Starvation Mode?

onedayatatime12

Don't eat me!
I made a bad choice, and I paid for it.. but I learnt a lesson.

I ate loadsss and loads of calories in the thousands (well I overestimate a bit.. heh) and I gained about 0.4 lbs within the past three-four weeks. I freaked out and wanting to lose, decided to significantly slash my caloric intake by about 500 even though I'm kinda close to my goal. Anyways, so I ate 1100 calories a day on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and today I was going to, but something that happened made me change my mind.

This afternoon, I went to drink some water, and when I did, I keeled over as I felt my stomach twist horribly, as if it was a violent contraction. I stopped drinking water, ate my lunch, and the feeling went away.

Fast forward to two hours ago. I didn't want to eat dinner because I wanted to keep at 1100 (I was at 1050) but my friend forced me to eat saying I was starving (she thought what I was feeling was because my body was kicking into starvation mode). Thanks to her, I ate slowly, bite by bite, and though I felt this violent contraction in my stomach once more, it went away after I ate. Hopefully I don't get the same feeling tomorrow...

I suspect it is from not eating enough... But does that mean 1100 calories is really that much less for my body? Hm.. and is this a symptom of the body going into 'starvation' mode? It would be interesting to hear everyone's take on this, as I've heard different definitions of starvation mode. Thanks! :flowerforyou:

P.S. I'm eating 1500 calories from today on. Not going to reduce my caloric intake so much like an idiot, and hurt myself.

AlongCame_Molly

You can't go into starvation mode in just three days.

I'd see a Dr. about those stomach pains.

cpereyra831

I agree with AlongCame... no starvation at 1100 calories in 3 days. You don't say how much you weigh but I consider body weight * 10 a good diet calorie daily intake. If you are a female, you could try 9 times body weight.

greatwestescape

I'm guessing your stomach is cringing because it's cramping. On a keto diet, it takes 5-7 days before your glycogen stores are depleted. You're BMR is prob around ~1400 and to maintain your weight you're prob. close to ~2000 if you moderately exercise 3-5 times a week.

Saying this, don't starve yourself. Healthy food choices will make you lose weight faster! Make sure you get your 25g/day of fiber, make sure to include a lot of veggies, some fruit and lean meats. Skip bad choices like subway, nutrigrain bars and prepared food and you will not have to worry as much about the calorie count. You're 18, it's REALLY important that you eat well because you will still be growing for another 7 years or so!

onedayatatime12

Thank you for the advice and information everyone!

It is my TOM, but I'm not having any cramps (I rarely do). I have been meaning to see my OB... so I guess this is another sign I should be seeing her.

I will definitely not worry about slashing the caloric intake so drastically, as you are right, it will impede my growth-something I certainly don't want! I will strive to eat as clean as I can, drink lots of water, and exercise.

Tricon7

"Starvation mode" is a myth, propagated by the Internet. Ultimately, calories - and calories only - dictate fat loss (not weight loss). Eating more food to lose more weight? That's a dieter's dream come true! I don't advocate eating crazy-low calories to lose, but eating less will definitely accelerate weight loss, and it's not going to slow it down. Hydration/dehydration issues can play a factor in weight short-term, but long-term is you eat less, you'll lose more. My wife went on a doctor-supervised 800 calories a day diet for six months and steadily lost, eventually 60 lbs.

This is just a matter of physics - your body HAS TO obtain energy from somewhere. It can't run on nothing for fuel. If it allegedly stops losing weight if you eat too little, where are you getting your energy from on a daily basis? Thin air?

The facts are, if there's a calorie deficit, the body looks for fuel sources. First to free glycogen in the bloodstream and liver (like converted sugars), then from fat, then from muscle once the fat supply is mostly gone. If you're in a deficit, you'll burn through what you eat pretty quickly, then without any more carbs to consume, the body goes after the stored energy in the form of fat. *Some* muscle is lost in every diet, so it's advisable to do some kind of weight training while dieting in order to preserve, or gain, as much as possible.

AJ_G

There is no "starvation mode". There is however metabolic adaptation. If you are eating at a caloric deficit for a prolonged period of time (months) your body will attempt to bridge the gap between your TDEE and your caloric intake by burning less calories. The larger the deficit, the more your body wants to bridge the gap, and the faster it will try to. Metabolic adaptation also goes for low intensity steady state cardio. If done often enough for prolonged periods, your body will eat those calories and you will have to do that cardio just to maintain.

salladeve

NO! I've been eating 1100-1200 calories per day since May 1st, and I can assure you I have not gone into the make believe "starvation mode", it does not exist, in the context of dieting.

You may be lactose intolerant, that causes severe stomach pains, along with other unpleasant reactions. You may have developed an allergy to a certain food, you may have colitis. You need to see a doctor if it continues.

iTrainHARD

"Starvation mode" is a myth, propagated by the Internet. Ultimately, calories - and calories only - dictate fat loss (not weight loss). Eating more food to lose more weight? That's a dieter's dream come true! I don't advocate eating crazy-low calories to lose, but eating less will definitely accelerate weight loss, and it's not going to slow it down. Hydration/dehydration issues can play a factor in weight short-term, but long-term is you eat less, you'll lose more. My wife went on a doctor-supervised 800 calories a day diet for six months and steadily lost, eventually 60 lbs.

This is just a matter of physics - your body HAS TO obtain energy from somewhere. It can't run on nothing for fuel. If it allegedly stops losing weight if you eat too little, where are you getting your energy from on a daily basis? Thin air?

The facts are, if there's a calorie deficit, the body looks for fuel sources. First to free glycogen in the bloodstream and liver (like converted sugars), then from fat, then from muscle once the fat supply is mostly gone. If you're in a deficit, you'll burn through what you eat pretty quickly, then without any more carbs to consume, the body goes after the stored energy in the form of fat. *Some* muscle is lost in every diet, so it's advisable to do some kind of weight training while dieting in order to preserve, or gain, as much as possible.

I don't think you can *gain* muscle on a caloric deficit? I always thought you needed to eat more to gain muscle...

AJ_G

"Starvation mode" is a myth, propagated by the Internet. Ultimately, calories - and calories only - dictate fat loss (not weight loss). Eating more food to lose more weight? That's a dieter's dream come true! I don't advocate eating crazy-low calories to lose, but eating less will definitely accelerate weight loss, and it's not going to slow it down. Hydration/dehydration issues can play a factor in weight short-term, but long-term is you eat less, you'll lose more. My wife went on a doctor-supervised 800 calories a day diet for six months and steadily lost, eventually 60 lbs.

This is just a matter of physics - your body HAS TO obtain energy from somewhere. It can't run on nothing for fuel. If it allegedly stops losing weight if you eat too little, where are you getting your energy from on a daily basis? Thin air?

The facts are, if there's a calorie deficit, the body looks for fuel sources. First to free glycogen in the bloodstream and liver (like converted sugars), then from fat, then from muscle once the fat supply is mostly gone. If you're in a deficit, you'll burn through what you eat pretty quickly, then without any more carbs to consume, the body goes after the stored energy in the form of fat. *Some* muscle is lost in every diet, so it's advisable to do some kind of weight training while dieting in order to preserve, or gain, as much as possible.

I don't think you can *gain* muscle on a caloric deficit? I always thought you needed to eat more to gain muscle...

This is true, you can't build muscle in a caloric deficit, but you can build strength due to neuromuscular adaption which increases muscle fiber recruitment. Building muscle is calorically expensive and your body will not do it when it is in a deficit, people often confuse strength gains with muscle gains, they are not the same thing.

StacyReneO

I don't believe in starvation mode either. When I started my diet, I completely lost my appetite - for months. I had to force myself to drink coconut water and have an apple during the day. Some nights I could stomach a plain baked potato. I was consuming *maybe* 500 calories a day for a few months. I lost weight rapidly and never gained during that time. Once I started eating normally - around 1500-2000c per day - I still didn't gain weight. It wasn't til the holidays hit along with a family tragedy that I began to overeat and put on 15 lbs.

costahobo

Look at this way: Why do we get fat? We get fat because our bodies are storing excess energy (kind of like a gas tank on a car) for future times of famine. Well, when famine comes, guess what our bodies run off of? All that stored excess energy!

The only problem is that now, there's never a famine. Ever. The US alone produces enough potatoes on a yearly basis to feed 10 times the entire Earth's population!

The only time your body will start to eat itself is when your body fat gets dangerously low. Besides, if you think that your metabolism is getting low, start taking your temperature ever late afternoon, and monitor it for 3-5 days.

Tricon7

You *can* gain muscle in a caloric deficit. *As long as* you get enough protein to repair the muscle after a workout, it'll build up. The caloric deficit will go after energy reserves in the form of fat first. So while I'm losing weight (i.e. fat) I'm working out, so visually I'll look twice as good as time goes by - from the increase in muscle and the decrease in fat.

Good article here on the topic: http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

ecw3780

I think you were just hungry. They are called hunger pains for a reason.

onedayatatime12

Lots of responses several days after. So I know I definitely won't be in starvation mode (since I never slash my calories for a prolonged period of time), though I'm still a little hazy on whether it truly 'exists' or not. Thanks everyone!