STARVATION MODE

a2canadian

I don't know that this really captures what "starvation mode" paranoia is all about. When people are told to eat more it isn't usually because they won't lose weight eating less, it's because if they do not eat enough kcal/day their body will begin to consume muscle, store it as fat, and use it as energy. So yes, if you fail to eat enough you may indeed get "fatter" though you will probably lose weight (as muscle does indeed weigh more than fat).

So:

Eating less, feeling a bit hungry, allowing your stomach to shrink so you don't need to eat as much to "feel full," and maintaining a healthy balanced diet = good

Eating so little that your body starts to break down muscle into fat = bad

Just remember: starvation mode isn't really about feeling "starved" it is about your body lacking the energy and nutrients to continue to function at a normal level. Brain activity will decline, you will feel physically exhausted almost constantly, and chances are you won't be all that "hungry"... just sluggish and under-nourished.

colombiana444

I don't know that this really captures what "starvation mode" paranoia is all about. When people are told to eat more it isn't usually because they won't lose weight eating less, it's because if they do not eat enough kcal/day their body will begin to consume muscle, store it as fat, and use it as energy. So yes, if you fail to eat enough you may indeed get "fatter" though you will probably lose weight (as muscle does indeed weigh more than fat).

So:

Eating less, feeling a bit hungry, allowing your stomach to shrink so you don't need to eat as much to "feel full," and maintaining a healthy balanced diet = good

Eating so little that your body starts to break down muscle into fat = bad

Just remember: starvation mode isn't really about feeling "starved" it is about your body lacking the energy and nutrients to continue to function at a normal level. Brain activity will decline, you will feel physically exhausted almost constantly, and chances are you won't be all that "hungry"... just sluggish and under-nourished.

yup

kkellam1

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Just hang in there buddy,
you are doing the right thing for your well being which is all that matters.
Don't assume that you are in starvation mode because it can be a bit scary to think that.
Here are actually a few possibilities i have come accross.
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Thanks! Great response. I know deep inside that it's just a matter of continuing the course (it's a long race) but I had been riding high on that euphoria of losing fast that it felt like a brick wall when I saw the scale stop dropping. Logically, I know that if I just continue, so will the results. The really great thing is that I still have such a strong motivation that seeing the scale stop hasn't detered me a bit.

The thing that I am most proud of is that, for the first time ever, it's been a month and I haven't yet made a "deal" with myself. Haven't cheated with food, haven't missed an excercise, etc. In fact, I haven't even been tempted.

Atleast40

Thank you for the information. I read some now & Ill read some later.

wmubuffettfan

Thanks for this post. I had been ignoring the starvation mode posts on here, but its nice to see it stated like this.

Nailrep

AWESOME ARTICLE! Recaps the points that I have lived by for the last 25 years - and STILL going strong...

* You CAN go below 1200 calories a day to lose weight. This is ESPECIALLY important for those of us who are short and don't require that much to begin with.

* You WILL NOT gain weight if you go below the dreaded starvation level of 1200 calories. It is NOT POSSIBLE to gain wieght on 800 calories a day unless you have some health issue or you are taking a medication that might cause weight gain. So perhaps the person gaining the weight might not be logging calories correctly. Who knows? The bottom line is if you eat more calories than your body requires, you will gain weight. If you eat fewer, you will lose. Simple math.

* You CAN go below 1200 calories, lose weight, and NOT gain it back if you learn to eat correctly - staying within your daily caloric needs. You could lose 1 pound a month and STILL gain it all back if you start eating more than you need when you resume "real life" eating.

Having said all this, I do believe you need to have a doctor monitor your health as you diet, if you choose a LCD.

chrisdavey

kkellam1: the answer is healthy fats like avocados, nuts etc. not KFC :P

Re the workouts and maintaining muscle mass. IMO, walking is not going to do anything. Some basic resistance training using full body compound exercises is the go. (I lost 60lbs with a lot of muscle loss because of not doing any and have spent probably the last 2 years trying to gain back the strength I lost) And the best thing about knowing this now and still being a big boy is that you will be able to lift really heavy stuff (in relative terms) easy!

Keep it up mate.