Help! I am 42 years old and have a terrible addiction to food. Some days I eat 1400-1700 calories as I should but then other days I can easily consume 2500-3000 calories (probably 2 or 3 days a week). I know how I am supposed to eat, I just can't seem to slay this demon that possesses me to eat when I am not hungry. I am 5'6" and weigh 160 lbs. My body fat is 32%. The good news is that I really enjoy working out and have managed to lose 17 lbs in the last 2 years. My husband and I (who is much more fit than I am) work out with weights 2-3 times a week and I walk 3-5 miles 4 or 5 times a week. I have struggled with this addiction for many years and feel terrible. The guilt I feel when I fail on my healthy eating plan is affecting my life in negative ways. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Hi ChrisE. I apologize that I don't have any particularly sage advice, but I can say I understand. I suffered with bulimia for 8 years and finally managed to get it under control by finding the reasons behind the impulses that led me to put something in my mouth when I really didn't want to.

It might help you to physically stop yourself when you feel your hand going to a bag of goodies or for another scoop of mashed potatoes or whatever. The thing that helped me most was to realize that when I was stressed, upset, I turned to food and my brain turned OFF. I was so not conscious of what I was doing.

When you can pause yourself and say, "Why do I want to eat this cookie? I'm not hungry. What is the reason behind distracting myself with food?" You'll be closer to finding relief from food addition.

Believe me, it's much easier said that done, but don't give up! :)

Hi ChrisE. I apologize that I don't have any particularly sage advice, but I can say I understand. I suffered with bulimia for 8 years and finally managed to get it under control by finding the reasons behind the impulses that led me to put something in my mouth when I really didn't want to.

It might help you to physically stop yourself when you feel your hand going to a bag of goodies or for another scoop of mashed potatoes or whatever. The thing that helped me most was to realize that when I was stressed, upset, I turned to food and my brain turned OFF. I was so not conscious of what I was doing.

When you can pause yourself and say, "Why do I want to eat this cookie? I'm not hungry. What is the reason behind distracting myself with food?" You'll be closer to finding relief from food addition.

Believe me, it's much easier said that done, but don't give up! :)

Londonbroiler:
Thank you so much for your advice. Every time I want to eat something, I pause and ask myself "are you eating because you are hungry or because you are bored, happy, excited, etc?" The problem is, no matter what the answer is, I eat it anyway. I'm starting to think I may need some psychological help. I can't seem to stop myself from shoving that food into my mouth when I am not hungry. The worst part is the emotional roller coaster of eating and feeling guilty about it, eating and feeling guilty about it again, and on and on. I think you understand my point..... I need to stop the insanity!!! :spaz:

Londonbroiler:
Thank you so much for your advice. Every time I want to eat something, I pause and ask myself "are you eating because you are hungry or because you are bored, happy, excited, etc?" The problem is, no matter what the answer is, I eat it anyway. I'm starting to think I may need some psychological help. I can't seem to stop myself from shoving that food into my mouth when I am not hungry. The worst part is the emotional roller coaster of eating and feeling guilty about it, eating and feeling guilty about it again, and on and on. I think you understand my point..... I need to stop the insanity!!! :spaz:

How often do you eat? Do you eat good, complete meals every three hours? If not, that might help, and of course - don't buy junk! Don't have it in your house, have plenty of good and healthy food ready instead..

Londonbroiler:
Thank you so much for your advice. Every time I want to eat something, I pause and ask myself "are you eating because you are hungry or because you are bored, happy, excited, etc?" The problem is, no matter what the answer is, I eat it anyway. I'm starting to think I may need some psychological help. I can't seem to stop myself from shoving that food into my mouth when I am not hungry. The worst part is the emotional roller coaster of eating and feeling guilty about it, eating and feeling guilty about it again, and on and on. I think you understand my point..... I need to stop the insanity!!! :spaz:

I am not sure, but I am guessing that you are familiar with 12 step programs because you are using some of the code words here. In case you are not, there is one for compulsive eating (or not eating-anorexia, --or binging and purging, bulimia.) It is called Over Eaters Anonymous. "And there is certainly one in your neighborhood," that is, a meeting. This is a completely free program open to anyone who wants to go, no advance reservations, you just show up and you can remain silent or speak if you wish. The only condition is that everyone remains anonymous, no last names are ever used.

My personal experience is that they do not have a high success rate but they do have quite a few successes. It depends a lot on the strength of the recovery of the people who do show up at these meetings.

But the main reason I raise it here is your comment that you go through the whole thought process of whether you want to eat that cookie but always eat it anyway. They have a suggestion for dealing with that moment that may or may not prove useful to you. It is not appropriate for me to discuss it in this forum. It is no big secret, like a secret handshake or anything :lol: but you kind of need to hear it in the proper context.

Interestingly, I was thinking about it the other day and though that program does not recommend a particular food plan, many of the successful people there follow a plan of eating that excludes any form of sugar, flour products or wheat. Many of the people who have success in arresting their eating disorder find this apporach extremely helpful in allaying the compulsivity around the food.

Apart from the wheat thing, I was noting it was remarkably similar to what people recommend here for the purpose of a healthy body, losing fat and building muscle. And I found that from being here, I have much greater motivation to follow that than I did when I participated in that program. I guess I was just being stubborn.

I also find, as I heard for years in that program, that when I indulge in eating a product with sugar (e.g.,cookies, cakes and ice cream and chocolate are my downfalls, I have no problem with anything else), I will face cravings for about 3-4 days after. Since I am conscious of it now, and I am more motivated now to do so, I am able to say to myself, this is just a craving and if I just let it go, in three days it will be gone. Even by the next day it will be less strong. It is just those times when I have been clean for a while that for other reasons (like wanting comfort food, or wanting to celebrate or I am at someone's house for dinner,) I will choose to eat something along those lines and then the cycle of cravings start again.

Also I find it is worse for me in the winter. I have SADS (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and live in the northeast. The shortening of the days in the fall and winter make me crave carbs of the unhealthy kind. I have a good light box (which provides the broad spectrum light of the sun) and when I use it, it makes all that lethargy go away as well as the really strong cravings. But I haven't been diligent with it this fall and my doctor who saw me today said that disruption to my food and sleep patterns is classic SADS and I have to get back on the stick about the light box.

If you try that route, be sure you are getting one from a reliable company, most of the light boxes out there don't do anything--they do not provide the broad spectrum of sunlight that is critical. They are just cashing in on the fad aspect of the diagnosis. The only way to ultimately confirm a diagnosis of SADS is to see if the light box works for you. You will know within two weeks.

If you think you might want to pursue that approach there is a risk free way of trying it to see if it works for you before buying it outright. They are expensive but well -worth it if they do the trick for you. Just e-mail me here and I will give you the info.

Just for purposes of full disclosure, I am in no way financially or business wise related to any company that sells light boxes. I am just someone who suffers from SADS and am grateful it was diagnosed when I moved back northeast after years of living in Houston Tx, where the daylight shifts are so minimal, that they don't trigger SADS, at least not in me.

:gl:

How often do you eat? Do you eat good, complete meals every three hours? If not, that might help, and of course - don't buy junk! Don't have it in your house, have plenty of good and healthy food ready instead..

jaz75:
I used to think that I ate pretty healthy but once I started writing the information below, I came to the realization that my diet stinks!! Here is an example of my day so far and it's only noon here:

7:00
8 mini frosted mini-wheats with 1/2 cup 1% milk
Big cup of coffee with cream/sugar
Vitamins

9:00
BBQ pork sandwich on white bun w/cole slaw

11:00
Walked 1-1/2 miles around track at work

12:00
6 Triscuits with spinach/artichoke dip
1/2 carrot
3 full cinnamon sugar graham crackers

The rest of the day will go like this:

4:00
Can of progresso Hearty Tomato soup
cup of prepackaged applesauce

I guess my diet needs more work than I thought. Now I'm really depressed. I've tried keeping food journals but I get so disappointed with myself that I quit. The worst part of all this is that I know how to eat, I just don't do it. I started at 178 two years ago and am down to 157 but my body fat is still at 32% or so due to my poor eating habits. I exercise quite a bit. Cardio 4-5x per week and weights 2-3 x per week. I think what I need is help with my diet. Not only sticking to it but eating the right foods.

I am not sure, but I am guessing that you are familiar with 12 step programs because you are using some of the code words here. In case you are not, there is one for compulsive eating (or not eating-anorexia, --or binging and purging, bulimia.) It is called Over Eaters Anonymous. "And there is certainly one in your neighborhood," that is, a meeting. This is a completely free program open to anyone who wants to go, no advance reservations, you just show up and you can remain silent or speak if you wish. The only condition is that everyone remains anonymous, no last names are ever used.

My personal experience is that they do not have a high success rate but they do have quite a few successes. It depends a lot on the strength of the recovery of the people who do show up at these meetings.

But the main reason I raise it here is your comment that you go through the whole thought process of whether you want to eat that cookie but always eat it anyway. They have a suggestion for dealing with that moment that may or may not prove useful to you. It is not appropriate for me to discuss it in this forum. It is no big secret, like a secret handshake or anything :lol: but you kind of need to hear it in the proper context.

Interestingly, I was thinking about it the other day and though that program does not recommend a particular food plan, many of the successful people there follow a plan of eating that excludes any form of sugar, flour products or wheat. Many of the people who have success in arresting their eating disorder find this apporach extremely helpful in allaying the compulsivity around the food.

Apart from the wheat thing, I was noting it was remarkably similar to what people recommend here for the purpose of a healthy body, losing fat and building muscle. And I found that from being here, I have much greater motivation to follow that than I did when I participated in that program. I guess I was just being stubborn.

I also find, as I heard for years in that program, that when I indulge in eating a product with sugar (e.g.,cookies, cakes and ice cream and chocolate are my downfalls, I have no problem with anything else), I will face cravings for about 3-4 days after. Since I am conscious of it now, and I am more motivated now to do so, I am able to say to myself, this is just a craving and if I just let it go, in three days it will be gone. Even by the next day it will be less strong. It is just those times when I have been clean for a while that for other reasons (like wanting comfort food, or wanting to celebrate or I am at someone's house for dinner,) I will choose to eat something along those lines and then the cycle of cravings start again.

Also I find it is worse for me in the winter. I have SADS (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and live in the northeast. The shortening of the days in the fall and winter make me crave carbs of the unhealthy kind. I have a good light box (which provides the broad spectrum light of the sun) and when I use it, it makes all that lethargy go away as well as the really strong cravings. But I haven't been diligent with it this fall and my doctor who saw me today said that disruption to my food and sleep patterns is classic SADS and I have to get back on the stick about the light box.

If you try that route, be sure you are getting one from a reliable company, most of the light boxes out there don't do anything--they do not provide the broad spectrum of sunlight that is critical. They are just cashing in on the fad aspect of the diagnosis. The only way to ultimately confirm a diagnosis of SADS is to see if the light box works for you. You will know within two weeks.

If you think you might want to pursue that approach there is a risk free way of trying it to see if it works for you before buying it outright. They are expensive but well -worth it if they do the trick for you. Just e-mail me here and I will give you the info.

Just for purposes of full disclosure, I am in no way financially or business wise related to any company that sells light boxes. I am just someone who suffers from SADS and am grateful it was diagnosed when I moved back northeast after years of living in Houston Tx, where the daylight shifts are so minimal, that they don't trigger SADS, at least not in me.

:gl:

Justitia:
Thank you for all the helpful information. I am not yet familiar with the 12 step program for Overeaters Anonymous but I have looked into finding a meeting in our area. I think that will be my next step!

Hey there ChrisE,
I am in the same boat as you pretty much. Although my cravings are nutritionally induced and not psychological I believe.

My major problem is sugar and bread. I dont ever remember being a meat lover. I have been trying to lose 10 lbs of fat for 3 years unsuccessfully. And I know the only one to blame is myself, b/c if I would just be consistent, everything would happen.
Needless to say, it is very draining. The guilt is such a terrible feeling isn't it? And the funny part is, I go to great lengths to avoid emotional pain, yet I cannot seem to slay this junk food habit that causes me so much angst. No matter how much I hate my soft and bloated appearance, the mistakes continue. This doesnt mean I think everything is hopeless -- far from it! :)

The longest I've lasted on a diet was 3 weeks. One time it was 3 yrs ago, when I was pretty ignorant when it came to proper nutrition. I ate candy, soda and pizza. Lost 7 lbs--all muscle practically. The next time was 2 yrs ago. I made sure to get in at least 50 grams of protein, supplemented with tiny amounts of fat and candy. Did some weight lifting too. I lost 7 lbs again, went down a size too.


Oh how I wish I was like my boyfriend in some ways. He has an addiction to Coca Cola --- that's really the only vice and I dont think he needs to give it up, maybe just cut down alittle, but anyway, he once went w/o it 45 days straight for Lent. Crabby was his middle name for a while and he even went through caffeine withdrawl but stuck with it! That's the type of person he is. Another time he broke his Cross Country track record (this was in highschool) while really sick with the flu.
It's good to have this influence around to emulate. I try anyway!

In the past year or so I've asked myself many questions about what would be the best way to solve this problem of mine. For example:

Q:Should I cut out every single last piece of sugar and bread for a couple weeks in order to flush my system of these addictive attributes?
a.) One thing I've read alot is that after a few days of complete abstinence, the chemical dependency is lifted from the body. An awesome quote from a fellow low carb forum member was : "Cravings are like stray cats. The more you feed them, the more they stick around" or something to that effect.
B) I know that sugar and bread DO cause cravings for me on a physiological level. When I did a Fat Fast, eating 1000 cals a day consisting of cheese and olive oil, coconut oil, etc ----- I had NO cravings at all!! It was really cool. The only way I can describe it was this nice, satisfied, cuddly feeling. I felt nice and solid, not wildly fluctuating. But then of course I had some problems in the bathroom by the 4th day and that was that --- ended up back to where I started somehow.

Q: Or should I just slowly cut back in order to try and avoid an all out binge-fest?
a) This seems to work fairly well for me. When I'm being too restrictive, the whole "Okay, tomorrow will be the day everything changes. So that means today I can pig out!" happens.
Now, you're probably wondering why I was able to do the Fat Fast. I think it was b/c I was in the right frame of mind and the high fat intake kept me on an even keel. Trully, it felt great.

Here's my conclusions when it comes the the nutritional aspect of my cravings.

Junk food makes me crave junk food.
Absence of junk food makes me crave junk food. :lol:

Here's the best plan I can think of.
Do a 5 day high fat sugar flush. That means no sugars or starches at all except for supplemented fiber. Just high fat.
After that I can introduce starches such as whole grain / whole wheat bread, oatmeal, milk, or use my juicer. This willl last a couple weeks.
Then if I demonstrated my ability to not binge on sweets, I can slowly add small pieces of sweets only occassionally or when I feel in control.



(I personally feel horrible when being so gluttonous. I think of all the people out there who suffer so much for lack of food. I know it's cliche, but it often pervades my thoughts. Probably b/c I've been there.)

It' so important to focus on all the wonderful things you're gaining from leading a healthy life. Dont focus on what you're giving up, which really isn't much. I mean, junk food kicks my butt! It causes physical weakness, a bloated appearance, crappy immune system, and makes me feel like a toxic, stagnant cesspool! Why the heck would I do such a terrible thing to my poor body? I can only imagine it's raging mad at me.
Not only that but think of all those giant companies who create this stuff getting richer and richer.

I gotta listen to the boyfriend and Jono on this one. You just have to do it. Buckle down and DO IT.

All I can say is dont give up.

The thought of staying sick all my life is so incredibly unappealing that I will never let poor eating and lack of exercise get the best of me. I have a quote I came up with that says "I refuse to be the cause of my own poor health and unhappiness."

You CAN do it. It WILL happen for you! Just keep at it. :claphigh:

Oh hey wait, I see that you didnt specify what kinds of foods you're addicted to. Is it sweets or fats? maybe even too much meat?
I also eat stuff like mac&cheese and pizza which has alot of fat in it. But thats really brought on by the carb addiction I think.

It must be a girl thing. Those sugar/carb addictions are hard! I crave SUGAR! I have a high threshold for it. I can consume probably 2 -3 lbs. of chocolate in one sitting without even blinking. It is my one true vice in life. Anyway, yeah, I don't crave it as much after about 4 to 5 days of not having any. But as soon as I have a cheat treat or meal, the next few days after that I am white kuckling it :d_eek: and Jonesin' for some chocolate or candy or something.... I drink a lot of water and chew on sugarless gum in between meals. That seems to help a bit. :p

Hey Chris, I just checked back here again and saw your menu.

I really really think it's your diet that's causing so much chaos! It is like a glowing red sign.

It looks like you're eating alot of simple carbs. This can make your blood sugar all out of whack and won't keep you satisfied.

SIMPLE CARBS
Frosted Mini Wheats (these have some fiber but not enough to offset the sugar)
1% milk (has sugar in it, especially b/c it's low fat, there's nothing to slow the absorbtion of sugar)
White bread (the bun) and bbq sauce. This could be okay, b/c you had some pork which slows digestion-- hence slowing the sugar rush from the bread and bbq sauce. Plus you got some protein in.
Triscuits (again simple carbs w/ some fiber)
Sugared graham crackers (enough said,lol)
Tomato soup (this has alot of carbs, but is pretty healthy for you, the best thing would be to have it with some protein and fat. I love a piece of whole wheat bread w/ cheese, which makes up half a grilled cheese sandwhich)
Applesauce ( I like fruit too, in this case, I'd have it with some cottage cheese or some other source of protein)

I gaurantee you will feel so much better once your diet's in check. It is quite amazing.

I suggest you go to the Fat Loss or Nutrition forums here and look at some of the stickies ( permanent posts) to get an idea of a good nutrition plan.

PM me if you have any questions! :)

Hey Naturegirl! You got it. My diet is where I am struggling. Sounds like we share some of the same issues. I love bread too but can take or leave the sweets. The funny thing is, I know exactly how to eat and how much, I just don't do it. I'll go along for a few days and stick like glue to my healthy, clean eating plan and then bam, I go nuts, eating like every meal is my last. I have to get my portions under control also. That seems to be my biggest issue right now. I have lost the same 10-20 lbs over and over again. They just seem to keep finding me. I have upped my cardio program to 5-6 days per week. I usually do 40-50 minutes on the eliptical or treadmill. I also have a weight routine I do with my hubby 1-2 x per week. I am also creating a new focus on being consistent with my eating. Here is what I have eaten today. I do much better when I write everything down and count the calories, fat, protein, etc. Please keep critiqueing! I can use the help.

8:30- Kashi Oatmeal with 1/2 c 1% milk
9:30- Banana
10:30- 1/2 c rice with 1/2 c chicken
12:00- 1 cup BBQ pork w/10 Kashi crackers (no white bun-yippee!)

As for the rest of the day, I plan on having:
4:00- 1-1/2 cups homemade vegetable soup with lean ground round in it
6:00- 50 mins on the eliptical
8:00- ? Not sure yet

I am thinking that my total calorie intake for the day will be ~1500. That's where I'd like to be. I am 5'6" and weigh ~160. The good news is that I have a lot of muscle under this extra fat that is just dieing to come out!!! The bad news is that my body fat is right around 30% (Yuck)!

Thanks for all of your words of encouragement. I am going to get this under control!!
========================


Hey Chris, I just checked back here again and saw your menu.

I really really think it's your diet that's causing so much chaos! It is like a glowing red sign.

It looks like you're eating alot of simple carbs. This can make your blood sugar all out of whack and won't keep you satisfied.

SIMPLE CARBS
Frosted Mini Wheats (these have some fiber but not enough to offset the sugar)
1% milk (has sugar in it, especially b/c it's low fat, there's nothing to slow the absorbtion of sugar)
White bread (the bun) and bbq sauce. This could be okay, b/c you had some pork which slows digestion-- hence slowing the sugar rush from the bread and bbq sauce. Plus you got some protein in.
Triscuits (again simple carbs w/ some fiber)
Sugared graham crackers (enough said,lol)
Tomato soup (this has alot of carbs, but is pretty healthy for you, the best thing would be to have it with some protein and fat. I love a piece of whole wheat bread w/ cheese, which makes up half a grilled cheese sandwhich)
Applesauce ( I like fruit too, in this case, I'd have it with some cottage cheese or some other source of protein)

I gaurantee you will feel so much better once your diet's in check. It is quite amazing.

I suggest you go to the Fat Loss or Nutrition forums here and look at some of the stickies ( permanent posts) to get an idea of a good nutrition plan.

PM me if you have any questions! :)

8:30- Kashi Oatmeal with 1/2 c 1% milk
9:30- Banana
10:30- 1/2 c rice with 1/2 c chicken
12:00- 1 cup BBQ pork w/10 Kashi crackers (no white bun-yippee!)

As for the rest of the day, I plan on having:
4:00- 1-1/2 cups homemade vegetable soup with lean ground round in it
6:00- 50 mins on the eliptical
8:00- ? Not sure yet

I am thinking that my total calorie intake for the day will be ~1500. That's where I'd like to be.
========================


Hi, ChrisE. I have been reading this thread and I am going to jump in with my thoughts.

First, I know exactly where you are coming from. I started binge eating in January 2004 and it was a regular habit all year. The longest I went without a binge all of that year was one week, at the very maximum. The habit started as a way to deal with stress, but quickly just became a pattern of immense cravings and guilt over "cracking"--one pretty much feeding the other. And of course, the promise that I will stop

My last binge was Christmas Eve. I had been doing some reading and found that it takes 21 days to form/break a habit and while I don't know if it is true, I gave myself that 21 day challenge. I told myself that I can eat like a normal person for 3 measly weeks of my life and hey, if on day 22, I feel like binging then go for it.

Today, I am 17 days binge free and you know what I am going to do on day 22? Have my favorite cottage cheese or oats and whey. Why? Because not only have I lost my taste for sweets, but the thought of cake and cookies (what used to be my favorite foods) repulses me. I used to think that I can't live without sweets because I have a sweet tooth but I have realized that I created that sweet tooth by ingesting that refined trash.

Take those things out of your life and replace them with new foods you love and you don't feel like you are missing anything at all. Feeding your body with foods that your body needs is so much more satisfying than the junk. Not only do you feel better in the long run, but immediately, too. (no bloating or sugar rushes to affect your energy and mood levels)

You CAN do this. Take your trigger foods and refined products out of your diet. The first 5-7 days will be tough as it is still in your system and it causes cravings. But after that, it will be amazingly easy and you will be able to look at food in an entirely different way--yes, you can enjoy it, but you don't have to be held hostage by it.

On a somewhat side not, your diet doesn't look like it has enough protein or fat. Both of those things will keep you satisfied in the long run. I realized I was barely getting any fat and now have 1 or 2 Tablespoons of Natty PB a day. With more fat, I never get ravenous and infact, when it comes time for my next meal, sometimes I'm not even hungry, period.

Makeupmonster---
Thanks so much for reminding us of that habit thing!
It always makes me feel better knowing I can tough it out for only alittle while. As I said before, the longest I've gone was 3 weeks BUT I wasn't eating a good diet. Perhaps that had something to do w/ the resulting failure to keep going.
And congratulations! You must feel awesome. Way to go! You really lifted my spirits. :tucool:

ChrisE---- You ought to be commended for sticking to exercising! :claphigh: What an admirable feat. (Being me, I'd say screw it if the eating plan sucked----bad attitude on my part) Some exercise is better than none, but what time do you workout? I find that a.m. fasted state cardio (before eating anything) really seems to drop the inches quick.

Weights are very important as well I'm sure you know so it's great to hear you're doing that. Since I'm a beginner, I focus on compound exercises like squats. These force your body to pull on many different muscle groups to perform the task. You can really feel it and get a great depletion workout (burns those carbs and calories). I also do some basic upper body stuff like bicep curls, tricep work on the stretchy bands, and push-ups.

Much better with the nutrition plan! :tu:
I'm with Makeupmonster on the recommendation of more fat (and protein). You're already getting some from the meat, which is fine, but what your body really needs is Omega 3 fatty acids. These can come from fish (cold water) like salmon, or you can get'em from olive oil, flax oil, or coconut oil, even walnuts or peanut butter. The flax seed you'd have to get at a health food store like GNC.These fats are a must as they help the body with numerous things, including shedding weight :)

Adding in a 3oz. piece of meat should help you get in more protein (that's an extra 20 grams at least).

If you want to go even further and time your nutrition, that could help. Like for example this would be doing fasted state cardio or having some carbs and protein about an hour before weights to fuel the workout. One of the things I can't stand is eating garbage, then just sitting there! It's best to get it working for you.

As far as calories, 1500 sounds good. I'm only 5' so am somewhat hesitant to give advice on calorie guidlines.
Those dang basal metabolic rate calculations confuse the heck out of me! So you know what I did? Figured out how many calories it was taking me to keep at this weight, then just subtracted the amount it'd take to lose weight. In this case I was VERY slowly gaining (two lbs a year) on about 1800 cals. So I chopped off 1000 a day to lose 2 lbs a week (approx. 3500 cals equals 1 lb of fat).
800 calories isnt much, but I only plan on doing this for 3 weeks. And my diet will be impeccable (if I stick to it, lol) in supplying enough vital nutrients.

Keep up the positive attitude!