Starvation Mode?

July24Lioness

i will ask her, her thoughts on this when I speak with her again, which should be soon.............I will do some more reading and research on this topic and I will ask her when I speak with her again.

Not to get too sidetracked from the Oiginal topic...............

You and your wife's experience with an Endocrinologist is basically the same thing I had been experiencing from a regular family practice MD, Gynecologist and an Endocrinologist..............

Hence the reason for switching over to Naturopathic Dr and a Natural Pharmacist that compounds his own scripts.

I have been told that there is nothing wrong with my Adrenals or my Thyroid............and I have been previously treated for hypothyroidism a couple years prior when I was still living in Virginia. The Endo there treated me based on the symptoms I was having and the underlying other endocrine and metabolic issues...........Moved to Illinois, no insurance - so did not go to the Dr to get meds refilled.

I paid independently for my own blood work along with what the Dr ordered through my insurance. Took both results to the Naturopath here in St Louis and she shook her head and stated.........."How can they say you don't have thyroid issues?" She also stated that basically the reason I am having such a hard time losing weight is because my Thyroid, Pituitary and Hypothalamus glands are not communicating with each other properly............And she said my Adrenal Glands are screaming at me from being fatigued.

She ordered a Saliva test to confirm the adrenal issue and was right............

xonophone

Sorry I said anything.

Why? You asked a valid question and received a lot of feedback. That's what these forums are for.

July24Lioness

Banks -

Question for you..............

Is it possible that most people that think they are going into starvation mode have some small degree of Metabolic Resistance?

I just have a hard time believing that because someone cuts their calories to lose weight that basically they are entering starvation mode..............

I think some degree of actual starvation (as demonstrated in the Minnesota Studies) would have to take place for such a phenomena to exist.........

Thoughts?

July24Lioness

Sorry I said anything.

Why? You asked a valid question and received a lot of feedback. That's what these forums are for.

Exactly...............We are engaging in a GREAT debate!! No arguing, just passing thoughts along...............This is the learning process at its best.

Do not fear confrontation!!!

SHBoss1673

Banks -

Question for you..............

Is it possible that most people that think they are going into starvation mode have some small degree of Metabolic Resistance?

I just have a hard time believing that because someone cuts their calories to lose weight that basically they are entering starvation mode..............

I think some degree of actual starvation (as demonstrated in the Minnesota Studies) would have to take place for such a phenomena to exist.........

Thoughts?

Hmm, metabolic resistance. It is absolutely possible. I'll expand that a tiny bit in that everyone has a different level of insulin resistance, and (while we call it genetics), it's just basic chemistry. I mean, there's a reason why people in certain areas of the world are more susceptible to fat storage (and specifically, fat storage from specific food types), and that goes back to the concept of evolution and the environment they evolved in. Natural selection will dictate which human ancestor flourished in cold weather, and it stands to reason that someone in an ice age who had better insulation and the ability to store fat faster would survive, considering how many ice ages there have been over the course of human evolution, I could see that.


I guess it's all in how you think about starvation mode.

I think of starvation mode as nothing more than the gradual progression from feast towards famine, and our body's change as we progress down that scale. I don't think you flip a switch and go from normal metabolic rates to extreme fat storage, but I do think (think the scales of justice) that at a certain point the balance is tipped from burning more fat than your body is storing, to burning less fat than your body is storing while slowing down organ function to compensate for the lack of energy. For most normal people (I.E. people with less than about 35% body fat) that's a point anywhere between 1/4 lb per week deficit (for someone with a low % of body fat) to about 2 lbs per week (for someone approaching that 35% point). There's also (I'm sure) a point for people with dangerously low fat levels as well, but I haven't really studied anorexia so I can't say how the chemical changes occur for them.

that being said, I think it's virtually impossible for someone with very high levels of body fat to enter that starvation. Its all about surface area of body fat. The more "pockets" of fat you have, and the larger the volume of that fat, the faster you burn it and the more you can grab from stores at any one time, so someone who has lots, can burn more at any one point in time, essentially mitigating that tipping point so much that the body never recognizes a need to enter the extreme fat storage mode. It's why I always try to caveat my starvation mode statements with the exception of people who are obese.

SHBoss1673

Sorry I said anything.

Why? You asked a valid question and received a lot of feedback. That's what these forums are for.

Trout, I'm happy you asked it. This is one of the healthiest debates that we've had on here in a long time. No animosity, no anger, just good honest discussion with questions and opinions and thoughts.

It makes me happy I'm still a contributing member. P

spaniel

Good Morning, Banks,

First let me say "thankyou" for all your advice and work on this website. I have been a member of MFP since February 2010 and although I consistently log my food and work out, I have not lost a pound. After many visits to various doctors (they tell me just to eat less) and total frustration with the weight problem (I am hypothyroid - but corrected with meds), I decided to have my RMR/BCA metabolism tested and will start working with a trainer in the gym. I should have my RMR results this afternoon. My husband has told me for years that I do not eat enough, but my brain just doesn't want to agree with that information.
My husband and I eat pretty much "clean", but I think sugar and the wrong carbs may be one of my problems. I am not giving up!!
This is a tremendous website that has helped so many people lose weight and share experiences. Congrats on your weight loss success and please tell your wife I feel her frustration.
Have a great day

GO RED SOXS!!!! Although we do have a new pitching sensation in DC....

SHBoss1673

Good Morning, Banks,

First let me say "thankyou" for all your advice and work on this website. I have been a member of MFP since February 2010 and although I consistently log my food and work out, I have not lost a pound. After many visits to various doctors (they tell me just to eat less) and total frustration with the weight problem (I am hypothyroid - but corrected with meds), I decided to have my RMR/BCA metabolism tested and will start working with a trainer in the gym. I should have my RMR results this afternoon. My husband has told me for years that I do not eat enough, but my brain just doesn't want to agree with that information.
My husband and I eat pretty much "clean", but I think sugar and the wrong carbs may be one of my problems. I am not giving up!!
This is a tremendous website that has helped so many people lose weight and share experiences. Congrats on your weight loss success and please tell your wife I feel her frustration.
Have a great day

GO RED SOXS!!!! Although we do have a new pitching sensation in DC....

sounds like there are some metabolic issues you have to contend with. Those can be frustrating and actually Cora might be a bit better able to sympathize with you than I (I can from an outside point of view, but really, I could never truly understand because It just doesn't happen to me that way). I will say that I'm confident the answer is out there for you, you just haven't found it yet, just keep plugging, whether it's a nutritional change, a calorie change, or a combination of both along with different meds, I'm sure you'll find the key, and when you do...BAM! it'll work like a charm.

I'm happy to give any advice I can, so feel free to ask, but remember, there are plenty of others here that can help as wel, and some are far better than I at their respective areas of strength (I'm not to proud to refer you if I don't feel confident in an area).

keep tweaking, keep adjusting, and keep working hard, you'll get there!

best luck to ya!

SHBoss1673

doh, double post!

July24Lioness

Good Morning, Banks,

First let me say "thankyou" for all your advice and work on this website. I have been a member of MFP since February 2010 and although I consistently log my food and work out, I have not lost a pound. After many visits to various doctors (they tell me just to eat less) and total frustration with the weight problem (I am hypothyroid - but corrected with meds), I decided to have my RMR/BCA metabolism tested and will start working with a trainer in the gym. I should have my RMR results this afternoon. My husband has told me for years that I do not eat enough, but my brain just doesn't want to agree with that information.
My husband and I eat pretty much "clean", but I think sugar and the wrong carbs may be one of my problems. I am not giving up!!
This is a tremendous website that has helped so many people lose weight and share experiences. Congrats on your weight loss success and please tell your wife I feel her frustration.
Have a great day

GO RED SOXS!!!! Although we do have a new pitching sensation in DC....

Good morning to you!!!

Question for you..........

You mentioned that you are hypothyroid. Have you been checked for Pituitary, Hypothalamus or Adrenal Gland issues? My Naturopathic Doctor says that the Endocrine system is so complex (think intertwined like a spiderweb) that it is impossible to have 1 Endocrine issue without having multiple Endocrine issues.

I am going through the same thing you are going through...........I recently found a Naturopathic Doctor in the "new" area in which I now live to get me back on a treatment program.

I did the saliva test for adrenal fatigue, which came back as a positive result. And it is quite known (ehh hmmm, it should be anyway) that most times hypothyroid patients also have pituitary issues because the Pituitary is the Master gland and most times it is not communicating with the thyroid correctly.

Are you on T4 only or are you on T3 also? Also, where is your TSH at? My Naturopath says that a woman's TSH should be at or below 1.0 to function normally. That would include being able to lose weight also.

If your metabolism is that slow, your Endocrine system needs to be looked at on a deeper level.

tcac

please post what you frind out from you resuls.

machinegun74

If youre no longer getting hunger pains then youre in starvation mode. Normally takes atleast 3 days of no food and yes it increases the amount of muscle to fat burned off. But so does any calorie deficit diet. It still burns fat, basically turning it back into carbohydrate type of fuel which your brain needs to function. Your metabolism will adjust and theres no proof of permanent damage to it.

This is the Clif notes off the starvation mode section I got with the diet packet from my doctor. YMMV but it doesnt seem like youre going to get yourself into actual starvation mode from the looks of things.