I want a flat stomach!

"Starvation mode" really doesnt exist, i gave a very simplified explanation of it for brevity. Any time you lower cals under your maintenance, your body automatically down regulates metabolic activity. It automatically shuts down extracurricular activities (muscle building for one) because it does not have the energy to keep it going. The body is really all about maintaining and doesnt like to lose anything. So it starts cutting into the tissue that takes the most calories to maintain, muscle mass. If you are not strength training with enough cals and proteins in your diet, you will lose more muscle than fat due to the body process. This is why we stress both resistance training and adequate protein to preserve muscle mass and allow the body to let go of the fat. Its not "starvation mode" its what the body was designed to do and it takes manipulation of diet and exercise to overcome the body's natural tendencies.

Now the leaner you are body fat wise, the harder it will be to lose fat, the lower in weight you are the harder it will be to lose fat and the lower in lean body mass you are, the harder it will be to lose fat. So there are a lot of factors that come into play when looking at how to structure your diet and training.

The more you weigh, the more body fat you have and the more muscle mass you have, the easier it is to lose fat up to a point.

I dont think a flat stomach is out of the question for most women, it usually does take specific training and dieting to get there and most people are unwilling to spend years working on their physique to such a point, only for the sake of a flat tummy. It also takes a specific understanding of the body, and not many people are willing to go that far into it or learn it to get what they want.

There are also a ton of myths out there like "doing a ton of situps gives you abs" and while many people will say "abs are made in the kitchen" and "you cant spot reduce"  they have no real understanding behind WHY or HOW to get there. Many women dont want to add muscle, but that is usually the answer in many cases.

You are simply not consuming enough calories. You should be eating at least 1800 calories or more, especially if you are doing strength exercises. You are STARVING yourself and your body’s reaction is to hold onto fat because it know you are not going to feed it. If you want a flat stomach, you must amp up your metabolism which means you must EAT, at least 5 – 6 meals a day, each containing lean protein, a source of healthy fat and carbs. And stop counting calories because calories from different foods will affect you differently. If you ate 1200 calories in gummy bears you would have a very different body than if you ate 2400 calories in lean protein, green vegetables, grains and fats. I highly recommend you check out the Eat Clean Diet series by Tosca Reno. They’re very straight forward and easy to follow.

You are simply not consuming enough calories. You should be eating at least 1800 calories or more, especially if you are doing strength exercises. You are STARVING yourself and your body’s reaction is to hold onto fat because it know you are not going to feed it. If you want a flat stomach, you must amp up your metabolism which means you must EAT, at least 5 – 6 meals a day, each containing lean protein, a source of healthy fat and carbs. And stop counting calories because calories from different foods will affect you differently. If you ate 1200 calories in gummy bears you would have a very different body than if you ate 2400 calories in lean protein, green vegetables, grains and fats. I highly recommend you check out the Eat Clean Diet series by Tosca Reno. They’re very straight forward and easy to follow.

It was an example of extremes and was not meant to simplify the equation. Of course she is not eating 1200 calories of junk, however, many people have a hard time telling the difference between healthy food and ‘health food’. The food that was listed is all very healthy but, in my opinion, is not enough to achieve the results that she is looking for, which is fat loss (notice I did not say weight loss).

Fine, don’t read Tosca Reno, for whatever personal reasons you are opposed to her methods. They have worked for me, they have worked for people who I care about.

The simple truth is that 1200 calories is simply not enough and there were very few carbs listed on that list. Can a person survive on this. Yes they can. Can a person burn fat like this. No. You may get skinny from malnutrition, but you best believe your body will fight to hold on to every once if fat that it can.

As someone who has been hospitalized for a restrictive eating disorder in the past, I feel the need to chime in here. 

I am first going to echo everyone else here: 1200 calories is not enough for ANY grown adult. A few quick number into a BMR calculator showed that even if you were a 25 year old 5' 5" woman who weighed 110 pounds, you'd STILL need 1,165 calories a day for your body to perform your most basic functions. Since I'm sure you walk around during the day, and do daily tasks (clean, shower, stoop, chores), that'll require much more calories. But you aren't doing just that. You're doing pole – and pole exerts a LOT of energy, which requires a LOT of calories. 

And aside from just consuming X amount a day, you need to be consuming a specific NET amount that is appropriate for your height, and I don't think anyone had mentioned that yet (calories in-calories out=NET). So for example, if you consume 1200 calories a day (calories in) and burn 400 during pole or so, and tack on maybe another 300 for daily tasks (which is seriously lowballing it), you have a calories out of 700. So your NET would be 500 calories. And that doesn't take into account your BMR. Obviously not enough to stay alive for very long.

When I was hospitalized, I had NET calorie intakes of -400 to 200 a day, not factoring in BMR, and only eating clean foods. And no matter how small of an amount of calories I consumed, I STILL had a bit of a pooch on my stomach! It never went away while I restricted or even concerned myself in the least with my calories. Some people just don't have bodies that are going to give you a flat stomach no matter what you do. Yours could be one of them! Who knows! Instead of looking at what you don't like about your body, think of what it does for you every day. You can walk around and climb stairs – thank your glorious legs. You can stand straight – that's all thanks to your strong back and stomach! You can lift things up – chalk it up to your arms! You body does wonderful things every single day. I've found that when I appreciated my body for what it did, even though I wasn't always feeling so great about my thighs being a bit wobbly and my tummy poofing out a little more than I'd like, transformations slowly happened and I didn't even spend time worrying about it! It just happened, and one day I noticed. 

Some of the things you said (along with your views about caloric intake) make me slightly worried that your thoughts can be going down a dark road. It's easier to fix them now than later, I assure you! Listen to some of the advice the lovely ladies have given here. And really, visit a nutritionist! Mine was extremely helpful in giving me nice food/calorie guidelines to follow to keep my body healthy and happy. And they'll be able to tell you what amount you should be consuming better than anyone here can! Good luck!

I just want to add, that all if our suggestions with counseling and accepting yourself come from a good place. We want the best for you. I used to be VERY insecure, and nitpick everything about myself despite people telling me I looked good. I look back on it now and yes, I looked great. It took me a while to gain confidence in myself, but I eventually did and was do much happier. We all have different body types, and we should strive to be healthy for our body types. Some women will naturally have flat tummys, but that is genetic. There are those of us who are naturally curvy. That’s ok too! I always thought I was huge next to other girls. I finally realized that I have a larger frame. You compare my wrist bone to tiny girls’ and its obvious I have very large bones! That in turn makes me have a wider frame and broad shoulders.

That example is just to let you know that we are all different and it’s best to realize what is natural for your body and embrace it!

Even tiny veena has some wiggle to her body, and she’s tiny. It’s sexy though. I love that about her!

So I am replying as a fitness professional (NSCA certified and a Masters degree), someone recovering from an Eating Disorder, as someone with flat abs, and a human being.  First of all, having flat abs doesn't make you cool, hotter, smarter, more fun, or happier.  And I have them.  Also, no one is attacking you, I am sure you were told that what you are doing is ok and correct, however, I question your source.  You say "Nutritionist", but were they a nutritionist or an RD?  A hobo on the street can call themselves a nutritionist, there is NO qualification for it.  A Registered Dietician needs a college degree and to pass the certification.  I was also trained in college that anyone on less than a 1200 calorie a day diet needs to be monitored by a Doctor, as it is nearly impossible to get the nutrients needed for basic body function (eg: your brain needs approximately 150g Carbohydrates (or 600 calories of carbs) to function properly.  Your brain can only use Carbs, not fat or protien)

However, speaking as someone who used to live on ~1000-1200 calories a day and 103 lbs at 4'9", I suffered severe symptoms of anorexia, such as missed periods, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, low muscle mass, etc.  I also had a soft puffy lower belly.  I now weigh 118lbs (115 of I am training hard for a comp, but it comes right back after) and have a flat stomach with a 6-pack.  I also eat 2500-300 calories a day.  I eat when I am hungry, I dont eat when I am full.  my body is smart and know what it needs to function.  I trust it will make good decisions.  Even though I am 15 lbs heavier, I am happy with my body, and not because of my abs.  But because I can do an Iron-X at the drop of a hat, splits, and run half marathons.  My body is an amazing thing that puts up with all the stuff I ask it to do.  I love that.

I think this article will be a good read for you (and everyone else on this forum).  It is what ALL WOMEN need to understand.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/iris-higgins/an-open-apology-to-all-of_b_3762714.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000010