starvation mode ?
Replies
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Jessika29669 wrote: »It's possible too that your metabolism has adjusted to you only taking in such a low amount since you say you have been doing it for years. If you plan on working out, your body will need more energy aka calories. And all of the vitamins you need can be found in a healthy diet. I hope you are able to use MFP to help you achieve your goals in a realistic and healthy way that will create a sustainable lifestyle for yourself, best of luck.
your metabolism doesn't adjust that much. think of someone in a coma...they need a feeding tube to continue to live because your organs require calories to function. There is much more at play here. OP really needs to seek professional help which shouldn't be construed badly. if what she is saying is all true, it doesn't add up and she needs help sorting it all out face to face with someone and on a public forum for some people just isn't enough...in my opinion.0 -
Jessika29669 wrote: »It's possible too that your metabolism has adjusted to you only taking in such a low amount since you say you have been doing it for years. If you plan on working out, your body will need more energy aka calories. And all of the vitamins you need can be found in a healthy diet. I hope you are able to use MFP to help you achieve your goals in a realistic and healthy way that will create a sustainable lifestyle for yourself, best of luck.
No. People's metabolisms don't slow down that much, and if she had been eating low enough for adaptive thermogenesis to happen, she would have already lost the weight from the amount she'd been eating before this.0 -
I'm a nurse, and when I went back to school to get my BSN, I had to do a community health practicum in which I did field research on a local public health problem. I chose obesity, and one of the places I did research was a very high-end weight loss clinic, a place much less sketchy than you are describing. No sketchy injections, no lying to the patients, just medically supervised VLCD.
The provider I interviewed, a nurse practitioner, speaking professional-to-professional instead of to a client, flat out said "I can help anybody lose weight if they follow my instructions, but 95% of these people don't keep it off more than a year."
She was very matter of fact about this. And it makes perfect sense- as soon as you stop going to the clinic, stop eating the very low calorie diet they prescribe, and go back to the habits that made you fat to begin with, you will gain all the weight back.
Of course, this is just fine by the clinic, who would love to help you lose the weight again next year for a hefty fee.
And this was a *nice* clinic that didn't lie and sell garbage woo injections. Your clinic sounds like someplace that will be on the news eventually for someone dying.
The change to permanently lose weight has to come from you, and it has to be sustainable for the rest of your life. Nothing about 500 calories a day and weekly magic shots is sustainable.
Try MFP. And seriously, don't let these people inject you with anything. You don't need it and the fact that they're selling you shots you don't need speaks volumes about their (total lack of) integrity.0 -
Jessika29669 wrote: »It's possible too that your metabolism has adjusted to you only taking in such a low amount since you say you have been doing it for years. If you plan on working out, your body will need more energy aka calories. And all of the vitamins you need can be found in a healthy diet. I hope you are able to use MFP to help you achieve your goals in a realistic and healthy way that will create a sustainable lifestyle for yourself, best of luck.
No. People's metabolisms don't slow down that much, and if she had been eating low enough for adaptive thermogenesis to happen, she would have already lost the weight from the amount she'd been eating before this.
Well there is a natural downward metabolic adjustment that we all go through but the name escapes me...oh right...death!0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Jessika29669 wrote: »It's possible too that your metabolism has adjusted to you only taking in such a low amount since you say you have been doing it for years. If you plan on working out, your body will need more energy aka calories. And all of the vitamins you need can be found in a healthy diet. I hope you are able to use MFP to help you achieve your goals in a realistic and healthy way that will create a sustainable lifestyle for yourself, best of luck.
No. People's metabolisms don't slow down that much, and if she had been eating low enough for adaptive thermogenesis to happen, she would have already lost the weight from the amount she'd been eating before this.
Well there is a natural downward metabolic adjustment that we all go through but the name escapes me...oh right...death!
^^Yep, that is the end result of starvation mode.
A body that weighs 250# is going to burn more calories that a body weighing 150# eating the same amount of calories, as the more you weigh the more calories your body burns just sustaining that weight.
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So I did MFP's BMR calculation: It's stating you'd need 1300 calories every day just to stay alive. Eating a 1lb/wk weight loss would put you at 800 calories.
Since "starvation mode" isn't a thing, here's a few things to rattle off the list:
1) Have you had a recent physical that includes blood work? Blood work should be able to tell you if your thyroid is functioning normally, or if that should be examined further. So rule out medical conditions and medications.
2) You are counting wrong. If people are making the food for you, like at fast food places, they are likely to pile on more mayo, dressing, etc than what is listed on the "nutrition label".
3) Pre-packaged foods like microwavable meals are often high in sodium, so you might be retaining a lot of water. Water weight is one of the reasons our weight fluctuates daily.
Worse comes to worse, I would suggest you consult a dietician. They are the medical professionals to trust when it comes to diet and weight loss.0 -
emmycantbemeeko wrote: »I'm a nurse, and when I went back to school to get my BSN, I had to do a community health practicum in which I did field research on a local public health problem. I chose obesity, and one of the places I did research was a very high-end weight loss clinic, a place much less sketchy than you are describing. No sketchy injections, no lying to the patients, just medically supervised VLCD.
The provider I interviewed, a nurse practitioner, speaking professional-to-professional instead of to a client, flat out said "I can help anybody lose weight if they follow my instructions, but 95% of these people don't keep it off more than a year."
She was very matter of fact about this. And it makes perfect sense- as soon as you stop going to the clinic, stop eating the very low calorie diet they prescribe, and go back to the habits that made you fat to begin with, you will gain all the weight back.
Of course, this is just fine by the clinic, who would love to help you lose the weight again next year for a hefty fee.
And this was a *nice* clinic that didn't lie and sell garbage woo injections. Your clinic sounds like someplace that will be on the news eventually for someone dying.
The change to permanently lose weight has to come from you, and it has to be sustainable for the rest of your life. Nothing about 500 calories a day and weekly magic shots is sustainable.
Try MFP. And seriously, don't let these people inject you with anything. You don't need it and the fact that they're selling you shots you don't need speaks volumes about their (total lack of) integrity.
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redrobot5050 wrote: »So I did MFP's BMR calculation: It's stating you'd need 1300 calories every day just to stay alive. Eating a 1lb/wk weight loss would put you at 800 calories.
Since "starvation mode" isn't a thing, here's a few things to rattle off the list:
1) Have you had a recent physical that includes blood work? Blood work should be able to tell you if your thyroid is functioning normally, or if that should be examined further. So rule out medical conditions and medications.
2) You are counting wrong. If people are making the food for you, like at fast food places, they are likely to pile on more mayo, dressing, etc than what is listed on the "nutrition label".
3) Pre-packaged foods like microwavable meals are often high in sodium, so you might be retaining a lot of water. Water weight is one of the reasons our weight fluctuates daily.
Worse comes to worse, I would suggest you consult a dietician. They are the medical professionals to trust when it comes to diet and weight loss.
800 is well below the recommended calorie intake level of 1200 for women..correct me if i'm wrong. seems something is wrong here.0 -
I've taken B-12 injections for over 10 years for B-12 anemia. I managed to gain quite a bit of weight during those years so I can't imagine how that is supposed to help you lose any weight. I guess it will give you extra energy which might encourage you to be more active, but unless you watch what you eat that won't matter. I try to be very mindful of what I eat and whether I am really hungry or not, but I can't imagine that you can't make yourself eat 1200 calories a day. I think that the clinic you are going to sounds kind of sketchy.
Same here! Before I was diagnosed and put on injections I actually dropped weight like crazy. Part of that might have been being so tired all the time so I didn't notice my hunger and because digestion was probably impaired. But my doctor also thinks my body spent so much energy trying to repair the damage done by the deficiency and creating red blood cells like crazy, that turned out to be deformed and short-lived again that I also dropped weight due to that. My weight loss actually stopped when I was put on the injections, without changing my diet at first (I was tracking food intake with a scale!).
Thus TO, be very careful with what this clinic is selling you. You might actually lose slower <- that was a joke. 0 -
redrobot5050 wrote: »So I did MFP's BMR calculation: It's stating you'd need 1300 calories every day just to stay alive. Eating a 1lb/wk weight loss would put you at 800 calories.
Since "starvation mode" isn't a thing, here's a few things to rattle off the list:
1) Have you had a recent physical that includes blood work? Blood work should be able to tell you if your thyroid is functioning normally, or if that should be examined further. So rule out medical conditions and medications.
2) You are counting wrong. If people are making the food for you, like at fast food places, they are likely to pile on more mayo, dressing, etc than what is listed on the "nutrition label".
3) Pre-packaged foods like microwavable meals are often high in sodium, so you might be retaining a lot of water. Water weight is one of the reasons our weight fluctuates daily.
Worse comes to worse, I would suggest you consult a dietician. They are the medical professionals to trust when it comes to diet and weight loss.
You should never subtract calories from your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). That is the fewest number of calories needed to keep your body alive and functioning. You subtract calories from your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) which is your BMR plus your daily exercise (anything more than lying in bed).0 -
redrobot5050 wrote: »So I did MFP's BMR calculation: It's stating you'd need 1300 calories every day just to stay alive. Eating a 1lb/wk weight loss would put you at 800 calories.
I don't think your ordinary MFPer is comatose (though I might be mistaken).0 -
This thread scares me, I'm not gonna lie...
OP, I think you can gather from all the responses here is that everyone is unanimous in the opinion that something is unhealthy about your injections and the amount of calories you are taking in. You are well below the minimum amount of calories needed to function at a basic level. You body is breaking down tissue inside at your current intake levels just to keep it going, and its not all fat: organs, healthy tissue, hair, nails, bone... all fair game. Your body needs protein, but you had a salad yesterday. Where do you think your body got its protein from that day? It broke down healthy tissue inside to keep you alive. Think about that.
I would stop going to this clinic and make an appointment with your doctor for a physical today. You need to ensure that there is no medical issue that is preventing your body from performing correctly. You are in a scary spot with your eating, and you may need to seek professional help. This is not a healthy relationship with food.
I hope you will get some help and find some answers that will get you on the right path. Please let us know once you have made some positive changes. Good luck!0 -
brian_gunther wrote: »This thread scares me, I'm not gonna lie...
OP, I think you can gather from all the responses here is that everyone is unanimous in the opinion that something is unhealthy about your injections and the amount of calories you are taking in. You are well below the minimum amount of calories needed to function at a basic level. You body is breaking down tissue inside at your current intake levels just to keep it going, and its not all fat: organs, healthy tissue, hair, nails, bone... all fair game. Your body needs protein, but you had a salad yesterday. Where do you think your body got its protein from that day? It broke down healthy tissue inside to keep you alive. Think about that.
I would stop going to this clinic and make an appointment with your doctor for a physical today. You need to ensure that there is no medical issue that is preventing your body from performing correctly. You are in a scary spot with your eating, and you may need to seek professional help. This is not a healthy relationship with food.
I hope you will get some help and find some answers that will get you on the right path. Please let us know once you have made some positive changes. Good luck!
If she's staying at the same weight the more likely thing is that she's incorrectly counting her calories and none of the above is happening.0 -
brian_gunther wrote: »This thread scares me, I'm not gonna lie...
OP, I think you can gather from all the responses here is that everyone is unanimous in the opinion that something is unhealthy about your injections and the amount of calories you are taking in. You are well below the minimum amount of calories needed to function at a basic level. You body is breaking down tissue inside at your current intake levels just to keep it going, and its not all fat: organs, healthy tissue, hair, nails, bone... all fair game. Your body needs protein, but you had a salad yesterday. Where do you think your body got its protein from that day? It broke down healthy tissue inside to keep you alive. Think about that.
I would stop going to this clinic and make an appointment with your doctor for a physical today. You need to ensure that there is no medical issue that is preventing your body from performing correctly. You are in a scary spot with your eating, and you may need to seek professional help. This is not a healthy relationship with food.
I hope you will get some help and find some answers that will get you on the right path. Please let us know once you have made some positive changes. Good luck!
If she's staying at the same weight the more likely thing is that she's incorrectly counting her calories and none of the above is happening.
Please read the opening post again. She's at it for three weeks by the look of it. I don't think anyone has told het yet that weight loss is not linear. I agree she should go see a proper doctor and talk about her disorderly eating. If she's really eating only 500cals per day then she needs to get this sorted for the sake if her kids.0 -
brian_gunther wrote: »This thread scares me, I'm not gonna lie...
OP, I think you can gather from all the responses here is that everyone is unanimous in the opinion that something is unhealthy about your injections and the amount of calories you are taking in. You are well below the minimum amount of calories needed to function at a basic level. You body is breaking down tissue inside at your current intake levels just to keep it going, and its not all fat: organs, healthy tissue, hair, nails, bone... all fair game. Your body needs protein, but you had a salad yesterday. Where do you think your body got its protein from that day? It broke down healthy tissue inside to keep you alive. Think about that.
I would stop going to this clinic and make an appointment with your doctor for a physical today. You need to ensure that there is no medical issue that is preventing your body from performing correctly. You are in a scary spot with your eating, and you may need to seek professional help. This is not a healthy relationship with food.
I hope you will get some help and find some answers that will get you on the right path. Please let us know once you have made some positive changes. Good luck!
If she's staying at the same weight the more likely thing is that she's incorrectly counting her calories and none of the above is happening.
I tend to agree with this. If it is true, and she is eating under 600 calories/day @ 5'3" and 144#, there is something wrong, and she needs to be evaluated by a doctor to rule out some other issue she may have. She did say in her opening post that she "only lost" 1 pound last week, so she is losing.0 -
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