Starvation mode

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jenni_d1990
jenni_d1990 Posts: 54 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read that you have to be starving for at least a few days to go into "starvation mode." I've also read that if you eat less than 1200 calories a day you can go into starvation mode and it will slow down your metabolism. I've also read that it doesn't even exist. Sooo, I really don't have much of an opinion on the subject. Any thoughts to share? Just curious.

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  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    You have to eat zero calorie intake for 3+ days before your metabolism begins to slow down due to "starvation". If you eat at a high calorie deficit, your metabolism will attempt to slow down in order to lower the deficit, but this process takes a matter of months. That's why it's recommended that you try to lose weight with a small calorie deficit to keep your metabolic capacity high while you're losing weight. Most people that refer to "starvation mode" think that your metabolism will slow down rapidly over a period of days if you eat at a low calorie intake, this is just flat out false.
  • jenni_d1990
    jenni_d1990 Posts: 54 Member
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    Thanks, great answer : )
  • DodgeRider509
    DodgeRider509 Posts: 15
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    That is one of the greatest explanations I've read in awhile. Thanks!
  • hearthemelody
    hearthemelody Posts: 1,025 Member
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    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
    Is a great resource!
  • mrseveland
    mrseveland Posts: 9 Member
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    I'm on a two week pre-op liquid diet of 700-900 calories/day, almost all protein. The first week I felt like I was in starvation mode - weak, emotional, exhausted, cold, head-achy, clouded thinking, cranky. But this week my body is over all that and I feel energetic - better than normal. I would think the starvation mode would have kept building, but it hasn't. I have no idea why, but I'm glad.
  • sillyvalentine
    sillyvalentine Posts: 460 Member
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    My thought is that you can't live on 1200 calories forever (unless your a sadist) and when you do start eating more than 1200 calories, your metabolism will react and you will gain weight, even though, say, 1500 calories might be a maintenance level for you. So while 1200 calories a day will not put you into "starvation mode" (I put that in quotations because the term is controversial), it will end up causing more damage than good.
  • thyme4me2lose
    thyme4me2lose Posts: 3 Member
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    I don't seem to be hungry enough to eat 1200 calories everyday.... I'm averaging 900-1100. Is this bad?? I also don't want to eat right before bed just to hit my 1200 calories. I am losing (I have to update my weight), 8 pounds total, but concerned about the message I get at the end of everyday about starvation mode! Oh and this is my third go round... I just started dieting again a bout a month ago.
  • COliver416
    COliver416 Posts: 87 Member
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    There are several factors to metabolic slowdown that people don't take into consideration.

    Here's some basic information. Through a strict caloric restriction, more than 50% of your maintenance calories, for a period of 6 months, will see you're metabolism slow down a bit. Now, this is very important, if you're obese, this will not be the case, your body, have so much extra fat to burn from, will be eating more of it's stored fat and you'll see far less response in that way.

    Now, when you lose your weight. If you've been obese for years, or, like someone in my case, their entire life. WHen you go onto maintenance, your body will always require that you eat 20% less than your maintenance weight, if you've done a bit of a severe calorie restriction, less than 50% of your maintenance calories to lose the weight, expect an additional 12% in metabolic slow down.

    Now, the major mistake people make, is that they eat the calories they were eating when they were their original weight. As you lose weight, even losing 10 or 20 pounds, your maintenance goes down, and so too does your need.

    Starvation mode is a myth. The real danger to your body and your weight, as malnutrition. When you're on a restricted diet of 1,000 to 1,200 calories, you're going to need to make healthier and better choices so that you get the nutrition that you need into your body.
  • thyme4me2lose
    thyme4me2lose Posts: 3 Member
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    Well that is good to know and I am eating high nutrition foods... Nothing prepared or packaged.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
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    I don't seem to be hungry enough to eat 1200 calories everyday.... I'm averaging 900-1100. Is this bad?? I also don't want to eat right before bed just to hit my 1200 calories. I am losing (I have to update my weight), 8 pounds total, but concerned about the message I get at the end of everyday about starvation mode! Oh and this is my third go round... I just started dieting again a bout a month ago.

    it's not great. I mean there is a chance that you are actually eating more then you think, especially if you are not having any of the other symptoms of under eating, but other then lethargy these symptoms don't turn up until you are already quite malnourished.

    If you need to lose weight then in the not so distant past you had no problem eating more then 1200 calories, so to say now that you just can't seems a little weird.
  • thyme4me2lose
    thyme4me2lose Posts: 3 Member
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    Oh not strange to me at all that I am not hungry. When you eat healthier foods they are more satisfying and stay with you longer. Not just empty calories!!! I just wanted to clarify this "Starvation Mode".... I feel great and have lots of energy!!!

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