the myth, starvation mode, and dont eat before bed.

kenzietea

Okay, obviously some people aren't reading this very carefully. Low caloric intake "OVER TIME" does decreasing muscle mass, never said It didn't. About the "studies" i am not going to go and paste the studies of over 14yrs of experience. Why do you need scientific studies to tell you something. For example, If you eat a lot, do you get tired of energized??? if a scientific study says "it energizes the body" are you going to believe it? Does it make sense being hungry is stress? Does it make sense that your body recuperates and repairs itself at night? DOes it make sense that, when you're hungry your body isn't processing food and you have more energy??? I don't need scientific studies to tell me anything. I go by personal experience, not someone who has been "taught" to read books, and believe them, just because "someone said so"

Well maybe what works for you doesn't work for others. I never eat less than 50% of the calories to maintain my current weight. and when you eat 'a lot' of course you feel sluggish. But when you eat when you are hungry, make healthy choices, and eat less calories than you need to maintain, you lose the majority of pounds in body fat. And yes, food=energy. I am pretty sure if it didn't, we would not have to eat... but, thats just a "theory"

caldolphingirlie

Just because the meal is breakfast does not mean you have to eat breakfast foods or at a certain time, it just means that when you wake up you need to replenish your body's energy level from the night before, so that it can function at its peak. It also doesn't really matter what meal or when you eat the most, it matters what you put into your body and that you actually eat and not skip meals. The calories in and how much of those calories you burn is also important, regardless of starvation methods or whatever, when you burn more than you put in, then you loose weight, plain and simple.

registers

[qoute]
WHere did i say... "lower caloric levels don't decrease muscle mass???"
[/quote]

You said:

1. Starvation mode .... The theory is, if you don't eat enough calories, your metabolism will slow down,

Which you claim is a myth.

And then said:

Does it make sense that when you're hungry, get rid of the most essential part of your body muscle mass??? NO. It does its best to preserve it when you're hungry.

[qoute]
That seems to be a pretty clear statement that you believe that extreme calorie restriction will not decrease muscle mass.
[/quote]

I didn't say "use severe calorie restriction." I do understand what you're saying, I didn't want to get all techy with it, I know I got a tendency to type a lot. What I said is a paradox, 2 things that seem in conflict which are actually complementary.

Does it make sense that when you're hungry, get rid of the most essential part of your body muscle mass??? NO. It does its best to preserve it when you're hungry.

I said "it does its BEST" to preserve it. Yes if you eat low calories for a long time, IT WILL reduce muscle mass. The theory is "your body stores fat because you're on low calories" that's IS A MYTH... the fact is, "you lose muscle mass which in turn slows down your metabolism.

This is what I DO... I eat low calories 2 times a day, about 1,500 calories a day, my maintained calories is 3,500. Mostly protein, the reason is because, as I said being hungry increases Growth hormone, and IGF-1, which preserves muscle and burns fat. Then on day 3, I let loose eat a ton of carbs, with protein, to prevent the loss of muscle mass, underrating preserves the muscle mass, IT WONT WORK if you go too long with under eating. Like i said at first, "don't listen to anyone, try it yourself, then judge" 13lbs of weight loss in 2 weeks with this method... speaks for itself. In one meal today i ate about 3000 calories. This is what I have been doing, and have been great results. You can't argue with results.

Begsnapper

if youre trying to lose weight then you shouldnt eat within 3 hours of bed. if theres nothing in your stomach your body will burn fat at this time instead of food. burned fat = weight loss

ps. weight is such a dumb measure. use how you look and feel as a measure of when youre doing things right. or bmi

weight fluctuates so much and people freak out for no reason

Begsnapper

your post is very opinionated and unfortunately this time your opinion is wrong. people would be wise to do the exact opposite of what youre recommending

registers

Okay, obviously some people aren't reading this very carefully. Low caloric intake "OVER TIME" does decreasing muscle mass, never said It didn't. About the "studies" i am not going to go and paste the studies of over 14yrs of experience. Why do you need scientific studies to tell you something. For example, If you eat a lot, do you get tired of energized??? if a scientific study says "it energizes the body" are you going to believe it? Does it make sense being hungry is stress? Does it make sense that your body recuperates and repairs itself at night? DOes it make sense that, when you're hungry your body isn't processing food and you have more energy??? I don't need scientific studies to tell me anything. I go by personal experience, not someone who has been "taught" to read books, and believe them, just because "someone said so"

Well maybe what works for you doesn't work for others. I never eat less than 50% of the calories to maintain my current weight. and when you eat 'a lot' of course you feel sluggish. But when you eat when you are hungry, make healthy choices, and eat less calories than you need to maintain, you lose the majority of pounds in body fat. And yes, food=energy. I am pretty sure if it didn't, we would not have to eat... but, thats just a "theory"

Does your biochemical response change if you eat A LOT or a little??? NO. still triggers the parasympathetic nervous system. Which is not beneficial to weight loss.

musica814

I don't know what you're talking about. I don't get tired when I eat, if I'm eating the right things! If I have a whopping bowl of ice cream with hot fudge and sprinkles, then of course i'm going to feel sluggish. If I have a tunafish sandwich with avocado and some other veggies/fruits on the side, why would that make me tired? Eating "healthy" energizes me and stops my hunger pains....

registers

your post is very opinionated and unfortunately this time your opinion is wrong. people would be wise to do the exact opposite of what youre recommending

Why is it wrong. IF you have strong beliefs of opposition. My experience, is I taken the NASM certification course (national academy of sports medicine) plus I have over 14yrs of experience in the health and fitness community. But thanks for your input.

Begsnapper

probably the most incorrect post ive ever seen on this site, LOL

your heart seems to be in the right place, but THIS IS THE WORST ADVICE

DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS POST PEOPLE!!

starvation mood DOES exist if you are eating less then 1200 cal for women or 1500 cal for men your body will store its body fat because it thinks theres a famine taking place. you need enough calories to function daily. get exercise instead of eating less way better for you!!!

breakfast IS important! fires up the metabolism and gives you the fuel you need to start your day. starving yourself until lunch will cause you to over indulge and possibly make poor food choices

DO NOT eat a big meal before bed if youre trying to lose weight. best time to be hungry is when your asleep. plus your bod will go burn fat if theres nothing in your stomach for it to burn

basically do the exact opposite of what this post says and you should be on the right track

Noctuary

I've been following a member's blog on here. She eats aprox 800 calories a day and works out to what she says is 700 calories burned. She then finds she has not lost any weight and wonders why. I consider her to be a perfect role model for what starvation mode really does.

I'll pass and continue eating.

mvln

Bump

mvln

Bump

bjscmg

probably the most incorrect post ive ever seen on this site, LOL

your heart seems to be in the right place, but THIS IS THE WORST ADVICE

DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS POST PEOPLE!!

starvation mood DOES exist if you are eating less then 1200 cal for women or 1500 cal for men your body will store its body fat because it thinks theres a famine taking place. you need enough calories to function daily. get exercise instead of eating less way better for you!!!

breakfast IS important! fires up the metabolism and gives you the fuel you need to start your day. starving yourself until lunch will cause you to over indulge and possibly make poor food choices

DO NOT eat a big meal before bed if youre trying to lose weight. best time to be hungry is when your asleep. plus your bod will go burn fat if theres nothing in your stomach for it to burn

basically do the exact opposite of what this post says and you should be on the right track

To each his own.....This is his observation. Some people think the zig zag diet is wrong but oh well I do it anyways, WHY? because it works for me!

ladyhawk00

WHere did i say... "lower caloric levels don't decrease muscle mass???"

You said:

1. Starvation mode .... The theory is, if you don't eat enough calories, your metabolism will slow down,

Which you claim is a myth.

And then said:

Does it make sense that when you're hungry, get rid of the most essential part of your body muscle mass??? NO. It does its best to preserve it when you're hungry.

That seems to be a pretty clear statement that you believe that extreme calorie restriction will not decrease muscle mass.

I didn't say "use severe calorie restriction." I do understand what you're saying, I didn't want to get all techy with it, I know I got a tendency to type a lot. What I said is a paradox, 2 things that seem in conflict which are actually complementary.

Does it make sense that when you're hungry, get rid of the most essential part of your body muscle mass??? NO. It does its best to preserve it when you're hungry.

I said "it does its BEST" to preserve it. Yes if you eat low calories for a long time, IT WILL reduce muscle mass. The theory is "your body stores fat because you're on low calories" that's IS A MYTH... the fact is, "you lose muscle mass which in turn slows down your metabolism.

This is what I DO... I eat low calories 2 times a day, about 1,500 calories a day, my maintained calories is 3,500. Mostly protein, the reason is because, as I said being hungry increases Growth hormone, and IGF-1, which preserves muscle and burns fat. Then on day 3, I let loose eat a ton of carbs, with protein, to prevent the loss of muscle mass, underrating preserves the muscle mass, IT WONT WORK if you go too long with under eating. Like i said at first, "don't listen to anyone, try it yourself, then judge" 13lbs of weight loss in 2 weeks with this method... speaks for itself. In one meal today i ate about 3000 calories. This is what I have been doing, and have been great results. You can't argue with results.

What you're doing is a form of calorie cycling or "zigzagging" - which works on the idea of an average intake rather than daily, meaning your average intake over the week still stays within the deficit range of what your body is comfortable with, without decreasing RMR too much or losing too much lean mass.

However, your loss so far is almost certainly largely water weight, as with anyone starting new eating habits. It's normal and expected to lose large amounts of water weight in the first couple of weeks.

Starvation mode is very much dependent on the levels of fat stores, exact level of intake and exact energy expenditure. Most people with large amounts of fat stores are not in danger of entering starvation mode to any significant degree. So it doesn't really apply to you...at this point. When you get closer to a healthy body fat %, it will become much more relevant to you.

ladyhawk00

I've been following a member's blog on here. She eats aprox 800 calories a day and works out to what she says is 700 calories burned. She then finds she has not lost any weight and wonders why. I consider her to be a perfect role model for what starvation mode really does.

I'll pass and continue eating.

See it literally dozens of times a day. Classsssic.

bjscmg

I've been following a member's blog on here. She eats aprox 800 calories a day and works out to what she says is 700 calories burned. She then finds she has not lost any weight and wonders why. I consider her to be a perfect role model for what starvation mode really does.

I'll pass and continue eating.

See it literally dozens of times a day. Classsssic.

so wouldn't that put her at just 100 calories a day? That can't be good at all.

registers

Okay, obviously some people aren't reading this very carefully. Low caloric intake "OVER TIME" does decreasing muscle mass, never said It didn't. About the "studies" i am not going to go and paste the studies of over 14yrs of experience. Why do you need scientific studies to tell you something. For example, If you eat a lot, do you get tired of energized??? if a scientific study says "it energizes the body" are you going to believe it? Does it make sense being hungry is stress? Does it make sense that your body recuperates and repairs itself at night? DOes it make sense that, when you're hungry your body isn't processing food and you have more energy??? I don't need scientific studies to tell me anything. I go by personal experience, not someone who has been "taught" to read books, and believe them, just because "someone said so"

Don't worry, I read it very carefully. And if you want experience, I know that I was in starvation mode for quite a while.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

I experienced it. So...does that mean you believe in it now? Since I've given you a personal experience? I'm guessing not. The point being, we're talking about biology, anatomy, chemical/hormonal reactions and science. It's hardly unreasonable to be interested in direct evidence that shows that what you're claiming is backed up by science.

BTW, I'll agree that there's nothing wrong with eating at night. Though I would disagree with taking in the majority of your calories at night. I suppose IF (intermittent fasting) does work for some people, it is not sustainable for the vast majority.

okay, I read your post. In the post you said, "intake of around 1000-1200 for about 5 years. My BMR is about 1500, and maintenance cals at sedentary are about 2000. So I should have been losing weight, right?"

How do you know that was you BMR, by a chart? I have used the bodybugg in the past, it's a device you wear that tells you how many calories you burn throughout the day, with a 90% accuracy. Those charts where dead wrong. They are based on body weight, height, activity level, age. A real BMR is based on muscle mass. It's very possible you're bmr calculations where wrong.

Another issue you talked about carb loading, you knew you where eating too much carbs. That can have been the issue why you couldn't reduce body fat any farther.

I do agree that if you do have a restrictive caloric diet, you will lose muscle mass. I never said "go on a low restrictive diet" I eat my caloric needs, but I do them in a cycle, as I mentioned already. I guess i was too vague when i posted it. I am curious what you did to combat your issue. You said you're losing weight now, so tell me how you did it. I am curious.

ladyhawk00

I've been following a member's blog on here. She eats aprox 800 calories a day and works out to what she says is 700 calories burned. She then finds she has not lost any weight and wonders why. I consider her to be a perfect role model for what starvation mode really does.

I'll pass and continue eating.

See it literally dozens of times a day. Classsssic.

so wouldn't that put her at just 100 calories a day? That can't be good at all.

Actually no, probably a negative net. Because that doesn't account for just the basics: BMR and activity level, aside from exercise. However, if she's doing it for any length of time, her BMR has likely decreased dramatically. And her activity level is probably fairly low (due to not having enough energy to do much.) But at any rate, yes, still a very unhealthy scenario.

registers

probably the most incorrect post ive ever seen on this site, LOL

your heart seems to be in the right place, but THIS IS THE WORST ADVICE

DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS POST PEOPLE!!

starvation mood DOES exist if you are eating less then 1200 cal for women or 1500 cal for men your body will store its body fat because it thinks theres a famine taking place. you need enough calories to function daily. get exercise instead of eating less way better for you!!!

breakfast IS important! fires up the metabolism and gives you the fuel you need to start your day. starving yourself until lunch will cause you to over indulge and possibly make poor food choices

DO NOT eat a big meal before bed if youre trying to lose weight. best time to be hungry is when your asleep. plus your bod will go burn fat if theres nothing in your stomach for it to burn

basically do the exact opposite of what this post says and you should be on the right track

Starvation mode is 1200 calories. Okay so a 100lbs woman who eats 1200 calories is going to be in starvation mode? dead wrong. SO your advice is to eat breakfast, Dead wrong. You get your energy from your food, so when you get it from fat? You're burning the calories you ate, not your fat. It's best to not eat before bead, dead wrong. Your body is recovering itself, if it has no food to recover with, you're going to feel like crap the next day. Where does the energy come from to repair your body? fat doesn't turn in to protein, you'll lose muscle mass.

registers

I also think its important to understand how your own body works and also the differences between men and women.

I agree I don't think any of us are starving!

I know that if I eat a big breakfast in the morning I am starving for the rest of the day. If I eat a big meal at night - I don't feel hungry in the morning!!

Part of this journey is understanding our own bodies and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for someone else!

VLCD are now being encouraged by some GP's in the UK to reduce weight - as they are seen as less life threatening than being morbidly obese (these diets are closely monitored.) I know two people that have had to go on one of these diets and both have lost significant weight and then put on muscle mass (after they lost the weight they slowly increased both calorie intake and exercise! Yet in theory they have been in starvation mode. The issue I think there is with this approach is actually it doesn't teach you how to eat healthily and thats why we put the weight back on.

I do think there is this condition but I think it takes a while before it kicks in.

Interesting debate as ever!

Yes I agree with you. It's all about learning what is best for you.