Starvation mode hysteria
Options
Replies
-
Starvation mode is a not particularly helpful term because it is not really starvation. It is more a matter of over a prolonged period of time having too large a deficit for the amount of fat a person has, but not so much that it is actually starvation. To say losing weight is as simple at "eat less, move more" is to deny the fact that there are a lot of people here who are measuring their food careful, making good eating choices, are very active, but are not losing weight because their calorie deficit is too large for the amount of fat they have and they have been eating that low for a long time. The key to weight loss is a moderate deficit. Many people want to lose 2-4 pounds a week when they should really be only trying for 1 pound per week. If they have less than 15 pounds to lose even that is probably too much, yet I see people here who follow the mantra "eat less, move more" eating 1200 calories, burning off 500-600 of those and not eating those exercise calories back and thus ending up not having a moderate deficit, but a large one. Yet they are eating enough not to be officially starving. What happens when they do that for days on end, their weight loss stalls completely because their body doesn't like it. Some will have a hard time even getting the weight loss started. It is this that people call "starvation mode".0
-
The swollen belly is caused by a severe lack of protien. The body has to have protien to regulate the movement of fluid between the body tissue and its cells. Without protien to regulate this movement the fluids build up in the tissues and cause swelling. Its horrible to see children in this state.
0 -
Can anyone here post me a picture of a fat African famine victim? Those people twittering on about starvation mode need to get a life, start losing weight, and stop scaremongering. I don't advocate starving as a weight-loss method, but fasting for a day or two never did anyone harm. I am SICK and TIRED of hearing the SM term used on here, and feel it is a popular phrase used by people who eat too much...
Sorry for the short rant, but this has bugged me for a while. Feel free to crucify me...
Regards, David
Just realize that most people are uneducated... they dont have a damn clue about how anything works. brush it off and move on.0 -
What Ed said. It's no one's fault but your own if you read "starvation mode" and then stop without understanding the concept. You don't eat enough, your metabolism adjusts, and your body hangs on to every bit it can. Simple as that. It does not refer in any way to people who fast for 2 days. It takes weeks or months of under-eating to enter starvation mode. It's a term that I would assume was coined to make it easier for people to understand, but failed miserably in that respect, apparently.0
-
LOL!!! Some of you are WAY too easy today. Thanks for the chuckle!!!!0
-
I think the term is used for lack of a better word.... No one is using the term starvation mode in the context of not eating food for days on end, or some sort of famine diet..... They are basically using this term in the form when you run a large caloric deficit for sometime that it eventually will cause your metabolism to slow to the point that your weightloss stalls and you hit weeks of plateau's. That is the way I have used the term in the past and will continue too for lack of a better one....... And I don't use it because I eat to much but through trial and error I can tell you for me now I have to eat more to lose weight. I am in the camp of eating to fuel my workouts and I am losing a pound a week 32 months and 302 lbs. lost into this journey..... Just my 2 cents.......
^^ this :flowerforyou:0 -
Ok, I don't have any pics of fat African Famine victims, but I bet you can't find any pics of healthy ones either.
If all you are worried about is the number on the scale, then yep, it will go down if you don't eat.
Your body adapts to the amount of calories it is expecting to get. If every time you hit a plateau you cut your net calories more, eventually there is nothing left to cut. It is a short sighted solution that isn't healthy.0 -
Thank you for this!!!!
Why do you think doctors put morbidly obese people on 800 calorie diets? It isn't JUST about calories. It is about where your calories are coming from and how often you are eating. If you're eating 1300 calories throughout the day (and not just in one big meal) your body knows that there is an adequate supply of food in the world.
Insulin responses from high carb diets have a large effect on weight gain and stubborn weight loss. Hormones are your enemy in weight loss and as long as you are eating wholesome, natural foods high in protein, your body wont conserve all of your fat and only burn your muscle.0 -
lol true.Agreed! The most over used term in the diet communities. If you're not losing weight, eat less or move more.
That and "exercise calories". haha!0 -
I can't make a blanket statement about "starvation mode" or "exercise calories," but from personal experience, I can say that for me, eating under 1500 calories a day resulted in a weight loss plateau. Guess what, I was running 5 days a week for 30 minutes, and strength training, so it wasn't from a lack of activity either. As soon as I upped my calorie intake the weight started to fall off again, for an average of 1.2 lbs per week for a total weight loss of 30 pounds in about 5 months. So, maybe you would prefer a different label for the condition of your metabolism slowing to take care of your body's necessary functions instead of shedding the extra pounds, but at some point (perhaps not the same point for everyone), I do believe this can happen for any given person.
* Please note I don't mean to sound snotty or rude, just sharing.0 -
Most people use the word starvation too readily. Until a few thousand years ago we scavenged food and ate food when we could find or kill it. We used to eat once, maybe twice a day. Evolution has not had time to evolve the body to adjust to the change in available food stuffs.
Intelligent fasting works and will maintain muscle mass.
People have a messed up idea what actually is required thro the current messed up diets the world follows...0 -
lol okay. many ways to lose weight, normal people just learn to eat and exercise in balance not too much not too little of either. if someone likes starving, it seems there is no reasoning with them at this point.
starving yourself is stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid0 -
OP , I was just thinking the same thing. When I first started MFP I was doing every thing that was suggested on here such as eating 1200 cal. a day and they say when you eat under that amount youll put ur body into starvation mode. But I got fustrated because after a month I still didnt lose any weight. I was about to quit but then I decided before I Quit let me try lowering my cal intake to 100 and under . Once I did that my weight is comming off now, so I guess thats what works for me. I started a thread with the same question in mind but I used the example of people that get weight lose surgeries.0
-
I think the term is used for lack of a better word.... No one is using the term starvation mode in the context of not eating food for days on end, or some sort of famine diet..... They are basically using this term in the form when you run a large caloric deficit for sometime that it eventually will cause your metabolism to slow to the point that your weightloss stalls and you hit weeks of plateau's. That is the way I have used the term in the past and will continue too for lack of a better one....... And I don't use it because I eat to much but through trial and error I can tell you for me now I have to eat more to lose weight. I am in the camp of eating to fuel my workouts and I am losing a pound a week 32 months and 302 lbs. lost into this journey..... Just my 2 cents.......
You are a true inspiration to me! 0 -
Can anyone here post me a picture of a fat African famine victim? Those people twittering on about starvation mode need to get a life, start losing weight, and stop scaremongering. I don't advocate starving as a weight-loss method, but fasting for a day or two never did anyone harm. I am SICK and TIRED of hearing the SM term used on here, and feel it is a popular phrase used by people who eat too much...
Sorry for the short rant, but this has bugged me for a while. Feel free to crucify me...
Regards, David
No fat African famine victims - definately. But their lack of nutrition has devoured their muscle and fat and that bloated belly is caused by malnutrition. Not pretty - very sad. Fasting for a couple days or a week long cleanse is not going to hurt anyone - you're right however there are a lot of people who regularly eat less than 1200 calories a day and in the long run this is only hurting them - been there, done that. 0 -
Can anyone here post me a picture of a fat African famine victim? Those people twittering on about starvation mode need to get a life, start losing weight, and stop scaremongering. I don't advocate starving as a weight-loss method, but fasting for a day or two never did anyone harm. I am SICK and TIRED of hearing the SM term used on here, and feel it is a popular phrase used by people who eat too much...
Sorry for the short rant, but this has bugged me for a while. Feel free to crucify me...
Regards, David
No fat African famine victims - definately. But their lack of nutrition has devoured their muscle and fat and that bloated belly is caused by malnutrition. Not pretty - very sad. Fasting for a couple days or a week long cleanse is not going to hurt anyone - you're right however there are a lot of people who regularly eat less than 1200 calories a day and in the long run this is only hurting them - been there, done that.
denying yourself food for the sake of a cleanse is not called for. your body is smart and the best cleanse is fruits, vegetables, lean meat if you eat it, nuts, water, whole foods. your body knows what to do with it0 -
I agree with you OP. "I am SICK and TIRED of hearing the SM term used on here, and feel it is a popular phrase used by people who eat too much..."
Remember when people used to call it a weight loss plateau, then changed something in their diet/ or exercise & wham back to losing.
Now when someone hits a plateau, it's you must be starving, because your body is holding onto all that fat. Because all the cavemen were so obese from all the fat storage. :laugh:0 -
Thank you for this!!!!
Why do you think doctors put morbidly obese people on 800 calorie diets? It isn't JUST about calories. It is about where your calories are coming from and how often you are eating. If you're eating 1300 calories throughout the day (and not just in one big meal) your body knows that there is an adequate supply of food in the world.
Insulin responses from high carb diets have a large effect on weight gain and stubborn weight loss. Hormones are your enemy in weight loss and as long as you are eating wholesome, natural foods high in protein, your body wont conserve all of your fat and only burn your muscle.
Just a quick insight into this statement about morbidly obese people... Not all doctors put their patients on an 800 calories diet... I began my journey unable to walk from room to room without a roller chair to get around and from the first couple of weeks once I started eating healthy and started dropping weight (week 1 lost 11 lbs. , week 2 lost 8 lbs. , week 3 lost 4 lbs.) my dietician quickly adjusted my caloric intake and carb counting to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week.. She had said to expect rapid weightloss for 3-4 weeks because I was consuming over 7000 calories a day and now we are adjusting your intake to maintain a healthy and permanent weightloss.... So for me and i would assume all of her and my doctors patients this applies.... And now 32 months into this journey I am eating 3200-3400 calories a day (eating back 85% of my exercise calories) and still dropping weight at a healthy and manageable rate of a pound a week...0 -
Can anyone here post me a picture of a fat African famine victim? Those people twittering on about starvation mode need to get a life, start losing weight, and stop scaremongering. I don't advocate starving as a weight-loss method, but fasting for a day or two never did anyone harm. I am SICK and TIRED of hearing the SM term used on here, and feel it is a popular phrase used by people who eat too much...
Sorry for the short rant, but this has bugged me for a while. Feel free to crucify me...
Regards, David
I know, right. Metabolic slowdown does occur when going on a hypocaloric diets, but the term starvation mode is used way too often. Basically, it's used here so much as a scare tactic to keep the idiots from killing themselves.
Read this here people
http://muscleevo.com/lyle-mcdonald-interview-one/0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.9K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.4K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 982 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions