Expert: Joanne - 3/31/2008

Question
For the past 3 months I've been on a very restrictive diet where I was consuming probaly between 300-600 calolries a day. However due to me feeling very very ill I'm now trying to eat between 600-900 calories a day which is emotionally torturing but I'm doing it to try feel bettter. My main concern is will I put on weight by eating 400 more calories than what my body was used to? Even though I'm still below 1,000 calories? I'm 5 ft 10 and weigh 8 sonte 6. Im just really scared that by eating 400 extra calories I'm going to gain weight :( Thank you ever so much for taking the time to read this and possibly answer, any hlep is greatly received.

Sinead xxx

Answer
Sinead

300-600 calories?  That is a starvation diet, and actually still is even at 600-900 calories.

I don't want you to decrease your calories again, but feel it is only fair that you are aware that you may gain weight.  Unfortunately, by eating so few calories, you may have slowed your metabolism down.  In starvation mode, your body will try to burn as few calories as possible in order to survive.  Your body stops spending calories on processes within the body that aren't absolutely essential for survival!  If your metabolism has decreased a lot in order to facilitate this, when you increase your calorie intake, your body will continue to burn as few calories as possible in order to store as much of the excess calories as possible, and this is especially true since your diet still does not consist of enough calories even with the increase.  Your body stores what you eat in order to help repair yourself and also so that your body has something to use as a fuel the next time you decrease your calories.

I wouldn't imagine your weight gain will be of any significant amount, but it is likely to happen.

You are feeling ill, I'd reckon, due to the severe lack of food!!!  In order to have any hope of feeling better, you need to improve your diet, and quickly!  Not only are you not getting enough calories, I'd imagine you are deficient in most likely several nutrients!

Please think about the damage that severe restriction can do to your body!  You only need to search the effects of anorexia to have huge lists of results, with numerous health complications listed on each!  Please think about this seriously!  I think you should seriously consider visiting your doctor in order to have a physical examination done to check for any damage that your diet may be causing.  You should maybe also get a referral to a dietician or nutritionist in order to have your diet evaluated and amended!

Is there a reason that you are restricting so severely?  Is there a reason that you keep your weight so low?

Joanne