is starvation mode a myth?

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CallmeSbo
CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

We have always been told that never go under 1200calories a day or your body will hit starvation mode. My question is, why does the body not behaive the same as those people who have done gastric bypass? They consume between 300calories immediately after the op to around 1200 calories around 8months to a year. I have yet to meet a person who has done this op eat calories more than 1600. Is it possible that all the talk about the body hitting starvation mode is a myth. Why is it ok for those people to eat so much less calories, and the rest of us not?
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Replies

  • epona_mus
    epona_mus Posts: 207 Member
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    Starvation mode exists but the manner in which it impacts people is widely misunderstood/misconstrued on MFP. You will NOT go into starvation mode by dipping below 1200 calories.

    Here's a good layman's explanation:

    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html
  • CallmeSbo
    CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
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    Thanks alot
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    The real question is: Why do you WANT to eat less than 1200 calories? Eating less than 1900 is hard for me! 1200 would seriously depress me. I like food.

    A moderate calorie deficit is WAY EASIER to sustain. And you're less likely to gain back the weight.
  • justanotherbrickinthewall
    justanotherbrickinthewall Posts: 156 Member
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    I feel like starvation mode is a myth. Why do anorexics, eating so little calories a day, still lose weight?
    I eat, on average, 750-800 a day, and my weight loss hasn't stopped.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Just be aware the people who have had gastric bypass are under the supervision of a doctor, and are obese to begin with.

    You body does adjust to large calorie deficits such as might be produced at 1200 calories. It's more appropriately called "famine response". It's a survival mechanism left over from when humans often experienced times of feast and famine. However it takes a long time of eating at lower levels for this to happen, maybe a month or so, and you can push through this and go into full on "starving" like an anorexic does. Additionally, you tend simply move less when you eat less. Fighting and normal movements throughout the day account for a lot of calories burned. If you subconsciously reduces this movement you lower your calories burned each day even more. I don't have exact numbers on how much you are decreasing your daily burned calories.

    But yes, especially when we don't have a lot to lose our bodies handle small-moderate calorie deficits much better than they handle large ones. You have more energy, you feel better, you don't feel as restricted and therefore don't give up or binge. This helps maintain muscle mass as you lose (you should also eat plenty of protien, and lift weights to help with this). It also makes the transition to maintenance easier when you reach your goals.

    Personally, I never went below 1750 NET when I was losing, eating between 1750 and 2500 due to exercise calories (and well, not always staying under goal).
  • fxst78
    fxst78 Posts: 221 Member
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    Starvation response is not a myth, but the way "starvation mode" is talked about on MFP is absolute cr@p.

    You will not go into any starvation response by going below 1200 every so often. Unless you are 6 foot tall, do alot of exercise and are at around 800 cal or below for an extended perioed of time you will be fine.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    1200 calories is recommended because it is difficult to get a nutritionally complete diet without eating at least that much. Since everyone has different baseline calorie requirements, they're obviously going to require different amounts of "starvation" before it affects their metabolism.

    Your body does adjust to extreme low calorie situations in ways that aren't going to make you feel very good (anemia, swollen legs, loss of sex drive, lightheadedness, bad breath, etc). The idea of MFP is to choose to live like a healthy thin person and have your weight come down to reflect that new lifestyle, not to go on a program that is unsustainable in the long term.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I feel like starvation mode is a myth. Why do anorexics, eating so little calories a day, still lose weight?
    I eat, on average, 750-800 a day, and my weight loss hasn't stopped.

    There is a difference between "starvation mode" and flat out starving. Anorexics starve themselves, sometimes to death. Like I said you body can adjust to smaller calorie amounts but it reaches a point where it can't anymore than it starts to break down. It'll start burning large amounts of muscle in addition to fat and then when there's nothing else to burn it'll start shutting down organs.
  • DesertSunsetRain
    DesertSunsetRain Posts: 194
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    I feel like starvation mode is a myth. Why do anorexics, eating so little calories a day, still lose weight?
    I eat, on average, 750-800 a day, and my weight loss hasn't stopped.

    There is a difference between "starvation mode" and flat out starving. Anorexics starve themselves, sometimes to death. Like I said you body can adjust to smaller calorie amounts but it reaches a point where it can't anymore than it starts to break down. It'll start burning large amounts of muscle in addition to fat and then when there's nothing else to burn it'll start shutting down organs.

    Yes, yes, yes.
  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 595 Member
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    I feel like starvation mode is a myth. Why do anorexics, eating so little calories a day, still lose weight?
    I eat, on average, 750-800 a day, and my weight loss hasn't stopped.

    There is a difference between "starvation mode" and flat out starving. Anorexics starve themselves, sometimes to death. Like I said you body can adjust to smaller calorie amounts but it reaches a point where it can't anymore than it starts to break down. It'll start burning large amounts of muscle in addition to fat and then when there's nothing else to burn it'll start shutting down organs.

    Including your heart muscle
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    Just be aware the people who have had gastric bypass are under the supervision of a doctor, and are obese to begin with.

    You body does adjust to large calorie deficits such as might be produced at 1200 calories. It's more appropriately called "famine response". It's a survival mechanism left over from when humans often experienced times of feast and famine. However it takes a long time of eating at lower levels for this to happen. Maybe a month or so, and you can push through this and go into full on "starving" like an anorexic does. Additionally, you tend simply move less when you eat less. Fighting and normal movements throughout the day account for a lot of calories burned. If you subconsciously reduces this movement you lower your calories burned each day even more. I don't have exact numbers on how much you are decreasing your daily burned calories.

    But yes, especially when we don't have a lot to lose our bodies handle small-moderate calorie deficits much better than they handle large ones. You have more energy, you feel better, you don't feel as restricted and therefore don't give up or binge. This helps maintain muscle mass as you lose (you should also eat plenty of protien, and lift weights to help with this). It also makes the transition to maintenance easier when you reach your goals.

    Personally, I never went below 1750 NET when I was losing, eating between 1750 and 2500 due to exercise calories (and well, not always staying under goal).

    Yes, this!
  • PepeGreggerton
    PepeGreggerton Posts: 986 Member
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    It really doesn't take effect until you are at or below a certain body fat (5% men 10% women). Most people can live just fine off 800-900 calories a day for weeks on end and their metabolism will not slow down and will not catabolize muscle as long as they are doing resistance training.

    But I would think it would make you grumpy!
  • justanotherbrickinthewall
    justanotherbrickinthewall Posts: 156 Member
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    When would you consider that point to be when your body starts breaking down? Just wondering.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    Personally, I never went below 1750 NET when I was losing, eating between 1750 and 2500 due to exercise calories (and well, not always staying under goal).

    Yes, this!

    If I ate 1750, I would gain weight. My maintenance calories are 1640 due to my age, size, and sedentary job. It isn't theoretically possible for me to lose a pound a week just with diet respecting the 1200 kcal limit. (I'm a hyper person so I'm actually losing faster, but another person might even lose slower -- the factors used to estimate activity are just averages.) And yeah, I like food too, so I can see I'm going to be spending my retirement doing lots of cardio.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
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    I feel like starvation mode is a myth. Why do anorexics, eating so little calories a day, still lose weight?
    I eat, on average, 750-800 a day, and my weight loss hasn't stopped.

    Aside from what the other guy said (which is all very true), when you're eating that little it's a pretty sure thing that you're losing more muscle than fat... I myself would rather be a slightly larger 'fit' than to be 'skinny fat'. The point of this website is to learn to obtain and maintain a HEALTHY lifestyle.... which means being healthy... not just fitting into the smallest size possible without literally killing yourself.
  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 595 Member
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    When would you consider that point to be when your body starts breaking down? Just wondering.

    I started doing only cardio and lost muscle in a month I am a large guy and also have physically demanding job
  • PepeGreggerton
    PepeGreggerton Posts: 986 Member
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    I fast 2-3 days a week on those days when I break the fast I eat 500-700 calories. Other days I eat between 1100-1500 and I am not starving or hungry. Keeping hydrated is important.
  • justanotherbrickinthewall
    justanotherbrickinthewall Posts: 156 Member
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    I feel like starvation mode is a myth. Why do anorexics, eating so little calories a day, still lose weight?
    I eat, on average, 750-800 a day, and my weight loss hasn't stopped.

    Aside from what the other guy said (which is all very true), when you're eating that little it's a pretty sure thing that you're losing more muscle than fat... I myself would rather be a slightly larger 'fit' than to be 'skinny fat'. The point of this website is to learn to obtain and maintain a HEALTHY lifestyle.... which means being healthy... not just fitting into the smallest size possible without literally killing yourself.

    I have ednos, I can't help it.
    But I do agree that having muscle mass is better than just being fat.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    When would you consider that point to be when your body starts breaking down? Just wondering.

    So you are trying to plan out when to stop eating at dangerous levels? It doesn't work that way. I suggest you talk to a doctor, a counsel, your parents or anyone that can help you get into a healthy relationship with food and your body.
  • PepeGreggerton
    PepeGreggerton Posts: 986 Member
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    I feel like starvation mode is a myth. Why do anorexics, eating so little calories a day, still lose weight?
    I eat, on average, 750-800 a day, and my weight loss hasn't stopped.

    Aside from what the other guy said (which is all very true), when you're eating that little it's a pretty sure thing that you're losing more muscle than fat... I myself would rather be a slightly larger 'fit' than to be 'skinny fat'. The point of this website is to learn to obtain and maintain a HEALTHY lifestyle.... which means being healthy... not just fitting into the smallest size possible without literally killing yourself.

    I disagree. If you are lifting weights and have fat to burn your body will burn the fat before the muscle.

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