Starvation Mode... Something I forgot I knew

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auntiebabs
auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, MFP doesn't want us going lower than 1200 calories per day, because it is really hard to get adequate nutrition in less that 1200 calories a day... Sounds sensible to me. I want to be strong and healthy that's really what got me here.

Now we all have our good days and bad days, but it dawned on me recently that it's not the CALORIES that prevent starvation mode it's the NUTRITION!...

You could eat 3500 calories a day, but if they don't have any nutritional value... you're still going to go into STARVATION MODE.
AND you're going to get fat. And odds are lack of nutrition is going to make you pretty darn cranky to boot.

So if I have a day or two where I'm on the cusp of my rock bottom 1200 cal/day. I go back and check my macros to see that I got my protein and calcium and vitamins. As long as it's not on a regular basis I don't sweat it.

Replies

  • MrsFarrow
    MrsFarrow Posts: 326 Member
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    Makes sense to me.

    I know I get super fuzzy when I don't get enough protein!
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,337 Member
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    I agree. And I also take the radical step of learning to listen to my body!
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
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    Good post! Very true - nutrition is key. You'll get better results if you eat MORE of the "good stuff" than you will if you eat LESS of the bad.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Good post! Very true - nutrition is key. You'll get better results if you eat MORE of the "good stuff" than you will if you eat LESS of the bad.

    Thanks Dianna,

    When I started here my goal was to focus on eating the good stuff... not make dieting about depriving myself.
    when I did eat enough good stuff turns out I didn't want the the bad stuff so much.
    And now it's a treat (that I can enjoy with out guilt) not a way of life.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    Quite simply, your body goes into 'starvation mode'. This mechanism, which is thought to have evolved as a defence against starvation, means the body becomes super efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from food and drink. The main way it does this is to protect its fat stores and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with some of the calories it needs to keep functioning. This directly leads to a loss of muscle, which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body needs fewer calories to keep ticking over and weight loss slows down. Of course, this is the perfect solution if you're in a famine situation. But if you're trying to lose weight, it's going to do little to help you shift those unwanted pounds.

    Nothing to do with actual nutrition. It's purely about the energy that pushes the body into starvation mode. Lack of nutrients will cause other problems, but starvation mode isn't one of them.

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