Starvation Mode

StacySkinny

My boyfriend claims there is no such thing as "starvation mode". I told him today that I need to eat at least 1,200 calories everyday and he got mad at me about it. He thinks I'm being stupid. He's thin and has never had an issue with weight. He says "Some days I only eat a banana - YOU don't need to eat at least 1,200 calories".

I'm asking you guys because I know many of you are very knowledgeable when it comes to weight loss. Do I need to be eating at least 1,200 calories? If so is that before or after my exercise calories?

To make it easier on you guys to give me some advice I'll give you my stats:

I'm 32
I weigh 342 lbs (yes you read that right) - I've lost 43 pounds, down from 385.
I'm female
I'm 5'4"


HELP! I don't want to follow this site's recommendations because losing TWO pounds a week is just entirely to slow for someone who has as much to lose as I do. That would take me over two years to reach my goal weight at that rate. So yeah, if you guys could give me some advice on how many calories I should be eating, that would be great!

Is there such thing as starvation mode? Who's right? I will blissfully swallow humble pie if he is right. I just need to know!

ruby_red_rose

Yes, there is something called a starvation mode, and you do need to eat enough to make sure you do not enter that mode. I was eating 1100 calories, and not loosing any weight. I talked to a dietician, she recommended upping my calories to 1400, which helped me lose 33 lbs (half of what I need to lose). I am never eating 1100 calories again - it didn't fill me up, and it didn't help me lose weight. If you can, please get advice from a dietician.
Best of luck!

SergeantSunshine_reused

He eats only a banana some days?

There is a starvation mode... but honestly you would be okay eating on a VLCD. I would talk to your doctor about it tho. You have quite a bit to lose so you do not have to worry about it yet.
Nothing wrong with slow weight loss though! 2 years for a whole body transformation is a great time frame. Will help prevent saggy skin too :flowerforyou:

Lekkie84

I'm not an expert on how many calories you should be eating, but 1,200 is a general guide.

To be honest, your bf is a idiot if he thinks that a person can survive on a banana alone. Starvation mode exists. It occurs when the body does not get the required nutrition to function.

CaptainGordo

It exists, but is often misunderstood.

The basics...

Who is at Risk?
Most people with large amounts of fat stores are not at risk of starvation mode. This is usually women over 35% body fat and men over 25% body fat, but there is no exact point. They have sufficient energy stores to supplement the body’s needs for energy (however, they still have other needs that must be met, such as vitamins and minerals). The closer a person is to a healthy BMI, the higher risk and consequences of starvation mode.

When Does it Happen?
It doesn’t happen by skipping a meal or even a whole day or at 1200, 1000, or any other random cal number. Typically, metabolism will begin to decrease after about 72 hours of significantly inadequate intake. But this is dependent on the individual’s specific situation – what the energy requirements are, how much fat they have, and the exact level of intake. The loss of lean tissue begins sometime later. It could be days, weeks or months. It may be at 1200 for one person, and 2000 for another. Again, it depends on the individual and will be a different point for everyone.

Check this out for more info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390234-does-starvation-mode-exist-and-what-is-it

Jessb1985

This is just my opinion, as I'm sure other people will differ, but I would agree that you need to eat at least 1200 calories per day even just for the nutrients it provides. In saying that, if you burn off 600 calories of exercise you have a net of 600, but at least you've eaten 1200 to have the energy to burn. I say this because after going to my dietitian she told me it isn't necessary to eat back all of your exercise calories unless you are hungry and feel you need them

My boyfriend is also the same as he can go a day without eating anything, but I also notice when he doesn't eat he has no energy and is in a bad mood so I put it down to that lol.

Good luck with your weight loss, I know only 2 pounds per week doesn't sound like much but if you try to starve yourself you may loose it quick but most likely you will snap and eat everything and gain it all back even faster.

CaptainGordo

HELP! I don't want to follow this site's recommendations because losing TWO pounds a week is just entirely to slow for someone who has as much to lose as I do. That would take me over two years to reach my goal weight at that rate.

This is not "The Biggest Loser", where people drop 10 pounds a "week" -- or whatever the producers like to call a week. Two pounds a week is the max you can lose safely, with the odds of keeping it off for good. There are no shortcuts that will make you healthier.

RonSwanson66

Starvation mode is real, but you won't get there from a single day of eating under 1200 calories. It takes weeks of eating well below your BMR to kick in.

Google the Minnesota Starvation Study. The participants ate 1/2 of their maintenance calories for 6 months, and didn't stop losing weight and fat until near the end of the study (by then they had very low body fat percentage). Their metabolic rates did drop, but the vast majority of this was simply due to their weight loss (smaller bodies burn fewer calories)

I'm not recommending you do something that extreme, but at your size you can handle a larger deficit and more rapid weight loss than 2lbs / week.

Puffins1958

I agree with the above advise. I had gone to see a nutritionalist, she recommended this site. I input the information needed to lose 2 lbs. A week. MFP recommended that I eat 1200 calories per day. My exercise calories are added to that total. I hardly ever eat ALL of my exercise calories, but to me....that's ok. I wish you all the BEST here.....

Bencribb

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/loseweight.htm

"This doesn't mean crash diet (anything less than 1500 calories), which usually ends up with you either getting weaker or giving up in desperation. Quick-fix diets can lead to a yo-yoing effect of drastic weight loss followed by weight gain, resulting in a vicious cycle."

Your body is used to eating a certain amount per day, if you eat significantly less than that, you will be extremely hungry the next day, and feel sluggish. The figures MFP gives you protect you from these negative effects. You should not eat 1200 calories per day. You should eat the recommended amount, and you should make up at least 50% of calories burned off through exercise as part of normal recovery. It is well known that there are health risks for losing weight too quickly.

Your boyfriend's body might be used to surviving in a malnourished state, that doesn't mean it's fine for you.

I am overweight. I've lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks following the recommendations. I am physically active and I record all my fitness and recover the majority of the calories burned in workouts. For fat people, the 2 pounds a week is a very conservative estimate for what they are likely to lose by making serious changes to their lifestyle. Even for fat people, there are serious risks associated with attempting to lose weight too rapidly, especially while not medically supervised.

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/news_060614.php

anyonebutmehaha

i'll let the people more knowledgeable than i comment about starvation mode stuff i just wanted to put this thought in your head:

"HELP! I don't want to follow this site's recommendations because losing TWO pounds a week is just entirely to slow for someone who has as much to lose as I do. That would take me over two years to reach my goal weight at that rate."

do you think you will be 'fat' until the day 2 year from now when you're at your goal weight? that one day you are "fat" and then scale says~ tada! goal weight reached! and bam! suddenly you are skinny? nah, you'll be seeing and feeling changes every step of this journey and there will be all sorts of good, no great, things happening loooooong before you reach that magic goal weight number on scale.
remember you didn't get here in a day, it is gonna take time to get to where you dream of being, but it is the journey that will keep the weight off you forever.
2 pounds a week IS a lot of weight and there are many reasons that it is pretty universally recommended not to go faster than that. want a real good easy reason? your skin needs that time to 'keep up' w/ the weight lose and not end up w/ a bunch of loose hanging skin on a thin frame like what happens to a lot of the people that choose bypass surgery and drop a ton of weight very quickly.
how about thinking of it like your body is going to get a college education? if it got it in a few months, well it might have the degree but it wouldn't know what to do with it. while in 2 years you can have a smart educated healthy body- that's not a long time really. (and who knows you might want to go on and get your body a PhD after that and run circles around your banana -a-day BF, lol).
good luck!

ccmccoy09

Here's the thing: "starvation mode" as fact or fiction, your body needs a certain amount of fuel every day to function. If you don't get that fuel, your body can't just take it from what's already inside your body, not all of it. So no, you won't starve to death if you tried to eat like your [insensitive and misinformed!] boyfriend and just had a banana a day, but you will be cranky, tired, weak, and deficient in calcium, iron, protein and a slew of other important vitamins and minerals. 1200 calories is the generally recognized minimum to provide your body with enough fuel to perform. Check out this calculator to get an idea of your basic caloric needs: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Based on your current weight, I would even venture to say that 1200 is far, far too few calories for you. Take the advice of others here and talk to a dietitian or a nurse who specializes in nutrition. You only need a deficit of 7000 calories a week to lose 2 pounds a week; if you're currently eating 3000 cal a day (and not gaining weight), you could cut that back to 2000 calories a day and STILL LOSE 2 POUNDS A WEEK.

2 pounds a week is plenty darling. You say it would take you 2 years to get to your goal weight at that rate, so I'm guessing you have about 100 pounds to lose. That's no small feat... think of it this way: can you lift 100 pounds in weights? What's the max you can lift? You have to work up to lifting that 100 pounds. Maybe that will help put your goal into perspective. 2 years is completely reasonable, and completely doable. Besides, if you do it right it will come off faster at the beginning. Good luck!

StacySkinny

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Though there seems to be some disagreement, the over all consensus seems to be that there IS such thing as eating too few calories, though I'm still not sure how many to eat. Different calorie calculators give me vastly different numbers.

I'm too broke to see a specialist or dietitian. lol And different sites tell me different things. Even different articles written by different doctors vary vastly in their recommendations. I guess when it comes to weight lose there really is more theory than fact. I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and stay above 1,200. I'm glad about that, I hate feeling tired and cranky. I'm also glad that most of you agree that my boyfriend is WRONG (though I won't tell him that... I'd rather avoid a fight lol).

I think I learned, though, that if he doesn't keep is mouth shut I'm going to have to ask him to mind his own business and let me deal with my own health and weight loss on my own. It's funny... he never seem to have an issue with my weight until I actively started trying to lose weight.

LuciaLongIsland

It exists, but is often misunderstood.

The basics...

Who is at Risk?
Most people with large amounts of fat stores are not at risk of starvation mode. This is usually women over 35% body fat and men over 25% body fat, but there is no exact point. They have sufficient energy stores to supplement the body’s needs for energy (however, they still have other needs that must be met, such as vitamins and minerals). The closer a person is to a healthy BMI, the higher risk and consequences of starvation mode.

When Does it Happen?
It doesn’t happen by skipping a meal or even a whole day or at 1200, 1000, or any other random cal number. Typically, metabolism will begin to decrease after about 72 hours of significantly inadequate intake. But this is dependent on the individual’s specific situation – what the energy requirements are, how much fat they have, and the exact level of intake. The loss of lean tissue begins sometime later. It could be days, weeks or months. It may be at 1200 for one person, and 2000 for another. Again, it depends on the individual and will be a different point for everyone.

Check this out for more info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390234-does-starvation-mode-exist-and-what-is-it

LuciaLongIsland

I cannot thank you enough for posting that link. I am eating between a 1000 calories and 12oo calories and need to lose 40 pounds at minimum, doctors orders, btw/ I get SO MUCH GRIEF, regarding this. I wish people would educate themselves.not criticize me. This article proves my point. Personally, I believe it is for those who choose NOT to stop eating so much. I see diaries, cookies, ice cream, McDonalds, pizza. Hello, we are supposed to be on our way to becoming healthy. I don't understand these food choices with an excuse once a week. Perhaps once a month. I have not had any of this for over 80 days. My indulgence was champagne on Thanksgiving.

Please stop bugging me!!!

LuciaLongIsland

My Doctor told me to eat 1000 calories. even with exercise. !200 was too much.

I need to lose 40 pounds. When I eat 1200 with exercise, I gain.

Everyone is different

BeeElMarvin

Thank you EEG!

It exists, but is often misunderstood.

The basics...

Who is at Risk?
Most people with large amounts of fat stores are not at risk of starvation mode. This is usually women over 35% body fat and men over 25% body fat, but there is no exact point. They have sufficient energy stores to supplement the body’s needs for energy (however, they still have other needs that must be met, such as vitamins and minerals). The closer a person is to a healthy BMI, the higher risk and consequences of starvation mode.

When Does it Happen?
It doesn’t happen by skipping a meal or even a whole day or at 1200, 1000, or any other random cal number. Typically, metabolism will begin to decrease after about 72 hours of significantly inadequate intake. But this is dependent on the individual’s specific situation – what the energy requirements are, how much fat they have, and the exact level of intake. The loss of lean tissue begins sometime later. It could be days, weeks or months. It may be at 1200 for one person, and 2000 for another. Again, it depends on the individual and will be a different point for everyone.

Check this out for more info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390234-does-starvation-mode-exist-and-what-is-it

Zee48

My suggestion is definitely see your family doctor or have a well woman check up with your GYN and discuss this. Another option is call your insurance company if you have medical insurance. I say if because I no longer have medical insurance and it hurts. Anyway most insurance company have nurse hotlines that will discuss, knowledgeably, these things with you.

There is no cookie cutter answer for all of us. Some will lose on 1000 while others will lose on 1400. Eat healthy, no junk foods on regular basis, no sodas, lots of protein, fruits & veggies, plenty of WATER, good oils daily and exercise 3 or more times per week. You don't have to pump iron to exercise either - there are plenty of exercises that can be done right there in your home or office without making a big deal out of it.

Best wishes for a slow, continued weight loss. Slow losses seem to last longer because we have a chance to totally change our eating habits and our outlook on food. Less flab that way too.

LuciaLongIsland

My suggestion is definitely see your family doctor or have a well woman check up with your GYN and discuss this. Another option is call your insurance company if you have medical insurance. I say if because I no longer have medical insurance and it hurts. Anyway most insurance company have nurse hotlines that will discuss, knowledgeably, these things with you.

There is no cookie cutter answer for all of us. Some will lose on 1000 while others will lose on 1400. Eat healthy, no junk foods on regular basis, no sodas, lots of protein, fruits & veggies, plenty of WATER, good oils daily and exercise 3 or more times per week. You don't have to pump iron to exercise either - there are plenty of exercises that can be done right there in your home or office without making a big deal out of it.

Best wishes for a slow, continued weight loss. Slow losses seem to last longer because we have a chance to totally change our eating habits and our outlook on food. Less flab that way too.

Nicely put. I guess I am angry due to all the "know it all " people who are not doctors. Three of my doctors have recommended 1000 calories for me.

melsie20

I think the thing you need to lose is your boyfriend. It sounds like he doesn't treat you with respect... telling you things that could harm your body (only eating a banana a day) and not supporting a healthy eating style. Just sayin.

Azdak

I think the thing you need to lose is your boyfriend. It sounds like he doesn't treat you with respect... telling you things that could harm your body (only eating a banana a day) and not supporting a healthy eating style. Just sayin.

That might be the best "diet" of all: lose 180 lbs of useless weight overnight!!

4thehardman

I have over 100lbs to lose. I am using the MFP suggested daily amount to lose 2 lbs a week but I never eat all of my exercise calories back. I have lost 18lbs in 40 days. I feel great and thanks to the exercise I am also seeing improvement in my shape and size.
There isn't a quick fix but I'll bet you have been fat for longer than 2 years right? So whats another 2 years to get it off safely and forever?

deksgrl

Read this article:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

Don't listen to your boyfriend, he doesn't know what he's talking about.

fit4everyoung

bump for later

rileamoyer

Just curious, what has been your average weight loss per week? When you have lots of weight to lose, you may find you lose more than 2 lbs a week for a while. But keeping that goal in sight and not losing too fast will keep you healthier and increase your chances of keeping the weight off for good. Also it will help reduce the impact of sagging skin. You are young enough that your skin will tighten if you go at it slowly. Keep it well hydrated to help it along. Good luck, and don't pay attention to his advice, it is your body and your life.

deksgrl

Do I need to be eating at least 1,200 calories? If so is that before or after my exercise calories?

1,200 net calories, after exercise, is the general guideline for minimum amount of calories consumed. MFP will calculate this for you if you put in your exercise. However, at your weight, you likely need more than 1,200. But everybody's body is different and some people have found they had to tweak things here and there to find out what works for them. And of course it takes time and effort to see results and make adjustments.

rileamoyer

I think the thing you need to lose is your boyfriend. It sounds like he doesn't treat you with respect... telling you things that could harm your body (only eating a banana a day) and not supporting a healthy eating style. Just sayin.

That might be the best "diet" of all: lose 180 lbs of useless weight overnight!!

Sounds like good advice to me!!!!!

TLCEsq

At your current weight, you don't have to worry about "starvation mode" as much as someone who only has, say, 20-30 more pounds to lose. As you lose weight you have less mass to move around, so if you keep eating the same amount of calories you ate when you weighed 20 pounds more, the deficit will be slightly smaller. I suggest you read this article by Lyle McDonald, it's very informative: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/setting-the-deficit-small-moderate-or-large.html

The problem I had in the past when I ate too few calories was that I (a) didn't eat enough protein to maintain lean body mass and (b) didn't lift weights. In fact, I stopped exercising because my caloric intake was so low. I put on 15 pounds of almost pure fat in two months earlier this year due to stupid dieting techniques and stress. I was so hell-bent on losing my last ten pounds before law school graduation that I went on a crash diet and gained instead. I learned my lesson from that.

That being said, someone at your current weight does not need such a drastic deficit as only 1200 calories in the first place. You have more weight and even more muscle (mass in general) than someone my size, and I still manage close to a 1,000 calorie deficit per day through diet and exercise. It gets more complicated the closer you get to your goal weight. I'd say your primary focus right now should be learning/maintaining healthy habits, eating a diet rich in whole foods that keeps you full, and incorporating an exercise regimen that includes resistance training. Oh, and don't listen to your boyfriend :-)

MIMITIME

Click on tools then BMR. That's how many calories your body needs each day if you did nothing but stay in bed all day like someone in a coma. That's right. Your body needs the calories to breath, for your heart to beat and other bodily functions. Two pounds a week is 108 pounds a year. That's a lot of weight. None of us got our extra weight over night nor will we lose it over night. I am afraid you are setting yourself up for failure by not wanting to follow the MFP guidelines. The theory is to learn to change your eating habits and choices so you are not back to yo yo dieting which ruins your metabolism. There was a poster on here a couple of weeks ago that said she had yoyo dieted herself to 450 pounds. She has lost 250 pounds on MFP. As for your boyfriend, he is wrong.

AmythistRae

My boyfriend claims there is no such thing as "starvation mode". I told him today that I need to eat at least 1,200 calories everyday and he got mad at me about it. He thinks I'm being stupid. He's thin and has never had an issue with weight. He says "Some days I only eat a banana - YOU don't need to eat at least 1,200 calories".

I'm asking you guys because I know many of you are very knowledgeable when it comes to weight loss. Do I need to be eating at least 1,200 calories? If so is that before or after my exercise calories?

To make it easier on you guys to give me some advice I'll give you my stats:

I'm 32
I weigh 342 lbs (yes you read that right) - I've lost 43 pounds, down from 385.
I'm female
I'm 5'4"


HELP! I don't want to follow this site's recommendations because losing TWO pounds a week is just entirely to slow for someone who has as much to lose as I do. That would take me over two years to reach my goal weight at that rate. So yeah, if you guys could give me some advice on how many calories I should be eating, that would be great!

Is there such thing as starvation mode? Who's right? I will blissfully swallow humble pie if he is right. I just need to know!

at our weights starvation mode is not a problem....some days I eat under 1000 because I only do smoothies and some days I eat 1500 or more....the trick with us is to change it up and eat really healthy...I know for me cravings was the worst but I drink green smoothies and they take away the cravings..Now I only want fruits, veggies and occasionally meat....sugar actually tastes like artificial sweetener to me now...

mrsdizzyd84

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Though there seems to be some disagreement, the over all consensus seems to be that there IS such thing as eating too few calories, though I'm still not sure how many to eat. Different calorie calculators give me vastly different numbers.

I feel you there. I think MFP's calorie goals are very accurate. They calculate your BMR, multiply that by your activity level, then subtract 500 calories per day per pound you want to lose. This is the traditional way of doing things.