Starvation Mode

aminahzjohnson

Okay...everytime I complete my food and exercise log for the day, it says that "you are eating too few calories" in red...and it goes on to say that I may be putting my body into starvation mode. Okay...question. How is it that if you eat too few calories, you can put your body into starvation mode...but then doctors perform gastric bypass surgeries which in turn reduces the number of calories consumed far below what a normal person would consume. Wouldn't that put your body in starvation mode if all you could eat was a baby jar of food? I'm confused...can someone please clear this up for me? Thanks

wftiger

It is used as a scare tactic. Nothing more. I don't even bother completing my daily log as it gives me the annoying message every time. If starvation mode as it is used on this board existed then you are correct, gastric bypass would not work and anorexics would not be under weight. I am not making fun of anyone, especially those with and ED. I'm saying that if starvation mode worked as "advertised" then it would not be an issue.

BTW - In 6 months I have only twice consumed more than 1,200 calories and I have lost over 85lbs, lost almost no muscle mass, and increased me HDL (good cholesterol). This calorie amount was recommend by both my MD and nutritionist who said that women can lose weight perfectly healthy on 1,200 per day. I defer to their judgement over a website.

aminahzjohnson

I agree But there are a lot of conflicting articles out there online...I just needed some type of clairity! Thanks

africaa

I just joined today and it told me that..but I was way below my goal anyway (under 1000)..but I usually eat more. The thing is though it wants me to eat 1600 calories a day but my nutrionist only want me to eat between 1200-1400 so i'm not going to even bother with that.

saraann4

I agree...according to my food log...I don't eat enough and I get that message too. I'm not starving myself. I have more energy now than before. Also, I cannot be starving...I would be starving if I had 3 carrot sticks a day. I'm eating 5 small meals a day. My stomach is never growling. If it is...I eat something.

mmbleb

From what I have read if you do not consume what your body needs to survive it will think you are fasting or starving therefore it will start storing fat for your body to live off of. That is the exact opposite of what you want if you are trying to lose weight. I too am struggling to get my 1200 minimum calories.

Fit_Canuck

I agree But there are a lot of conflicting articles out there online...I just needed some type of clairity! Thanks

I'll share my personal experience, the site was recommending 1700 calories a day for me to lose 1lb a week, I tried it and at first it worked but then I started getting tired, sick , it just wasn't working.

I then went to see a dietitian and had my metabolism tested professionally and discovered I at the time it was 2299 calories BMR, I was under eating by a massive amount, yes weight was dropping but I wasn't healthy. Now I eat between 2800-3000 a day and I have lost 20 lbs, gained muscle mass and dropped 4% body fat.

This may not have been starvation mode per say, but metabolic slow down does indeed exist and if people chose to ignore it that's their choice but to denounce it outright is dangerous in my opinion.

FYI : Metabolic Starvation does not = Tummy Grumbling

ElizaRoche

starvation mode for me its a huge myth.... Ok, lets accept the fact that eating 500 calories everyday would be dangerous for your body, cause you are not getting enough nutrients/protein/vitamins/calcium etc...
But no way you would enter a starvation mode, or, explain anorexia to me, those girls barely eat 500 cal a day, and they keep losing weight.
I normally eat 900-1100 a day (ive never gone over my daily 1200), and look, 37 lbs less!.. And Im never hungry, i feel satified with what I eat, nothing in this world would change my mind about it. Maybe if i was eating the 900-1100 and i was with the 200 lbs i had before, i would believe it, but not when im a few pounds away from the 150s.

So again , that starvation mode is BS for me.. IMO

meeka472

I do think it's a scare tactic. Before I started my diet I went to a nutritionist and she told me to drop my caloric intake to 1200 calories and to exercise if I could. My trainer also has no problem with me being at 1200 colories so I don't worry about what this site says about starvation mode. I've lost 20lbs since the end of Jan. (8 while on this site) working within the 1200 calorie guidelines that I was given by my doctor...

Fit_Canuck

I do think it's a scare tactic. Before I started my diet I went to a nutritionist and she told me to drop my caloric intake to 1200 calories and to exercise if I could. My trainer also has no problem with me being at 1200 colories so I don't worry about what this site says about starvation mode. I've lost 20lbs since the end of Jan. (8 while on this site) working within the 1200 calorie guidelines that I was given by my doctor...

A scare tactic by who? The evil Metabolism Corporation in league with the grocery stores?? What is there to gain by scaring people into eating a healthy amount of calories to support a weight loss and physical fitness routine.

chris1816

I've posted on this plenty before, with lots of f-bombs.

Starvation mode is a myth. If you have excess body fat, your body goes to this primarily as its energy source. Could you lose some lean mass if you didn't eat anything at all? Sure. If you had 100lbs of pure body fat though, your body is going to seek that out as an easy energy source.

Will your metabolism slow down? Not by any substantial amount. Your metabolism encompasses the entirety of all processes that make your body work, and allow you to exist and function. Will you feel like butt here or there? Maybe, but unlikely. Hell on a recent thread I proved this wrong by eating about 500 calories a day of nothing but water, almond milk, and whey protein powder. Did this for days, did weightlifting, martial arts, and my normal 13 hour shifts at work fine. It's kind of pointless, but you can do it, and you will lose fat.

Starvation mode only really exists when you are actually starving, eg in a DPRK work camp, making bigger rocks into smaller rocks.

aminahzjohnson

I agree But there are a lot of conflicting articles out there online...I just needed some type of clairity! Thanks

I'll share my personal experience, the site was recommending 1700 calories a day for me to lose 1lb a week, I tried it and at first it worked but then I started getting tired, sick , it just wasn't working.

I then went to see a dietitian and had my metabolism tested professionally and discovered I at the time it was 2299 calories BMR, I was under eating by a massive amount, yes weight was dropping but I wasn't healthy. Now I eat between 2800-3000 a day and I have lost 20 lbs, gained muscle mass and dropped 4% body fat.

This may not have been starvation mode per say, but metabolic slow down does indeed exist and if people chose to ignore it that's their choice but to denounce it outright is dangerous in my opinion.

FYI : Metabolic Starvation does not = Tummy Grumbling

Thank you for this information

Taylerr88

..

chris1816

I do think it's a scare tactic. Before I started my diet I went to a nutritionist and she told me to drop my caloric intake to 1200 calories and to exercise if I could. My trainer also has no problem with me being at 1200 colories so I don't worry about what this site says about starvation mode. I've lost 20lbs since the end of Jan. (8 while on this site) working within the 1200 calorie guidelines that I was given by my doctor...

Did you exercise? If so did you calculate energy expenditure and caloric burn and eat back precisely to bring you back to 1200?

If not then you were subsisting on less than 1200 calories.

tcunbeliever

When you are eating insufficient calories to sustain daily life (not one day too low, but every day too low) then your body will dissolve primarily muscle to sustain life - burning muscle nets more energy for your body than burning fat. Your heart is a muscle, which is why anorexia is potentially fatal and why sometime people die from heart problems even after they have recovered from eating disorders and begun to eat more. It's not a scare tactic, and it's a high risk for gastric bypass patients too. But in the case of the morbidly obese the risks of remaining obese are greater than the risks of the surgery.

aminahzjohnson

Thanks everyone for your posts

zaithyr

Okay...everytime I complete my food and exercise log for the day, it says that "you are eating too few calories" in red...and it goes on to say that I may be putting my body into starvation mode. Okay...question. How is it that if you eat too few calories, you can put your body into starvation mode...but then doctors perform gastric bypass surgeries which in turn reduces the number of calories consumed far below what a normal person would consume. Wouldn't that put your body in starvation mode if all you could eat was a baby jar of food? I'm confused...can someone please clear this up for me? Thanks

One note about gastric bypass surgery- yes you can lose a lot of weight from it. However, my mom (and others that I know who have had it) ended up with malnutrition issues and she ended up having a heart attack when her iron levels bottomed out. She lost hair and has all kinds of issues. Making drastic changes like that does come at a price.

docktorfokse

not everyone follows the eat more to lose more religion.

mmbleb

So any suggestions on making sure you get at least 1200 calories? I am having trouble eating the calories I need. I fell like I'm eating all day long now that I'm dieting LOL

sleepytexan

It is used as a scare tactic. Nothing more. I don't even bother completing my daily log as it gives me the annoying message every

Yes. MFP is trying to terrorize everyone here.

Fit_Canuck

So any suggestions on making sure you get at least 1200 calories? I am having trouble eating the calories I need. I fell like I'm eating all day long now that I'm dieting LOL

Cottage Cheese, Greek Yogurt, Chicken Breast, Fish, Shrimp, Almonds etc...

Fit_Canuck

not everyone follows the eat more to lose more religion.

It's not a religion, it's tried, tested and true science. Many of the non-believers who have attempted it have seen incredible results and better yet those results are long lasting vs crash dieting.

MoreBean13

Not that I believe anorexia and "starvation mode" (metabolic slow down) are the same thing, but people keep using anorexics as proof that it's OK to eat VLCD....This is just a reminder, people die of anorexia.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2094031/Dr-Melanie-Spooner-inquest-Childrens-doctor-tortured-anorexia-died-3st-11lb.html

Coyla

starvation mode for me its a huge myth.... Ok, lets accept the fact that eating 500 calories everyday would be dangerous for your body, cause you are not getting enough nutrients/protein/vitamins/calcium etc...
But no way you would enter a starvation mode, or, explain anorexia to me, those girls barely eat 500 cal a day, and they keep losing weight.
I normally eat 900-1100 a day (ive never gone over my daily 1200), and look, 37 lbs less!.. And Im never hungry, i feel satified with what I eat, nothing in this world would change my mind about it. Maybe if i was eating the 900-1100 and i was with the 200 lbs i had before, i would believe it, but not when im a few pounds away from the 150s.

So again , that starvation mode is BS for me.. IMO

Really? Does it need to be explained AGAIN?

I'm declaring a pandemic of deliberate misapprehension of the term "Starvation Mode."

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

starvation mode for me its a huge myth.... Ok, lets accept the fact that eating 500 calories everyday would be dangerous for your body, cause you are not getting enough nutrients/protein/vitamins/calcium etc...
But no way you would enter a starvation mode, or, explain anorexia to me, those girls barely eat 500 cal a day, and they keep losing weight.
I normally eat 900-1100 a day (ive never gone over my daily 1200), and look, 37 lbs less!.. And Im never hungry, i feel satified with what I eat, nothing in this world would change my mind about it. Maybe if i was eating the 900-1100 and i was with the 200 lbs i had before, i would believe it, but not when im a few pounds away from the 150s.

So again , that starvation mode is BS for me.. IMO

wow, this is just sad. anorexia is much more complicated than that actually. I've lived it, overcome it, and I'm stronger now than ever but you have no idea what you're talking about.

Fit_Canuck

starvation mode for me its a huge myth.... Ok, lets accept the fact that eating 500 calories everyday would be dangerous for your body, cause you are not getting enough nutrients/protein/vitamins/calcium etc...
But no way you would enter a starvation mode, or, explain anorexia to me, those girls barely eat 500 cal a day, and they keep losing weight.
I normally eat 900-1100 a day (ive never gone over my daily 1200), and look, 37 lbs less!.. And Im never hungry, i feel satified with what I eat, nothing in this world would change my mind about it. Maybe if i was eating the 900-1100 and i was with the 200 lbs i had before, i would believe it, but not when im a few pounds away from the 150s.

So again , that starvation mode is BS for me.. IMO

wow, this is just sad. anorexia is much more complicated than that actually. I've lived it, overcome it, and I'm stronger now than ever but you have no idea what you're talking about.

I thought this was going to stay a me vs everyone struggle, thanks Love!

blondejester

I have lost 30 pounds in about 4 months eating less than 1,200 a day normally (not on purpose) Sometimes I go over and sometimes I'm under and this is counting working out. Last week I weighed myself and I had actually gained weight. I don't know if it's because of the fact that I'm eating so little or because of other problems (girl issues if you catch my drift) but it's not like I try to eat that low amount. I eat 3 good sized meals and 1-2 snacks. I don't think it's a myth that you will hit a plateau/go into starvation mode/etc. I would just recommend not trying to eat under 1,200. I have just started trying to eat more and exercise more so we'll see how that turns out in a week or two.

ElizaRoche

starvation mode for me its a huge myth.... Ok, lets accept the fact that eating 500 calories everyday would be dangerous for your body, cause you are not getting enough nutrients/protein/vitamins/calcium etc...
But no way you would enter a starvation mode, or, explain anorexia to me, those girls barely eat 500 cal a day, and they keep losing weight.
I normally eat 900-1100 a day (ive never gone over my daily 1200), and look, 37 lbs less!.. And Im never hungry, i feel satified with what I eat, nothing in this world would change my mind about it. Maybe if i was eating the 900-1100 and i was with the 200 lbs i had before, i would believe it, but not when im a few pounds away from the 150s.

So again , that starvation mode is BS for me.. IMO

Really? Does it need to be explained AGAIN?

I'm declaring a pandemic of deliberate misapprehension of the term "Starvation Mode."

first, I NEVER SAID anorexic was healthy, yes people die from that I know it and Im really aware of it.
second, if people die from anorexia then that proves my post, if starvation mode was real, no anorexic people would die, why?, cause they would stop losing weight as soon as they started eating less than 900 cal. The word anorexia wouldnt even exist.
thirt, im not starving myself, eating 1000 cal a day, for me is enough and I feel full. If I eat more than that I feel bloated.
fourth, maybe for me eating 1000 works, maybe for you dont, to each their own, every body is different.

So stop judging people that dont believe in that myth. Ive lost 37 lbs eating 1000 calories everyday, and u are not gonna change my mind nor make me eat more just cause you say so. Period..

have a nice day!

lumina0o0

So any suggestions on making sure you get at least 1200 calories? I am having trouble eating the calories I need. I fell like I'm eating all day long now that I'm dieting LOL

Cottage Cheese, Greek Yogurt, Chicken Breast, Fish, Shrimp, Almonds etc...

avocados, cheese in general yogurt in general, any nut...

Pihjin

Say what you like about the term starvation mode but here are the facts:

Your body has a basic metabolic rate (BMR) - this is the number of calories your body/organs need to function each day if you were just to lie in bed all day. This number for most people is around 1,200 calories.

You have a TDEE rate - this is your total daily expendature rate. So basically this is your BMR above, plus whatever you burn daily either just by getting out of bed right up to any exercise. For most women their TDEE, before exercise, is 1,800-2,000.

If your body gets less then it's BMR then it starts to burn further stores. This is obvious and yes of course you will lose wieght. BUT the body knows it is not getting enough to function normally and so the metabolism gets messed up as it's learning to cope with less calories (ie. what it would be like if it had limited access to food, and this is why people call it starvation mode).

Now the danger with eating less than your BRM is that because the body is trying to cope and survive, once you re-increase your calories the body will go though a "hoarding" phase as it will try to re-store it's extra supplies in case it goes back into "Starvation mode" again. So weight regain occurs more often than not. This too though will re-normalise as the body learns that the food will not be taken away again and that it can live off 1,200.

Once it gets comfortable again with 1,200 it will start to recognise 1,200 as it's basic BMR again and will lose at that rate because it knows it is less than your TDEE.

In short - eating 1,200 calories causes a deficit and you lose weight, but it maintains your BMR and metabolic slow down takes a long time to set in.

Eating less than your BRM creates a bigger deficit and you will lose weight but you are much more likely to regain that back once you re-increase your calories once you hit your goal and want to stabilise. And of course, at some point you have to begin to eat a TDEE again otherwise you have an eating disorder. Reaching a goal and staying there is the goal for us! Not wasting into nothing and damaging organs etc.

I hope this clears things up a little.

Starvation mode is a bit of a scare terms but it's badly used as a blanket term to explain what I just wrote.

Also remember the figures above are you NET calories. If you eat 1,200 and burn 400 exercising you've only given the body 800 to work with. You need to eat back those 400.

PayShi

I agree But there are a lot of conflicting articles out there online...I just needed some type of clairity! Thanks

I'll share my personal experience, the site was recommending 1700 calories a day for me to lose 1lb a week, I tried it and at first it worked but then I started getting tired, sick , it just wasn't working.

I then went to see a dietitian and had my metabolism tested professionally and discovered I at the time it was 2299 calories BMR, I was under eating by a massive amount, yes weight was dropping but I wasn't healthy. Now I eat between 2800-3000 a day and I have lost 20 lbs, gained muscle mass and dropped 4% body fat.

This may not have been starvation mode per say, but metabolic slow down does indeed exist and if people chose to ignore it that's their choice but to denounce it outright is dangerous in my opinion.

FYI : Metabolic Starvation does not = Tummy Grumbling

Wow. I'm happy to hear this. I'm eating about 500 calories below my BMR so this does worry me. I'll be finding me a dietitian very soon. I see just how important this is.