How do I get out of starvation mode?

hettylair

I realized I am not losing weight as fast anymore. I started in September 2011, have lost 44lbs, but I still have almost thirty pounds to go. I used to drop about 2 to 2.5 lbs a week. I realized recently that I have not been eating enough calories (so it says on my food diary),
I have been running 4-5 times a week and doing strengthening at least twice a week. I usually eat about 1000-1400 calories a day. I was not trying to starve myself or anything, just wasn't as hungry and can't eat as much without feeling sick.
So. If I am starving myself, how long does it take to get out of it and how do I get out of it? I am upping my calories, but not by much. I feel sick when I eat the things I used to. I have no desire to go back to the way I used to eat.
What is a good resource for getting myself out of this hole?
Thanks for any advice.
Hetty

channa007

eat.

erickirb

If you are truly in "starvation mode" the only thing to do is eat more. I would suggest eating maintenance calories for a few weeks. You may gain at first as your metabolism would be slower, but it will get back to normal, then you can create a modest deficit to lose again.

ericakane2012

start with some protein shakes, throw in a boiled egg, some fresh fruits/veggies here and there until you can up your intake a bit more.good luck to you

girllimberlost

I don't know what your macros look like, but you need to make sure you are getting enough of the kind of calories that sustain your body's functions so that it can process fat down to use as fuel.

Eat, but eat effectively. No matter how many empty calories you have, the cellular function requires a wide variety of nutrients, including protein, fat, and carbohydrate in order to process excess fat.

KareninCanada

Try adding some little snacks that are higher in protein and calories, like nuts for example.

And maybe consider starting a focused strength-training program.... check out this story: http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

dfborders

Don't know if you already eat this but what about drinking a healthy protein shake with fresh fruits to help up the calories or eating a handful of nuts to help up the calorie intake if that is what your body needs. Good luck!!

hettylair

Umm. I do eat. I just don't eat crap food. Looking for HELPFUL answers.

AlayshaJ

Avocado!!! Just eat half or a whole avocado. Half has about 160 calories and a whole one has about 320. Granola cereal made with cane syrup instead of HFCS is good for calories too. Peanut butter with apples/celery.

onedayillbamilf

I'm definitely not an expert, so don't hold me to this....but isn't it normal for weight loss to slow down the longer you do it? To me it would seem if you're not hungry, don't force feed yourself just because your weight loss slowed down. If you're hungry eat, if you're not, don't. Just because your weight loss slowed doesn't mean your in starvation mode....I would think.

drmerc

Umm. I do eat. I just don't eat crap food. Looking for HELPFUL answers.

Eat more

erickirb

Umm. I do eat. I just don't eat crap food. Looking for HELPFUL answers.

You just have to eat more and give it time, as I said in my reply.

raiderrodney

The longer you lose the harder it is to lose, it's just how it is. If you are eating 3 times a day...even twice I doubt you are in starvation mode. I used to live by the eating 5-6 times a day to "boost" my metabolism but I do just as good, if not better, eating 2 or 3 meals. You could try upping your calories to get closer to the range it says but I'm normally around the 1200-1500 range as well.

Lyric82

EAT MORE!

You need to eat more calories...and that being said, you don't need to go back to eating the things you used too. Eat healthy things - but more. You may want to try to eat back some of your exercise calories too. I was having this problem and I realized that i wasn't eating enough during the day (snacks in between breakfast and lunch). I switched up my plan for the day and started eating more during the day and less for dinner and I started losing weight.

Hope this helps - Good Luck!!!

dragonfly127

I'm new to this, but have noticed the same thing the last couple days- that I am not eating enough. Yesterday I was 400 calories short (of the base 1200 calories, not including the calories I "earned" through exercise) and just was not hungry. I'm just not as hungry as I was two weeks ago when I started this.

So, I am going to try to add more healthy snacks throughout the day...fruit, nuts, carrot sticks, light string cheese, things like that. This is something I am going to pay close attention to because I don't want it to take longer than necessary to lose the weight. Congratulations on losing 44 pounds, that's amazing & terrific!

UponThisRock

You need to take at least a 2 week complete break from dieting. Bring calories up to maintenance for 2 weeks, then resume dieting by lowering them SLOWLY.

dls06

EAT!:drinker:

Cathygal

add almonds, cheese, protein shakes and peanut butter...etc.

I had the same problem at first.. once I started adding more protein rich higher calorie foods (that are HEALTHY) I started losing weight again. Never eat under 1200 calories...EVER or you will not lose weight. You may at first.. but it will slow and eventually stop. You will gain it back in the end also.. and you will most likely gain back TWICE as much (if you are anything like me) I try and keep my calories consumed to 1200-1400 a day. I do good on that. I have lost 43 pounds since September 6th..
Good Luck!

Lleldiranne

First of all, sometimes we hit a plateau without really being in "starvation mode." If you really are in starvation, you will probably feel weaker and have less energy - it will be harder to do the workouts that normally were okay. It's not just your body "hanging on" to the fat, it's your body shutting down less essential functions in order to preserve essential functions. Your body will also start "eating" muscles that you don't use a lot.

To get over a plateau, change up your routine. Are you jogging the same distance at the same speed as before? Maybe increase your speed or your time. Change your weight routine. Look into some other cardio workouts. Check your local library - they may have DVD's that you can checkout for free (usually a week at a time, at least here) - you don't have to spend a bunch of money on this!

Also, I can't see your diary, but if you don't think you're getting enough calories, still aim for healthy stuff - more whole grains, more protein, fruits (the sugar in them is GOOD for you and can help push you back into fat burning), vegetables, and good fats. Eggs are good, but can be costly in cholesterol. Nuts and beans have lots of protein. Nuts, avocado, and olives are some good sources of healthy fats. Don't try to fit more into one meal, but add a couple of small snacks in between. I wouldn't add more than 200-300 calories a day, you don't want to backfire.

And don't forget to drink LOTS of water. 8 cups a day PLUS another 8 oz for every 30 minutes you exercise! Water is your friend. You may also need some extra electrolytes, but avoid the drinks with tons of sugar (especially if it's corn syrup).

Most of all, listen to your body. If you feel overly tires, then think about possible "starvation." But if you feel great and just aren't losing any more, I would try other options to break past the plateau first.

wilkyway

Umm. I do eat. I just don't eat crap food. Looking for HELPFUL answers.

I don't think anyone here suggested to eat junk?
Go for whole foods with a higher calorie-density, such as a couple of nuts (VERY HEALTHY), avocado etc. That way you won't be eating HUGE amounts more but will be getting more cals in.

You could also cut down a little on exercise, so you don't have such a big burn at the end of the day (so ur body has more nutrients left to use for other than exercise)

Take it step by step. 50-100 cals more per week, till u notice a difference, things start to move again!

Does this make sense to you/ sound helpful?

:flowerforyou:

morganadk2_deleted

Add olive oil to veg and salads , use full fat milk , add avacados, nuts , peanut butter to your daily intake.



good luck on your journey