starvation mode..trying to get out

gojessgo17

thinking i either need to lower cal burn (which seems absurd i love working out) or do a better job of eating what i burn back. I burn on average 700 cals a day.. but that includes weights so im probably burning a bit more after my workout...thinking my body is hitting starvation mode...im eating 1200 cals and my bmr is around 1600. It sounds silly but its hard eating 1900 cals of "good" food they are so low in cals!! any advice would be helpful

carrie_eggo

Why do you think you're in starvation mode?

gojessgo17

just based on what my friends have possibly mentioned for as much as im exercising im not seeing the results.. i track 500-900 some days bc i coach fitness and do my own workouts i probably burn close to 1500 at least 3 days a week... and im eating around 1200 is is supposedly what people suggest to be minimum but i fee like im not refueling my body as it needs

neanderthin

Who says good calories have to be low calories..............that's your problem.

emmab0902

just based on what my friends have possibly mentioned for as much as im exercising im not seeing the results.. i track 500-900 some days bc i coach fitness and do my own workouts i probably burn close to 1500 at least 3 days a week... and im eating around 1200 is is supposedly what people suggest to be minimum but i fee like im not refueling my body as it needs

Key words supposedy and suggest.

ashnm88

Who says good calories have to be low calories..............that's your problem.

Exactly!

UponThisRock

How much weight are you trying to lose?

Lift_hard_eat_big

thinking i either need to lower cal burn (which seems absurd i love working out) or do a better job of eating what i burn back. I burn on average 700 cals a day.. but that includes weights so im probably burning a bit more after my workout...thinking my body is hitting starvation mode...im eating 1200 cals and my bmr is around 1600. It sounds silly but its hard eating 1900 cals of "good" food they are so low in cals!! any advice would be helpful

Get a bodybugg to track your caloric burn more accurately, then subtract 20% to calculate what your caloric intake should roughly be

Coltsman4ever

Eat more olive oil, nuts and maybe beans or something for higher "good" calories.
Take a couple days off from the exercise and pig out. I promise (based on what I've seen with myself and many other people on here) you'll see a difference.
Your body probably needs a break.

Also, you don't burn a lot of calories while you're strength training. If you're wearing a HRM while strength training you're not getting a good readout. HRM's are designed for cardio not strength. It's apples and oranges.

chickybuns

Good suggestiong ^^ Bodybuggs are on sale now. I have one and love it, and feel that it's really help my weight loss. Also, you could add in easy healthly high calorie foods such as nuts, peanut butter, and olive oil. they add quick decent calories with good fats.

chickybuns

Good suggestion ^^ Bodybuggs are on sale now. I have one and love it, and feel that it's really help my weight loss. Also, you could add in easy healthly high calorie foods such as nuts, peanut butter, and olive oil. they add quick decent calories with good fats.

gojessgo17

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll look into the body bug although I do have a HRM i def don't trust the machines. ...

mwilbur27

My nutritionist friend recommends you eat the calories of your BMR. It's in your TDEE that you want to make the deficit. BMR calories are the ones you need to survive. Not eating those could put you into starvation mode.

carrie_eggo

just based on what my friends have possibly mentioned for as much as im exercising im not seeing the results.. i track 500-900 some days bc i coach fitness and do my own workouts i probably burn close to 1500 at least 3 days a week... and im eating around 1200 is is supposedly what people suggest to be minimum but i fee like im not refueling my body as it needs

OK, eat more! You don't have to have cookies and chips to increase your calories.There are plenty of calorie dense foods that are also nutrient dense. Full fat dairy, nuts, red meat, oils, avocado, bread and pasta....

I also agree with Coltsman4ever in taking a break once in a while. Eating in a caloric surplus for one day won't make you gain weight and often times can actually make you lose and break a plateau.

karinaes

thinking i either need to lower cal burn (which seems absurd i love working out) or do a better job of eating what i burn back. I burn on average 700 cals a day.. but that includes weights so im probably burning a bit more after my workout...thinking my body is hitting starvation mode...im eating 1200 cals and my bmr is around 1600. It sounds silly but its hard eating 1900 cals of "good" food they are so low in cals!! any advice would be helpful

yeah.. you prob need to eat more.. I net over 1800 everyday for maintenance
i weigh 120 at 5'3.5" with 15% bf

edit: i eat tons of nuts, avocado, beans... etc and i'll have a "spike day" every now and then to rev up my metabolism
add me if you want a little inspiration

nuttyflakes

i am the same way. if i dont workout not hungry when workout burn more than i can eat back... drink ptotien shakes it helps

Lift_hard_eat_big

My nutritionist friend recommends you eat the calories of your BMR. It's in your TDEE that you want to make the deficit. BMR calories are the ones you need to survive. Not eating those could put you into starvation mode.

That's terrible advice, for those with a very active Lifestyle, eating at only BMR would cause major muscle Loss

karinaes

My nutritionist friend recommends you eat the calories of your BMR. It's in your TDEE that you want to make the deficit. BMR calories are the ones you need to survive. Not eating those could put you into starvation mode.

That's terrible advice, for those with a very active Lifestyle, eating at only BMR would cause major muscle Loss

totally agree with fpacudan

iKristine

thinking i either need to lower cal burn (which seems absurd i love working out) or do a better job of eating what i burn back. I burn on average 700 cals a day.. but that includes weights so im probably burning a bit more after my workout...thinking my body is hitting starvation mode...im eating 1200 cals and my bmr is around 1600. It sounds silly but its hard eating 1900 cals of "good" food they are so low in cals!! any advice would be helpful

I can completely relate! It is incredibly hard to eat your BMR on a healthy diet. Especially those uber healthy with whole foods.

I too plateaued doing what your doing. Here is what I have found that might be a benefit. There is a forum here called Olivia's Method. Check it out.

You should be eating your BMR if your exercising regularly. This is to prevent your body from reducing its metabolism. If your already eating lower than your BMR AND working out regularly what do you expect? Your body needs to make that up somewhere. And at the cost of what you don't want. Which is a lower metabolism or weiry effects on your workouts.

I had to switch mine up from 1200-1400 to instead set my MFP to my maintenance. Which is 2180. There is no way in hell I can eat that much being active and health conscience. It be a fulltime job.

So what I instead did with that Olivia Method was set my "green" number to my maintenance of 2180 and shoot more realistically closer to my BMR which in 1750. This gives me a mild defecit of 400ish, then when I work out I dont eat those calories back unless I burn over the difference between maint - BMR.

What this does is shows my calories remaining as my daily defeceit. Some days I am 500 some I am 800, and occasionally 1000. This allows me to zig zag more readily, It also places more emphasis on burning calories to get a larger deficit than to simply eat less. This helps keep my metabolism higher since I never am starving myself for a long period of time.

It's hard to go from 1200 calories to 1700 and sometimes more. No doubt, I have to compromise with processed foods. But I would rather be eating processed foods as a buffer rather than my entire diet, so I make non processed foods the priority. But this way I also make sure that my body is getting what it needs without any doubt. I would rather lose slower if it was consistant than fast and unregulated. If that makes sense.

gojessgo17

My nutritionist friend recommends you eat the calories of your BMR. It's in your TDEE that you want to make the deficit. BMR calories are the ones you need to survive. Not eating those could put you into starvation mode.

That make sense!

mwilbur27

My nutritionist friend recommends you eat the calories of your BMR. It's in your TDEE that you want to make the deficit. BMR calories are the ones you need to survive. Not eating those could put you into starvation mode.

That's terrible advice, for those with a very active Lifestyle, eating at only BMR would cause major muscle Loss

Try reading what she actually wrote. I'm telling her to at least eat the amount of her BMR. Right now shes probably eating under that amount. So she could be putting herself in starvation mode. Read before you insult me. Thanks.

Meggles63

My nutritionist friend recommends you eat the calories of your BMR. It's in your TDEE that you want to make the deficit. BMR calories are the ones you need to survive. Not eating those could put you into starvation mode.

That's terrible advice, for those with a very active Lifestyle, eating at only BMR would cause major muscle Loss

Try reading what she actually wrote. I'm telling her to at least eat the amount of her BMR. Right now shes probably eating under that amount. So she could be putting herself in starvation mode. Read before you insult me. Thanks.

Actually, you said your nutritionist recommends that "you eat the calories of your BMR." The response was that eating the calories of your BMR is not enough. This is incorrect if someone is active. I think that's all he was saying, and I really don't think it was an insult.

skb32881

I was in the same boat and not losing anymore. I upped my calorie intake and started losing again! I was a little skeptical at first but it worked for me!

ALH1981

Eat more olive oil, nuts and maybe beans or something for higher "good" calories.
Take a couple days off from the exercise and pig out. I promise (based on what I've seen with myself and many other people on here) you'll see a difference.
Your body probably needs a break.

Also, you don't burn a lot of calories while you're strength training. If you're wearing a HRM while strength training you're not getting a good readout. HRM's are designed for cardio not strength. It's apples and oranges.

this happens to me too- i love to excersise and do it for mental health and enjoyment over weight loss - i find it hard to take time off, but when i do i do notice the difference and begin to lose weight - my only clue is that perhaps when i work out so much i gain muscle which is heaver?

Lift_hard_eat_big

My nutritionist friend recommends you eat the calories of your BMR. It's in your TDEE that you want to make the deficit. BMR calories are the ones you need to survive. Not eating those could put you into starvation mode.

That's terrible advice, for those with a very active Lifestyle, eating at only BMR would cause major muscle Loss

Try reading what she actually wrote. I'm telling her to at least eat the amount of her BMR. Right now shes probably eating under that amount. So she could be putting herself in starvation mode. Read before you insult me. Thanks.

Reread what I wrote and try to comprehend it

If you thought that I was insulting you, then I apologize as it wasn't meant as an insult to you in any way, it was meant as an insult to your nutritionist friend for making such a general statement

My advice fits those with not so very active and those with very active lifestyle's such as the OP