Starvation Mode

Squirkie

So... it seems that my metabolism has been off and my body has been functioning in starvation mode for quite some time now(several months). I've notice that when I eat and stay under my recommended calories to lose weight, nothing happens but when I eat over my calories the scale changes, but only for a few ounces.

I've decided to try to eat at least 2000 calories a day for a few weeks and then go back down to eating under my recommended calories with exercise and see if that makes a difference. I understand that I will more than likely gain weight first but this should help my metabolism function correctly- I think...

Has anyone else had this dilemma? If so, I'd love to hear from you. I'm really not sure what I need to do at this point. Haven't lost a pound

seriousaboutlife

I suggest sticking to what MFP suggests. It really works! Good luck!

Bellyroll

NOpe But I hope your plan works out because from what I have read your plan seems pretty common.

Jeneba

What's your exercise experience like?

lauristewart

I started zig zagging my caloires about 2 months ago and I am about at the lowest I have ever been my adult life!! This is what my calories were and I have now upped them b/c I am going into maintenance mode:

Sunday 1200 calories
Monday 1400 calories
Tuesday 1400
Wed 1800
Thursday 1200
Friday 1350
Saturday 1800

I am now at

Sunday 1400
Monday 1600
Tuesday 1600
Wednesday 1900
Thursday 1400
Friday 1650
Saturday 1900

Maybe this will help your issue...good luck and don't give up!!

CheriPie37

I wish I had answers but it seems that we have a lot of people on MFP that really know about this. So, good luck and I hope everything works out for you!

sleepytexan

oh yes, I had maintained 127 lbs. for over 7 years, since my last pregnancy. Then I'd gained 10 lbs. for no apparent reason in April 2010. This was around the same time that I had added a new 3-4 hour/week activity to my fitness regime.

For an entire year, I ate minimum WW points (appx 1200 cals) without adding any extra food for the extra workout (I had never in my life counted calories or even thought about counting the calories I burned vs. the calories I ate). I just kept plugging away at minimum WW points, but yo-yoed with 3 lbs. for the whole year. I got very depressed and figured it was hormonal changes.

Then in May 2011, I added another 35-mile ride each week. Boom, gained another 5 lbs. for a total of + 15! I was so frustrated, working out 6 days/week hard, eating 1200 cals and GAINING.

Finally, I found MFP, and this thread called FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORK OUT LIKE CRAZY AND ARE NOT LOSING. It made the light bulb go on for me.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/196502-for-the-people-who-work-out-like-crazy-and-are-not-losing?hl=for+people+who+work+out+like+crazy

I realized that I had been netting fewer than 800 cals/day (sometimes fewer than 200!!) for more than a year. Who knew? So I immediately started tracking food and exercise, eating all the extra calories I burned from exercise, and guess what?! in 2 mos. I've lost 13 lbs.

Starvation mode is real. The good news (so good!!) is that you really do lose weight when you eat more!

blessings.

Squirkie

What's your exercise experience like?

I walk at least 20 minutes a day, was doing the 30 day shred (need to start over) and at least 2 days out the week I do other exercises that burn at least 400 calories (HRM) from 30 min - 60 min.

Squirkie

I realized that I had been netting fewer than 800 cals/day (sometimes fewer than 200!!) for more than a year. Who knew? So I immediately started tracking food and exercise, eating all the extra calories I burned from exercise, and guess what?! in 2 mos. I've lost 13 lbs.

Starvation mode is real. The good news (so good!!) is that you really do lose weight when you eat more!

blessings.

Thank you, I was starting to think I was crazy. Will definitely check out the link you provided

Baileys83

I started zig zagging my caloires about 2 months ago and I am about at the lowest I have ever been my adult life!! This is what my calories were and I have now upped them b/c I am going into maintenance mode:

Sunday 1200 calories
Monday 1400 calories
Tuesday 1400
Wed 1800
Thursday 1200
Friday 1350
Saturday 1800

I am now at

Sunday 1400
Monday 1600
Tuesday 1600
Wednesday 1900
Thursday 1400
Friday 1650
Saturday 1900

Maybe this will help your issue...good luck and don't give up!!

I would recommend this - I zigzag but in no real planned way - my partner also does it but for weight gain as he body builds an he does random days so I just sort of follow him, I'll do a few days at 1200, then one 1400 then one at 1600 and then so many at 1200 again - I lost 3lbs in the first 2 weeks doing that so stick with that - confuses the motabalism