Understanding Very Low-Calorie Diets and Starvation Mode

Question
Can you lose weight, and is it safe, to have a very low calorie intake (800) for 3 days per week and the eat normal for the other 4.  How long of very low calorie dieting does it take for the average person's body to go into starvation mode?

Answer
Dear Stephanie,

Starvation mode can occur very quickly on a diet if you feel hunger all the time. Hunger is usually the signal for the mode to switch on. Because of that, very low calorie diets as health systems have techniques leading to natural food intake reduction, including body-mind methods and even extremal phusical work (preventing the body from going into the starvation mode) - like in Dr. Shatalova's diet.

You can experiment with any rotation schedules but mu advice is, start with limiting carbohydrates, not calories. Calorie intake goes down naturally, without hunger, after a week or so on a low carb diet. You can take a look at a free successful Banta Diet at http://bantadiet.com

HOpe it helps,

Tanya Zilberter, PhD