Tested for RBR after 1-yr diet & training - 2020cal - "starvation mode" busted!!
Options
mengqiz86
Posts: 176 Member
Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
7
Replies
-
starvation mode has long been busted...
that RMR does seem a bit high - did you do the one where they stuck the tube in your mouth the breath and pinched your nose close?0 -
RBR? Do you mean RMR?1
-
Yes and yes!1
-
Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
I've never had doubts that it was false. It simply was illogical.1 -
fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
I've never had doubts that it was false. It simply was illogical.
Well -- It's true to an extent, but you need to eat extremely low calories for a long time to make it happen. If your body fat is above 5%, it's probably not happening.2 -
Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Your TDEE is 2500, and your net calorie intake was below the minimum threshold of 1200 for over a year, and you want us to applaud that? How much weight did you lose during that time?2 -
So I was recently set at 1200 calories and trying to burn 500 a day in addition to calories burned existing. 4 weeks no loss....felt my body change and cloths fit differently, but not loss in problem areas ie: my stomach...I have now increased my calories to 1590 and still try to burn 500 a day. No gain per say and feel like I'm losing....is what was happening at 1200 calories "starvation mode" /holding onto fat because im not feeding my body enough? I should mention I've lost 80lbs and would like to lose 40-50 lbs more. I updated my stats on mfp and thats where the new number of 1590 came from. Thanks0
-
WinoGelato wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Your TDEE is 2500, and your net calorie intake was below the minimum threshold of 1200 for over a year, and you want us to applaud that? How much weight did you lose during that time?
Geez.. not asking for applause.. I just remembered all the doubts I had back when I wasn't losing for weeks and months - all the time while worrying about metabolic damage - so I wanted to share a personal experience to assure some of us who face similar doubts and struggles.
I didn't have much to lose; and I do have a demanding training schedule (run and tennis). I eat about 1,600-2,000, but after a 6-15 mile run or a 2 hr tennis my net easily comes down to <1,200. But that amount of food intake was plenty for me. Even so, I hit multiple plateaus. My personal experience with CICO was never that simple and straightforward.
So now I want to switch to maintenance and recomp, hence I went for the test. Like I said, I do feel my TDEE result was overestimated. Maybe because the "decaf" tea I sipped on before the test had traces of caffeine in it (which, per instruction, would raise my numbers)? So I'll start with a 30% discount - which brings me down to 1,900 TDEE. Now, given my activity level - do I need to stuff myself with 2,500 - 3000 cal just to "maintain"? Will I keep losing if I eat around 2,000? I don't know (and highly doubt so?). It's time for another round of trial and error, but at least these results help set the guard rails around these experiments.7 -
Yep, trial and error is your best bet. If you can eat 2500 calories and maintain your weight, then definitely do it! You may have to suck it up and try it for 4-6 weeks and see what your weight does.
I highly recommend using a weight trending app, and weigh yourself everyday during your experiment. I use trendweight (pc only).
Phone apps:
Libra- Android
Happy scale- i-phone
1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Your TDEE is 2500, and your net calorie intake was below the minimum threshold of 1200 for over a year, and you want us to applaud that? How much weight did you lose during that time?
I eat about 1,600-2,000, but after a 6-15 mile run or a 2 hr tennis my net easily comes down to <1,200. But that amount of food intake was plenty for me.
So you mean you are netting around 1100cal? You should be clearer on this because saying that you're eating 1100cal here triggers people big time.1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Your TDEE is 2500, and your net calorie intake was below the minimum threshold of 1200 for over a year, and you want us to applaud that? How much weight did you lose during that time?
Geez.. not asking for applause.. I just remembered all the doubts I had back when I wasn't losing for weeks and months - all the time while worrying about metabolic damage - so I wanted to share a personal experience to assure some of us who face similar doubts and struggles.
I didn't have much to lose; and I do have a demanding training schedule (run and tennis). I eat about 1,600-2,000, but after a 6-15 mile run or a 2 hr tennis my net easily comes down to <1,200. But that amount of food intake was plenty for me.
That said, I do think my TDEE result was WAY higher than expected. Maybe because the "decaf" tea I sipped on before the test had traces of caffeine in it (which, per instruction, would raise my numbers). So I may take a 30% discount - which brings me down to 1,900 TDEE. I want to switch to maintain and recomp - but given the activity level - do I need to stuff myself with 2,500 - 3000 cal just to "maintain"? Will I keep losing if I eat around 2,000? I don't know (and highly doubt so). It's time for another round of trial and error, but at least these results help set the guard rails around these experiments.
How much weight did you lose, and what rate did you lose it? How accurate was your logging? This is another data point in estimating your TDEE.
For what it's worth, I'm not nearly as active as you, and I'm shorter (5'2) and currently maintaining ~120 lbs with a TDEE of 2200 based on FitBit Calories Burned and my actual results. My activity is mostly walking, and light circuit training. It is totally reasonable to me that your TDEE would be 2500 or higher based on what you described.
1 -
gebeziseva wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Your TDEE is 2500, and your net calorie intake was below the minimum threshold of 1200 for over a year, and you want us to applaud that? How much weight did you lose during that time?
I eat about 1,600-2,000, but after a 6-15 mile run or a 2 hr tennis my net easily comes down to <1,200. But that amount of food intake was plenty for me.
So you mean you are netting around 1100cal? You should be clearer on this because saying that you're eating 1100cal here triggers people big time.
OP was clear that these are net calories. She even wrote NET in all-caps.
And "triggers"? I don't think that word means what you think it means.5 -
gebeziseva wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Your TDEE is 2500, and your net calorie intake was below the minimum threshold of 1200 for over a year, and you want us to applaud that? How much weight did you lose during that time?
I eat about 1,600-2,000, but after a 6-15 mile run or a 2 hr tennis my net easily comes down to <1,200. But that amount of food intake was plenty for me.
So you mean you are netting around 1100cal? You should be clearer on this because saying that you're eating 1100cal here triggers people big time.
She did say NETTING, which is why I asked what her gross intake was, and what rate of loss she was achieving with that. Regardless, it is still a very aggressive deficit for someone who said they didn't have much to lose, who is very active/athletic (based on the few posts in this thread).0 -
Oh, I think you body can go into starvation mode ... IF you eat NOTHING for like 4 days.
0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Your TDEE is 2500, and your net calorie intake was below the minimum threshold of 1200 for over a year, and you want us to applaud that? How much weight did you lose during that time?
Geez.. not asking for applause.. I just remembered all the doubts I had back when I wasn't losing for weeks and months - all the time while worrying about metabolic damage - so I wanted to share a personal experience to assure some of us who face similar doubts and struggles.
I didn't have much to lose; and I do have a demanding training schedule (run and tennis). I eat about 1,600-2,000, but after a 6-15 mile run or a 2 hr tennis my net easily comes down to <1,200. But that amount of food intake was plenty for me.
That said, I do think my TDEE result was WAY higher than expected. Maybe because the "decaf" tea I sipped on before the test had traces of caffeine in it (which, per instruction, would raise my numbers). So I may take a 30% discount - which brings me down to 1,900 TDEE. I want to switch to maintain and recomp - but given the activity level - do I need to stuff myself with 2,500 - 3000 cal just to "maintain"? Will I keep losing if I eat around 2,000? I don't know (and highly doubt so). It's time for another round of trial and error, but at least these results help set the guard rails around these experiments.
How much weight did you lose, and what rate did you lose it? How accurate was your logging? This is another data point in estimating your TDEE.
For what it's worth, I'm not nearly as active as you, and I'm shorter (5'2) and currently maintaining ~120 lbs with a TDEE of 2200 based on FitBit Calories Burned and my actual results. My activity is mostly walking, and light circuit training. It is totally reasonable to me that your TDEE would be 2500 or higher based on what you described.
That's helpful to know your TDEE! I really didn't lose much - maybe 8-10lb over 10 months or so. It was a steady decline, but with LOTs of plateaus. I definitely got better with logging over time, with the help of those on this forum. Still, something with the CICO wasn't adding up for me.. I mean, even if I'm under-logging by 1000 calories - netting 2100 per day - I should have been losing at a faster rate?
Anyway.. it's all in the past, moving on!
0 -
Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Just so I understand, your personal "experiment" proves/disproves myths? You had a great experience! I'm not sure it proves anything in any concrete and/or broad manner.
To extend the analogy, some people fall out of airplanes and survive, doesn't mean we should all jump out without a chute
But in the end you are absolutely correct about trial and error, it's the only way to see what works for each of us as individuals.0 -
FitnessCanuck wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Just so I understand, your personal "experiment" proves/disproves myths? You had a great experience! I'm not sure it proves anything in any concrete and/or broad manner.
To extend the analogy, some people fall out of airplanes and survive, doesn't mean we should all jump out without a chute
But in the end you are absolutely correct about trial and error, it's the only way to see what works for each of us as individuals.
LOL! Well - take what you want from this - of course I'm not saying i'll write up a case study of N=1 and submit to JAMA.... Maybe to some people I just appear to be this self-aggrandizing reckless suicidal *kitten*..
But, hopefully it will be helpful to some. 2 -
Realistically, 1000 calories isn't that much lower than 1200 and since you said you were netting that much with exercise I assume you mean the MFP net, so a net of 1000 calories would require you to eat more than the 1200 calorie minimum. So, not only does your experience fail to prove anything because it is just one data point, your experience doesn't meet the criteria to test what you are trying to test.2
-
I don't think you understand "starvation mode/metabolic damage" (mythical as it is). You were never a candidate for it. If you were eating a total of 1200 and exercising 800 calories off, then your net might be in the mythical "starvation mode/metabolic damage" territory.WinoGelato wrote: »Breathed into a mouth piece for 10 min after 4 hr fast. Does anyone think 2020cal sound too high an RMR for a 5'6"/126lb female? My total TDEE comes to 2,500-2,800/day. 22% BF. I'm thinking of giving everything a 30% discount just to stay on the safe side for maintenance.
Either way - I'm relieved that the year of dieting and exercise - NET caloric intake of ~1,000-1,100 cal/day - did not drop my metabolism to a ridiculously low level. I do run and lift at very high intensity. Just thought to share this - for the benefit of those who worry about "starvation mode". I mean, we are all told it's a myth but most of us still have doubts.. so Keep up the diet + exercise - metabolism will not suffer!
Your TDEE is 2500, and your net calorie intake was below the minimum threshold of 1200 for over a year, and you want us to applaud that? How much weight did you lose during that time?
Geez.. not asking for applause.. I just remembered all the doubts I had back when I wasn't losing for weeks and months - all the time while worrying about metabolic damage - so I wanted to share a personal experience to assure some of us who face similar doubts and struggles.
I didn't have much to lose; and I do have a demanding training schedule (run and tennis). I eat about 1,600-2,000, but after a 6-15 mile run or a 2 hr tennis my net easily comes down to <1,200. But that amount of food intake was plenty for me. ......
Instead, you ate 2000 and after 800 calories worth of exercise, your net intake was ~1200. What you were doing is just a perfectly normal way of dieting and weight loss. So you didn't quite bust any myths.
And the explanation for not losing will almost always be underestimating of calorie intake and overestimation of calorie burn.
2
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 389 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 918 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions