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is starvation mode a myth?
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I don't think starvation mode is a myth. But I think that the way that it is often explained is a little off. I don't know the exact number of calories that will throw your body into "starvation mode" (it probably varies for each person) but I think that the reason it is an issue for people trying to lose weight, is because if you suddenly start eating significantly less you will lose weight but until your body adjusts it will save slightly more calories (not to the point of you gaining weight though), but I think if you slip and eat a big meal now and then, then that is what could cause you to lose weight, and that is why it is so frowned upon to eat too few calories.0
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Exactly. Eating disorders can cause your body so much damage, even if you are still losing weight. Starvation mode doesn't just mean that you'll get to a point where you stop losing, especially in the very real sense of the word "starvation" when addressing people with disorders such as anorexia.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.0 -
When would you consider that point to be when your body starts breaking down? Just wondering.
MFP is about living a healthy lifestyle, not abusing yourself to reach a numeric goal. You should feel stronger, more energetic, more like bouncing and dancing when you move. Your body should be functioning well. If you were obese and are coming to normal, you may notice your periods becoming more regular.
To determine if you are overshooting your healthy weight:
Are you feeling tired instead of energetic?
Are your wounds healing more slowly? Do paper cuts last for days?
Are you getting bruises you don't remember?
Is your skin dry or finely wrinkled? Are your lips chapped?
How much hair is in the drain after you wash your hair?
How's your sex drive? How are your periods?
Are your eyes looking sunken because you're losing the fat that cushions your eyeballs?
Are you getting fuzzy hair on your skin?
Have a lot of people stopped saying how great you look and started making Karen Carpenter jokes?
I was never obese, since my teen years I've always been a normal weight for my height. I can't help how I live my life though. but I have experienced all these symptoms, except the hair on my skin and the sex drive thing.0 -
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'm wondering if I just got called a "guy" here...0 -
I believe the poster above that listed a series of questions meant to put "underweight" and not over.0
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I have ednos, I can't help it.
You can't help who you are, but you are suffering because you're too good at it. If you were less disciplined, you would be in no danger.
Is there any way you can take on enough new activities that you don't have as much time to devote to your weight program? Especially something where that type of discipline could come in handy?
"Perfection" for a professional musician, for instance, involves 6 hours of practice a day, and lots of attention to proper form to avoid repetitive stress injury. Classical guitar is something that can sound good fairly early in the process of learning yet allow you to spend years really getting skilled, and you can probably get a second hand classical guitar for very little money.0 -
The problem with going too low is it does mess up your metabolism. Your body does adjust to how many calories you're getting, and everyone is different. If you start eating 600 calories a day, of course you'll lose weight, but your body will hate you for it. Plus, you'll gain everything back when you go higher, since your body will be use to only getting a few calories a day.0
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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.
See a doctor. Your kidneys can shut down from this.0 -
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.
They lose muscle, not fat. Their body fat as a percentage of overall body weight goes up because their muscle loss is so profound. Wait until you start losing hair, your teeth start rotting. You start having all kinds of health problems, hormonal problems (how many lose their periods?). You see, in times of starvation - which is what Anorexia is - your body will shut down it's fat burning and break down muscle for energy. The body must hold onto a certain amount of fat it's there for a reason.
Starvation mode is only true on the Standard American Diet. I can eat 1000 calories of real food following my Primal lifestyle and blow the RDA out of the water. Try doing that on the SAD. And never feel one twinge of hunger throughout the entire day. It's not the lack of calories, it's the lack of nutrients.0 -
I believe the poster above that listed a series of questions meant to put "underweight" and not over.
Thank you....
The question that remains is why doctors of people who have done gastric bypass recommend such low calorie intakes if its that dangerous?0 -
I believe the poster above that listed a series of questions meant to put "underweight" and not over.
Thank you....
The question that remains is why doctors of people who have done gastric bypass recommend such low calorie intakes if its that dangerous?
Often the getting rid if the health issues tied to that level of obesity is worth the risk of an ultra low calorie diet. Additionally obese people do not experience the famine response as quickly and easily as normal weight people due to the large levels of fat stores.0 -
There's some exceptions to every rule, and I would say the majority of gastric surgery patients are people who don't process food/calories in a normal manner. Surgeons (at least good ones) don't operate on just any person who wants gastric surgery. There's a long list of criteria they must go through to qualify, physically and psychologically. I know one of my friends who had it a year ago (and is doing amazing!) failed to lose weight through any traditional means, and it was negatively affecting her healthy. Blood glucose out of control, crazy high blood pressure, etc. no matter what she ate or how much she exercised. Her nutrition has been very strictly monitored with supplements out the wazoo. Another friend, who is on here, has been working with her doctors for more than 6 months to go through all the loopholes required to get surgery, and is getting it next week.
On the other hand, I knew a woman who didn't qualify via US standards, and had it done in Brazil where they're more lax on their requirements. She had complication after complication after complication, and passed away. :frown:
VLCD and gastric surgery is NOT for the average person. They're extreme measures, for extreme cases.0 -
Anyone that has had Gastric Bypass or Lose it Naturally (like me) have one thing in common, we all was obese, super morbidly obese, or even off the chart (which was me). At one time to maintain my weight at 560 lbs. I had to consume 5000-6000 calories a day just to maintain and of course I was gaining weight so I was eating more like 7000-8000 calories if not more. So whether you get Bypass and go to 500 calories a day or what I went to with my dietician which was around 2000-2500 a day, we had tons of fat to burn as calories so our bodies had no problem giving up those calories. No fast forward 29 months, I have lost 287 lbs. and can walk again so my exercise has increased 10 fold and my body is getting to the point where I have more lean muscle than fat so now calories in vs. calories out is crucial. I can easily run major caloric deficits and put myself into starvation mode and/or I have seen the results of to much cardio and the effects it has on burning pure lean muscle because I wasn't fueling my body with the right amount of calories... Someone of a normal weight can not be comparing their situation with someone at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to the overall health factors involved.0
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Starvation mode only applies if you are under 5% body fat for an extended amount of time and your body is depleted of nutrition and WATER resources. I know for me I can not consume more than 800 calories a day no matter how much exercise I get to stay under 130 lbs. Been like that for years, gained weight on every 1200 calorie program I was on, I need to lower that about 50 calories every 5 years.0
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This is just my opinion. Take it with a grain of salt.
"We have always been told that never go under 1200 calories a day or your body will hit starvation mode."
I think starvation mode exists. But the 1200 rule is more than just starvation mode. Going below 1200 would make a person more likely to binge and less likely to get their minimum nutrition for the day. It would also lead to a spike in hunger / the hormonal see - saw. As for starvation mode, a lot of people space out mini meals six times per day and swear that it keeps their metabolism humming. It's not just about the calories.
My personal experience is that when I used to hit several 1200 calorie days in a row coupled with exercise, my weight loss would slow to a crawl. I would have to eat just a little more to see the scale drop. Whether this is just water weight or starvation mode is not clear.
' My question is, why does the body not behaive the same as those people who have done gastric bypass? They consume between 300 calories immediately after the op to around 1200 calories around 8months to a year."
I think their bodies do behave in the same way. My genuine opinion as a layperson is that gastric bypass is a terrible way to lose weight if diet / exercise are still an option. I think it is counterproductive to reduce the intestine's ability to absorb nutrients from food. I think it is terrible to bring someone on a 3,000 + calorie diet to less than 500 calories per day within 24 hours. I think anyone dropping to that low calorie plan will shock their body into starvation mode and they will lose muscle mass along the way. Having a small stomach may make a person feel full, but doesn't help when it comes to fruits and vegetables that are high in volume and low in calories.
Slow weight loss coupled with nutrient dense foods and activity is probably the least painful way to lose weight. It is also more sustainable - not only can you hold onto lean muscle tissue, avoiding "skinny fat," but probably deter some of the loose skin issues that seem to happen when people lose a lot of weight quickly. And avoid starvation mode / hunger spikes.
"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?"
I think those people lose weight because the calorie cuts are so drastic and they start out morbidly obese, but I would be interested in seeing if they can maintain a healthy body at the end of their weight loss and build lean body mass while consuming the same number of calories that the average person of their height / weight / gender does. Most fit people can do so if they make the right food choices and exercise daily. But what about someone who has essentially dieted long - term at the bare minimum ? They've trained their body to survive on fewer calories and to hold onto every bite. They may have to eat several hundred calories less just to weigh the same as a person who has never crash dieted.0 -
For me, I eat very small portions and barely eat more than 1000 calories, I am trying to get it up to 1200 calories, but I do notice that when I eat my usual 800-900 calories, I am fine, but when I eat 1000+ I feel sick and actually put weight on.
I tried this eat more, lose weight thing and in 3 days I put on 5lbs!!! I have only just lost that gain by eating my lower calorie intake.
Everyone s different and it about finding out what is right for you and your body.0 -
Starvation response is not a myth, but the way "starvation mode" is talked about on MFP is absolute cr@p.
This.
A lot depends on how much you have to lose. The less you eat, the the more careful you need to be about what you eat. For almost seven months, I have averaged 1,040 calories per day. I had one day where I exceeded 1,500. I eat over 100 grams of protein a day, usually over 120. I am 6'3" tall. With exercise, most days my net is about zero. My weight loss has been completely predictable, with no starvation mode. My BMR has slowed by a little more than 10 percent because of the reduced calories, but it has not slowed anywhere near as much as most would have you believe.
I am only fifteen pounds from my goal, and have been supervised by a doctor and nutritionist very closely. Don't try this at home.0 -
you should have titled this, " Your daily 1200 calorie thread"0
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For me, I eat very small portions and barely eat more than 1000 calories, I am trying to get it up to 1200 calories, but I do notice that when I eat my usual 800-900 calories, I am fine, but when I eat 1000+ I feel sick and actually put weight on.
I tried this eat more, lose weight thing and in 3 days I put on 5lbs!!! I have only just lost that gain by eating my lower calorie intake.
Everyone s different and it about finding out what is right for you and your body.
thisis because you have destroyed your metabolism..........................0 -
Anyone that has had Gastric Bypass or Lose it Naturally (like me) have one thing in common, we all was obese, super morbidly obese, or even off the chart (which was me). At one time to maintain my weight at 560 lbs. I had to consume 5000-6000 calories a day just to maintain and of course I was gaining weight so I was eating more like 7000-8000 calories if not more. So whether you get Bypass and go to 500 calories a day or what I went to with my dietician which was around 2000-2500 a day, we had tons of fat to burn as calories so our bodies had no problem giving up those calories. No fast forward 29 months, I have lost 287 lbs. and can walk again so my exercise has increased 10 fold and my body is getting to the point where I have more lean muscle than fat so now calories in vs. calories out is crucial. I can easily run major caloric deficits and put myself into starvation mode and/or I have seen the results of to much cardio and the effects it has on burning pure lean muscle because I wasn't fueling my body with the right amount of calories... Someone of a normal weight can not be comparing their situation with someone at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to the overall health factors involved.
Everything Ed said. There is a world of difference between ten percent body fat and fifty percent.0 -
no its definately real... u just have to have been food deprived for a really long time.
i think the biggest thing you are thinking about is metabolic slowdown which occurs anytime you are in a caloric deficit for an extended period of time 4+weeks-ish0 -
I couldn't imagine eating less than 1200. I want a sustainable level of eating that is a lifestyle rather than a diet. I could drop more weight if I are lots less but once I came off diet and ate more I'd put the weight back on. This has taken me a long time to learn!!! So now weight loss is slow but its happening and I don't starve myself or be miserable from being hungry. And there's nothing I've cut out... Apart from cherry coke love it but plays havoc with my skin and its empty calories.0
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I consider low days just as bad as high ones it means some where i messed up0
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And today was not a good day very low and not sure what to do about it because i ate a big dinner and i am not hungery0
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Bump0
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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.
Not to defend a diet that low calorie, but why would your body lose muscle instead of fat?? That's why it stores fat in the first place. It is going to burn the fat first for quite a while. It's not smart to do a very low calorie diet because it is not sustainable and the weight must come back to some degree when normal calorie consumption is resumed. Even if it is much lower than the starting calorie amount. Appetite should increase with exercise and should be welcomed as a sign of a healthy metabolism and that your body wants to build some muscle.0
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