How L accidentally starved herself for weeks.

So, as you all know, I've been on a bit of a health kick, in prep for the wedding next year. I've always had weight issues, but rarely (in my adult life) felt bad about myself or the way I look, which is on one hand awesome (woot self esteem!), but also means I have had little motivation to get myself in shape. I'm happy, so why change?

It also means, that when I am trying to get fit, I actually am pretty clueless. So I've to date lost 30 pounds, by eating healthily, exercising, and it was all going well, until I hit a plateau. Hard. I weigh myself every day, which I know seems excessive and obsessive, but otherwise I seem to slack unless I know a weigh in is coming up. So when you don't lose anything for two weeks, weighing yourself each day, it is hard to keep focused. I wanted to lose another 5 before going home in 3 weeks, so I could eat what I like there and be back at 30 lost when I returned, ready for my second wind.

So panicked, I did what I thought I should do - completely cut out carbs, put myself down to one DC per day, and exercised more. I was eating just under 1000 calories per day, once I took into account the exercise, I was at about 700 calories per day.

Still, I hadn't lost anything, so I called on a friend who has lost a good amount of weight, to ask how she got through her plateau. I was getting worried as was not really that hungry, but definitely was losing energy as the days went by. What more could I do to get through it?!?

And, well, I got a bit of a telling off from K. Apparently, I should be eating 1500 calories per day, no less than 1200, including exercise. So, because my body hadn't gotten that amount for weeks, maybe a few months, it was shutting down, and storing my fat as it thought something was wrong. How did I not know that? I'm in disbelief that I accidentally put myself in harm's way!

I then found this article, which really made a lot of sense. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

So I'm going to stop weighing myself each day for the moment, and stop focusing on my weight loss until after we get back from Idaho in September, when I'll give it another go (staying healthy this time!). Still eating healthily, but a good amount and not being crazy about it.

Phew, I'm glad it was caught before it got worse, but its so easy to do!

Has something like this ever happened to you?