Starvation Mode

meemaw423

I was reading a thread today and I heard several people saying that "Starvation Mode" isn't real. I'd like to know what others think. I did some searching and This is just one link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation_mode
I believe it's real.. What's your opinion?

SugaryLynx

Here's my thoughts

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

ndj1979

in the sense that if you skip a meal or eat under 1200 calories, then yes it is a myth…

True Starvation Mode is eating nothing for a minimum of 72 hours and even then it is probably just initial affects; you would probably have to eat noting for a week to be in true starvation mode..….Think starving people in africa and concentration camp photos THAT is starvation mode….

kschhr

I don't think it's real.

ALNoog

If starvation mode truly existed then how do you explain long time anorexics being so skinny?

heybales

Depends on the context of what people think happens.
Some have no clear definition of what is being talked about - and just say no. Others say yes to the other extreme views as referenced above. Skipping breakfast, right....

Here's a Dr's thoughts.

http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/truth-about-metabolic-damage

And results of one such study.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales?month=201401

And the results of a bunch of other studies.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss

And a commentary by the research scientist as to what appears to be going on to cause it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A

Other terms perhaps better used are metabolic efficiency, and adaptive thermogenesis - the basic idea being you can cause your body to burn less than it could have otherwise.
Which just means you have to eat even less and less to get results, and makes going to maintenance a real bear.

meemaw423

Thanks for your thoughts everyone!

dmenchac

You have to take it in its context. For instance, people on here tend to refer to starvation mode as eating 1000 calories for a couple days. OMG YOU ARE IN STARVATION MODE YOU WILL NEVER LOSE.


Get real people.

momma2azoo

A few years ago I was out for a run and a moron in a truck swerved off the road and hit me. Amongst other injuries, the impact shattered most of the bones in my face. It broke my jaw in two different places (upper and lower). I had to have my jaw wired for 8 weeks for it to heal, so no solid foods. Not that I was real hungry. I was in so much pain and pretty well drugged up so had no appetite. I couldn't finish a Starbucks Grande mocha, and I love those things! I lost 20+lbs in less than 2 months. I was lucky to get 1,000 calories in a day. I continued to loose weight quickly for the month after my jaw was unwired (very frustrating to learn that my jaw was still very sore and immobile even after being unwired). Once I could eat regular food again, my weight loss slowed down but continued. Between the dramatic weight loss and severe injury I had nasty side effects like hair & muscle loss. It was a pretty nasty way to loose weight, I don't suggest it. I lost steadily for 6 or so months post accident. By 4 months out I was back to gentle exercise (and much healthier eating). I'm just a glutton for punishment that way. Then I got a major shocker...pregnant with baby #5. I lost weight the first few months I was pregnant (morning sickness...ugh). I did gain about 30 pounds extra by the time my daughter was born (at a nice healthy 10 lbs 6oz, our bodies are damned amazing) but I always gain when I'm pregnant, and more when I'm nursing. Hence the reason I've been fighting the 'baby' weight over and over.

So umm, yeah. The starvation mode as most people toss it around here is crap. If you eat at a severe deficit you'll keep loosing weight. And muscle. And hair. But you will get lighter. If you eat at a less severe deficit you will also loose weight, but with fewer negative side effects. If you don't eat at a proper deficit, you're not going to loose weight. There's no magic to this. My Aunt had gastric bypass and lost weight horribly fast and suffered nasty side effects. But she lost and lost and lost on a severely restricted number of calories. She didn't have any regains until her new stomach pouch stretched enough for her to eat a decent sized meal (well over a year post surgery).

Eating disorders and medical conditions aside that can truly mess up a metabolism, most people here aren't going to encounter anything like true starvation. Certainly not after a month or two of restricting calories. I suspect the majority of people who are "only eating 1,000 calories and not loosing" are in fact eating a lot more than they realize and are not in the deficit they think they are in. They aren't in starvation mode, they're in denial. I'm sure someone will come along with a plausible exception. There's always one. But there are a lot more *rules* than exceptions to them.