exercise without a bit of fat. Because they have muscles.
People with illness around food are entirely different from people like me who are just happy to eat too much. Whatever diet will trigger them because it’s about control not being heathlier.

I don't understand why some people are getting bent out of shape about the OP skipping lunch?

Lunch is not mandatory, I skip it quite often because I'm just not hungry and I might decide to have a chocolate bar instead, just because I fancy one with my midday cup of tea.

@MaryHoldTheCandleSteadyWhileIShaveTheChickensLeg

No meal is mandatory. People can skip meals for whatever reason they like, but the people on here agreeing that 800 calories a day is enough to sustain you daily are deluded. Will you survive? Yes. Will you thrive? No. There are more sensible and sustainable ways to lose weight, and it’s not necessary to skip meals.

@Arrrrrrragghhh

Very low calorie diets can be recommended for people who have ate themselves into an oblivion and then ended up as pre diabetic. Additionally they can be helpful for people with a severe food addiction or black and white mentalities.

For people who want to lose weight (even large amounts) in sustainable ways it really isn’t necessary to cut your calories so low. A healthy diet coupled with exercise is enough to prevent diabetes. 800 calories a day isn’t the only way, neither is it particularly normal.

But the OP never said she ate 800 calories, unless I missed that? I thought she ate 1330 calories to lose the final weight. What is wrong with that?