Starvation Mode

CariJean64

*Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories. Not only is it difficult to receive adequate nutrition at these calorie levels, but you could also be putting your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism and makes weight loss more difficult.

I get this notification any time I don't eat close enough to my calorie goal. It doesn't pop up only if I've not eaten enough for 10 days or a week in a row....it seems to pop up the moment I click Complete This Entry if I'm around 100 calories short.

I read the comments in the threads frequently saying starvation mode is a myth...and being relatively new here I find this rather confusing. Is the MFP notification referring to something different from what you all are referring to in your posts?

Sorry but you're wrong.

This person is asking a question. What are you saying is wrong?

fullercorp

and starvation mode from a scientific standpoint (in studies with live subjects and defined as the point where metabolism stops burning fat stores and holds onto them) is 750 calories for most people. And even then, over time, weight will start to be shed again.

DeliD25

[/quote]
"Do you weigh your food? Even if you eat the same thing everyday, if you aren't weighing your food it is highly possible that your consuming more than you think.

If you have been doing the same routine for 2 years, than it is probably time to change up your workout routine. Our bodies get more efficient at different activities the more we do them and as a result that means we burn less calories doing them over time.

Do you take measurements? Have they changed at all?"
[/quote]

Question I would add, do you add back your calories gained from exercise? My doctor told me not to do that as it defeats the point of the exercise... unless you are doing hard core training then you need to up your calories.

nopotofgold

What I have been reading lately is more about metabolism crashing than starvation mode. Basically track what you are eating for the first week with no changes. Second week trade unhealthy for healthy foods than slowly bring it down to the to the calorie goal by going down a hundred to two hundred a week till you are at your goal. The metabolism crash from dropping so many calorie so quickly and depriving themselves is what can cause binging, extreme feelings of hunger, and make the diet harder to follow.

shadow2soul

let's say i was eating 1400 calories because i had more broccoli than i thought, according to MFP and my own TDEE, i should still be losing and i don't.
and as for logging, i switched to 'packaged' foods just to narrow in on calories (so i haven't eaten vegetables of any volume for a while). the veggie meat, the protein bars and english muffins all have a calorie counts on the package.
Are you saying to weigh each of these to verify they are the ounces they say? Doesn't their own factory production line do this?

Packaged food can be off. Even sliced bread can be off in weight. In fact the bread I used for a sandwich the other day weighed around 2.25 servings. Little things like that add up.

brower47

and starvation mode from a scientific standpoint (in studies with live subjects and defined as the point where metabolism stops burning fat stores and holds onto them) is 750 calories for most people. And even then, over time, weight will start to be shed again.

I would love to see those studies. Do you have them?

WW_Jude_V2

*Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories. Not only is it difficult to receive adequate nutrition at these calorie levels, but you could also be putting your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism and makes weight loss more difficult.

I get this notification any time I don't eat close enough to my calorie goal. It doesn't pop up only if I've not eaten enough for 10 days or a week in a row....it seems to pop up the moment I click Complete This Entry if I'm around 100 calories short.

I read the comments in the threads frequently saying starvation mode is a myth...and being relatively new here I find this rather confusing. Is the MFP notification referring to something different from what you all are referring to in your posts?

Sorry but you're wrong.

I'm wrong about what? Asking the question?

WW_Jude_V2

I read the comments in the threads frequently saying starvation mode is a myth...and being relatively new here I find this rather confusing. Is the MFP notification referring to something different from what you all are referring to in your posts?

Same thing, but MFP is flagging that to few calories will be a problem. As another poster said, this is over time and not based on one or two days. MFP is a system intended for millions of people and cannot substitute for sound medical advice given we all have differing bodies and needs.

Thanks...makes sense. I just thought it was odd to have it pop up as an 'alarm' after one instance of under eating by such a small amount.

shadow2soul

Do you weigh your food? Even if you eat the same thing everyday, if you aren't weighing your food it is highly possible that your consuming more than you think.

If you have been doing the same routine for 2 years, than it is probably time to change up your workout routine. Our bodies get more efficient at different activities the more we do them and as a result that means we burn less calories doing them over time.

Do you take measurements? Have they changed at all?

Question I would ask, do you add back your calories gained from exercise? My doctor told me not to do that as it defeats the point of the exercise... unless you are doing hard core training then you need to up your calories.

Actually, MFP has a deficit built in already. That way you can lose weight without exercise. Example:

Daily Burn (without exercise): 2000 calories
1lb per week loss on MFP : -500 calories
Goal to eat: 1500 calories

if person exercises and burns 200 calories:
Daily Burn (without exercise): 2000 calories
Exercise Burn : + 200 calories
Daily Burn (with exercise): 2200 calories
1lb per week loss on MFP: -500 calories
Goal to eat: 1700 calories

In both scenarios, the person should lose 1lb per week. When I workout I can eat 2000+ calories and still lose weight. When I don't however, I have to stick to around 1500 calories to lose weight. I lose weight at the same rate either way, but I sure do look better when I workout (comparing last year before pregnancy to this year after pregnancy).

People should exercise for its many health benefits and not just to lose weight.

fullercorp

what if it crashes into a wall? i think mine rolled down a grassy knoll.

shadow2soul

What I have been reading lately is more about metabolism crashing than starvation mode. Basically track what you are eating for the first week with no changes. Second week trade unhealthy for healthy foods than slowly bring it down to the to the calorie goal by going down a hundred to two hundred a week till you are at your goal. The metabolism crash from dropping so many calorie so quickly and depriving themselves is what can cause binging, extreme feelings of hunger, and make the diet harder to follow.

Metabolism = "Sum of all the chemical reactions that take place in every cell of a living organism, providing energy for the processes of life and synthesizing new cellular material."

Metabolism can slow (a tiny bit), but it won't crash.

fullercorp

mine? no, i was trying to be lighthearted. I count calories, i am clearly at or around 1200 and i don't lose. And i log my food, that is what this site is FOR. i will weigh my protein bars, but i can't be far off. Let's say i was at 1300-1400, MFP as a rule would tell me i shouldn't have to cut way below that. I don't WANT to cut way below that but i am not hearing differently.

brower47

mine? no, i was trying to be lighthearted. I count calories, i am clearly at or around 1200 and i don't lose. And i log my food, that is what this site is FOR. i will weigh my protein bars, but i can't be far off. Let's say i was at 1300-1400, MFP as a rule would tell me i shouldn't have to cut way below that. I don't WANT to cut way below that but i am not hearing differently.

That's because you're only hearing what you want to hear.

fullercorp

no, i am not arguing. i was told to recheck logging months ago. I drilled down into more specific foods, gave up some trickier 'measurable' foods just to see if that might be the issue. no change.
I agree that many people - including me- are guilty of inaccurate logging. but if someone says 'i am certain of the numbers', everyone circles back to inaccurate logging. my question is then what? because that seems like an Ouroboros equation.

6ftamazon

mine? no, i was trying to be lighthearted. I count calories, i am clearly at or around 1200 and i don't lose. And i log my food, that is what this site is FOR. i will weigh my protein bars, but i can't be far off. Let's say i was at 1300-1400, MFP as a rule would tell me i shouldn't have to cut way below that. I don't WANT to cut way below that but i am not hearing differently.

There are so many mistakes in the mfp database that it's easy to be inaccurate if you don't double check sometimes. Like olive oil has 130 calories and I usually see 90-120. I've scanned food items and the result that popped up was completely inaccurate. Omelettes and meals ranging hundreds of calories (that's why it's always better to log each food item in a meal separately).

Not to mention your activity level could be way off than what you think. A lot of people overestimate their activity level.

Then there's water retention.