Starvation Mode is Real, and ugly

Marla64

Hello My Fitness Pals--

Many of you don't know me-- been around here since 7/08. My story is a sad one, that breaks my heart-- and I'll no doubt sob as I type it. Having lived life as a chubster, I decided in June '08 to finally conquer my demons once and for all. I found My Fitness Pal on 7/22 and I never looked back.

I vowed to take off 50 pounds by my 45th birthday in June of '09. And while I'd come up a wee short, by the end of August '09 I had taken off 47 pounds. Pictures are on my profile-- for the first time in my life I was fit, and wonderfully active and healthy.

My exercise consisted of TaeBo, Turbo Jam, and I began to run, entering 5k races, and I decided in the winter of '09 to train for a half marathon, to be held in '9/10.

Through it all, I faithfully counted calories, and because I was still not yet at goal, faithfully stayed at 1400 calories. I am anal about counting all calories, and would go so far as to measure and log my coffee cream. At last count, I have, I believe, the longest "faithful logging" period on here-- at 423 days, and counting. 423 solid days of logging my food, exercising faithfully, and making myself accountable to a small, lovely, strong and inspirational core group of friends here.

What's the problem, you ask???

Well, to try and make my long story short, in the fall of '09, weight began to accumulate around the midsection. I was on medicine for psoriatic arthritis, and thought it may be due to that, so took myself off the medicine. I'd rather have pain and swelling from the arthritis than put on my hard fought weight!

But, the problem persisted. By March of '10 I was up 10 pounds. By the end of June, 20. I went to doctor after doctor, seeking help-- thyroid? Ovarian cancer? Cushing's Disease? I cried in office after office, showing them my pictures of summer of '09, and of my diet and exercise logs, trying to prove to them that I wasn't just some old hormonal lying nut, sneaking food and looking for an excuse.

Doctor after doctor blew me off. I was finally diagnosed with mild hypothyroid, and hashimoto's disease-- which accounts for some of the problem. However, my TSH numbers are now good, and the weight still won't budge.

I'm now 35 pounds up from my lowest. My food diary is pristine. My exercise log shows my faithfulness. So what the hell??

Endocrinologist, in layman's terms, told me basically I had put my body into starvation mode. My body needed more fuel than I was giving it. 1400 calories for that long was death to my body, whose genes wanted to be fat. I come from big stock-- everyone in my family is obese. That's what my body wanted to do.

And with the lack of calories, and hard core exercises-- weight training, half marathon training, Insanity, P90x-- I shut down my metabolism.

he's not sure I'll ever get it back. But, what I've begun is to put myself on a 2100 calorie base, and let my body know that there IS enough fuel. It's not starving. And I hope to turn the tide.

Please, please, please DO NOT starve yourself. While I was within the guidelines, I was not giving myself enough to live on, and my body rebelled. It devastates me-- I worked so hard to get it off, and now I'm up 4 sizes. I have no idea if or when I'll ever see my old clothes again, and it is gut-wrenching...pardon the pun.

So when you hear of starvation mode here and there, scoff at it at your own peril.

it's real.

I'm living it.

elfie9863

Wow! Point taken.

NightOwl1

Thank you for sharing this with us. Hopefully people will read your story and make better choices with their diet.

mandijo

Wow! That's crazy! I hope that the doctors are wrong, and you get back to your sexy sassy self! Great attitude! I'm rooting for you!

ksproston

Hugs friend. Thank you for putting this into words for others to see/read. I know how hard this is for you. You are one of the strongest, most determined women I know. You won't stop until you figure this out. I just know it. Love you Marla May!

PJilly

I wish you much luck turning it around! :flowerforyou:

Thank you for sharing your tale of caution.

ladyhawk00

Bump for later

sharonmac

I have thyroid disease and I wonder if this will happen to me....Thanks for sharing your story. Im so sorry you are going through this

Kirstie_C26

thanx for sharing hon, really hope u feel beta soon and ur body turns the weight gainin off


best wishes
Kirstie xx





BUMP - so i remember the facts xxx

Missevanston

Thanks so much for sharing your story. I am sure it will take time, but once you start sending your body the right messages again, it will turn around. Best of luck, and thanks again!

rdy2begin

WOW Thank you so much ..I was under the 1200 cals after exercising and was feeling fatigued , irritable and upped my cal in take to 1600 + so I appreciate this post really helps me put it into projective ...I hope you can regain your metabolism and best wishes to you !! ((hugs))

socialbabe

Oh I am hearing you girl, having been on starvation style diets most of my life, 5y ears old was my first forced diet, I find no diets work. I am often in tears not fitting into this society where if your not slim you dont fit in. I am stuck at 96kg and despite exercise and calorie intake which fits my weight and height nothing is moving it. Having doctors often asking me if I am honest with myself, is insulting and degrading. I feel there is only me who knows my body. I understand how important this was to you and how devastating this reality is. I continue to search for the miracle cure, my recent doctor has suggested increasing the exercise!!! like how much of the day can I exercise?

amy29fan

Thanks for your message. I have been experiencing fatigue and no weight loss. I was beginning to head down the road of starvation without ever realizing it. I am changing today, to add more calories intake, if I am going to exercise on a daily basis. I wish you luck. With your determination, anything's reachable.

JillyCornwall

Thank you for those words of wisdom learnt in such a hard way. It is so true that we 'bandy' words like starvation mode, low metabolic rate etc around without the true meaning that lies beneath them. You are now living by the result of the path that you chose believing it to be the right path to follow. I so hope people will read this post & understand its true meaning.
I hope for your sake it will work out OK in the end...but Thank you for sharing with us.

FORKDOWN

Wow. I have been around here long enough (2 plus years) to know you are dedicated. I rooting for you to overcome this MArla.

:flowerforyou:

my8kidsmom

Wow....thanks so much for sharing. I have been so tempted to lower my calories because my weightloss is only .5 lbs a week or so...thanks for the warning.

chelle1a

Thanks so much for sharing your story.

BirdsofaFeather

Thank you!

taso42_DELETED

Thanks for sharing. Your attitude and determination are exemplary. I wish you the best overcoming this.

dlaplume2

Thank you for sharing. I know it was a hard story to share.

Sammyk50

Omg thank u so much for sharing your story. I am so sorry for you and hope and pray it will turn around for you. I am struggling so hard myself right now convincing myself to eat more then my 1400 hundred calories .I never reach my "net" 1200. I'm afraid to eat and afraid not to. Thanks again for sharing.

tgh1914

To our good friend Marla, who single-handedly doubled the size of our "How do I post pictures" thread, yes thank you for this great post. I hope others get to read it.

There are far too many newcomers (and sometimes not so new) that think if dropping a few cals is good, dropping a lot is better. And they do more harm than good. There is a healthy way to lose weight and an unhealthy way that doesn't really work long-term. I wish everyone understood this. Thank you!

katbass

Thank you for sharing! I wish this could be a sticky thread so all the newbies could read it and learn from your experiences. If you had the determination and stamina to lose all the weight once, I have faith that you will overcome this obstacle handily. Good luck, and keep us posted!! :flowerforyou:

portlandsundevil

Wow. Thank you SO much for sharing this. And I wish the best of luck to you!!

myofibril

Read this:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/permanent-metabolic-damage-followup-qa.html

Fingers crossed....

tgh1914

Read this:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/permanent-metabolic-damage-followup-qa.html

Fingers crossed....

I agree. The body is so good at recovering and adjusting; I don't see irreparable damage being very common.

liscar

bump

kimcat73

Thank you so much for sharing. I hope this point gets across!

mrssavvysteve

Bump

Marla64

Read this:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/permanent-metabolic-damage-followup-qa.html

Fingers crossed....

:smooched: Thank you, so much!!!!!!

JeanK56

Thanks so much for sharing.