Helpful Info: Are you eating enough calories?

thaphatdiva

I just want to thank you for this great information. I knew I wasn't eating enough calories!

LiddyBit

Could you please define starvation mode, and maybe cite some credible scientific sources supporting your definition? It's just that I have not been able to find any conclusive information about it so I'm confused about what people mean, exactly, when they use the term.

hw1219

Could you please define starvation mode, and maybe cite some credible scientific sources supporting your definition? It's just that I have not been able to find any conclusive information about it so I'm confused about what people mean, exactly, when they use the term.

What I mean by starvation mode, is that when your body is not getting enough calories it won't let go of the fat stores. There's not one set number that means starvation mode. Every person is different. That's why the Mifflin equation takes into account a variety of factors to determine your REE.

I couldn't really find scientific sources, but my friend who did my wellness assessment is getting his Bachelor's in Personal Wellness and Nutrition and is already certified as a personal trainer. So he knows what he's talking about.


I found the following online at this site that explains it better. http://optimalbodyweight.com/qa/weight-loss-tips/body/starvation-mode-weight-loss

"Many weight loss coaches use the term “starvation mode” to describe your body’s natural response to protect itself when you don’t eat enough for extended periods. When you regularly eat too little food to provide your body with the necessary nutrients, it perceives itself to be in danger from starvation. Since your body is wonderfully designed to protect you, it will slow down your metabolism to conserve energy so it can keep vital organs such as the brain and the heart going for as long as possible in the face of the perceived threat. While it will burn fat for fuel, it will also start burning lean muscle mass for fuel, which will slow down your metabolism even further. People on starvation diets invariably find that they regain all the weight they’ve lost (and then some) very quickly as soon as they start eating again."

jfaure23

I had stalled after losing quickly initially when my cals were set to 1200 per day. I have upped my calories to 1750 per day and the weight has begun falling off again, 1-2 pounds per week.

joy31021

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Pauline3290

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penrbrown

So I just thought I would share The Mifflin Equation with you guys if you were interested:

REE (Resting Energy Expenditure) = (10 x weight/2.2) + (6.25 x height in inches x 2.54) - (5 x age) - 161

Curious why it wouldn't just be:

REE = (10 x weight/2.2) + (height in inches x 15.875) - (5 x age) - 161

If everyone is to multiply their height by 6.25 and 2.54, everyone is multiplying their height by 15.875, right?

I wondered that myself when I read it.

Tristis

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lisabrezina1980

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melbhall

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xHelloQuincyx

i wish everyone would read this. I'm so sick of trying to convince people that eating more works :grumble:
i upped my cals and have lost almost more in the past three months then i have been trying to for the past year. :]

tamspat

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Sc8356

Thank you!

Mammajewelz

Just to help everyone out, I found a website that calculates your REE for you.

http://www.midatlanticcurves.com/ree-calculator.aspx

cowgirlzride

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yarwell

I'm so sick of trying to convince people that eating more works

You're going to be sick for a long time, at least until someone does a controlled study that backs up your apocryphal viewpoint.

Nobody on a 500 or 800 calorie diet in a controlled trial fails to lose weight most of which is fat, for example. There are enough studies reporting this to build a house from, whereas I'm yet to see one that substantiates your viewpoint.

chestnutbrown

I'm so sick of trying to convince people that eating more works

You're going to be sick for a long time, at least until someone does a controlled study that backs up your apocryphal viewpoint.

Nobody on a 500 or 800 calorie diet in a controlled trial fails to lose weight most of which is fat, for example. There are enough studies reporting this to build a house from, whereas I'm yet to see one that substantiates your viewpoint.

Yes people lose weight, but it's not sustainable, you can't stick to a 500-800 calorie diet for ever. As soon as you up your calories, your body will pile the weight back on to make up for such a deficit. Losing weight slowly over a longer period of time and making healthy changes to your diet that can be maintained for life rather than being done just to lose weight quickly is a much better way to do it. Surely we don't need a study to see that that makes sense? It's a lifestyle change, not a diet!

hw1219

I had stalled after losing quickly initially when my cals were set to 1200 per day. I have upped my calories to 1750 per day and the weight has begun falling off again, 1-2 pounds per week.

That's great!

hw1219

I'm so sick of trying to convince people that eating more works

You're going to be sick for a long time, at least until someone does a controlled study that backs up your apocryphal viewpoint.

Nobody on a 500 or 800 calorie diet in a controlled trial fails to lose weight most of which is fat, for example. There are enough studies reporting this to build a house from, whereas I'm yet to see one that substantiates your viewpoint.

Yes people lose weight, but it's not sustainable, you can't stick to a 500-800 calorie diet for ever. As soon as you up your calories, your body will pile the weight back on to make up for such a deficit. Losing weight slowly over a longer period of time and making healthy changes to your diet that can be maintained for life rather than being done just to lose weight quickly is a much better way to do it. Surely we don't need a study to see that that makes sense? It's a lifestyle change, not a diet!

Very well said chestnutbrown!