Reply #42: No, I wouldn't be able to go this low either without the band.

[Longhorn]

It seems unnatural but apparently our bodies are designed to live on fewer calories than we think, though I probably wouldn't need to go so low if I hadn't messed things up with all that dieting. The Medifast diet is only 450 calories a day!

I think the main reason people are advised not to go below 1200-1500 calories a day is because it really is unsustainable and then we gain when we go back to "normal." With the right combination of protein and nutrients, it isn't unhealthy. I was worried when I realized I would be living on so few calories but I hadn't experienced the effect of the band on the "brain" in my stomach. :)