Banking calories vs starvation mode

smudgeroo

Heres one for you. Some people tell me I can undereat on my calorie allowance one day to 'bank' calories for the next (perhaps I'm going out for a meal). Others tell me if I undereat my calories my body will go into Starvation Mode and it will therefore be counter productive. What are your thoughts? And would I need to undereat for a few days to go into starvation mode, or does it happen straight away?
I need to know!

stonerdude

Don't know about all that, but if you open your dairy then people can make useful suggestions:)

liftingheavy

I try to bank a couple hundred extra calories a day for an inevitable cheat day on the weekends. I understand the school of thought regarding "starvation mode", but I find most of it hard to believe for the most part. Unless someone goes from 3,000 calories a day to something below 1000 I just can't see it. Just my opinion.

This method kept me losing until my goal weight. I have to have a pizza or a few tacos once a week. It's a must for me to keep this up.

sarabluebell

i cant see your body going into sarvation mode in one day...but I'm no expert

RLDeShazo

Heres one for you. Some people tell me I can undereat on my calorie allowance one day to 'bank' calories for the next (perhaps I'm going out for a meal). Others tell me if I undereat my calories my body will go into Starvation Mode and it will therefore be counter productive. What are your thoughts? And would I need to undereat for a few days to go into starvation mode, or does it happen straight away?
I need to know!

My thoughts, and I am by no means an expert, is that your body doesn't count calories on a 24 hour basis. Midnight doesn't reset the calorie clock. I would think it would take more than 1 day of low cals to go into "starvation mode".

ElizabethRoad

Anyone who says you will go into starvation mode in a day or two is an idiot.

BrianSharpe

Forget the whole "starvation mode" myth. Eating at a significant caloric deficit for an extended of period of time will result in a metabolic adaptation - extended period of time and significant deficit being the operative terms.

People have become convinced that in "starvation mode" your body will consume lean muscle mass to fuel your activities and then turn every calorie you consume into fat............sorry, it defies logic.

Think of your caloric intake averaged over a week, you may be under your target one day and over a little the next and that is perfectly fine.

Rhodium1976

Unless you are on the Karen Carpenter diet and three months away from death, no need to worry about starvation mode.

mikejacobs1958

Heres one for you. Some people tell me I can undereat on my calorie allowance one day to 'bank' calories for the next (perhaps I'm going out for a meal). Others tell me if I undereat my calories my body will go into Starvation Mode and it will therefore be counter productive. What are your thoughts? And would I need to undereat for a few days to go into starvation mode, or does it happen straight away?
I need to know!

I am no expert but Try and Stick to your MFP calorie allocation, THEN if you do exercise you dont have to eat that all as well, I only eat half and works for me.

33neenaj

I "bank" calories all the time for my epic cheat meals.....this friday its pizza and wings!

LabRat529

Heres one for you. Some people tell me I can undereat on my calorie allowance one day to 'bank' calories for the next (perhaps I'm going out for a meal). Others tell me if I undereat my calories my body will go into Starvation Mode and it will therefore be counter productive. What are your thoughts? And would I need to undereat for a few days to go into starvation mode, or does it happen straight away?
I need to know!

"Starvation mode" is over-used and poorly understood by most on MFP. If you maintain a chronic calorie deficit for a long time, you adapt to the lower calorie intake and you burn less calories. This adaption might be an actual change in your metabolism, or it might simply be that you sleep a little more, fidget a little less, and so on.

This adaption occurs whether you have a large deficit or a small one. The extent to which it occurs will vary from person to person. You can defeat the adaptation by exercising. A smaller calorie deficit helps too.

I recommend against a large calorie deficit even for just one day because it makes it harder to resist over-eating later. It simply makes it harder to stay on the diet.

In addition, a very large calorie deficit can make it difficult to get the correct macro and micronutrients you need to be healthy.

But under-eating one day and over-eating the next will not have any serious effects on your over-all health. It may or may not make it more difficult for you to lose weight just because it may or may not make it more difficult for you to stay on your diet. So... choose. If you like banking calories, do it

TheNewDodge

I do it all the time. I'm going to go an extra 500 under on Thursday and Friday so I can get down on Saturday night

sherim71

I look at like this. As long as at the end of the week I am under my total cals for the week, then I am doing ok. I have to give myself a break one day a week to avoid fallinf off the wagon completely. I like that you can see a weekly average column on the app that shows you this.

bethanp

I've done diets in the past that allow for "happy calories" that you can save up for a Girl's Night out or celebration dinner. It was a pretty effective diet so as along as you're exercising, I don't see why banking calories for a fun night out wouldn't work.

jennkain97

Forget the whole "starvation mode" myth. Eating at a significant caloric deficit for an extended of period of time will result in a metabolic adaptation - extended period of time and significant deficit being the operative terms.

People have become convinced that in "starvation mode" your body will consume lean muscle mass to fuel your activities and then turn every calorie you consume into fat............sorry, it defies logic.

Think of your caloric intake averaged over a week, you may be under your target one day and over a little the next and that is perfectly fine.

This. Honestly, it's ridiculous the way people PREACH about starvation mode on here. It's not an overnight thing. You'd have to eat below 1200 for at least a couple of weeks straight before that would happen, even longer if you are extremely overweight. For the morbidly obese, we're talking months. So save up those calories if you can, and then go out and enjoy yourself!

nataliexxxx

Forget the whole "starvation mode" myth. Eating at a significant caloric deficit for an extended of period of time will result in a metabolic adaptation - extended period of time and significant deficit being the operative terms.

People have become convinced that in "starvation mode" your body will consume lean muscle mass to fuel your activities and then turn every calorie you consume into fat............sorry, it defies logic.

Think of your caloric intake averaged over a week, you may be under your target one day and over a little the next and that is perfectly fine.

This. Honestly, it's ridiculous the way people PREACH about starvation mode on here. It's not an overnight thing. You'd have to eat below 1200 for at least a couple of weeks straight before that would happen, even longer if you are extremely overweight. For the morbidly obese, we're talking months. So save up those calories if you can, and then go out and enjoy yourself!

This is so true! I hate people saying my body will go into starvation mode because I go under my calorie intake just for one day!

wgn4166

Some days I find it impossible to eat 1200-1300 calories. I do not want to "make" myself eat, just to reach those numbers.

Kara_xxx

"Starvation mode" is ridiculously overused and totally misunderstood here. It's not something that happens in a day.

There are a whole group of intermittent fasters here too (see Leangains, ESE etc) and none of them are in "starvation mode".

Personally I tend to pitch for a general balance across the week but would never eat extra at the end of a night to make up exercise calories if I really don't feel like more food.

littlelol

bump

smudgeroo

Thanks for all the encouraging responses! I feel much more confident about banking calories now, and less scared of the dreaded Starvation Mode!

yhwhsesther

I have fasted for 40 days. just had water and i did not gain wait or go into starvation mode when i restarted to eat. I love doing the intermittent fasting or all fasting. it cleanses the body and helps me to refocus on whats important. i was in the 400+ when i did my first fast about 16 years ago i am now down to 205 lbs. i do yo yo but that is because i stress eat and when stressing i choose not to log food and then get back at it yet for most part it has been a general downward loss. I think personally it is to be balanced in all areas of life.

DanaDark

"Starvation mode" technically does not happen until weeks on a super low calorie diet. You can "bank" a few throughout the week for a decent weekend. But, don't "bank" too many in a day.

barbaracoffing

What you're doing is actually a good idea for several reasons:
1. On the days that you don't want to eat your max calories, you don't have to force yourself to
2. It allows you to reward yourself with a treat day!
3. If you were to go into 'stasis' where you really aren't losing anything for a while, a few days of 'normal' eating can reset your metabolism if it thinks its gotten use to a certain number of calories per day. I guess this is what you are referring to as starvation mode. Different people hit this point at different times....but it is usually an extended period and there are things you can do to avoid it: You won't go into starvation mode 'usually' at 1500 calories, but you may hit a bump where you don't lose anything for a while, then you need to make adjustments in your routine...raise calories, do more cardio etc. But at 1200 it's risky. Listen to your body...if you're tired or hungry....eat something.