Starvation Mode..... I don't get it....??

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  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
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    you'll find most people here "believe in" starvation mode, ie if you don't eat enough calories your body will store any cals you do take in as fat immediately. personally, that's not true for me, as i was my all-time thinnest when i was consuming about 600 cals a day, at night, my only meal of the day.
    "Starvation mode" as used on MFP, generally refers to the body's reduced fat usage, and increased fat storage - so you feel weak, fatigued and irritable most of the time, and any brief surplus you do have gets laid down as fat.

    By being so consistently under you were avoiding "starvation mode" in this sense by the simple expedient of starving.
  • _eislek_
    _eislek_ Posts: 198 Member
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    Starvation mode is not a myth,thats how I gained all my weight.I spent many many years using drugs daily.So I was probobly only eating every couple of days.I never got scary skinny during this time I was about 125 pounds.When I quit the drugs I started eating around 1500 calories a day and put on around 100 pounds.So I do belive it exists.I think people end up throwing it around way way to much here.And I dont think it will happen if I dont eat my exercise calories.

    "I think people end up throwing it around way way to much here.And I dont think it will happen if I dont eat my exercise calories."

    That's what I'm trying to get across.
  • Losingitin2011
    Losingitin2011 Posts: 572 Member
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    For the record, skinny does not always mean HEALTHY. Yea, you're going to be skinny if you're starving yourself, but you're also not going to have good muscle tone, and your body is going to have a harder time sustaining itself. I am an anorexia survivor, and I can say that when I was skinny, I was NOT healthy by any means. I was sick all the time, looked awful, and felt awful. I would take being overweight over that any day of the week.

    Starvation mode has to do with the fact that our bodies need a minimum amount of calories in order to run organ functions. I think of it like gas in a car. You ever notice how it feels like the last half of the tank goes so much more quickly than the first half, and without gas, the car doesn't run? Your body isn't that much different.

    It isn't a matter of "believing" or not believing, it's a matter of logic. If you aren't giving your body fuel to consume, it will consume your muscle, and cling to anything you're taking in. While your brain knows you're trying to lose weight, it doesn't seem to be able to communicate that idea to your body. I lost 9 pounds by eating more than 1200 calories. I don't go over 1400 usually, but that is what works for ME.

    Sorry if I sound snarky. I just get irritated when people go off saying it's a myth when it's common sense.
  • CricketKate
    CricketKate Posts: 3,657 Member
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    I've found that here, starvation mode is a way for people to give themselves an excuse to have dessert at night so they reach the BARE MINIMUM of 1200 calories. Cause apparently if you don't eat that much you'll wither away and be dead in a matter of days.

    I think that if you looked at the food diaries of most people on here who are eating their "exercise calories" you would find a lot of nuts, proteins and whole grains. People are not working out just so they can have a piece of cake every night. I'm not advocating either way, I think that people need to do what feels right to them, but that seems to be a fairly judgemental blaket statement.
  • pandafoo
    pandafoo Posts: 367 Member
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    whether or not you believe in starvation mode, what most people would prob agree on is the importance of getting enough nutrition and fuel for your body. i personally think it's very important to have your net calories be high enough so that your metabolism doesn't slow down, so that your body is getting enough nutrients to function properly.

    sure, anyone can lose weight by eating just 500 calories a day. i've seen many diaries on here that actually have net calorie intakes of -500 or -1000 on a consistent basis! i'm horrified when they rationalize it by saying, "well, it's worked for me, so i'm going to continue with this."

    however, with such a low calorie intake, the loss is probably coming from muscle, not fat. if it's coming from muscle, the body fat percentage is getting higher over time. people who are "skinny fat" are also at high risk of medical conditions. in my view, if you want to lose weight in a healthy manner, without losing muscle and wreaking havoc on your metabolism, it's important to have your net calories be high enough so your body can function well.
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
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    @Losingitin2011: You said you were previously an anorexic, so I don't know why you think this is a myth. We are the ones who should be irritated because you fail to do any legit research on your own.

    @hsinster: Actually, your body burns fat before muscle. Why do you think we store fat? It's used as an extra source of energy when enough is not provided in food. Now, I'm not saying you won't lose ANY muscle. I personally don't mind losing a little muscle because even if I did get to a healthy body fat percentage, I would still be considered "Obese" according to my BMI because I have way too much muscle mass for someone who doesn't really work out, and never has.
  • _eislek_
    _eislek_ Posts: 198 Member
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    I've found that here, starvation mode is a way for people to give themselves an excuse to have dessert at night so they reach the BARE MINIMUM of 1200 calories. Cause apparently if you don't eat that much you'll wither away and be dead in a matter of days.

    I think that if you looked at the food diaries of most people on here who are eating their "exercise calories" you would find a lot of nuts, proteins and whole grains. People are not working out just so they can have a piece of cake every night. I'm not advocating either way, I think that people need to do what feels right to them, but that seems to be a fairly judgemental blaket statement.

    I didn't literally mean dessert. It may have been a judgmental statement but people here are judgmental. I KNOW what works for my body. I don't starve myself and I am not "killing" myself but not consuming 1200 calories a day. People here think just because they read some books or can type in "starvation mode" into Google, they know what is right for my body and they don't.
  • breezymom81
    breezymom81 Posts: 499 Member
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    bump
  • Jillatha
    Jillatha Posts: 85 Member
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    so many people are sure it is a myth and the same are sure it is true, what I was more concerned with is what level it kicks in at if it kicks in at all. Like I think would I lose more if I ate a bit more as my net total is normally below 1000 after all my exercise for the day. Would eating that extra 200cal a day make me lose more? I don't want to risk it if it will make me gain!
  • Losingitin2011
    Losingitin2011 Posts: 572 Member
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    @Losingitin2011: You said you were previously an anorexic, so I don't know why you think this is a myth. We are the ones who should be irritated because you fail to do any legit research on your own.

    @hsinster: Actually, your body burns fat before muscle. Why do you think we store fat? It's used as an extra source of energy when enough is not provided in food. Now, I'm not saying you won't lose ANY muscle. I personally don't mind losing a little muscle because even if I did get to a healthy body fat percentage, I would still be considered "Obese" according to my BMI because I have way too much muscle mass for someone who doesn't really work out, and never has.

    What? I never said I thought anything was a myth. You are free to think what you want though, and I am free to think what I want. Have a nice day.
  • Losingitin2011
    Losingitin2011 Posts: 572 Member
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    so many people are sure it is a myth and the same are sure it is true, what I was more concerned with is what level it kicks in at if it kicks in at all. Like I think would I lose more if I ate a bit more as my net total is normally below 1000 after all my exercise for the day. Would eating that extra 200cal a day make me lose more? I don't want to risk it if it will make me gain!

    I honestly think it really does depend on your body. 1200 is a general number that works for MOST people. I am not saying EVERYONE. You would need to find out your exact metabolic rate and go from there.
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
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    If you are on a VLCD and you are losing about 3 lbs a week, your metabolism WILL slow down, but it will only slow your weight loss by 1/4-1/2 of a pound a week. As long as you are still alive and kickin' it, your metabolism is never going to just stop. Now, if you're a tiny little creature and you're trying to lose that much weight to begin with, not you are not going to see the same results, especially since your BMR is going to be significantly lower than that of someone who is larger in size. Maybe if I they burn a lot of extra calories...
  • matwood74
    matwood74 Posts: 111
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    Wow. Lot's of good info!!! Like someone else said, I'm almost "afraid" to consume 1200
    calories when I know I'm below. I get extra calories from exercising, so if you didn't count
    in the exercising, I'd always be on target. BUT..... I can't NOT exercise..... Just confused!!
    :embarassed:
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    @hsinster: Actually, your body burns fat before muscle. Why do you think we store fat? It's used as an extra source of energy when enough is not provided in food. Now, I'm not saying you won't lose ANY muscle.
    There is a limit to the rate at which the body can get energy from fat, if the calorie deficit is too large the body will take energy from other tissues. According to a paper in the Journal of Theoretical Biology, it is estimated the average, moderately active person’s body can get approximately 31 calories of energy per day per pound of fat. This means the maximum one can reduce their calorie intake below maintenance levels without losing muscle is approximately 31 for every pound of fat on their body.* For example, a 180 pound man with 15% body fat would have 27 pounds of fat, so he could reduce his daily calorie intake to 837 below maintenance without losing lean tissue (27 pounds of fat multiplied by 31 = 837). Assuming a maintenance intake of approximately 2700 this would mean a daily caloric intake around 1863 calories.

    http://baye.com/basic-guidelines-for-fat-loss/

    And please read Lyle McDonald's article on this (author and fitness expert): http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
  • pandafoo
    pandafoo Posts: 367 Member
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    @SpaceCoconaut, from my understanding of metabolism and research articles, i agree with stormieweather. generally, fat will be burned first, but at an extremely large deficit, the body will hold onto fat stores and burn fuel from other sources incl. muscles. i also speak from personal experience, as there was one month when 100% of my weight loss was from muscle -- and later my dietician and personal trainer both told me it was because i didn't eat enough calories and i wasn't strength training enough.

    you can always find research articles to support the other side. just now i did a quick search and found today's blog entry by tom venuto about starvation mode: http://www.burnthefat.com/starvation_mode.html
    he cites plenty of studies that describe that starvation mode is not a myth.

    however, in the grand scheme of things, it does not matter whether starvation mode is a myth, nor does it really matter if you and i have differing opinions about how the body's metabolism/physiology work. what's most important is eating enough calories so that our body can function properly and get enough nutrients, so that we can lose weight in a healthy way. for some people, eating 1500 calories might be needed, for others maybe 1200 is fine. but i don't see how a body can function and thrive from just 500+ calories every day. and is this really sustainable? in my opinion, habits that we develop in regards to nutrition and fitness should be for life, not used as a temporary fix.
  • caesarslaw
    caesarslaw Posts: 45
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    @kcantrell

    I doubt that many people are saving up calories and saying I've earned myself free ice cream and cake slathered in oreos and deep fried with a dash syrup. Your comment was mean toward those trying to lose weight and do the best they can by trying to stay within their calorie range. Since I've been on the site, the majority of people have said that it is important to give your body nutrition, that you can't work out and be dizzy/faint/nauseous because you're trying not to eat calories back, that if you don't feel hungry you shouldn't force yourself too eat, etc. I have yet to meet this mysterious poster who says "eat or die" according to you. People have been very helpful and they speak from experience and have always reminded me that I should do what feels best for my body to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. OP has gotten varying responses that can help her decide... and I guess most importantly, now she'll never grab that piece of cake as many of us do around here to fill up her calories.
  • NeonNikki
    NeonNikki Posts: 87 Member
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    so many people are sure it is a myth and the same are sure it is true, what I was more concerned with is what level it kicks in at if it kicks in at all. Like I think would I lose more if I ate a bit more as my net total is normally below 1000 after all my exercise for the day. Would eating that extra 200cal a day make me lose more? I don't want to risk it if it will make me gain!

    We're in exactly the same boat. I am so so hesitant to add the 100-200 calories-I have stayed the same weight for a long time-But I also don't have much to lose nor want to lose much-but I don't want to gain-and I also don't want to train my body to store fat and mess myself up later in life.

    I am so confused.
  • tsomo
    tsomo Posts: 44
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    starvation mode doesn't mean that you feel hungry, it is a state that your body 'hunger for' food.

    I don't know whether it applies to all people, but in my own case, it is real.

    I used to eat less than 1200 cals. I never eat back my exercise calories. Whenever I stuck, I do more exercises. I didn't realise that it is gonna to break the balance of my metabolism. I thought that not eating my exercise cals really works for me bcos I lose my weight very fast .

    When I achieved my goal, I started to eat like 1300 to 1500 calories. However, I gained the weight back because my metabolism was slow. It is so hard to maintain unless I can eat 800-1000 cals for the rest of my life. But obviously it is impossible, so that's why I'm on my weiht loss journey again.



    ps: sorry for my poor English^^
  • Tiggerrick
    Tiggerrick Posts: 1,078 Member
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    starvation mode doesn't mean that you feel hungry, it is a state that your body 'hungers for' food.

    That's a very good way of putting it. A VLCD can achieve weight loss, but there are a few dangers and possible medical problems. Your gastrointestinal system needs to process food. No food, nothing to process, may lead to GI problems. Nutrition may not be adequate i.e. vitamins and minerals the body needs to survive. While you may try taking multivitamins, nutrients may still be deficient. Remember, some of the problems nutrient deficiency cause may not be visible for months or years, such as bone density. Your energy levels may also appear to decrease. You may not have the stamina to do the things you want. Your sleep pattern may change, feeling sleepy earlier or sleeping longer (low metabolic use.) Your body is an amazing machine that will tolerate alot of abuse. It can function for an adult at 500+ lbs, and even under 80lbs. But like any other machine, it has its limits, and one person's limits may not be equal to another's.

    The fear most people have about 'starvation mode' in mfp seems to be weight loss, or the lack there of. If you take in less calories than you are putting out, you will loose weight. Even if your metabolism slows down, the basic formula works: put out more calories than you take in, and you will loose weight.

    You didn't put on the pounds overnight, don't expect them to come off that fast either.

    For those of you doing the VLCDs, if it works for you, then it works. Make sure you take some supplements (vitamins/minerals) and take care of yourselfs in any other way that will benefit your long term health. Don't pay for weight loss today with health problems tomorrow.
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
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    starvation mode doesn't mean that you feel hungry
    One of the indicators that you may be in "starvation mode" is you stop feeling hungry - evolutionarily speaking because hunger makes you restless and agitated, and causes you to search for food - all of which is wasted energy when you're in a scarcity situation, you're desperately trying to conserve energy.

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