"Starvation Mode" As explained by WeightWatchers.

airlily

Wow, it's a shame someone that posts a topic/question has to be made to feel ashamed to ask it. Most of us are here for support ....why click on a topic if you know it's been beaten to death? To the OP, I'm glad you posted this, there is lots of controversy in regards to this and i would love to know the truth behind this....as I often go under 1200 calories, not on purpose but I'm eatting much healthier foods and my calories just don't add up since I get full faster.

Thank you for that. As a high school teacher, I am used to such abuse, so don't worry about me. There is also that magical function "ignore user" I could utilize. Thank you, though.

As for my question, it's best to ask those who may have personal experience in an area of interest when research begins to either run you in every direction, or straight into a dead end. I couldn't think of better people to pose this question to than dieters -- i.e. the virtual population of this site. I learned a lot in just a few posts.

Thanks again, everyone.

twinmom430

Wow, it's a shame someone that posts a topic/question has to be made to feel ashamed to ask it. Most of us are here for support ....why click on a topic if you know it's been beaten to death? To the OP, I'm glad you posted this, there is lots of controversy in regards to this and i would love to know the truth behind this....as I often go under 1200 calories, not on purpose but I'm eatting much healthier foods and my calories just don't add up since I get full faster.

I was merely pointing out that this topic has been discussed many times and if the OP really wants alot of different explanations she could search it. how on earth can you see that as making her feel ashamed? over sensitive are we? and dont you like horses either?

Ashamed? Well considering you told her to stop the starvation mode right before death, umm, I don't think I'm being over sensitive. The OP just started on this site in December....it's possible she didn't know how to search...personally I didn't know how to either until someone showed me how to do it this week, sorry, Im not very computer savy. Anyway I see you alot on different post and you usually post helpful information...it's important to have people, such as yourself, that seem to have more knowledge in diet/fitness helping out the newbies....I think that's the point of this site. So instead of making a snarky comment, maybe you could shed some light on the topic, if you wish. Just sayin....:flowerforyou:

vguynes

Thanks for the post. I found the reading very interesting.

srcantgiveup

Thanks for posting this. I appreciate the information and that you have brought up a topic that does seem to
happen to some.

deliak2010

bump to read later. thanks to the OP for posting this! I'm constantly wondering about this issue since I've always thought starvation mode was a myth as well. nice to have some scientific backup to support my theory. people need to think logically and remember that losing weight is simple math.. calories in < calories out. and as long as you're doing that, no matter what the calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight. goodnight everyone

cakeums

its true..its a myth.

this whole myth is based on a study done in the 40s. Its called the Minnesota starvation study. It took like 30 healthy muscular service men and basically 'starved' them. they intook 3000 some calories, normal intake for these men. then they cut it in half for a few months. They all lost weight steadily, and the scientists adjusted the calories of each man, because everyone's metabolism is different, as to make sure they lost weight at a predictable manor. (this is where the myth comes from). the fact is, they all lost weight period. this study wasnt about weight loss, but mostly about how the body reacts to starvation, and ultimately how to re feed someone who is technically starving.

its not healthy to starve yourself to lose weight. and i never endorse this. but, the fact is, there is no such thing as starvation mode. It is physiologically impossible for a person to 'hold onto fat' on a calorie deficit. and even more so impossible to 'store fat' on a calorie deficit. our bodies need a certain amount of energy/calories to function. our brains, livers, muscles, other organs etc. if we dont feed our bodies enough, it takes that energy from fat. and if we restrict too much to some extent gets energy from muscle. but mostly it catabolizes muscle to provide amino acids and enzymes for biological reactions/functions in the body.

In true starvation, you use your fat, then muscle. after that is gone, your body starts to basically eat itself to survive. it'll break down organ tissues and organs will shut down. this how people die from starvation..organ failure. so all our talk about starvation mode.."i only eat 1400 calories a day", "oh you are in starvation mode eat more"..all this is a slap in the face to those who are truely starving. go tell them you cant lose weight because you arent eating enough.

Then why didn't I lose a single pound when I was eating 400-700 net calories a day for 6 months?

i think each of our bodies are different, and what works for me, might not work for you, and vice versa... take my cousin, she pukes everything up... yes, dumb, stupid, and dangerous... she maybe absorbes 300 calories a day, and shes as thin as a rail... not in starvation mode... me, i actually attempted the "starve yourself" thing in high school, and ate around 800 calories a day... and i never lost a pound!!! here i am now, eating 1200 GOOD calories a day, and the weight is dropping off! to each thier own, i guess!

Not in starvation mode? She is killing herself, that is the definition of "starvation mode!" It does not mean a person will get fat, it means that their body is literally shutting down because it is trying to survive off its own tissues, down to the organs. She will probably die of a heart attack or kidney failure one day if she doesn't get help. I'm not saying this to be a jerk, I am saying this because I have friends who have, at some point in time, battled with anorexia and/or bulimia - to the point of many stays in inpatient facilities between the 3 of them; one of them is still very much in the thick of it and I worry that I will be notified that she has died in the near future - and it goes much deeper than being "dumb, stupid, and dangerous." Maybe you should encourage her to get some help.

infamousmk

its true..its a myth.

this whole myth is based on a study done in the 40s. Its called the Minnesota starvation study. It took like 30 healthy muscular service men and basically 'starved' them. they intook 3000 some calories, normal intake for these men. then they cut it in half for a few months. They all lost weight steadily, and the scientists adjusted the calories of each man, because everyone's metabolism is different, as to make sure they lost weight at a predictable manor. (this is where the myth comes from). the fact is, they all lost weight period. this study wasnt about weight loss, but mostly about how the body reacts to starvation, and ultimately how to re feed someone who is technically starving.

its not healthy to starve yourself to lose weight. and i never endorse this. but, the fact is, there is no such thing as starvation mode. It is physiologically impossible for a person to 'hold onto fat' on a calorie deficit. and even more so impossible to 'store fat' on a calorie deficit. our bodies need a certain amount of energy/calories to function. our brains, livers, muscles, other organs etc. if we dont feed our bodies enough, it takes that energy from fat. and if we restrict too much to some extent gets energy from muscle. but mostly it catabolizes muscle to provide amino acids and enzymes for biological reactions/functions in the body.

In true starvation, you use your fat, then muscle. after that is gone, your body starts to basically eat itself to survive. it'll break down organ tissues and organs will shut down. this how people die from starvation..organ failure. so all our talk about starvation mode.."i only eat 1400 calories a day", "oh you are in starvation mode eat more"..all this is a slap in the face to those who are truely starving. go tell them you cant lose weight because you arent eating enough.

Please note that in the Minnesota Starvation Study, some of the 'responses' these men had to a restricted calorie intake was irritability, depression, and if memory serves me, some borderline delirium ... You don't have to be 'truly starving' to be depriving your body of necessary nutrients. Even moderate imbalances can trigger adverse reactions.

OP, my suggestion is to use the tools here at MFP to calculate your caloric needs, meet with your doctor to determine your macro-nutrient needs, and do not listen to the publications of a corporation in the diet industry, or posters with random opinions (even me ... except that consult your doctor part).

grinch031

people need to think logically and remember that losing weight is simple math.. calories in < calories out. and as long as you're doing that, no matter what the calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight. goodnight everyone

Just remember though, it is not always easy to predict calories Out when your calories In is low. For instance if your BMR is 1200 and you eat 800 per day, if you are very sedentary, its reasonable to say your calories Out could lower to 800 and you will not lose weight. However the idea that you are capable of burning 800 calories a day and running for 30 minutes will likely lead to a violation of thermodynamics.

Mcgrawhaha

its true..its a myth.

this whole myth is based on a study done in the 40s. Its called the Minnesota starvation study. It took like 30 healthy muscular service men and basically 'starved' them. they intook 3000 some calories, normal intake for these men. then they cut it in half for a few months. They all lost weight steadily, and the scientists adjusted the calories of each man, because everyone's metabolism is different, as to make sure they lost weight at a predictable manor. (this is where the myth comes from). the fact is, they all lost weight period. this study wasnt about weight loss, but mostly about how the body reacts to starvation, and ultimately how to re feed someone who is technically starving.

its not healthy to starve yourself to lose weight. and i never endorse this. but, the fact is, there is no such thing as starvation mode. It is physiologically impossible for a person to 'hold onto fat' on a calorie deficit. and even more so impossible to 'store fat' on a calorie deficit. our bodies need a certain amount of energy/calories to function. our brains, livers, muscles, other organs etc. if we dont feed our bodies enough, it takes that energy from fat. and if we restrict too much to some extent gets energy from muscle. but mostly it catabolizes muscle to provide amino acids and enzymes for biological reactions/functions in the body.

In true starvation, you use your fat, then muscle. after that is gone, your body starts to basically eat itself to survive. it'll break down organ tissues and organs will shut down. this how people die from starvation..organ failure. so all our talk about starvation mode.."i only eat 1400 calories a day", "oh you are in starvation mode eat more"..all this is a slap in the face to those who are truely starving. go tell them you cant lose weight because you arent eating enough.

Then why didn't I lose a single pound when I was eating 400-700 net calories a day for 6 months?

i think each of our bodies are different, and what works for me, might not work for you, and vice versa... take my cousin, she pukes everything up... yes, dumb, stupid, and dangerous... she maybe absorbes 300 calories a day, and shes as thin as a rail... not in starvation mode... me, i actually attempted the "starve yourself" thing in high school, and ate around 800 calories a day... and i never lost a pound!!! here i am now, eating 1200 GOOD calories a day, and the weight is dropping off! to each thier own, i guess!

Not in starvation mode? She is killing herself, that is the definition of "starvation mode!" It does not mean a person will get fat, it means that their body is literally shutting down because it is trying to survive off its own tissues, down to the organs. She will probably die of a heart attack or kidney failure one day if she doesn't get help. I'm not saying this to be a jerk, I am saying this because I have friends who have, at some point in time, battled with anorexia and/or bulimia - to the point of many stays in inpatient facilities between the 3 of them; one of them is still very much in the thick of it and I worry that I will be notified that she has died in the near future - and it goes much deeper than being "dumb, stupid, and dangerous." Maybe you should encourage her to get some help.

woah... i said its dangerous. thats not the myth that they are speaking of. they are saying that you will stop loosing weight in starvation mode, and my point was that my cousin is withering away... thats my point. YES, SHE WILL DIE, MAYBE SOON... BUT THATS NOT THE MYTH BEING DISCUSSED... THATS A FACT!!! THE MYTH IS THAT YOU WILL STOP LOOSING WEIGHT... AND SHES STILL LOOSING WEIGHT, DAILY! THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACT AND MYTH. fact = my cousin is going to die from puking her guts up. according to the myth, she wouldnt be loosing weight, however, SHE IS!

SergeantSunshine_reused

I think that starvation mode is debated so much and I am not sure what to think of it half the time. I explain it more with this: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
Or at least that is my go to article xD

Either way if it exists or not, there is no need to be on that line. Food is not the enemy :] Small calorie deficit is the way to go. Then you don't even have to worry about it xD

2fit4fat

lol had to read that a couple of times.. the way they worded it wasnt the greatest for me haha (or maybe its just too late and my brain is shutting off) but thanks for posting! good to read from them

12skipafew99100

bump to read later. thanks to the OP for posting this! I'm constantly wondering about this issue since I've always thought starvation mode was a myth as well. nice to have some scientific backup to support my theory. people need to think logically and remember that losing weight is simple math.. calories in < calories out. and as long as you're doing that, no matter what the calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight. goodnight everyone

some of this ^

Also, People who have had weight loss surgery have a VERY restricked calorie intake for a very long time. It increases over time little by little but the weight loss continues. Just saying......
I enjoyed your artical, thanks for posting.:flowerforyou:

cakeums

its true..its a myth.

this whole myth is based on a study done in the 40s. Its called the Minnesota starvation study. It took like 30 healthy muscular service men and basically 'starved' them. they intook 3000 some calories, normal intake for these men. then they cut it in half for a few months. They all lost weight steadily, and the scientists adjusted the calories of each man, because everyone's metabolism is different, as to make sure they lost weight at a predictable manor. (this is where the myth comes from). the fact is, they all lost weight period. this study wasnt about weight loss, but mostly about how the body reacts to starvation, and ultimately how to re feed someone who is technically starving.

its not healthy to starve yourself to lose weight. and i never endorse this. but, the fact is, there is no such thing as starvation mode. It is physiologically impossible for a person to 'hold onto fat' on a calorie deficit. and even more so impossible to 'store fat' on a calorie deficit. our bodies need a certain amount of energy/calories to function. our brains, livers, muscles, other organs etc. if we dont feed our bodies enough, it takes that energy from fat. and if we restrict too much to some extent gets energy from muscle. but mostly it catabolizes muscle to provide amino acids and enzymes for biological reactions/functions in the body.

In true starvation, you use your fat, then muscle. after that is gone, your body starts to basically eat itself to survive. it'll break down organ tissues and organs will shut down. this how people die from starvation..organ failure. so all our talk about starvation mode.."i only eat 1400 calories a day", "oh you are in starvation mode eat more"..all this is a slap in the face to those who are truely starving. go tell them you cant lose weight because you arent eating enough.

Then why didn't I lose a single pound when I was eating 400-700 net calories a day for 6 months?

i think each of our bodies are different, and what works for me, might not work for you, and vice versa... take my cousin, she pukes everything up... yes, dumb, stupid, and dangerous... she maybe absorbes 300 calories a day, and shes as thin as a rail... not in starvation mode... me, i actually attempted the "starve yourself" thing in high school, and ate around 800 calories a day... and i never lost a pound!!! here i am now, eating 1200 GOOD calories a day, and the weight is dropping off! to each thier own, i guess!

Not in starvation mode? She is killing herself, that is the definition of "starvation mode!" It does not mean a person will get fat, it means that their body is literally shutting down because it is trying to survive off its own tissues, down to the organs. She will probably die of a heart attack or kidney failure one day if she doesn't get help. I'm not saying this to be a jerk, I am saying this because I have friends who have, at some point in time, battled with anorexia and/or bulimia - to the point of many stays in inpatient facilities between the 3 of them; one of them is still very much in the thick of it and I worry that I will be notified that she has died in the near future - and it goes much deeper than being "dumb, stupid, and dangerous." Maybe you should encourage her to get some help.

woah... i said its dangerous. thats not the myth that they are speaking of. they are saying that you will stop loosing weight in starvation mode, and my point was that my cousin is withering away... thats my point. YES, SHE WILL DIE, MAYBE SOON... BUT THATS NOT THE MYTH BEING DISCUSSED... THATS A FACT!!! THE MYTH IS THAT YOU WILL STOP LOOSING WEIGHT... AND SHES STILL LOOSING WEIGHT, DAILY! THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACT AND MYTH. fact = my cousin is going to die from puking her guts up. according to the myth, she wouldnt be loosing weight, however, SHE IS!

I said I wasn't trying to be a jerk...sorry if I hit a nerve, I was not trying to start an argument. It's hard to tell tone from the internet, and your post about it made it seem like, "Eh, no big deal, it's stupid but the fact of the matter is that she's not in starvation mode." I didn't realize you were trying to say that she is not in the interpretation of starvation mode that is widely talked about on MFP. It struck a nerve with me (the bulimia thing) because this is something that has been coming up a lot with my friends and some friends of friends lately, so it's been in the front of my mind today...I'm sorry that someone you love is dying from it too.

airlily

Also, People who have had weight loss surgery have a VERY restricked calorie intake for a very long time. It increases over time little by little but the weight loss continues. Just saying......
I enjoyed your artical, thanks for posting.:flowerforyou:

Kaiser recommended the gastric bypass, but I am not a fan of that, especially since I know I can lose it on my own. I've lost about 2 pounds a week since mid October, and I thought that was good until, after my check-up last Thursday, she mentioned a restrictive 600 calorie liquid diet. I've been researching myself ragged, and I just don't feel comfortable with it. My blood pressure is 128/82, my blood sugar was 110 -- I don't see the need for surgery or restrictive diets, especially if I'm losing gradually on MFP and am physically fine at the moment.

Thanks for the information.

cakeums

Also, People who have had weight loss surgery have a VERY restricked calorie intake for a very long time. It increases over time little by little but the weight loss continues. Just saying......
I enjoyed your artical, thanks for posting.:flowerforyou:

Kaiser recommended the gastric bypass, but I am not a fan of that, especially since I know I can lose it on my own. I've lost about 2 pounds a week since mid October, and I thought that was good until, after my check-up last Thursday, she mentioned a restrictive 600 calorie liquid diet. I've been researching myself ragged, and I just don't feel comfortable with it. My blood pressure is 128/82, my blood sugar was 110 -- I don't see the need for surgery or restrictive diets, especially if I'm losing gradually on MFP and am physically fine at the moment.

Thanks for the information.

Was the diet something marketed by a pharma company? Some doctors will push certain medications, products, etc. when they have had a recent rep visit. (Not saying pharma and reps are bad, it just is the way the business is.)

Chriztii

It is way too confusing!!!!!! I know that you need the calories so that your body doesnt go into starvation mode......I just dont get it? Not a big help here!

I know! I've read several different studies, and have pursued the forums here, and at other sites, and all I seem to find is more of the same. I'm tempted to just experiment on myself and keep a record of symptoms and effects.

one of the final symtons is death. so maybe you should stop just before that one.

I loled :P Good advice there ... Try it out and record i recon, give us an accurate report when you're done!

airlily

Was the diet something marketed by a pharma company? Some doctors will push certain medications, products, etc. when they have had a recent rep visit. (Not saying pharma and reps are bad, it just is the way the business is.)

I am not sure. I didn't even think of that possibility. That would really disturb me to think my doctor was more interested in peddling a company's product more than my health. Then, when I develop a condition from it, they would probably drop my coverage.

Again, thank you for the information.

P.S. I was referring to documenting/recording the results of this liquid diet Kaiser has recommended; however, I am very reluctant now to even try it, even if my doctor thinks I could benefit from it.

ShaSimone

Food is Fuel.

keep it simple, a car doesn't run if it doesn't have fuel, neither will your body which is why you feel sluggish, tired, grouchy when you don't have enough fuel.

Food is Fuel.

mrstword

Like someone else said,no one knows for sure 100% but I definitely have heard the "starvation mode" being more true than what they are saying in this article. Kinda seems like a sales ploy to me.

TeresaWash

Interesting.... thanks for the post OP!

Loves418

I am not going to lie this all gives me a massive headache :sick: eat your workout calories don't eat them..do this do that...ALL I WANT IS TO JUST LOSE WEIGHT !!!!! 35 pounds of miserable pain in the neck I hate weight.(AND YES AT 5ft tall that is a lot of weight!! )..Amazing how it comes on so fast but trying to lose it is a whole different ballgame....When someone gets the right answer look me up and help me out...till then off I go to struggle to lose weight this week!!:grumble: :grumble: :grumble:

dfborders

Please note that when I have ever used the term "starvation mode" I certainly mean no disrespect to people or children who are actually starving due to lack of available food or to people who are annorexic. I really don't think anyone means disrespect to those people. I have grown up with this myth called "starvation mode" and while I realize it is the wrong term (or at this point researcheres are telling it is the wrong term - just like eggs are now good for us but they weren't a few years ago) - I also realize many people use the term to explain plateaus, etc. I am certainly not going to take offense to someone using the wrong terminology since most of us are not doctors or scientists and are laymen trying to do our best to make our health better all around and we get discouraged when we hit plateaus (not to mention the scientists and researchers can barely explain why "starvation mode" is incorrect coherently).

CallmeSbo

Bump

UponThisRock

Decent article, but it doesn't give you the whole picture. There's more going on than a reduction in metabolic rate.

Cat_296

For those of you interested in some of the science relating to severe calorie restriction here are a couple of links to some of the more interesting (and less dense on medical jargon) papers:

Physiological effects of severe calorie restriction - 8 people spent 2 years in a biosphere!!
http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/52/suppl_1/61.full.pdf

The Response to Calorie Restriction in Mammals Shows Features Also Common to Hibernation.....Off the back of the above paper.....(this is only an abstract)
http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/52A/4/B179.short

One year behavioural treatment of obesity: moderate vs severe calorie intake restriction
http://knowledgetranslation.ca/sysrev/articles/project21/Wadden TA J Consult Clin Psychol 1994 62 1 165 71-20090717164244.pdf

And for anyone wanting to know more - just go to Google Scholar and type in 'severe caloric restriction'....there is tons of stuff about this out there relating to physiological effects, psychological effects, effects on susceptibility to cancer - you name it, someone has probably done a study on it........

MeRevisitedAgain

its true..its a myth.

this whole myth is based on a study done in the 40s. Its called the Minnesota starvation study. It took like 30 healthy muscular service men and basically 'starved' them. they intook 3000 some calories, normal intake for these men. then they cut it in half for a few months. They all lost weight steadily, and the scientists adjusted the calories of each man, because everyone's metabolism is different, as to make sure they lost weight at a predictable manor. (this is where the myth comes from). the fact is, they all lost weight period. this study wasnt about weight loss, but mostly about how the body reacts to starvation, and ultimately how to re feed someone who is technically starving.

its not healthy to starve yourself to lose weight. and i never endorse this. but, the fact is, there is no such thing as starvation mode. It is physiologically impossible for a person to 'hold onto fat' on a calorie deficit. and even more so impossible to 'store fat' on a calorie deficit. our bodies need a certain amount of energy/calories to function. our brains, livers, muscles, other organs etc. if we dont feed our bodies enough, it takes that energy from fat. and if we restrict too much to some extent gets energy from muscle. but mostly it catabolizes muscle to provide amino acids and enzymes for biological reactions/functions in the body.

In true starvation, you use your fat, then muscle. after that is gone, your body starts to basically eat itself to survive. it'll break down organ tissues and organs will shut down. this how people die from starvation..organ failure. so all our talk about starvation mode.."i only eat 1400 calories a day", "oh you are in starvation mode eat more"..all this is a slap in the face to those who are truely starving. go tell them you cant lose weight because you arent eating enough.

LOVE!!!

candiceanderson84

BUMP

raige123

I think it is different for different people. I think some people have super efficient metabolisms and if they lower their calorie intake their body is quick to compensate and use less to function. That slows their weight loss. Some people's bodies are kinder and don't make that adjustment, making weight loss easier.

I think different conclusions are drawn from research because it just isn't the same for everyone. I have no problem losing weight by creating a large deficit. I don't seem to go into "starvation mode". Do what works for you.

^^ THIS! ^^ I never have an issue either and lose 3-4 lbs a week consistantly.

Espressocycle

They are wrong about the end part - research shows that a 150 lbs person who used to weigh 200 has a lower metabolism than a 150 lbs person who has always weight 150 lbs.

Dave198lbs

They are wrong about the end part - research shows that a 150 lbs person who used to weigh 200 has a lower metabolism than a 150 lbs person who has always weight 150 lbs.

what research?