Do you believe you can damage your metabolism by eating too
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Sorry I'm late guys.
-straps in-
Hi, I killed my metabolism not eating enough during the week and then eating a huge calorie surplus in CRAP every weekend for the last 7 years and never exercising.
I was always pissy, tired, achey or sick.
I thought that because I ate so little during the week, I wouldn't put on weight, but I did. It crept up and up until I was nearly 250lb.
I started at 1200cal and at first that was fine. Then I started to get hungry. REALLY hungry. Even with eating my exercise cals back. I went up to 1500, that worked for a few weeks and then I stopped losing.
I now eat just above my BMR (1750-somthing) and eat back all my exercise calories when I can (I have a HRM) and I lost a little more.
I'm going to calculate my TDEE once my schoolwork is done, and decide the next level I should up my cals to.
I have nearly repaired my metabolism, and it has taken months and months. It's still really hard for me to eat all I need to eat in a day, but I'm doing it because I want to be healthy and happy and strong.0 -
Do you believe you can damage your metabolism by eating too little.
I don't. I don't believe there is anything such thing as 'starvation mode' either.
What thinks all of you?
Thank you for that correction. Being low-carb (this worked best for my body) when I see VLC that is what I see: "very low carb".
But what you said makes more sense.
Maybe call it "hibernation mode"? I think there is some truth to it but still think it has more to do with a lack of nutrients than a lack of calories. It's a normal biological response.
I can eat 1,000 calorie of real, whole, natural foods and meet the RDA requirements. Of course, I don't put much into those numbers either. The %s are based on either 2000 or 2500 calories. My body doesn't need 2000 calories a day.
I don't believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny either but people on VLCDs can experience a significant loss of lean muscle mass which in turn lowers their BMR. It's not a matter of faith, it's a fact. It doesn't happen overnight but it does happen.
Not true. I follow a very low carb diet and just watched my daily calorie burn take a jump. As long as you are getting enough protein/fat your body won't eat into your muscle mass. I make sure also to get enough protein so that if my body needs to make glucose it will from protein.
I also don't eat VLC processed crap. As long as you are giving your body the nutrients it needs your metabolism won't slow down.
"If you can't pick, dig or spear it, don't eat it. Mostly spear".
(gnolls.org)
I'm pretty sure he meant very low calorie diet not carb diet considering we are talking about starvation mode in this topic.0 -
Wow, how about being nice.umm then why are there eating disorders? This is not the smartest post....Do you know your brain itself needs a certain amount of calories to even function? But please do go ahead and starve yourself!.................
Agreed...This is suppose to be a support website...We shouldn't critique those who aren't as knowledged in certain subjects, just help them to gain information...
Hope everyone else is having a great Easter weekend though!!
Honestly, I'm usually the first person who at least wonders, "why on earth are people being so nasty?", but I've got to say - the attitude of some people on here offends me. Fact is, saying you can't damage your metabolism, denying "starvation mode" or whatever is denying people's experience. It's just rude, to be honest. All very well asking for advice, saying when you don't understand something, asking for clarification, but time and time again I read this - people say you can't damage your metabolism, eating more does not work, eating under 1000 is ok, and the rest of us who are trying our best to be healthy are ignored and have our experiences invalidated. Every day. Every single day on here.
I get people want to do it their own way. I get that I will never agree with some people. I get that people on here are wrong even when they're trying to be healthy. But I think people who are rude to other people on forums sometimes are at the stage where I am now. Some people are trying to repair damaged metabolisms and get over a bad relationship with food. Reading someone say they don't believe that you can damage your metabolism or starvation is a myth flat out offends me, and if I was inclined, I'd be writing some pretty mean things on here as well. Making the effort to be polite, but I am done with having my experiences denied and invalidated.0 -
Do you believe you can damage your metabolism by eating too little.
I don't. I don't believe there is anything such thing as 'starvation mode' either.
What thinks all of you?
I don't believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny either but people on VLCDs can experience a significant loss of lean muscle mass which in turn lowers their BMR. It's not a matter of faith, it's a fact. It doesn't happen overnight but it does happen.
Christ on a cracker, THIS. Exactly this.
It's like how people "don't believe" in global warming, or other scientifically based facts.
Math and science are not something you can "choose" to believe in. Really.0 -
Do you believe you can damage your metabolism by eating too little.
I don't. I don't believe there is anything such thing as 'starvation mode' either.
What thinks all of you?
I don't subscribe to the "starvation mode" theory. I've read articles challenging it, and very obese people have lost weight on very low-calorie diets. Of course they were monitored. and/or in the hospital. People in the military have been put on low-cal diets and asked to perform strenuous physical activity and it took something like a month for their bodies to call on muscle tissue. The ordinary person will never be in that situation.
An article I read in the New York Times a couple of months ago described a theory holding that gaining huge amounts of weight might make it much more difficult to lose weight because of the way the body adapts, although I don't know if the metabolism is actually "damaged."0 -
There have been ream upon ream of studies of "yoyo" dieters, folks who get their weight down using very low calorie diets, go back to eating normally, gain it back, repeat ad nauseum.
I've read articles saying that many people resume their old, unhealthy habits after losing weight. They eat more calories than they need and their insufficiently active. That's why their weight goes up and down. They're unwilling to make permanent lifestyle changes.0 -
Click Search then type "Starvation" and read one of a billion posts on it.0
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If there wasn't such thing as starvation mode then we could all go anorexic.
With that being said, I do think the calorie content for starvation mode is different depending on the individual.0 -
There have been ream upon ream of studies of "yoyo" dieters, folks who get their weight down using very low calorie diets, go back to eating normally, gain it back, repeat ad nauseum.
I've read articles saying that many people resume their old, unhealthy habits after losing weight. They eat more calories than they need and their insufficiently active. That's why their weight goes up and down. They're unwilling to make permanent lifestyle changes.
This is why I refuse to "diet". If I diet, it sounds too temporary, and I don't want to get to my goal and fall back into my old habits and gain it all back. I am not dieting, I have made a permanent change in my eating habits.0 -
Do you believe you can damage your metabolism by eating too little.
I don't. I don't believe there is anything such thing as 'starvation mode' either.
What thinks all of you?
I know that when I was eating a 1200 calories, nothing was changing, my weight held on. When on the advice of a friend I increased my calories some, the weight started coming off. I am 5'2" and would not want to have to eat only 1200 calories a day for the rest of my life anyhow. You can eat a decent amount of food and still lose weight. And yes, due to my experiences I do believe in starvation mode.0 -
I do, but I don't think a few days of undereating will do it and I also think that it recovers pretty quickly as well.0
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Do you believe you can damage your metabolism by eating too little.
I don't. I don't believe there is anything such thing as 'starvation mode' either.
What thinks all of you?
Do I believe in "starvation mode" yes. Do I believe you are starving yourself when you NET 1200 calories a day? No.0 -
Sorry I'm late guys.
-straps in-
Hi, I killed my metabolism not eating enough during the week and then eating a huge calorie surplus in CRAP every weekend for the last 7 years and never exercising.
I was always pissy, tired, achey or sick.
I thought that because I ate so little during the week, I wouldn't put on weight, but I did. It crept up and up until I was nearly 250lb.
I started at 1200cal and at first that was fine. Then I started to get hungry. REALLY hungry. Even with eating my exercise cals back. I went up to 1500, that worked for a few weeks and then I stopped losing.
I now eat just above my BMR (1750-somthing) and eat back all my exercise calories when I can (I have a HRM) and I lost a little more.
I'm going to calculate my TDEE once my schoolwork is done, and decide the next level I should up my cals to.
I have nearly repaired my metabolism, and it has taken months and months. It's still really hard for me to eat all I need to eat in a day, but I'm doing it because I want to be healthy and happy and strong.
Thanks for posting this. I am taking the same method to reparations, currently eating my TDEE - 500 per day. I have gained a bit, which is to be expected, but I'm hoping to see some loss soon! Your post made me feel better about my approach. Good luck to you!!0 -
Thank you all for correcting me. I swear it isn't the lack of carbs in my brain. It was the bottle of wine I had last night!!0
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i agree , youre 100% right.0
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Of course you can.0
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Yes, it's possible depending on how low the calories are. There are some people who maintain bodyweight on 800 and will gain weight on anything higher.
Bodybuilders who diet down to 3-4% BF run the risk of metabolic damage.
There's a difference between these people and people who are eating at a 500-1000 calorie deficit. You aren't damaging your metabolism dieting down to 10% for men and 16% for women.0 -
Yes. I used to eat 0-300 calories a day and not lose weight sometimes. When I started eating around 500-800, I gained weight. Then at 1000-1300 I gained even more. Your metabolism will slow down to accommodate what little amounts you're eating, it did with mine. It obviously won't happen overnight but it can over an extended period of time.0
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So...... you don't think there is such a thing as starvation?
It's a medical fact, not something you "believe" in or not. You eat too little, you will starve. Many people in third world countries and many homeless in others die from this everyday.... 0 -
Google this below
Weight WATCHERS-ARTICLE-There-is-no-such-thing-as-starvation-mode!
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I have reasons for my opinions. I wanted to hear opinions, and personal experiences, not angry insults and it is too bad that some of you had to take that approach.
I have
Read many studies on the subject and formed my opinion. I have been heavy and I have been very thin. I have no personal experience with a damaged metabolism. If I eat too much I gain, if I eat less I lose weight.0 -
Google this below
Weight WATCHERS-ARTICLE-There-is-no-such-thing-as-starvation-mode!
.......
I have reasons for my opinions. I wanted to hear opinions, and personal experiences, not angry insults and it is too bad that some of you had to take that approach.
I have
Read many studies on the subject and formed my opinion. I have been heavy and I have been very thin. I have no personal experience with a damaged metabolism. If I eat too much I gain, if I eat less I lose weight.
I did google it and I read it, did anyone else?
The idea that "not eating enough" causes the body to stop losing weight because it goes into "starvation mode" is a popular myth among dieters.
Metabolism Slows During Calorie Restriction
Restricting calories during weight loss lowers metabolism1 because the body becomes more efficient, requiring fewer calories to perform the necessary daily functions for survival. Consequently, this can slow (but not stop) the anticipated rate of weight loss.
For example, if an individual needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain weight, reducing intake to 1,500 calories, assuming exercise stays the same, should provide a 1 pound per week weight loss (Note: 1 pound of weight is equivalent to about 3,500 calories). Furthermore, reducing to 1,000 calories should result in a weight-loss of 2 pounds per week and going down to 500 calories a day should result in a weight loss of 3 pounds per week. However, if an individual actually reduces their intake to 500 calories, the weight loss would not likely be a steady 3 pounds per week because of the reduced metabolic rate. It would likely be around 2 ¼ to 2 ½ pounds. This "lower than expected" rate of weight loss is a lot different than "no" weight loss as the "starvation mode" notion proposes.
It is unclear as to whether the relationship between reduced caloric intake and a lower metabolism follows a straight path or becomes more pronounced the greater the caloric reduction. Some studies have found no significant reduction in metabolism until the caloric restriction is quite large (e.g. 800 calories or less per day).2 Others suggest a linear relationship with small reductions in metabolism accompanying small reductions in caloric restriction, with the gap increasing as the caloric deficit is enlarged.
While there is no biologic evidence to support the "starvation mode" myth, there may be behavioral reasons why weight loss stops when calories are severely reduced. Over-restriction of calorie intake, known as high dietary restraint is linked to periods of overeating, hindering successful weight loss.3 (For more information on dietary restraint, read the Science Center article, The Skill of Flexible Restraint).0 -
Do you believe you can damage your metabolism by eating too little.
I don't. I don't believe there is anything such thing as 'starvation mode' either.
What thinks all of you?
Yes. Been in starvation mode before, long time ago when I was broke and couldn't afford enough food to eat properly. Basically ate once, maybe twice a day for a couple months. It takes a pretty severe reduction in calories to get into starvation mode. Your body tries to convert almost everything you eat into fat and will metabolize muscle to have energy. Your brain is one of the largest consumers of glucose in your body and will get priority for that glucose over your muscles. Starvation mode sucks.0 -
The more often I eat and the closer I am to my recommended calorie goal, the more weight I lose. When my defecits are too big, the loss is much less.....0
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I was on a medically supervised VLCD I was between 600 and 800 calories for 15 weeks. After that, the last 6 months I've been trying slowly to increase my calories and I'm in the 1400-1800 range now. Technically I should still be loosing weight, but I've gained back about 10 pounds from my low. My memory, energy level and endurance is still not what it should be. I can feel my metabolism is still not right. I hope it is not permanently damaged, but it is still certainly suppressed.
thank you very much for sharing this. It can be restored...it will be restored BUT you have to be willing to increase your calories to true maintenance and gain some weight back, otherwise you'll always be living on 1400-1800 (a weight loss amount for MOST men).
I'am slowly working on increasing both activity and calories.(I have also have/had some other back/pain issues including hip surgery). I'd like to lose another 20, but I think getting my activity/energy/strength is back is more important right now. It's going to take a while...0 -
The body's metabolism actually slows down if you eat too little. This is 'starvation mode'; to conserve any and all energy. This is why you have to eat at least X amount of calories per day even when you are trying to lose weight. A nutritionist friend of mine explained exactly how this works and she noted that often people try to lose weight by dramatically dropping their calories...the metabolism slows and they can actually gain weight at lower calories. So no crash diets people :-)0
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You may not "believe" it, but it is true. There are tons of studies out there that prove it.
The damage to your metabolism isn't necessarily permanent, but it can linger from months to years.0 -
I do believe it can and does happen to people.0
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Nope, but I've read enough on it that I'm fairly confident that it's made up. The "Man Made" warming, that it.
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Clearly you're not reading information from the right sources, i.e. peer-reviewed scientific journals.0 -
The person who posted the topic has deactivated her account....0
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