Your 2 year old has a fast metabolism and is fueling rapid growth. I am 37 and I am not skinny as a rail and not getting any taller. This is medically prescribed. I am on a number of medications which makes it nearly impossible to lose weight or even maintain a decent weight on a normal diet. I was skinny my entire life until this medication. I went from 115 lbs to 168 lbs in a month. I just kept going up from there. So, 900 calories for me isn't the same as it is for a regular person. I couldn't lose weight on any other diet(no not fad diets) and was STARVING. I own horses and see this phenomena all the time. In the horse world we would call a fat pony who seems to gain weight just looking at grass, an easy keeper. A thoroughbred would require, hay, lots of grain, grass, and still be thin as a rail. That pony would be fat on 2 hours a day of grass. I am that pony. My metabolism is highly efficient. I need to eat very little to gain weight. Eating just 900 calories a day has me losing at most 2 lbs per week. The diet is low carb and low fat, but has all the vitamins, minerals and protein a person needs, and then some.

Here is an example of the nutrients I get in a day.

900 calories
10 grams of fat
800 mg of sodium
1800 mg of potassium
78 g of carbohydrates
24 g of fiber
85 g of protein
100% RDA of 24 vitamins and minerals
8 cups of water

what you also need to realize is that I am not fueling my body with only 900 calories a day. My body is burning fat for fuel. I am in ketosis because of the low carbs so fat becomes the first fuel to be used over glucose. The high protein means that I don't catabolize my muscles.


Oh, and I did a 17 mile ride on Saturday and a 25 mile ride today. I feel fine. I upped my food a bit for the 25 mile ride. I ate an extra 200 calories so I wouldn't bonk. I wasn't sure how I would feel so I played it safe by eating a bit more.

My blood pressure is normal. My osteoarthritis in my knees has greatly improved and I have lots of energy.

so, yeah, the fact that I am only eating 900 calories is what makes this even stranger. How can someone, even a person with a highly efficient metabolism, ride nearly 20 miles and feel fine at a pace they did before breaking a leg and being bedridden. That is why I posted. There is something about this mix of nutrients that is fueling me very well.

I think the key is that I must be using my fat stores very well. There is no other explanation that I can think of. The calories have to be coming from somewhere...and it isn't my mouth.