starvation mode?

LaylaClapton

I'm wondering how long does it take your body to go into "starvation mode?"

If I have a huge calorie deficit one day, will that be throwing my metabolism off? I understand if it's several days in a row, but one day?

Not that I encounter this myself very often, but it'd be good to know.

Thank you.

RyonsLions2

I think as long as you are not completely without food for a whole day... do you mean you are eating considerably less or no food at all?

Mads1997

You will be fine for one day.

trixylewis

i almost always am under my calories set by mfp, and i never eat back my exercise calories burned, in three months before i started mfp, i just did the biggest loser workout and diet, i lost 23 pounds and 26 inches off my body. i dont think im in starvation mode

christina_theresa

I am not sure the answer to this question but I feel like you would have to be consistently eating under 1,200 calories a day for a period of time. I think being under one day once in a while won't throw your metabolism off.

RyonsLions2

Starvation mode (or, as some would rather call it, slowed metabolism mode) doesn't happen at the drop of a hat. Missing one meal isn't going to do it. Nor is being a little under your calories for a day. Starvation is when you consistantly eat too little, your body slows its metabolism to hold on to fat stores. I have never heard a persuasive argument for when it starts, but once in it, it can take months to get out, depending. The safe bet is to consume your calorie target (determined by taking all activity into account already), and if you happen to be low one day, you'll be ok. Just don't make a habit of it.


I just read this (above) from a person on another site... what do you all think of this????

Trojen13

Good question, i just did some research and found this explanation - Starvation mode is a state in which the body is responding to prolonged periods of low caloric intake levels. During short periods of caloric abstinence, the human body will burn primarily free fatty acids from body fat stores. After prolonged periods of starvation the body has depleted its body fat and begins to burn lean tissue and muscle as a fuel source.
Ordinarily, the body responds to reduced caloric intake by burning fat reserves first, and only consumes muscle and other tissues when those reserves are exhausted. Specifically, the body burns fat after first exhausting the contents of the digestive tract along with glycogen reserves stored in muscle and liver cells...
So from this, the odd day where you are under your calorie requirements should not affect your long term goal... more when it happens regularly and you dont have stores of fat cells to rely on!!!!!!!

Hope this helps!


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shreddingit

read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation_mode

RyonsLions2

I think it makes sense.

Elzecat

I know the feeling! I wish I had real life access to someone who is trained to answer this question I worry that the answers I read here are not from trained professionals, so I don't know what to believe? I rarely veer too far over or under calories, but would like to know the science behind all of it...in layman's terms of course! lol

LaylaClapton

I always eat, no problem there. What I was curious about was yesterday I came in with a 700cal deficit. I had exercised & was just NOT hungry (probably because I had binged the day before.

Thank you for your reply!