Good going, Enna! Glad you are feeling good. I think the one sort of vitamin us low cal folks miss out on is Vit E. Its found in oils and nuts and things we don't eat much of.

Hoi Coolwater, I expect you to have messed up your metabolism. I am no expert in that.

The only thing I see is a very unprobable combination of facts, lots of exercise, heavy bodyweight, minimum of calories, 'binging'..., desire to loose 30 pounds

Check the facts and go see a dietist or a doctor is the best I can say.

Don't think I follow you on that one. Last thing I want to go to is a dietist or doctor, all they'll tell me to do is eat from the food pyramid chart, been there, done that, doesn't work. What I was saying in my initial post is that my diet is so satiating because of its high fat and protein, that I don't feel that I'm starving. But when I log my meals into fitday, they'll come up pretty low calorie for the day. Right now, to boost my cals I'm using coconut oil and coconut milk, and that brings me up and over the 1500cal mark.

My speculation however about this whole starvation mode thing though is that it may be more applicable for one following the standard carb-rich diet, if I was eating only 900 cals worth of fruit and bread, darn right I'd be in starvation mode! But compare that to 900cals of fat and protein, how much risk would that be? Besides, I've found that after a couple days of 'circumstantial' low cal/low carb eating, my appetite will increase and hey, I end up eating more. So the body regulates. Think that's called 'inuitive eating' right? I don't think my metabolism is shot, I'm just going through what alot of people do when they reach closer to their goal weight. Everyday is a learning experience, and bit by bit I'm figuring it out, thanks to all the wonderful helpful folks on this forum!

I think there is a difference between experiencing extreme hunger and actual starvation. You can experience extreme hunger and not actually be starving and I think people who starve don't actually experience hunger, at least, not like we do when we're just hungry.

As someone who has fasted for a few days, I know that after the first day or two, you really stop being hungry.

I think what maybe some people associate with as the discomfort of extreme hunger is really low blood sugar.

Several years ago my doctor asked me if I was hungry all the time and offered me a diet pill to help with my hunger. I told him I couldn't be hungry because I ate beyond full all day long. When I first went into ketosis, I realized that I had been hungry for years. Only when ketosis showed me what it felt like to be satisfied and full did I realized that I did have extreme hunger all the time because of the blood sugar / insulin roller coaster going on in my body.

I feel like a normal person now who can sit at her desk and not be shaking and weak and excusing herself to the break room for the next bite of food to stop the shakes. It was a physical nightmare!!

Donna,

Sounds like you were hypoglycemic, eh...LC should suit you very well indeed. When I got to your weight I had to reduce calories as the next stage in order to get down to where I am now and simple LC didn't cut it any more. But we are all different in this regard. When I keep my protein intake very high (not fat) I always feel satisfied and not hungry, but the body can still get into preservation mode if calorie intake is way below calorie expenditure...there's a difference, as Nancy said.
Being in preservation mode just means that the body adapts to extreme caloric deficit by dropping hormones and metabolism to preserve the Precious (fat stores)...there is adequate glucose from the protein gluconeogenesis to not starve nor eat into muscle stores. But the symptoms that result from preservation mode are not pleasant, so one needs to periodically upregulate the metabolism and hormones with a good feed. This is what is called the cyclic approach to dieting, and I am quickly coming around to an understanding of this as I try to lose more from my fat stores.

I didn't read this whole thread so forgive me if I repeat- but I know a person who had gastric bypass and yes, they consume way less cals but they eat 2-3 oz every 2 hrs- and she also had a protein supplement like Ensure. Depending on how the surgery is done, it bypassing most of the intestine and a lot is not absorbed, forcing the body to use stored fat for energy and metabolism. The stomach does stretch with time but a person will always have to watch portion size if they do not want to gain it all back, which can happen. If they- or anyone- continuosly overeats their stomach will stretch and grow to accommodate it. Initially if you eat too much after the surgery it has no where to go but back up. Gross but true.

You got me there! . Maybe the calorie-theory needs some adjustment then.

That's the spirit, as long as you are prepared to try and adjust you will do fine.

Hey, found this old thread. I found something Dr. Eades, of protein power, says about "Starvation Mode":

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/...t.html#comments (scroll down the comments)