"Starvation mode", exercise calories, dillema?

tinawp70

Awesome post! Thank you

3bambi3

bump.

myraknits

OK, let me get this straight... My BMR X 1.2 = 1529. In order to lose weight I'd need to eat less than 1529. How much less?
And on days I exercise, I eat those extra calories? Right now my body fat is 18.8 and I'd like to lean down to 16 or so. It seems that if I eat more than 1200 cals a day I start gaining again.
Also, what do you think about cheat days for "priming the pump"? I seem to lose a bit i I go hog wild for a day or 2 and then go back to 1200 or less.
Thanks so much for the help. I'm learning a ton!!

tabbydog

bump

SHBoss1673

OK, let me get this straight... My BMR X 1.2 = 1529. In order to lose weight I'd need to eat less than 1529. How much less?
And on days I exercise, I eat those extra calories? Right now my body fat is 18.8 and I'd like to lean down to 16 or so. It seems that if I eat more than 1200 cals a day I start gaining again.
Also, what do you think about cheat days for "priming the pump"? I seem to lose a bit i I go hog wild for a day or 2 and then go back to 1200 or less.
Thanks so much for the help. I'm learning a ton!!

last question first, some of that is perception, but it's possible to "trick" your body a little bit, especially when your down to where you are with regards to body fat percent (16% is difficult to maintain unless you're a fitness professional or athlete or have some other highly active job, or your a freak of nature in which case I hate you ) just don't go crazy, it's not the solution to everything, but may be a contributor.

that BMR calculation you did seems a bit conservative to me. BMR X 1.2 is very very sedentary. Are you very very sedentary and do no (very little) exercise? If not I'd set it closer to 1.375 for lightly active, meaning a desk job plus 4-5 days a week of moderate 1 to 2 hour/day exercise.

Lastly, carving off those last few percentages of body fat are tough, take a long time, and require a lot of dedication. Just be aware of that, not saying you shouldn't try, just saying it's going to take some nutrition plan work plus some really difficult exercise to get there (both High intensity interval, and weight training usually).

RetiredAndLovingIt

bump

myraknits

You are a treasure!! Thank you so much. I'm sure I'm perfectly fine at the weight I'm at and no, I'm not a naturally skinny gal. I carry an extra 15 very easily so I have to keep up my workout to maintain. I'd say I'm an average sedentary with a desk job so I'll go with the 1.3

arleneechocim

I am 48 years old, 66inches, 180 lbs. Active job 4-10 hours days, up and down from my desk working with cardiac patients. do swim aerobics 3 days a week for 45 minutes. Usually walk my dogs 30 minutes twice a week.

SHBoss1673

I am 48 years old, 66inches, 180 lbs. Active job 4-10 hours days, up and down from my desk working with cardiac patients. do swim aerobics 3 days a week for 45 minutes. Usually walk my dogs 30 minutes twice a week.

are you looking for deficit numbers? BMR? ...

SHBoss1673

I don't want this to turn into "Guess my deficit" guys, I'm happy to help but this kind of deficit work generally requires me to do a lot of in-depth work with a client, it's not something I usually just throw together like I've done on this thread. Not that I don't want to help, it'll just become really hard for me if I keep doing it, plus I'll feel like I'm cheating you guys by just spending 5 minutes on your issue, it's really something that takes more time and a lot more discovery to really deal with.

ndj1979

bump for later

pinkgumdrop123

bump to read when i get home

Angel1066

bump for later

Fit4_Life

I totally agree with this! I've been on a 1,000 calorie diet for over a year.. I feel GREAT!

conure2

Bump

lizziebeth1028

Great post! I'm a believer! Eat more, weigh less, feel full, happy, energized, watch your strength increase. Skin looks better, healthy hair and nails!! It works!

funkycamper

Starvation mode makes me think of Audrey Hepburn, who suffered from malnutrition during her childhood (during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands) and was damaged to the extent that she had to give up a career in ballet.

I mean she turned out alright But her being very skinny makes me think of women who want to be like her and don't realize she was literally starved as a child.

I remember reading something a few years back where Audrey's weight was discussed and friends/family were quoted in the article saying that she was obsessed with staying thin and that she ate very little and was very strict with herself. The article also said that she would get very stressed out over gatherings and events where food was a big part of the celebration because she feared she would get out of control. Wish I could remember where I read it. Love Audrey but hearing this made me think that she didn't turn out quite alright. I mean, it just makes me sad that she couldn't find a way to stay relatively slender while still enjoying these types of life events more.

funkycamper

I had never heard the term "starvation myth" until I saw this post. But I was so put off by the third paragraph that I didn't want to read the rest - mainly because paragraph 3 was so combative and judgey.

So I googled "starvation myth" and found out some really interesting information.

I liked this post - http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

So many opinions on this but as we are often told, we must do what we think is right for ourselves.

And she basically backtracks that post with this one:
http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2012/07/mythbusters-starvation-mode-revisited.html#more

In other words, she admits that too low of calorie eating over a long enough of a time frame to get you to a loss of 10% will kick you into Famine Mode. Same thing as Starvation Mode.

So your link to her post is moot as any kind of oppositional evidence.

Yes, I find this post rather amusing since it's pretty much a reversal of her prior post. Although some of her information is purely anecdotal (which she admits) and not what I follow as a plateau pattern (and how to avoid it).

Well, I'm a bit put off by her writing style as she may admit it's anecdotal but her statements are made in such an authoritative manner that she can give the uninformed the impression that she knows what she's talking about.

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Also she completely dismisses weight gain possibilities while in starvation mode. She acknowledges that the metabolic rate lowers while in starvation mode but doesn't account for someone eating what they THINK is still a deficit but is actually more than their lowered metabolism (thus weight gain would be possible even if you eat above what your metabolic rate WOULD be if your body were reacting normally).

I know! She writes as if a lowered metabolism has no consequences.

LanaeCarol

I need to read through this more carefully later.

funkycamper

I totally agree with this! I've been on a 1,000 calorie diet for over a year.. I feel GREAT!

Huh? That would be the exact opposite of what the OP is posting about. 1000 calories/day is what he says you should avoid.