JerryM,

Wow I got a look at your profile. What a great job you've done -- from 410 to 259! I'd love to hear some of the wisdom you've picked up along that journey.

My understanding is that too large a deficit between the calories you take in and the calories you expend can cause your body to defer to a "starvation" mode, where it tries to preserve itself by becoming more efficient and lowering its metabolism. People trying to avoid that will up their intake to prevent it.

I have no idea whether this is a true theory or one of those myths that people have repeated so often that we believe it. I've thought it was at least somewhat logical, but then I have not truly tracked my intake on a regular basis. On the days I have tracked it, I've taken in 1400 or less and expended 3600 or so. I lose at that, and thought that to avoid the metabolic repercussions of my body "thinking" it was starving that I should increase my calories.

In your opinion (and anyone else's for that matter) is this a true theory? Of as you mention above, is a caloric intake of 700-800 the range we should be worried about, rather than an overall deficit?

I'm curious about what people think. I've tried to bring my calories up without increasing carbs, which isn't easy, so I've stayed at the 1400 range most days.

Scott