starvation mode?

MLBuddecke

I was following the cheat day thread and someone mentioned starvation mode, ok, I sort of get this. If you withhold too much food on a regular basis, then your body will change into a save pattern and you will lose less and it tries to store. I vbeen pretty good on my 1310 calories a day, keeping really close, ocassionally going over and eating my exercise calories, weight loss is really slow, only about 8 lbs since Easter when I started, but slow/steady is ok with me. My question/concern right now is , with the heat, and not feeling really well, I am not feeling like eating, I increased my water a lot this week also. How long before eating at half or three quarters of my suggested calories will put me into a survival mode? I don't want to go there. It seems like several times a week I have something that is "bad" for me,couple glasses of wine, a handfull of caramel peanuts, don't care, I'm not on a diet, I'm just trying to eat balanced. I just love this site because I now know how much I am eating, and the tracking makes all the difference in the world.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

"People concerned with starvation mode are concerned that, by lowering their calorie intake drastically, their body's metabolism will lower dramatically to compensate. Starvation mode is a myth. It was popularised due to the Minnesota Starvation Experiment in which subjects were given 50% of their daily calorie intake for months. The result being that they lost weight until they had almost no weight left to lose and their bodies simply could not get the calories anywhere. Concisely put: starvation mode happens when you are, quite literally, wasting away and not when you have a simple caloric deficit. Your body will make up for it with fat stores, which is what they're there for."

Source: http://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/faq#wiki_starvation_mode

bonnycreed

Uh, no. Sorry, but that's a load of crap. Starvation mode, does, unfortunately, exist. However, it is not to the extent that people believe it is. I have a BodyMedia that shows me EXACTLY how many calories I burn in a day. When I don't eat enough, I only burn about 2200 calories. When I hit my 1300 calorie goal, I burn more like 2500-2600 calories in a day. The difference is a few hundred calories. So, in as such, if you decide you only want to have a 1000 calorie day, you're more likely to burn about 300 fewer calories than you normally do. So, it evens out. That being said, those last 300 calories of your 1300 calorie goal are, more or less, freebies. For most people, they will affect you neither negatively nor positively. If, however, you go down to a 500 calorie a day diet, such as recommended by the HcG diet, you will lose weight faster because the number of calories you burn in correlation to what you consume can only go so far. If this weren't true, nobody would be overweight to begin with.

The reason for this is simple. The body has to work to process food. When you fill your stomach, more blood is pumped from the heart into the stomach to process this food, thus burning more calories because you are working harder than if you don't eat at all.

If you have no appetite at all, the best thing you can do is make sure you stay hydrated. Drink lots and lots of water and try summer healthy foods, especially fruits and veggies, to maintain some level of intake. I never force myself to eat if my body doesn't want it, other than a cold piece of fruit. It's mostly water anyway.

Bobbie8786

I don't quite believe in starvation mode leading to weight gain or plateaus. Many years ago I wound up very ill and was maybe consuming 500-800 calories a day and in the space of 2-1/2 months I went from 126 pounds to 108 ( height 5 feet 6 inches). I sure didn't gain weight or plateau during that time, it was a steady march to downright skeletal. Of course after I got well, I spent the next 20 years making up for it and here I am today:sad:

neanderthin

Uh, no. Sorry, but that's a load of crap. Starvation mode, does, unfortunately, exist. However, it is not to the extent that people believe it is. I have a BodyMedia that shows me EXACTLY how many calories I burn in a day. When I don't eat enough, I only burn about 2200 calories. When I hit my 1300 calorie goal, I burn more like 2500-2600 calories in a day. The difference is a few hundred calories. So, in as such, if you decide you only want to have a 1000 calorie day, you're more likely to burn about 300 fewer calories than you normally do. So, it evens out. That being said, those last 300 calories of your 1300 calorie goal are, more or less, freebies. For most people, they will affect you neither negatively nor positively. If, however, you go down to a 500 calorie a day diet, such as recommended by the HcG diet, you will lose weight faster because the number of calories you burn in correlation to what you consume can only go so far. If this weren't true, nobody would be overweight to begin with.

The reason for this is simple. The body has to work to process food. When you fill your stomach, more blood is pumped from the heart into the stomach to process this food, thus burning more calories because you are working harder than if you don't eat at all.

If you have no appetite at all, the best thing you can do is make sure you stay hydrated. Drink lots and lots of water and try summer healthy foods, especially fruits and veggies, to maintain some level of intake. I never force myself to eat if my body doesn't want it, other than a cold piece of fruit. It's mostly water anyway.

Sounds legit.

ndj1979

you have to eat nothing for 72 hours to see the initial affect of starvation mode....

so unless you are eating nothing for three days in a row, you will not be in starvation mode.

ndj1979

Uh, no. Sorry, but that's a load of crap. Starvation mode, does, unfortunately, exist. However, it is not to the extent that people believe it is. I have a BodyMedia that shows me EXACTLY how many calories I burn in a day. When I don't eat enough, I only burn about 2200 calories. When I hit my 1300 calorie goal, I burn more like 2500-2600 calories in a day. The difference is a few hundred calories. So, in as such, if you decide you only want to have a 1000 calorie day, you're more likely to burn about 300 fewer calories than you normally do. So, it evens out. That being said, those last 300 calories of your 1300 calorie goal are, more or less, freebies. For most people, they will affect you neither negatively nor positively. If, however, you go down to a 500 calorie a day diet, such as recommended by the HcG diet, you will lose weight faster because the number of calories you burn in correlation to what you consume can only go so far. If this weren't true, nobody would be overweight to begin with.

The reason for this is simple. The body has to work to process food. When you fill your stomach, more blood is pumped from the heart into the stomach to process this food, thus burning more calories because you are working harder than if you don't eat at all.

If you have no appetite at all, the best thing you can do is make sure you stay hydrated. Drink lots and lots of water and try summer healthy foods, especially fruits and veggies, to maintain some level of intake. I never force myself to eat if my body doesn't want it, other than a cold piece of fruit. It's mostly water anyway.

Sounds legit.

ummm can we get a translation here..I got lost around "body fit media"...

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Yeah, these dudes are fat as *kitten*, right?

from the Minnesota starvation experiment

ndj1979

I like this thread. I feel the same way. If i'm not starving why should I eat. I feel fine at 800-1000 calories a day with high protein non fat foods. If I keep this my norm and go over in fat like on the 4th then what's the big deal. I don't get the point of going to the gym to burn calories only to pack on what you lost everyday. I'd rather lose 20lbs in a month then eat like a pig for a week and gain a few and go back to my routine. I think the less you eat over a period of time reduces your appetite in the first place.

ummm what....? 20 pound a month??? so you are losing 5 pounds a week?

chrs86

I did. I was going to the gym 7 days a week and had a highly active schedule working at a high end restaurant. My point is I never feel starving nor do I only eat fruits and vegetables. Your body adjusts to the amount of food you intake. If you feel starved at first it goes away anyway. Your stomach and body will learn to adjust to your routine.

candylilacs

I like this thread. I feel the same way. If i'm not starving why should I eat. I feel fine at 800-1000 calories a day with high protein non fat foods. If I keep this my norm and go over in fat like on the 4th then what's the big deal. I don't get the point of going to the gym to burn calories only to pack on what you lost everyday. I'd rather lose 20lbs in a month then eat like a pig for a week and gain a few and go back to my routine. I think the less you eat over a period of time reduces your appetite in the first place.

OK, I don't like this thread AT ALL. It smacks of someone with an eating disorder. There's no reason to eat under 1,200 calories a day. And you certainly shouldn't be eating under 1800-2100 a day if you're just maintaining, rather than losing weight. You are not eating enough nutrients and your skin, hair and energy level should be telling you that -- if not now, it will in a few more weeks.

This kind of behavior isn't healthy.

chrs86

So your saying Justin Beibers hair,skin, and energy are telling him to eat more. I guess it depends on the physic you're aiming for. I see skinnier dudes all the time who look alot more in shape then some of the ripped guys at the gym.

ndj1979

So your saying Justin Beibers hair,skin, and energy are telling him to eat more. I guess it depends on the physic you're aiming for. I see skinnier dudes all the time who look alot more in shape then some of the ripped guys at the gym.

wait, someone skinny is more ripped then someone who is ripped???? WTF ....dude put the crack pipe down...

Achrya

So your saying Justin Beibers hair,skin, and energy are telling him to eat more. I guess it depends on the physic you're aiming for. I see skinnier dudes all the time who look alot more in shape then some of the ripped guys at the gym.

...Does Justin Beiber only eat 1000 calories a day? I doubt it.

chrs86

I'm not talking about ripped like you buddy. I'm talking lifting 200lbs but can't do a pull-up. Or the ones who you see consistently over months who haven't lost a shred of belly fat but continually bench press and hog all the damn equipment. Then complain about people who do cardio.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

So your saying Justin Beibers hair,skin, and energy are telling him to eat more. I guess it depends on the physic you're aiming for. I see skinnier dudes all the time who look alot more in shape then some of the ripped guys at the gym.

...Does Justin Beiber only eat 1000 calories a day? I doubt it.

Justin Beiber doesn't even lift

ndj1979

I'm not talking about ripped like you buddy. I'm talking lifting 200lbs but can't do a pull-up. Or the ones who you see consistently over months who haven't lost a shred of belly fat but continually bench press and hog all the damn equipment. Then complain about people who do cardio.

dude,you seriously are not making sense..

nice try at amateur trolling though..

get to 100 posts and re try ..you might have better success...

chrs86

How'd he get a girlfriend then?

Achrya

So your saying Justin Beibers hair,skin, and energy are telling him to eat more. I guess it depends on the physic you're aiming for. I see skinnier dudes all the time who look alot more in shape then some of the ripped guys at the gym.

...Does Justin Beiber only eat 1000 calories a day? I doubt it.

Justin Beiber doesn't even lift

This I believe. I unlucky enough to stumble across a shot of him shirtless; not only is he blindingly pale but his chest in practically concave. If ever there was a man (kid? Boy? IDK) who could benefit from some heavy lifting it'd be that one.

chrisdavey

I like this thread. I feel the same way. If i'm not starving why should I eat. I feel fine at 800-1000 calories a day with high protein non fat foods. If I keep this my norm and go over in fat like on the 4th then what's the big deal. I don't get the point of going to the gym to burn calories only to pack on what you lost everyday. I'd rather lose 20lbs in a month then eat like a pig for a week and gain a few and go back to my routine. I think the less you eat over a period of time reduces your appetite in the first place.

doinitwrong

MLBuddecke

Ok guys, didn't mean to start anything crazy and I don't give a rats about JB, where did that come from anyway?.
I was just concerned about sudden loss of appetite. the myfitpal gave me the 1310 calories as a goal for weight loss. It is working, slow and steady. I'm mid 50's and not doing body building, I take regular brisk walks (not running yet lol) and do tia chi (currently doing Tia Cheng program from beachbody). I don't want to "starve myself" to get quicker results because I know that will not help me long term. I will continue on this journey and hopefully the appetite thing will sort itself out. I don't want to eat for the sake of eating (IE "are your hungry" ; "I don't know , what time is it") As I process what everyone is saying, it occurs to me, that maybe what I thought was my appetite for years was just a craving for sugar, or chocolate or such and now I am having to adjust my brain when I don't get those cravings. It's an idea. I got some good feedback here, thanks everyone,

elyelyse

I don't want to eat for the sake of eating (IE "are your hungry" ; "I don't know , what time is it") As I process what everyone is saying, it occurs to me, that maybe what I thought was my appetite for years was just a craving for sugar, or chocolate or such and now I am having to adjust my brain when I don't get those cravings. It's an idea. I got some good feedback here, thanks everyone,

you are right, don't eat for the sake of eating! eat for the sake of providing your body with adequate calories AND nutrition. you may not feel "hungry" but your body still needs a minimum to be efficient. I don't usually have a problem being not-hungry, but some days I don't feel the need to eat as much. Those days I try to eat more calorie/nutrition dense foods so that I still get what i need, without that feeling of eating for the sake of stuffing my face.

jen_mv

I don't want to eat for the sake of eating (IE "are your hungry" ; "I don't know , what time is it") As I process what everyone is saying, it occurs to me, that maybe what I thought was my appetite for years was just a craving for sugar, or chocolate or such and now I am having to adjust my brain when I don't get those cravings. It's an idea. I got some good feedback here, thanks everyone,

you are right, don't eat for the sake of eating! eat for the sake of providing your body with adequate calories AND nutrition. you may not feel "hungry" but your body still needs a minimum to be efficient. I don't usually have a problem being not-hungry, but some days I don't feel the need to eat as much. Those days I try to eat more calorie/nutrition dense foods so that I still get what i need, without that feeling of eating for the sake of stuffing my face.

This. If you're concerned about eating too few calories, you can add calorie-dense foods to your diet such as nuts or avocados, or add some healthy fats/oils to the foods you're already eating.

candylilacs

As I process what everyone is saying, it occurs to me, that maybe what I thought was my appetite for years was just a craving for sugar, or chocolate or such and now I am having to adjust my brain when I don't get those cravings. It's an idea. I got some good feedback here, thanks everyone,

Well, unless you want to lose weight, you generally have to eat enough to keep your body and you going. Also, if you believe what Geneen Roth has to say, for many people dealing with weight loss, they have lost the ability to know what true hunger is. Anyway, here's some guidelines for eating. I strongly stand by them -- especially focusing on the meal you are eating, rather than watching TV and take time to sit and eat, rather than scarfing over the sink or during a drive.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Author-Geneen-Roth-Shares-Her-Eating-Guidelines-Video

__Di__

So your saying Justin Beibers hair,skin, and energy are telling him to eat more. I guess it depends on the physic you're aiming for. I see skinnier dudes all the time who look alot more in shape then some of the ripped guys at the gym.

...Does Justin Beiber only eat 1000 calories a day? I doubt it.

Justin Beiber doesn't even lift

He can't bloody sing either.

__Di__

How'd he get a girlfriend then?

'cos he is famous. That seems to make a difference with some females.