Don't believe in "Starvation Mode"?

shaunshaikh

I understand that to many the concept of eating your exercise calories and "Starvation Mode" can seem counter-intuitive or mythical, but I would urge you to take some time, go "back in time" and start reading threads where people have been hitting a plateau.

These people are always close to their goal weight. They always work out an insane amount, usually large amounts of cardio. They NEVER go over their calorie goal and are usually under it. They rarely eat back their calories. They eat a really balanced diet and rarely break from their diet. They lost a lot of weight right off the bat, but now they just DON'T understand why they haven't lost any weight for a month.

Most of the time, these are people who have set their goals to lose 2 pounds per week at 180 pounds or have 800+ calorie deficeits on average. If you don't believe me -- go look. Not everybody accepts that the root of their problem is undereating, but there is definitely a pattern that develops.

Here are some helpful links from experts or testimonials from MFP users that agree:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/174065-starvation-mode-is-real-and-ugly
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

Here are some examples of links that demonstrate exactly what I'm talking about:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/8199-off-to-a-slow-start-actually-still-at-starting-gate
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/193743-weight-not-changing
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/193705-trainning-and-going-nowhere
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/193600-how-to-i-drop-the-last-7-pounds
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/193589-major-plateau
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/193461-hit-a-plateau
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/192990-tips-on-breaking-a-multi-month-plateau
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/192909-hit-a-plateau-any-advice
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/190450-i-know-i-know-but-help
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/185964-plateau-d-advice-needed

Cited Studies:

http://caloriecount.about.com/truth-starvation-mode-ft28742
http://unu.edu/unupress/food2/UID07E/UID07E11.HTM
http://www.ajcn.org/content/68/3/599.full.pdf+html?sid=e89fb416-23c9-4726-9f6b-2755536995a5
http://www.ajcn.org/content/60/1/29.full.pdf+html?sid=5deb5c19-82fc-46dc-bf19-5dc7842a779a
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8777329&dopt=AbstractPlus
http://www.ajcn.org/content/47/6/981.full.pdf+html
http://www.ajcn.org/content/56/1/230S.full.pdf+html
http://www.ajcn.org/content/39/5/695.full.pdf
http://www.springerlink.com/content/vl488623pn1q0219/
http://www.annals.org/content/130/6/471.full
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v22/n6/pdf/0800634a.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8696424?dopt=Citation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7489033&dopt=Citation
http://www.springerlink.com/content/t462u540t7151722/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0689/is_n3_v41/ai_17516395/
http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/18/6/620?ck=nck
http://www.ajcn.org/content/53/4/826.full.pdf+html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2341229&dopt=Citation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2613433?dopt=Abstract
http://www.ajcn.org/content/49/1/93.full.pdf+html
http://www.ajcn.org/content/45/2/391.full.pdf+html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6694559&dopt=AbstractPlus
http://www.ajcn.org/content/57/2/127.full.pdf
http://www.ajcn.org/content/51/2/167.abstract?ck=nck
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v32/n3/abs/0803720a.html
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/low_calorie.htm

meggonkgonk

*like*

smiley01x

BUMP

sometimes i feel guilty about eating those calories. i feel so afraid to OVER eat, that i do not think about under-eating. thanks for the post

LOVEthighSELF

bump

Oompa_Loompa

thankyou for putting all this awesome info together

luv2ash

I never eat mine

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obviously nothing has kept me from losing.

dmmsquared

Thanks! Don't have time to read all the posts now, but will do so later.

jsmjboertlein

I know from experience it's true. Last year I struggled so bad to lose weight and couldn't understand why. I thought I needed to feel hungry to lose weight. I was eating 400-800 calories a day and working out like feind. Well this year I'm doing MFP. I'm eating my calories as close as I can and sometimes more and dropping weight like a bad habbit. And I don't ever feel hungry.

wenders123

Totally agree

shaunshaikh

I never eat mine

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obviously nothing has kept me from losing.

When you get closer to your goal, it will be different.

michellehorvath

BUMP

sometimes i feel guilty about eating those calories. i feel so afraid to OVER eat, that i do not think about under-eating. thanks for the post

Me too!!!


But you might be onto something because you totally just described me!! I'm going back to 1lb a week and see if I can get off this plateau!! Thanks for the advice I hope you're right!!

LeonaB17

Yes! Thank you for posting this.

shaunshaikh

Just as a quick note -- sometimes I have workouts that exceed 1,000 calories and it seems almost impossible to eat enough food to get myself to a healthy deficeit. I normally do a couple things:

1. I aim for a number 300 short of my goal, and then give myself 200-300 extra another day I don't workout. Pretty much cycling my calories, but a little more random and less methodical.
2. I eat more natural/healthy fats like nuts, avocado, etc. which are calorie rich. 1 gram of fat is 9 calories while 1 gram of protein/carbs is 4 calories.

tmaksparkie

I never eat mine

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obviously nothing has kept me from losing.

You may not eat your exercise cals but how much more weight do you have to lose? If you are close to goal I say within 20lbs it becomes very hard, it is a slow process but we all have to do what is right for our bodies. Me personally I under ate for 8months I mean yes 800-1000 cals a day max and now my metabolism is so screwed up I have to fix it. I was to the point of if I ate more then 1200 cals I gained weight that is how far my metabolism was, but I still did lose 80lbs doing this and now I am skinny fat because of it and half to change my body comp.

So yes thanks you for posting this info it is helpful to many.

SarahNicole317

There are a lot of topics in the health and fitness field that seem 'controversial'. I use that term loosely though as there is always going to be a study or experience that proves something to be right or wrong. It's all in how researchers present the information.

I don't think you can call it starvation mode though when someone hits a plateau. People can hit plateaus on a 1400 calorie diet or a 700 calorie diet. It's about keeping your body guessing. I don't believe it is healthy to consume under 1200 calories per day, mentally or physically. I also feel the same about doing excess amounts of cardio... as this will slow your metabolism. Not because of the 'starvation mode', but because you begin to sacrifice precious muscle which will reduce your metabolic rate. Same goes with hitting a plateau after you have lost weight. You must adjust your calories according to weight loss. Your body needs less to survive.

Some may consider 'starvation mode' to be a slang word or jargon... you know like 'muscle confusion'. It is really just a decrease in your metabolism from have a reduction in calories or high expenditure of calories over an extended period of time. This can easily be prevented by cycling your macronutrients, increasing intensity and decreasing time, cycling calories so you take in more on more intense workout days, lifting harder, etc.

Another huge mistake people make is eating way under protein and way over on carbohydrates. It's much easier for the body to turn carbohydrates into fat than it is to turn protein into fat. It is more likely that people eating way under their calories (as in under 1200) to lose weight are taking in poor carbohydrate sources in excess rather than eating a lot of protein to meet their 'calorie goal'. Again, this is going to reduce metabolic rate.

rachel1975f

Quote from the OP: "These people are always close to their goal weight. They always work out an insane amount, usually large amounts of cardio. They NEVER go over their calorie goal and are usually under it. They rarely eat back their calories. They eat a really balanced diet and rarely break from their diet. "

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I am probably going to jinx myself, but this sounds just like me, except I do have 23 more pounds to get to goal. But I always stay at 1200 cals, never eat my exercise cals, cardio exercise 5 to 7 times a week, and I have stuck to it since 1/1/11. I have lost 25 pounds since then, between 1.5 and 3 pounds a week steadily. No plateau!! I keep waiting for it, but it never comes!! Anybody know why?

MakingAChoice

I never eat mine

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obviously nothing has kept me from losing.

. . . yet!

Louiselesley

Before this site I honestly hadn't a clue about this! I thought eating less meant loosing weight and god was I wrong. I have an awful habit of not eating enough (some people probably would love that habit without knowing about this!)

I don't have a huge appetite but since hearing about this I make an effort to snack a little to make up my calories! Thanks for this post!

gnutrifitness

BUmp!

kevbrinks

To be clear:

What 75% (my estimate) of MFP users would define "Starvation Mode" as...

THAT, I do not believe in.

Testimonials, anecdotal evidence, all of it means NOTHING in my opinion. Show me scientific evidence of a starving person that gains weight as a direct result of their starvation.

phnx72

BUmp!