Losing weight fast

emstaley4
emstaley4 Posts: 76 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm seriously not starving myself, I'm just counting every bit that goes into my mouth. I'm nervous about my body going into "starvation" mode if I keep doing things this way but it seems to be working right now. Does anyone have any advice for avoiding that "starvation" mode when you want to lose weight? I'm eating healthy and I'm finding that I'm not feeling so hungry like I have been before. I'm not denying myself anything...I'm just sure to watch my portion control more closely. Thanks!!

Replies

  • Bethee101
    Bethee101 Posts: 99 Member
    The beginning is hard sometimes because you are re learning what things you can eat and where the bulk of your calories are coming from. After awhile you will start to figure out meals with using lots of veggies and other low calorie options to fill you up but not ruin your diet. Try to eat protein because it will help to fill you up. You will not go into starvation if you are eating your calories for the day, just make sure you are eating healthy most of the time.
  • I lost weight really fast my first week. 4 pds.. then .2 second.. .8 third. Don't be alarmed, it will slow down.. and that is normal too. Especially when you have under 20 pounds to lose. Just make sure that MFP is set up properly (activity level ect) so that you are getting enough calories and your body will respond :)
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  • jcr85
    jcr85 Posts: 229
    Don't worry there is no such thing as "starvation" mode.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    You have to deprive yourself consistently for a pretty long period of time to do damage your metabolism (starvation mode).

    Whether or not you are in danger of it depends on several factors. How fast are you losing? How much do need to lose? How many calories are eating per day? Do you have any diseases or conditions that affect how you gain/lose weight?
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Initial weight loss can be fast, as it's mostly water weight.

    As for avoiding famine response, keep your calorie deficit relatively low, 1000 calorie deficit is the absolute max. The problem with the famine response, is you don't know your body is Doug it until it's too late. See, your metabolism slows as you lose weight, less weight, less calories needed. However, restricting calories too far sends your body the message that food is scarce, so it will slow down various body systems, as well as start catabolising muscle for energy, in the hopes of conserving as much energy and fat as possible to survive the famine. Muscle is a very large part of your metabolism, so once this starts happening, your metabolism starts dropping rapidly.

    However, you don't know this. All you know is you jump on the scale and the number keeps going down, meaning all is right with the world. Now the loss of muscle, coupled with the metabolic slowdown of various body systems, means that when you get to your goal, your maintenance calories are far below what they should be, but since you don't know that, you eat what a normal person of your new size should eat and boom, the weight starts piling back on.

    That's why you keep the deficit small, lose the weight slowly, and let your metabolism recover and keep healthy by taking breaks every so often to eat maintenance.
  • emstaley4
    emstaley4 Posts: 76 Member
    Thanks for this...I do an intensive MMA training program two days a week with a guy that trains MMA fighters so losing muscle won't be the problem. I actually just started calorie counting because I lost 8lbs training and haven't lost a single pound in probably over a month. He told me it's my diet and to start counting calories...boy was I surprised!! LOL I know that eventually I'll platau out but was just reading some posts on here about people who actually started gaining weight while calorie counting and it was because their bodies thought they were "starving". Thanks for the tips and good luck to you.
  • kittyneutron
    kittyneutron Posts: 160 Member
    I am right with you! I think that the important thing is to be aware and be open to diet changes if you find out you do plateau. Another thing-I always find it kind of funny when people say, "It's just water." So!?! If the scale goes down, I am happy, water or not! That attitude comes from a quote I read attributed to Dr. Michael Moreno, author of the 17 Day Diet:

    "Water is weight too. Never dismiss those extra pounds as only “water weight”; this is a self-defeating attitude. Cosmetically, water weight can hide fat loss and be particularly frustrating. Healthwise, fluid retention can put a strain on your heart. When your body holds water, this means there’s more water in your blood. Your heart has to work harder to pump all that extra volume. Once all that excess fluid has disappeared, so will your bloat and puffiness. You’ll start looking visibly thinner in three or four days. And chances are, you’ll feel much lighter and be more motivated to watch what you eat."
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Your body is over 70% water. Losing fat is the goal. Water weight is constantly fluctuating based on need and activity level. hence, water loss is irrelevant.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    mmmm... I love the smell of SPAM in the morning...
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