Starvation Mode is a Myth.
SiltyPigeon
Posts: 920 Member
Copy and Pasted from: http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html
Because I am so sick of hearing about Starvation Mode!!!
Not my words. But I agree 100%.
"So what is the Starvation Mode Myth? It goes like this:
"If you don't eat enough, you won't lose weight!"
Okay, so all I have to do to lose weight is ... eat more food! Wow, isn't that awesome? If I stall out at 800 calories, I'll just go up to 1000. And if I stall at 1000, I'll go to 1200. If that doesn't work, how about 1500? 1800? 2200? Oh wait, when I ate 2200 calories, I weighed 223 pounds. Okay, that's not going to work.
But what if I just don't go below the magic "1200" that "everyone" says "no one" should go below? That must be what they mean by "starvation mode," right? If I stay at 1200, I will lose weight but if I go below that, I won't.
The problem with this idea is that, if it were true, no one would die from starvation and obviously people do. Clearly, even if you eat what is obviously too few calories to be healthy, such as an anorexic does, you will continue to lose weight.
So where did this idea -- that not eating enough calories makes you not lose weight -- come from?
It started with the famous Minnesota starvation study. Some normal-weighted men agreed to live on a compound where their exercise and diet was strictly controlled. For portions of the study, they were on a "starvation diet" which is defined as 50% of the calories your body needs to function.
For me, these days, that's about 750-850 calories a day. So I was on a starvation diet up for the first four months after my surgery. Yet I lost weight just fine during that period -- better than fine, really. Most of the people on The Biggest Loser are also on starvation diets, from what I can tell. They may eat a lot more than I do but they also exercise strenuously 6-8 hours a day. So they are often below 50% of their calorie expenditure for the day. They seem to lose just fine too.
How can this be?!
The answer lies in what actually happened to the Minnesota guys when they were on their starvation diets.
Like most of us on a diet, their metabolisms did slow down. In fact, after they'd been on this diet for a while -- we're talking months, not days here -- their body fat percentage got to a point below what is considered minimal to live on (about 5% for a guy, 6% for a gal). At this point, their metabolism had slowed down as much as 40%. But -- and this is the important point for those of us on a diet -- they continued to lose weight. Even with that big of a slow down in their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), they were still operating at a great enough calorie deficit to lose.
If this is true with a 40% slow down, it's even more true when the slow down is somewhere in the 14 - 22% range, which is more where if falls with normal dieting.
WARNING MATH CONTENT AHEAD:
Take an individual who needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain their current weight. Assuming calorie expenditure remains the same, they will lose (approximately) as follows:
Calories Expected
Loss
Per Week Actual Loss
2,000 0 pound 0 pound
1,500 1 pound 1 pound
1,000 2 pounds 2 pound
500 3 pounds 2¼ to 2½ pounds
As you can see from the table, once you go below a certain calorie level, you aren't getting the weight loss you'd expect. This is because your BMR will go down more if you eat only 500 calories compared to eating 1500. But, as you can see, you are still losing more than if you were eating 1000 calories.
This is a lot different than the "no" weight loss that the "starvation mode" myth touts.
The other important point to note about this study is that it was performed on normal-weighted men. When starvation studies have been done on the obese, they find that the impact of the starvation diet is much less. Our bodies have fat stores designed to get us through a famine (i.e., a diet) and when we have a famine (i.e., a diet), those fat stores get used. The drastic slowdown of the metabolism doesn't happen until those fat stores are largely gone -- which takes a lot longer for the obese than for those who only have to lose 10-25 pounds.
So why are we told not to go under 1200 calories a day, unless under a doctor's supervision?
Mostly because, the more you reduce your intake, the harder it is to get the nutritients you need from food. If you are on a very low calorie diet (as I am), you need to see your doctor(s) regularly, get labs done regularly, etc. Not to mention, vitamin supplementation is a must. Doing what I'm doing on your own can be dangerous, as you may not know or noticed the signs of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Don't forget: some vitamin deficiencies can kill you!
Another reason not to go below a certain calorie expenditure is that human beings are not machines and, unlike the guys in the Minnesota study, we aren't living on a compound with our activity and food strictly controlled. As a result, when we reduce our calories substantially, there is a tendency to subconsciously (or even consciously) reduce our calorie expenditure. Combine this with our tendency to under-report what we eat and over-report our exercise, and you can see where we can get into trouble.
As an example, one Saturday I did a killer two hour workout. After which, I came home and took a three hour nap! Obviously my calorie expenditure that day was lower than if I hadn't taken the nap.
Now, I still lost weight that week. But if I was only eating 500 calories for months at time, I doubt I'd be able to have done that workout to begin with -- I'd still be doing the 30 min. low intensity workouts that I started with. Plus, I might also be taking naps a lot more than once in a while. Both of which would have impacted my weight loss because they would have decreased my calorie expenditure.
Eating more over time has allowed me to exercise more so that, as a result, my rate of weight loss hasn't gone down as much as it could have as my calories have gone up. Plus I'm happy because I'm fitter and healthier.
In the end, it's important to consume enough calories that you have the energy to perform the daily activities you want to and to keep your body healthy. Otherwise, it's self-defeating. After all, the point of losing weight is to be healthier and to get our lives back. It's not to starve ourselves to the point of malnutrition and have so little energy we can't go out and do fun things."
Because I am so sick of hearing about Starvation Mode!!!
Not my words. But I agree 100%.
"So what is the Starvation Mode Myth? It goes like this:
"If you don't eat enough, you won't lose weight!"
Okay, so all I have to do to lose weight is ... eat more food! Wow, isn't that awesome? If I stall out at 800 calories, I'll just go up to 1000. And if I stall at 1000, I'll go to 1200. If that doesn't work, how about 1500? 1800? 2200? Oh wait, when I ate 2200 calories, I weighed 223 pounds. Okay, that's not going to work.
But what if I just don't go below the magic "1200" that "everyone" says "no one" should go below? That must be what they mean by "starvation mode," right? If I stay at 1200, I will lose weight but if I go below that, I won't.
The problem with this idea is that, if it were true, no one would die from starvation and obviously people do. Clearly, even if you eat what is obviously too few calories to be healthy, such as an anorexic does, you will continue to lose weight.
So where did this idea -- that not eating enough calories makes you not lose weight -- come from?
It started with the famous Minnesota starvation study. Some normal-weighted men agreed to live on a compound where their exercise and diet was strictly controlled. For portions of the study, they were on a "starvation diet" which is defined as 50% of the calories your body needs to function.
For me, these days, that's about 750-850 calories a day. So I was on a starvation diet up for the first four months after my surgery. Yet I lost weight just fine during that period -- better than fine, really. Most of the people on The Biggest Loser are also on starvation diets, from what I can tell. They may eat a lot more than I do but they also exercise strenuously 6-8 hours a day. So they are often below 50% of their calorie expenditure for the day. They seem to lose just fine too.
How can this be?!
The answer lies in what actually happened to the Minnesota guys when they were on their starvation diets.
Like most of us on a diet, their metabolisms did slow down. In fact, after they'd been on this diet for a while -- we're talking months, not days here -- their body fat percentage got to a point below what is considered minimal to live on (about 5% for a guy, 6% for a gal). At this point, their metabolism had slowed down as much as 40%. But -- and this is the important point for those of us on a diet -- they continued to lose weight. Even with that big of a slow down in their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), they were still operating at a great enough calorie deficit to lose.
If this is true with a 40% slow down, it's even more true when the slow down is somewhere in the 14 - 22% range, which is more where if falls with normal dieting.
WARNING MATH CONTENT AHEAD:
Take an individual who needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain their current weight. Assuming calorie expenditure remains the same, they will lose (approximately) as follows:
Calories Expected
Loss
Per Week Actual Loss
2,000 0 pound 0 pound
1,500 1 pound 1 pound
1,000 2 pounds 2 pound
500 3 pounds 2¼ to 2½ pounds
As you can see from the table, once you go below a certain calorie level, you aren't getting the weight loss you'd expect. This is because your BMR will go down more if you eat only 500 calories compared to eating 1500. But, as you can see, you are still losing more than if you were eating 1000 calories.
This is a lot different than the "no" weight loss that the "starvation mode" myth touts.
The other important point to note about this study is that it was performed on normal-weighted men. When starvation studies have been done on the obese, they find that the impact of the starvation diet is much less. Our bodies have fat stores designed to get us through a famine (i.e., a diet) and when we have a famine (i.e., a diet), those fat stores get used. The drastic slowdown of the metabolism doesn't happen until those fat stores are largely gone -- which takes a lot longer for the obese than for those who only have to lose 10-25 pounds.
So why are we told not to go under 1200 calories a day, unless under a doctor's supervision?
Mostly because, the more you reduce your intake, the harder it is to get the nutritients you need from food. If you are on a very low calorie diet (as I am), you need to see your doctor(s) regularly, get labs done regularly, etc. Not to mention, vitamin supplementation is a must. Doing what I'm doing on your own can be dangerous, as you may not know or noticed the signs of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Don't forget: some vitamin deficiencies can kill you!
Another reason not to go below a certain calorie expenditure is that human beings are not machines and, unlike the guys in the Minnesota study, we aren't living on a compound with our activity and food strictly controlled. As a result, when we reduce our calories substantially, there is a tendency to subconsciously (or even consciously) reduce our calorie expenditure. Combine this with our tendency to under-report what we eat and over-report our exercise, and you can see where we can get into trouble.
As an example, one Saturday I did a killer two hour workout. After which, I came home and took a three hour nap! Obviously my calorie expenditure that day was lower than if I hadn't taken the nap.
Now, I still lost weight that week. But if I was only eating 500 calories for months at time, I doubt I'd be able to have done that workout to begin with -- I'd still be doing the 30 min. low intensity workouts that I started with. Plus, I might also be taking naps a lot more than once in a while. Both of which would have impacted my weight loss because they would have decreased my calorie expenditure.
Eating more over time has allowed me to exercise more so that, as a result, my rate of weight loss hasn't gone down as much as it could have as my calories have gone up. Plus I'm happy because I'm fitter and healthier.
In the end, it's important to consume enough calories that you have the energy to perform the daily activities you want to and to keep your body healthy. Otherwise, it's self-defeating. After all, the point of losing weight is to be healthier and to get our lives back. It's not to starve ourselves to the point of malnutrition and have so little energy we can't go out and do fun things."
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Replies
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I agree with some points but not eating enough does cause your body to work less efficiently and promotes a lot of health issues, including type 2 diabetes, organ damage etc. It is simply not worth it.
For me losing my weight is about living happy and healthy, not skinny and sick.0 -
If this was worded with alot less ' in your face attitude' i probably would have read it all...0
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love love love this post! THANKS for setting it straight...like you said, People seem to forget that humans(sadly)all around the world die everyday of starvation, not by making sure they eat their 1200+ calories a day...0
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I am not suggesting anyone SHOULD dip below their 1200 calories a day. Hey, you have to have some energy and enjoyment in life, right? I just don't like the spreading of misinformation. I also don't like when people use misinformation to tell other people what they should or should not be doing.
Your body stores up fat like a squirrel stores up nuts. That squirrel is not going to eat the tree bark until the nuts are all gone. Similarly, your body is not going to shut down your organs or eat your muscle tissue until your fat stores are used up.0 -
Another one???? I can see it now.... *turns and runs*0
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i agree for the most part. everyone also say low cals diets dont work again i disagree be a year and have maintain my weight and i eat 1400 to 1700 cals a day now. so..........in the end who knows who makes this stuff up one day eggs are bad now they are good list goes on go fig. in the end everyone is built different0
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It's not a myth. It happens. It happened to me. While 1200 is just a general number there is a threshold for each person. If you get below what you need your body will store all the nutrition it can and it will stop functioning properly. I was getting 400-700 calories per day (without realizing it) once I started exercising after my son was born. I lost weight for a little while but the weight loss stopped after just 10 pounds. For three months I exercised regularly, watched what I ate and I lost nothing. Once I started eating eating enough (about 1400 calories plus exercise calories) I started losing immediately.0
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No offense, but I didn't even read the whole article, because that source is not a legit source...a blog source. And I think its pretty ignorant to not believe starvation mode exists. yes, it's not going to happen after a day or 2, but after prolonged periods of not eating enough to maintain your bodily function, your body will try to save itself and reduce body function. Yes people do die from it, after their body has tried to maintain itself with no help and fails.
The 1200 calorie thing, I think is just a ball park figure. I have to research that more.
But otherwise, this article is not true. Sorry to be so blunt, but I'm sick of people believing things from sources that have no merit.0 -
3....2....1......0
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You can absolutely lose weight by not eating 1200 calories, and going into "starvation mode". BUT, you will NEVER maintain it, if you change your diet in the slightest. So basically you'd end up eating next to nothing for the rest of your life.0
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admittedly I didn't read the whole thing as this is kind wordy... but I did get as far as reading the link it's copied from.
i'm hesitant to believe things from a 'blogspot' address.
Too often people look at calories as the enemy... but we all need them to survive.
Moderation is key - but I'll stick to asking my Dr for advice on that front.0 -
It's not a myth. It happens. It happened to me. While 1200 is just a general number there is a threshold for each person. If you get below what you need your body will store all the nutrition it can and it will stop functioning properly. I was getting 400-700 calories per day (without realizing it) once I started exercising after my son was born. I lost weight for a little while but the weight loss stopped after just 10 pounds. For three months I exercised regularly, watched what I ate and I lost nothing. Once I started eating eating enough (about 1400 calories plus exercise calories) I started losing immediately.
Exactly. I was anorexic in high school, still struggling everyday. BUT, why do you think girls lose their periods? Because their body is trying to conserve its resources for heart and brain function. THAT is part of "starvation mode." Your body tries tomaintain on the little bit it has. And sadly, some bodies cannot maintain that long, and people do die.0 -
admittedly I didn't read the whole thing as this is kind wordy... but I did get as far as reading the link it's copied from.
i'm hesitant to believe things from a 'blogspot' address.
Too often people look at calories as the enemy... but we all need them to survive.
Moderation is key - but I'll stick to asking my Dr for advice on that front.
YES!!! THIS IS NOT A LEGIT SOURCE! PLEASE DO BETTER RESEARCH BEFORE SAYING STUFF!0 -
love love love this post! THANKS for setting it straight...like you said, People seem to forget that humans(sadly)all around the world die everyday of starvation, not by making sure they eat their 1200+ calories a day...
You are talking about somethign completely different. I wish people would quit calling it starvation mode - really, it's "reduced metabolism mode" or something like that. I know there's actually a scentific name for it but I can't remember what post I saw it in. Someone starving to death and someone doing damage to their bodies (and causing weight loss to slow) because they eat too little (but not enough to truly starve) are two different scenarios.Similarly, your body is not going to shut down your organs or eat your muscle tissue until your fat stores are used up.
That's not true. Obese individuals can burn more fat in higher deficits, but for people who have just a little weight to lose (or are just regular "overweight" instead of obese) cannot handle a high deficit the same way that an obese individual can. Someone of a little-more-than healthy weight who goes on a crash diet and eats 800 calories a day while still exercising (or whatever the specific scenario might be) will lose lean muscle mass because the body is not getting all the fuel it needs. The body will take some from fat, but it will take some from muscle, too.0 -
These were not my words. I copy and pasted the article to try to start a discussion.0
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Miss Misinformation:
Do YOUR homework first. (Note the condescending tone similar to your post.) So you know, any point discussed on this site (or any other) can find a counterpoint and copy and paste it. You are completely missing what the starvation mode is, and how it can affect someone. It's based on long-term weight loss, and your body's ability to continue to burn calories at an effective level, and upon storing calories, store them in a way that powers short term activity instead of long-term fat storage.
If you'd like to discuss this in detail, I will happily PM my phone number, and you can call me from a blocked number and I'll help you understand this.
Also, if you'd simply gone and worked out rather than copying and pasting random articles, you'd be in a better place. If you find this place so annoying, get your information from what you consider the other "diet sites"...
SSG0 -
The other reason not to under eat is to reduce the amount of active cells (i.e. muscle tissue) you lose during weight loss. Losing active cells will permanently reduce your metabolism (more muscle = higher BMR) meaning when you start eating "normally" again you are more likely to gain weight.
While some loss of muscle tissue is generally unavoidable during weight loss, ensuring you eat enough quantity and variety of proteins, enough carbohydrate to activate those proteins etc. along with weight training to stimulate muscle growth, will help reduce that loss. Its something many women either don't realise, or ignore when losing weight, concentrating on what the scales are telling them instead.0 -
Check out this that was posted by one of the founders of MFP.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
Hmmmmm....slower metabolism? Not what I need! And your body is likely burning muscle instead of fat when such a large deficit is created. If losing weight is your only goal, then sure, you'll lose muscle mass and thus weight. Until there's not enough muscle mass left, and then your body will, very reluctantly, give up it's fat stores.0 -
admittedly I didn't read the whole thing as this is kind wordy... but I did get as far as reading the link it's copied from.
i'm hesitant to believe things from a 'blogspot' address.
Too often people look at calories as the enemy... but we all need them to survive.
Moderation is key - but I'll stick to asking my Dr for advice on that front.
YES!!! THIS IS NOT A LEGIT SOURCE! PLEASE DO BETTER RESEARCH BEFORE SAYING STUFF!
Here is a report from the National Health Association:
http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267
Surely that is a "legit source"?0 -
It's not a myth. It happens. It happened to me. While 1200 is just a general number there is a threshold for each person. If you get below what you need your body will store all the nutrition it can and it will stop functioning properly. I was getting 400-700 calories per day (without realizing it) once I started exercising after my son was born. I lost weight for a little while but the weight loss stopped after just 10 pounds. For three months I exercised regularly, watched what I ate and I lost nothing. Once I started eating eating enough (about 1400 calories plus exercise calories) I started losing immediately.
Exactly. I was anorexic in high school, still struggling everyday. BUT, why do you think girls lose their periods? Because their body is trying to conserve its resources for heart and brain function. THAT is part of "starvation mode." Your body tries tomaintain on the little bit it has. And sadly, some bodies cannot maintain that long, and people do die.
AGREED!0 -
Here is a report from the National Health Association:
http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267
Surely that is a "legit source"?
From their website:The National Health Association (NHA) is a non-profit organization that promotes the benefits of a plant-based diet. The Association provides educational materials, educational events, and services to thousands of people around the world.
The National Health Association relies upon membership dues and donations to accomplish its objectives and educational programs throughout the year. One way of helping NHA achieve its goals is to make a tax-deductible donation to the Association.
The site you linked to is an article written by an individual who is part of this non-profit organization. It's not a scientific study. I wouldn't give it any more merit than the blog you posted previously.0 -
I am not suggesting anyone SHOULD dip below their 1200 calories a day. Hey, you have to have some energy and enjoyment in life, right? I just don't like the spreading of misinformation. I also don't like when people use misinformation to tell other people what they should or should not be doing.
You're body stores up fat like a squirrel stores up nuts. That squirrel is not going to eat the tree bark until the nuts are all gone. Similarly, your body is not going to shut down your organs or eat your muscle tissue until your fat stores are used up.
You hate the spread of misinformation yet you claim you're clearing things up based on a blog post? Really?0 -
I appreciate the alternative views.
I think the point is that many people just toss around "starvation mode" at inappropriate times. Regardless of whether or not it really exists, I disagree with the way the term is used on many occasions.
If someone is eating too few calories, their body may respond by dropping its BMR, in an attempt to conserve energy. This is not necessarily starvation mode.
Starvation mode occurs when the body's nutritional needs are not being met, despite the dropped BMR.0 -
Mick,
Let me clarify. No one will refute that by eating less calories, you will lose weight. I could go to a desserted island tomorrow and stay there for 30 days and lose a bunch of weight. No one will refute that, and that is NOT what the starvation mode concept is that is repeatedly mentioned here.
Your body's metabolism reacts to a certain level of calorie deficit, once it reaches that point, it shifts it's priorities from fueling an active healthy body, to a mode of storing fat for when you 'starve' again. But, you say, how can it do that if I'm eating the same amount of calories that I was before my starvation mode when I was at maintenance. Well, the human body is pretty smart (smarter than the bloggers you've cited), it knows it needs to slow the metabolism in order to have excess energy in it to store...in the form of fat.
So, it's not so much that you're wrong, you're just misguided in what the starvation mode referenced so often really is. It's a tool the body uses for long-term survival, and that is HIGHLY DETRIMENTAL to long-term effective fitness.
SSGadmittedly I didn't read the whole thing as this is kind wordy... but I did get as far as reading the link it's copied from.
i'm hesitant to believe things from a 'blogspot' address.
Too often people look at calories as the enemy... but we all need them to survive.
Moderation is key - but I'll stick to asking my Dr for advice on that front.
YES!!! THIS IS NOT A LEGIT SOURCE! PLEASE DO BETTER RESEARCH BEFORE SAYING STUFF!
Here is a report from the National Health Association:
http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267
Surely that is a "legit source"?0 -
Miss Misinformation:
Do YOUR homework first. (Note the condescending tone similar to your post.) So you know, any point discussed on this site (or any other) can find a counterpoint and copy and paste it. You are completely missing what the starvation mode is, and how it can affect someone. It's based on long-term weight loss, and your body's ability to continue to burn calories at an effective level, and upon storing calories, store them in a way that powers short term activity instead of long-term fat storage.
If you'd like to discuss this in detail, I will happily PM my phone number, and you can call me from a blocked number and I'll help you understand this.
Also, if you'd simply gone and worked out rather than copying and pasting random articles, you'd be in a better place. If you find this place so annoying, get your information from what you consider the other "diet sites"...
SSG
As I stated at the beginning of the post, they were not my words, I only posted an article I found because I found it interesting. I wanted to see what everyone would say about it. No need to call people names. I don't find this place annoying at all (where did you get that from?) I love myfitnesspal and tell everyone I know about it.
The reason I went looking for information on starvation mode is because I was BLASTED by another user recently because of my average 900 calorie daily intake which is being monitored by a doctor. This person told me my organs were going to shut down and I was going to die. I was SHOCKED that my doctor would allow this to happen to me! So I went looking for the information. I am in a great place right now. I've lost 20 lbs in 2 months. I just recently reached a healthy BMI, which is really exciting for me! I really just wanted to see what everyone had to say about this article.....
Peace?0 -
I just went through this very thing. Read my blog post about it.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/runningneo122
OP citing a blog post and using it as "Gospel" is more of the same that is done on this subject.
There is a whole raft of info on this subject out there to debunk this OP, but I'm just not going to dig it out of my 'puter.
Good luck witrh your weight loss.0 -
I got the fact you were annoyed at this site from "Because I am so sick of hearing about Starvation Mode!!!". That, to me, screams annoyance. I find alot of things interesting, but the point on this site is to help people, not spread more bad information because you received bad information. All this response does is miss the point just lik the person who went off on you did. It's about long-term weight loss, not the fact that a calorie deficit is necessary to lose weight.Miss Misinformation:
Do YOUR homework first. (Note the condescending tone similar to your post.) So you know, any point discussed on this site (or any other) can find a counterpoint and copy and paste it. You are completely missing what the starvation mode is, and how it can affect someone. It's based on long-term weight loss, and your body's ability to continue to burn calories at an effective level, and upon storing calories, store them in a way that powers short term activity instead of long-term fat storage.
If you'd like to discuss this in detail, I will happily PM my phone number, and you can call me from a blocked number and I'll help you understand this.
Also, if you'd simply gone and worked out rather than copying and pasting random articles, you'd be in a better place. If you find this place so annoying, get your information from what you consider the other "diet sites"...
SSG
As I stated at the beginning of the post, they were not my words, I only posted an article I found because I found it interesting. I wanted to see what everyone would say about it. No need to call people names. I don't find this place annoying at all (where did you get that from?) I love myfitnesspal and tell everyone I know about it.
The reason I went looking for information on starvation mode is because I was BLASTED by another user recently because of my average 900 calorie daily intake which is being monitored by a doctor. This person told me my organs were going to shut down and I was going to die. I was SHOCKED that my doctor would allow this to happen to me! So I went looking for the information. I am in a great place right now. I've lost 20 lbs in 2 months. I just recently reached a healthy BMI, which is really exciting for me! I really just wanted to see what everyone had to say about this article.....
Peace?0 -
FYI, always trust in a Ayn Rand fan.I just went through this very thing. Read my blog post about it.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/runningneo122
OP citing a blog post and using it as "Gospel" is more of the same that is done on this subject.
There is a whole raft of info on this subject out there to debunk this OP, but I'm just not going to dig it out of my 'puter.
Good luck witrh your weight loss.0 -
You can absolutely lose weight by not eating 1200 calories, and going into "starvation mode". BUT, you will NEVER maintain it, if you change your diet in the slightest. So basically you'd end up eating next to nothing for the rest of your life.
not true for everyone0 -
I agree with some points but not eating enough does cause your body to work less efficiently and promotes a lot of health issues, including type 2 diabetes, organ damage etc. It is simply not worth it.
For me losing my weight is about living happy and healthy, not skinny and sick.
I feel the same way, I would rather be healthy, plus for me eating my 1320/cals a day and my workout cals works. Everyone is different though so do whats right for you0
This discussion has been closed.
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