Starvation mode and being hungry !

theseagull

Hi
For example:
I have my breakfast at 08:00 am ( 500 cal )
then I didn't eat any thing but water until the dinner time at 08:00 pm ( 700 cal )
I had all my calories net for the day but I felt hungry between these two meals !

Doesn't that mean I went in the starvation mode by being hungry and keeping my digestion lazy ?


( That's an example but i want to know the difference.
I have a meal or a snack every two hours to keep my metapolism going well. )

ChrisWag

You should not go less than 1200 net calories or you put your body into starvation mode....and yes, eating that far apart is not good either.....

JenniferH81

Starvation mode isn't something that happens on a daily basis. (If it even exists) it would take days or weeks or longer of eating super low calories to enter starvation mode.

I look at it like the boogieman, or one of the urban legends passed around to keep people in line.

But there's a ton of people who would probably argue with my view on it.

elektradarling

Snacking is supposed to be good for some people to keep metabolism going, so that it doesn't slow down, I'd literally pass out if i left it that long between meals

You should find something reasonable to snack on in between, or have 3 meals with a couple of small snacks.

teresaq1

Try to have 3 healthy meals a day. You will find that you have renewed energy and can get more exercise. My hunger pains went away after the first couple of weeks. I am no longer hungry at lunch time, but make myself eat something healthy. A salad, vegetables or even just a granola bar.

papastu

Starvation mode isn't something that happens on a daily basis. (If it even exists) it would take days or weeks or longer of eating super low calories to enter starvation mode.

I look at it like the boogieman, or one of the urban legends passed around to keep people in line.

But there's a ton of people who would probably argue with my view on it.

well said

SHBoss1673

starvation mode absolutely exists. There's TONS of clinical evidence to support it. But no, it doesn't happen in 5 or 6 or even 12 hours. It depends on how much you eat, and how often you eat but generally the first beginnings of an alteration of metabolic rate and body chemistry happens when glycogen stores are low enough that they can't provide the difference between incoming food plus fat reserve energy, that usually takes between 24 and 72 hours (24 hours would be more like you don't eat at all and have high energy demands), at that point the body BEGINS making the slow process of lowering fat burning, raising fat storage and the scavenging of protein from existing but underused lean tissue (mostly muscle).

Here's the problem, there's no flashing neon sign to tell you when this starts, and there's no "line in the sand" with calorie deficit to adhere to (1200 calories has little to do with this, it's a warning about MICRONUTRIENTS I.E. vitamins and minerals, and even then that's only an average for WOMEN)

So how do you tell? Common sense, if you don't have a lot of fat to lose, then you can't have as large of a deficit without hitting this point.

And yes, the effects are cumulative, I.E. the longer you stay in this pattern, the worse the effects are on your body.

I write all about this specific principle in my blog entitled "Short and Long term underfeeding" here:

http://bankshealth.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/inaugural-blog-short-and-long-term-underfeeding/

fteale

No. You can't go into starvation mode in hours, or even a few days. I think it takes about 3 days for any decrease in metabolism, and it only takes one day of eating a normal amount to get it back up again.

carrie_lebel

My job is 60% manual labor and if I don't snack between meals I feel horrible. I get so tired and have no energy. But once I put some protein in my body I am ready to go. Yes eat something throughout the day. Even if It is a small bag of almonds. As other posters said don't mess with the metabolism. Why two meals in a day? especially if you are hungry? You are setting yourself up for failure. It seems you don't have much more to lose maybe you can add more calories in. I bumped my calories from 1200 a day to 1500 and I am finally losing weight again.

beccarockslife

Hunger is a natural sign you need to eat, if it's really hunger pangs and not thirst. Why ignore it ? If you are hungry constantly then you aren't eating the right foods.

MzBug

If you are feeling hunger you probably have not hit starvation mode. When you DON"T feel hungry when you haven't eatten much for days and have had a good bit of activity, then it is a good bet you have dropped your metabolism and are in starvation mode.