Obsession with starvation mode...

zyxst

Since being on here, I've wondered where people get the energy to exercise before eating since, as They Say, eat back your exercise calories. What is your body using before you eat?

I have eaten back the calories and usually never met my BMR net/gross, depending on what formulae you use to calculate BMR and TDEE. Now I'm going with a flat 1700 cals and my activity set to light. TBH, the pumped up numbers from gaining extra cals confused the hell out of me.

Autry403

I eat around 1200 -1400 calories a day & I never eat back my net calories . I always gain weight & I'm eating low fat , low carb organic diet . So I don't know how much more extreme I can get on this . I have only seen healthy 1-2lbs / week weight loss by not eating back my calories . Plus I just listen to my grandmother whom I live with . She just tells me to exercise 45 min . / day . Don't eat after 7pm & Eat 3 small meals / day . If I'm hungry I can have small snack in between . But when I switched my diet over to organic I haven't been eating as much because I get full faster . Reason why is there is no additives in these organic foods that make you over eat . When I ate unhealthy I could eat large portions and not be full . Besides the fact that my metabolism is high now , thanks to this supplement I take ( Cayenne Fruit ) . So I don't have to worry about slow progress either . So far I've lost 9lbs this past month slowly but surely . It's all a matter of what works for each individual person , everyone's body reacts differently to different things . Good luck with your weight loss though ! :flowerforyou:

HeidiHoMom

We all got overweight by eating too much. It makes me laugh so much when people are now saying they are struggling to eat their calories due to exercise etc We didn't have a problem eating them not so long ago but now we have a problem reaching them?

No one is saying to overeat. Eating above your BMR and below maintenance is still a deficit.

You come off as pretty rude by the way, and you have no scientific peer reviewed studies here to back up what you're saying. There are hundreds of studies in medical journals, however, that do support eating at least your BMR.

But you go ahead and eat your 1200 calories.

I will eat my 1600 and be much happier. As you can see I have lost almost 20 lbs....but I guess it's not working.

LiddyBit

I just think if ANYONE is extremely concerned about their bodies entering "starvation mode" from a particular caloric intake..You should consult your doctor or nutritionist. I'm not sure if this (MFP) is the best resource..I'm just saying..

Possibly the best advice I've read on this site yet.

Jp83

Good luck with your super slow metabolism and lean muscle loss! :flowerforyou:

For your info, I'm eatining my TDEE of 1700(sedentary) and logging my exercise calories plus any deficit in my calories. I average 850 deficit.

This BMR calorie thing is really annoying me now. Your body needs x amount of vitamin A, x amount of vitamin C etc per day. In a good diet meeting BMR these requirements will be met.

So now you burn some off, physiologically your body doesn't care if it uses calories recently ingested or stored calores. So, in this situation it will use stored calories.

BUT... as far as BMR goes, your have met it, you have fuelled your body in its daily nutients.

To test this try logging MFP at 800 cals gross, assuming goal/BMR of 1300. It tells you that you are under calories and in starvation mode.
Try logging it with your targer calories met and then take off your exercise. It no longer warms your of starvation mode. Point proven no?

MFP is therefore happy you fuelled your body for the day (at BMR and exercise doesn't come in to it!)

mes1119

I agree with you.

modernmom70

I just think if ANYONE is extremely concerned about their bodies entering "starvation mode" from a particular caloric intake..You should consult your doctor or nutritionist. I'm not sure if this (MFP) is the best resource..I'm just saying..

Possibly the best advice I've read on this site yet.

Yes good advise except I would replace doctor and nutritionist with dietition because most doctors are not schooled much in nutrition and anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Dietitions are educated and regulated.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I eat around 1200 -1400 calories a day & I never eat back my net calories . I always gain weight & I'm eating low fat , low carb organic diet . So I don't know how much more extreme I can get on this . I have only seen healthy 1-2lbs / week weight loss by not eating back my calories . Plus I just listen to my grandmother whom I live with . She just tells me to exercise 45 min . / day . Don't eat after 7pm & Eat 3 small meals / day . If I'm hungry I can have small snack in between . But when I switched my diet over to organic I haven't been eating as much because I get full faster . Reason why is there is no additives in these organic foods that make you over eat . When I ate unhealthy I could eat large portions and not be full . Besides the fact that my metabolism is high now , thanks to this supplement I take ( Cayenne Fruit ) . So I don't have to worry about slow progress either . So far I've lost 9lbs this past month slowly but surely . It's all a matter of what works for each individual person , everyone's body reacts differently to different things . Good luck with your weight loss though ! :flowerforyou:

Wow. Just wow.

xHelloQuincyx

hmm I wonder why I have lost so much more after upping my calories then. compared to when I was trying for over a year and only netting 600-800 with workouts and eating clean. only lost like 10 lbs that year... so strange... lololololololololololololololololol. lost 20 in 3 months by upping my calories, maybe its just me

2April

We all got overweight by eating too much. It makes me laugh so much when people are now saying they are struggling to eat their calories due to exercise etc We didn't have a problem eating them not so long ago but now we have a problem reaching them?

No one is saying to overeat. Eating above your BMR and below maintenance is still a deficit.

You come off as pretty rude by the way, and you have no scientific peer reviewed studies here to back up what you're saying. There are hundreds of studies in medical journals, however, that do support eating at least your BMR.

But you go ahead and eat your 1200 calories.

I will eat my 1600 and be much happier. As you can see I have lost almost 20 lbs....but I guess it's not working.

The OP never suggested eating below BMR.

pwittek10

I am 5'2 and 117, I do not eat 1400 calories a day, I have lost all the weight I want to and I eat 1000 average.
That is what my maintance is all about.
Today I ate 1400 + and we will see what happens to the weight.
I just wanted to test it!

modernmom70

Good luck with your super slow metabolism and lean muscle loss! :flowerforyou:

For your info, I'm eatining my TDEE of 1700(sedentary) and logging my exercise calories plus any deficit in my calories. I average 850 deficit.

This BMR calorie thing is really annoying me now. Your body needs x amount of vitamin A, x amount of vitamin C etc per day. In a good diet meeting BMR these requirements will be met.

So now you burn some off, physiologically your body doesn't care if it uses calories recently ingested or stored calores. So, in this situation it will use stored calories.

BUT... as far as BMR goes, your have met it, you have fuelled your body in its daily nutients.

To test this try logging MFP at 800 cals gross, assuming goal/BMR of 1300. It tells you that you are under calories and in starvation mode.
Try logging it with your targer calories met and then take off your exercise. It no longer warms your of starvation mode. Point proven no?

MFP is therefore happy you fuelled your body for the day (at BMR and exercise doesn't come in to it!)

How are you obtaining your excercise calories? Is it from mfp or a hrm? If it's from mfp you may be overestimating and may actually not have as much of a deficet as you think.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I am 5'2 and 117, I do not eat 1400 calories a day, I have lost all the weight I want to and I eat 1000 average.
That is what my maintance is all about.
Today I ate 1400 + and we will see what happens to the weight.
I just wanted to test it!

Kinda sucks to starve forever.

beaujam

Ok yes, very recently I ate enough to get fat - but now Ive cut out fast food, etc, and really AM struggling to reach my goal cals. Its frustrating, because here I am, at the end of the night, 500 cals short, but dont want to just shove something unhealthy in my mouth just for the sake of meeting my caloric goal. I dont think an apple's gonna cut it! Not to mention, Im not necessarily hungry right now either... Dont know what to do. Just started a couple days ago, and last night was under by 300 cals I think...

LiddyBit

I just think if ANYONE is extremely concerned about their bodies entering "starvation mode" from a particular caloric intake..You should consult your doctor or nutritionist. I'm not sure if this (MFP) is the best resource..I'm just saying..

Possibly the best advice I've read on this site yet.

Yes good advise except I would replace doctor and nutritionist with dietition because most doctors are not schooled much in nutrition and anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Dietitions are educated and regulated.

Doctors are pretty educated in physiology, though. Which would include issues of starvation and the mythic "starvation mode."

HeidiHoMom

We all got overweight by eating too much. It makes me laugh so much when people are now saying they are struggling to eat their calories due to exercise etc We didn't have a problem eating them not so long ago but now we have a problem reaching them?

No one is saying to overeat. Eating above your BMR and below maintenance is still a deficit.

You come off as pretty rude by the way, and you have no scientific peer reviewed studies here to back up what you're saying. There are hundreds of studies in medical journals, however, that do support eating at least your BMR.

But you go ahead and eat your 1200 calories.

I will eat my 1600 and be much happier. As you can see I have lost almost 20 lbs....but I guess it's not working.

The OP never suggested eating below BMR.

You're right, the OP is advocating netting less than your BMR. I am not netting less than my BMR and I am losing more since upping my calories.

HeidiHoMom

I just think if ANYONE is extremely concerned about their bodies entering "starvation mode" from a particular caloric intake..You should consult your doctor or nutritionist. I'm not sure if this (MFP) is the best resource..I'm just saying..

Possibly the best advice I've read on this site yet.

Yes good advise except I would replace doctor and nutritionist with dietition because most doctors are not schooled much in nutrition and anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Dietitions are educated and regulated.

Doctors are pretty educated in physiology, though. Which would include issues of starvation and the mythic "starvation mode."

Where are your scientific studies to show that starvation mode is a myth?

There are many scientific studies that show it is real.

Autry403

I eat around 1200 -1400 calories a day & I never eat back my net calories . I always gain weight & I'm eating low fat , low carb organic diet . So I don't know how much more extreme I can get on this . I have only seen healthy 1-2lbs / week weight loss by not eating back my calories . Plus I just listen to my grandmother whom I live with . She just tells me to exercise 45 min . / day . Don't eat after 7pm & Eat 3 small meals / day . If I'm hungry I can have small snack in between . But when I switched my diet over to organic I haven't been eating as much because I get full faster . Reason why is there is no additives in these organic foods that make you over eat . When I ate unhealthy I could eat large portions and not be full . Besides the fact that my metabolism is high now , thanks to this supplement I take ( Cayenne Fruit ) . So I don't have to worry about slow progress either . So far I've lost 9lbs this past month slowly but surely . It's all a matter of what works for each individual person , everyone's body reacts differently to different things . Good luck with your weight loss though ! :flowerforyou:

Wow. Just wow.

Seems like I'm always getting these reactions lately ... At least I have my husband for support , since I see not all of you are going to support my habits . Oh well , can 't please everybody ! :happy:

LoggingForLife

Well, if you have it down, open up your diary and let us take a look. How much weight have you lost since Aug. of 2010? Put your money where your mouth is!!!!

HeidiHoMom

“Adaptive reduction in basal metabolic rate in response to food deprivation in humans: a role for feedback signals from fat stores. Dulloo, Jaquet 1998. American journal of clinical nutrition.

Quote:

“It is well established from longitudinal studies of human starvation and semistarvation that weight loss is accompanied by a decrease in basal metabolicrate (BMR) greater than can be accounted for by the change in body weight or body composition”

Doucet, et al 2001. British journal of nutrition. “Evidence for the existence of adaptive thermogenesis during weight loss.”

quote:

“It should be expected that the decrease in resting energy expenditure that occurs during weightloss would be proportional to the decrease in body substance. However, in the case of underfeeding studies, acute energy restriction can also lead to reductions in resting energy expenditure which are not entirely explained by changes in body composition.”

Handbook of Obesity Treatment, by wadden and stunkard
(two of the top obesity scientists and researchers in the world )

quote:

“The starvation response - which is an increase in food seeking behavior - is most likely mediated by the decrease in leptin associated with caloric deprivation.”

Textbooks on nutritional biochemistry also acknowledge the decrease in metabolism and distinguish it as an adaptive mechanism, distinct from the decrease in energy expenditure that would be expected with weight loss. In this case, the author also mentions another downside of very low calorie diets: spontaneous reduction in physical activity.

Biochemical And Physiological Aspects of Human Nutrition by SM. Stipanauk, professor of nutritional sciences, Cornell University (WB Saunders company, 2000)

Quote:

During food restriction, thermic effect of food and energy expenditure decrease, as would be expected from reduced food intake and a reduction in total body mass. Resting metabolic rate, however declines more rapidly than would be expected from the loss of body mass and from the decline in spontaneous physical activity due to general fatigue.

This adaptive reduction in resting metabolic rate may be a defense against further loss of body energy stores."

Granted, it is more often referred to as “metabolic adaptation” or “adaptive reduction in metabolic rate.” However, starvation mode and starvation response are both terms found in the scientific literature, and they are more easily understood by the layperson, which is why I choose to use them.

Another effect of starvation mode is what happens after the diet: A sustained increase in appetite and a sustained reduction of metabolic rate that persists after the diet is over. Although controversial, this too is documented in the literature:

American Journal clinical nutrition 1997. Dulloo “post starvation hyperphagia and body fat overshooting in humans.”

American Journal Clin Nutrition 1989, Elliot et al. “Sustained depression of the resting metabolic rate after massive weight loss”

quote:

“Resting metabolic rate of our obese subjects remained depressed after massive weight loss despite increased caloric consumption to a level that allowed body weight stabilization.”

and Dulloo 1998:

"The reduction in thermogenesis during semistarvation persists after 12 weeks of restricted refeeding, with its size being inversely proportional to the degree of fat recovery but unrelated to the degree of fat free mass recovery."