Starvation mode! (my opinion)

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Uerzer
Uerzer Posts: 273
in Health and Weight Loss
This is my opinion, I just hope it helps some of you!

I really think this site made up the "starvation mode <1200kcal" idea just for a greater purpose:
IT IS REALLY HARD TO EAT UNDER 1200KCAL AND STILL GET YOUR MACRO-MICRONUTRIENTS RIGHT!

So it is a must for your health to do so.

some facts:
- at hospitals, before bariatric surgery the patients spend a few days with full monitoring and starving with around 600 kcal. you can only do that with full time medical supervision.
- 1200 is starvation mode limit for everyone in this site... i have a daily requisite of 2500kcal, another dude (same age, same activity, same height) can have a daily requiste of 3000kcal just because he weights more (im 75 kg and he is 95kg!). I'm not buying starvation mode starts for him when he's on a 1.800kcal deficit while i'm only at 1.300kcal deficit!!... seems too random for me!

Any ideas? XD
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Replies

  • NA_Willie
    NA_Willie Posts: 340 Member
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    If you aren't hungry, don't eat.

    I don't really buy the whole "starvation mode" bull****.

    I used to eat half a Subway sandwich a day and I didn't die.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    This may be true, but you can even be in "starvation mode" with less than a 500 cal deficit. It is more based on the amount of fat you have and not your weight. If a guy is 7% BF, most likely he could not sustain more than a 250 cal deficit as there is no fat to take so the body would use muscle instead. The less you have to lose, the smaller your deficit needs to be in order for you body not to burn muscle as fuel (which lowers metabolism).


    Here is a good reference,
    if you have over 100 lbs to lose you can lose more than 2 lbs/week safely, that being said it is best to set a realistic safe weekly loss goal,
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    The reasons: the less you have to lose the less fat stores you have to pull from. The less fat you have to pull from the less your body wants to take any. So if your deficit is too large given your stats you will burn a large % of lean muscle. Doing the above also helps set you up for maintenance without a large increase in caloric intake all at once.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    If you aren't hungry, don't eat.

    I don't really buy the whole "starvation mode" bull****.

    I used to eat half a Subway sandwich a day and I didn't die.

    No, but you probably lost a lot of muscle eating only that a day. You have to ask yourself, do you want to just lose weight, or would you rather lose fat and be healthy?

    FYI: Hunger is not the best indication of nutritional requirements. I would be hungry eating a liquid diet of 4000 cals, but would be full eating 1200 cals of veggies only. So in the case where I would be full I would not be getting all my requirements, whereas with the liquid diet I would be hungry but have exceeded my nutritional requirements.
  • pizzygirltx
    pizzygirltx Posts: 96
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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation_response
  • Avalonis
    Avalonis Posts: 1,540 Member
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    Starvation mode is very, very real. However, not in the way people keep posting on these forums.

    Starvation mode happens when your body gets ~50% of the caloric intake it needs for an extended period of time. So if you need 3000 calories a day to maintain, eating less than 1500 calories for a couple days will begin to slow your metabolism. Its not a switch that flips on and off.

    You WILL still lose weight, but your metabolism will slow. This means that if and when you begin eating again, you can quickly add weight back on. In addition, when you are losing weight in starvation mode, it will be a MUCH higher percentage of muscle mass you are losing, due to the fact that the body naturally breaks down unused muscle first and foremost, as it takes more energy to maintain muscle than fat.


    Check out the Wiki page on it, there is some good research linked. (The medical term is adaptive thermogenesis)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation_response
  • newdaynewme
    newdaynewme Posts: 77 Member
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    I just took a wellness course and we studied this subject. although it's not called starvation mode clinically (in the texts we used and research that was provided) it has been recommended that women eat 1200 cals and men eat 1500 cals BUT starvation mode itself (which was the pre-stage of actually starving in text terms) did not occur at that amount that was just the daily recommended amount that should be eaten. with tests we studied it was interesting to see "starvation mode" occur for different individuals at different calorie levels. some could eat 800-900 cals per day eating all of the right nutrients & balancing their diet and they never entered "starvation mode". although it does exist it exists at different calorie levels for each person depending on body fat, how much is needed to survive, etc.. this was just what I learned in that course
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
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    I just found back my weight chart from when I was starving myself (anorexia/bulimia). Turns out I was losing at the same rate as now, only being hungry all the time and feeling miserable. I think most days I was eating 500-600 cals. So I don't know about starvation mode but heavy restriction diets DO slow down your metabolism.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I really think this site made up the "starvation mode <1200kcal"
    No matter what you believe about "starvation mode <1200kcal", this site did not make it up. So you're wrong right out of the gate.
  • Avalonis
    Avalonis Posts: 1,540 Member
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    If you aren't hungry, don't eat.

    I don't really buy the whole "starvation mode" bull****.

    I used to eat half a Subway sandwich a day and I didn't die.

    You also have very little muscle.

    Personally, I think I'll listen to the people that know what they are talking about, like Doctors, nutritionists, and people who look like Greek gods.
  • nacs246
    nacs246 Posts: 93 Member
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    I AGREE with erickirb entirely. Maybe not everyone likes Jillain Michaels but please read this article. She certainly know what she talks about as well.

    http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/best-way-to-burn fat?xid=nl_LosingItWithJillianMichaels_20111027
  • NA_Willie
    NA_Willie Posts: 340 Member
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    If you aren't hungry, don't eat.

    I don't really buy the whole "starvation mode" bull****.

    I used to eat half a Subway sandwich a day and I didn't die.

    You also have very little muscle.

    Personally, I think I'll listen to the people that know what they are talking about, like Doctors, nutritionists, and people who look like Greek gods.
    This is all true.
  • Angel87a
    Angel87a Posts: 113
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    Those pancakes in your picture look very tasty!
  • Angel87a
    Angel87a Posts: 113
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    Those pancakes in your picture look very tasty!
  • rosalee87
    rosalee87 Posts: 221 Member
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    I think this starvation mode deal is crap - when I started my weight loss journey I started at staying at 600-650cal per day and I was just fine, I wasn't starving nor did I ever feel deprived. I stuck to that for a month then increased to about 700 cals then 800 cals and I exercise - I went to my doctors just for a check up and he told me I was very healthy and I told him about the low calories I was eating and he said it was just fine but he PREFERRED my lowest cal intake to be 750-800. But, for several months I've been eating below 1200cals and I'm not starving and I've also toned up.


    but I respect everyones opinions
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    Starvation mode is real. As for the 1200 calorie limit many people use, it is not true for everyone. Some are a little less and some are a little more. I see a decent amount of women on here that do net aroudn 500 calories or so and that is NOT healthy. It's common sense!
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    I think this starvation mode deal is crap - when I started my weight loss journey I started at staying at 600-650cal per day and I was just fine, I wasn't starving nor did I ever feel deprived. I stuck to that for a month then increased to about 700 cals then 800 cals and I exercise - I went to my doctors just for a check up and he told me I was very healthy and I told him about the low calories I was eating and he said it was just fine but he PREFERRED my lowest cal intake to be 750-800. But, for several months I've been eating below 1200cals and I'm not starving and I've also toned up.


    but I respect everyones opinions

    :huh:

    I think your doctor needs his head examined. I cannot fathom a doctor telling someone that 750-800 calories a day is healthy..
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
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    I think it's basic common sense. If you don't eat enough to fuel your body, it will start to work less and focus on maintaining the essential bodily functions. Eventually, even those functions will not get enough fuel, and that's how people die of anorexia.
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
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    I think this starvation mode deal is crap - when I started my weight loss journey I started at staying at 600-650cal per day and I was just fine, I wasn't starving nor did I ever feel deprived. I stuck to that for a month then increased to about 700 cals then 800 cals and I exercise - I went to my doctors just for a check up and he told me I was very healthy and I told him about the low calories I was eating and he said it was just fine but he PREFERRED my lowest cal intake to be 750-800. But, for several months I've been eating below 1200cals and I'm not starving and I've also toned up.


    but I respect everyones opinions

    :huh:

    I think your doctor needs his head examined. I cannot fathom a doctor telling someone that 750-800 calories a day is healthy..

    I agree...I know not all doctors have much nutrition knowledge. Usually, they have a broad spectrum. If you want someone that specializes, and knows nutrition, you'd need to talk to a registered dietitian.
  • Uerzer
    Uerzer Posts: 273
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    Starvation mode is very, very real. However, not in the way people keep posting on these forums.
    That's what i wanted to hear XD
    also, i read that wiki article before posting :P
    No matter what you believe about "starvation mode <1200kcal", this site did not make it up. So you're wrong right out of the gate.
    Please tell me how.
  • Uerzer
    Uerzer Posts: 273
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    I think it's basic common sense. If you don't eat enough to fuel your body, it will start to work less and focus on maintaining the essential bodily functions. Eventually, even those functions will not get enough fuel, and that's how people die of anorexia.

    Mainly heart and immune system getting pwnt, being suicide the second cause for death on those patients

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