Getting out of starvation mode help!

Bobby__Clerici

Hey everyone! So I think I've been experiencing starvation mode symptoms. I eat 500 to 800 calories a day. Healthy calories of course but I really believe now that I've been in a starvation mode. I posted another post about the whole story how it got started, but basically I gained 25 pounds in two weeks but under eating and working out hard. I went from 119 to 141.I'm trying to get out of this starvation but should I start at 1200 calories while working out or 1800 since I burn at least 600?

Eat 2000 calories per day NET for a year, then get back to me.
Best of luck!
:drinker:

CoachReddy

it does not sound like starvation mode because starvation mode is a myth. you would have to not eat for 72 hours for your body to start to even enter what is considered the beginning phases of starvation mode. As the poster is eating about 800 to 1000 cals a day she is not in starvation mode....

However, she might benefit from bumping up cal intake to 1200 a day ..I would suggest you read the "in place of a road map thread" on MFP very informative.

all these absolutes.

for someone like me, who can eat 3,000 calories a day and not gain a pound, eating 800 calories consistently WOULD put me into starvation mode.

for someone else who only needs to eat 1500, 800 isn't as drastic of a drop so the effects may not be so significant.

everyone's different, that doesn't mean the body doesn't have a reaction to the insufficient nutrients.

I maintain at around 3000 also. I've also eaten 1200/day for 12 days. You know what happened, I lost fat. Didn't even starve to death. Didn't even plateau in fat loss. It's called a PSMF.

No not recommending people to under eat for long period of time.

It is highly unlikely that someone can get the required macronutrients and micronutrients on an 800cal diet despite it "only" being a 700cal deficit. In this case, up your activity level.

lol 12 days isn't a long time. that's less time than some cleanses. doesn't prove or disprove anything.

CoachReddy

@coahreddy my height is 5'4 and I am very muscular and I even seem to be retaining muscle even with my calories this low. I am very active and I workout almost every day if not twice a day. When I was feeling healthy and did not have this issue, I ate about 1200 to 1800 and when I dropped the caloric intake and worked out even more that's when the issues occurred. The swelling started from my feet, I just thought it was because of the intense running I normally didn't do and the heels I always wore were starting to get to my arches, but then swelling went to my calves and back and then everywhere. I haven't thought about increasing the caloric intake until now because the weight gain was so traumatic for someone who once was very toned and thin. I got my heart checked and it was fine so I don't believe I have a blood clot. In fact my blood is very thin and healthy the doc told me. So is this enough info to believe it all deals with my caloric intake? How should I start increasing so I don't gain even more?!

Listen, honestly what you're telling me doesn't sound like anything i've run across before dealing with nutrition and the like, and i don't want to say that eating more will make it all go away because i don't know that it will. all i know is that eating 1200-1800 is going to be so much healthier for you than 800. More than that, it's important what KINDS of foods you're eating and what macro ratios you're hitting.

We can talk about that stuff and help you come up with a plan on that front, BUT I do think you need to be 100% positive that there isn't a medical issue present. That kind of swelling sounds like something else may be at play. What can it hurt to see someone else about it? Maybe they'll have a different viewpoint. Tell them what you told us. If it turns out there's nothing more sinister at play, then maybe it is solely your diet, and potentially some left over body image issues?

cbtyler1

I had an autoimmune slightly that showed up on my blood test which is why I am being treated with antibiotics. I also had some bathroom issues and I couldn't go #2 for about three weeks. Sorry too much info there. But other than being treated there is a slight improvement in the way I feel but as for the swelling it's still here. These past two weeks I am finally having normal bathroom trips. So I think that could have contributed a little. But the missing piece I think would to be upping my calories. As long as I know it's going to go down I won't have a single problem upping it!! I finally got it to the 1200 - 1800's without over exercising or under eating so that's a step. it's gone down on my face today!! Could this just be water?? I'm seeing an endocrinologist very soon and a nutritionist but I wanted to see if there was any problems that existed like mine. Ha apparently not. Thanks for the info though! Maybe it can be gone in 2 weeks if I increase it where it use to be before all of this happened.

CoachReddy

I had an autoimmune slightly that showed up on my blood test which is why I am being treated with antibiotics. I also had some bathroom issues and I couldn't go #2 for about three weeks. Sorry too much info there. But other than being treated there is a slight improvement in the way I feel but as for the swelling it's still here. These past two weeks I am finally having normal bathroom trips. So I think that could have contributed a little. But the missing piece I think would to be upping my calories. As long as I know it's going to go down I won't have a single problem upping it!! I finally got it to the 1200 - 1800's without over exercising or under eating so that's a step. it's gone down on my face today!! Could this just be water?? I'm seeing an endocrinologist very soon and a nutritionist but I wanted to see if there was any problems that existed like mine. Ha apparently not. Thanks for the info though! Maybe it can be gone in 2 weeks if I increase it where it use to be before all of this happened.

this is great to hear, and it looks like you're doing all the right things! so now let's get you eating right! after this post i'm actually a lot more optimistic.

i'm a true believer in the power of food to heal our bodies. the human body WANTS to heal itself, we just need to give it the RIGHT tools (nutrients) to do it!

cbtyler1

Defiantly!! I agree I am changing my thoughts about my diet! Does this mean my net should be at 1200 even with exercising. Right now it's at 900 something. Should I eat more to meet the goal or just leave it since it's almost bedtime?

CoachReddy

Defiantly!! I agree I am changing my thoughts about my diet! Does this mean my net should be at 1200 even with exercising. Right now it's at 900 something. Should I eat more to meet the goal or just leave it since it's almost bedtime?

if you eat something make sure it's something protein or fat based like a glass of milk or cheese, etc. things like that take longer to digest so it keeps you fuller longer while you're sleeping.

so let's figure out what to shoot for calorie wise ok?

Start with your Base Metabolic Rate, which is the number of calories a person of your age/sex/height/weight would burn every day just laying in bed doing NOTHING.

Yours comes out to 1484. Add to that however many calories you burned exercising (lets pretend it's 400)
"
1484+400 = 1884

Now, depending on your job/life situation, you'll probably burn a couple hundred extra calories just going about your daily life, so lets throw 200 more on there.

1884+200= 2004

That's how many calories you would eat every day if you were looking to MAINTAIN your current weight.

BMR+Exercise+Daily Burn (estimate)= TOTAL calories burned every day


Since you want to lose weight, subtract up to 500 calories to create a deficit. (I never recommend people cut more than 500 calories)

2004-500 = 1504

So in this scenario, you'd need to be shooting for 1500 calories/day ideally.

Does all this make sense?

firstsip

OP, between this and the other post, I can't believe no one's mentioned edema. I know you said you had your heart checked... but when? The number one killer from EDs is heart related issues (heart attack, heart failure, etc.). When did you get your heart checked, WHY are you taking blood thinners? What is this "autoimmune" they found? There are holes in your story that make all of this sound "ILLNESS" rather than "NUTRITION."

Obviously not seeing you and only going off of what you say, I can't diagnose you... but I would STRONGLY urge an ER visit, an urgent care visit at the very least.

I gained ~30 lbs of weight when I was much younger after going into recovery for anorexia; I also gained ~30lbs from adrenal issues more recently; in both time, none of this weight was in two weeks. Yes, you're potentially more likely to gain fat (and more quickly) when going from a prolonged, severe deficit to normal or above normal calories....

... But you're also very likely to lose HEART mass when on such a prolonged deficit... something that doesn't always come up in an EKG or echo (and trust me, there are different types of echos, and you could very easily have one and something be completely missed).

Not trying to be too scary here, just wanting you to now that your problem sounds medical, not simply caloric.

cbtyler1

Awesome I just ate peanut butter and activia! I finally reached the 1200 mark yay!! I'll start increasing it between 1200 to 1500 and then 1500 to 1700 just to make sure my body still dosen't think it's in starvation mode. So it dosen't matter if you eat before bed? I always thought that would depress weight loss. But I guess not if you haven't met your calories! Thank you so much for the calculations. I never have known how to figure that stuff out!!

Defiantly!! I agree I am changing my thoughts about my diet! Does this mean my net should be at 1200 even with exercising. Right now it's at 900 something. Should I eat more to meet the goal or just leave it since it's almost bedtime?

if you eat something make sure it's something protein or fat based like a glass of milk or cheese, etc. things like that take longer to digest so it keeps you fuller longer while you're sleeping.

so let's figure out what to shoot for calorie wise ok?

Start with your Base Metabolic Rate, which is the number of calories a person of your age/sex/height/weight would burn every day just laying in bed doing NOTHING.

Yours comes out to 1484. Add to that however many calories you burned exercising (lets pretend it's 400)
"
1484+400 = 1884

Now, depending on your job/life situation, you'll probably burn a couple hundred extra calories just going about your daily life, so lets throw 200 more on there.

1884+200= 2004

That's how many calories you would eat every day if you were looking to MAINTAIN your current weight.

BMR+Exercise+Daily Burn (estimate)= TOTAL calories burned every day


Since you want to lose weight, subtract up to 500 calories to create a deficit. (I never recommend people cut more than 500 calories)

2004-500 = 1504

So in this scenario, you'd need to be shooting for 1500 calories/day ideally.

Does all this make sense?

cbtyler1

Yes there is more to the story but ultimately it's all lead to lack of eating and working out on top i believe.I got so constipated I could not go to the bathroom for 3 weeks at one point in the summer. The doc beliefs that could have cause the blood infection. I continued with constipation and bloating for a while but since I've been in antibiotics I'm starting to get back to the 1-2 times a day! I think I just wacked everything out of balance in my body. It's taken some time to realize hat, but ket's use say I'm a very extreme person and I will do whatever it takes to obtain something. That can be good or bad.

OP, between this and the other post, I can't believe no one's mentioned edema. I know you said you had your heart checked... but when? The number one killer from EDs is heart related issues (heart attack, heart failure, etc.). When did you get your heart checked, WHY are you taking blood thinners? What is this "autoimmune" they found? There are holes in your story that make all of this sound "ILLNESS" rather than "NUTRITION."

Obviously not seeing you and only going off of what you say, I can't diagnose you... but I would STRONGLY urge an ER visit, an urgent care visit at the very least.

I gained ~30 lbs of weight when I was much younger after going into recovery for anorexia; I also gained ~30lbs from adrenal issues more recently; in both time, none of this weight was in two weeks. Yes, you're potentially more likely to gain fat (and more quickly) when going from a prolonged, severe deficit to normal or above normal calories....

... But you're also very likely to lose HEART mass when on such a prolonged deficit... something that doesn't always come up in an EKG or echo (and trust me, there are different types of echos, and you could very easily have one and something be completely missed).

Not trying to be too scary here, just wanting you to now that your problem sounds medical, not simply caloric.

CoachReddy

Awesome I just ate peanut butter and activia! I finally reached the 1200 mark yay!! I'll start increasing it between 1200 to 1500 and then 1500 to 1700 just to make sure my body still dosen't think it's in starvation mode. So it dosen't matter if you eat before bed? I always thought that would depress weight loss. But I guess not if you haven't met your calories! Thank you so much for the calculations. I never have known how to figure that stuff out!!

In a perfect world, it's best not to eat a couple hours before bed, but if you have to do it (and I think it was the right call tonight) making sure it's protein/fat based is the best way to go. It's eating carbs right before bed that's the biggest no no.

bathsheba_c

Yeah. OP is eating a typical amount for someone with an eating disorder (not saying she has one). But clearly no one in the West ever starves to death from an ED. They are surrounded by food!

Please tell me you're being sarcastic. Dear god please.

I am. You'll notice that I was responding to someone who was responding to one of the anti-starvation mode crusaders. He said that starvation mode is a myth, and that we couldn't possibly know what starvation is because we are all spoiled Westerners surrounded by food instead of poor Africans with nothing to eat. My point was that it is, in fact, possible to start going through the stages of starvation without there being a famine, and that this can happen to people on VLCDs, like the OP.

Matt_Wilken

starvation mode is NOT a myth. those same sub-saharan africans have pot bellies (kinda gross but: http://www.kingsacademy.com/mhodges/03_The-World-since-1900/11_The-Bewildering-60s/pictures/STP-118_Starvation-in-
^ that's what happens when you're starving. your body stores extra fat so it can live off that fat longer in the absence of nutrients coming into the body.

Facepalm @Africans being fat due to starvation mode...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001604.htm

CoachReddy

starvation mode is NOT a myth. those same sub-saharan africans have pot bellies (kinda gross but: http://www.kingsacademy.com/mhodges/03_The-World-since-1900/11_The-Bewildering-60s/pictures/STP-118_Starvation-in-
^ that's what happens when you're starving. your body stores extra fat so it can live off that fat longer in the absence of nutrients coming into the body.

Facepalm @Africans being fat due to starvation mode...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001604.htm

yep because that's what i said.

cmriverside

Awesome I just ate peanut butter and activia! I finally reached the 1200 mark yay!! I'll start increasing it between 1200 to 1500 and then 1500 to 1700 just to make sure my body still dosen't think it's in starvation mode. So it dosen't matter if you eat before bed? I always thought that would depress weight loss. But I guess not if you haven't met your calories! Thank you so much for the calculations. I never have known how to figure that stuff out!!

In a perfect world, it's best not to eat a couple hours before bed, but if you have to do it (and I think it was the right call tonight) making sure it's protein/fat based is the best way to go. It's eating carbs right before bed that's the biggest no no.

In a perfect world, people would stop giving advice like "it's best not to eat a couple hours before bed."

It makes absolutely no difference for weight purposes if you eat two minutes or two hours before bed. And it doesn't make a bit of difference whether you eat cottage cheese or chocolate chip cookies. There is no specialized macro required before bed. Just fit your snacks into your calorie goal.

CoachReddy

Awesome I just ate peanut butter and activia! I finally reached the 1200 mark yay!! I'll start increasing it between 1200 to 1500 and then 1500 to 1700 just to make sure my body still dosen't think it's in starvation mode. So it dosen't matter if you eat before bed? I always thought that would depress weight loss. But I guess not if you haven't met your calories! Thank you so much for the calculations. I never have known how to figure that stuff out!!

In a perfect world, it's best not to eat a couple hours before bed, but if you have to do it (and I think it was the right call tonight) making sure it's protein/fat based is the best way to go. It's eating carbs right before bed that's the biggest no no.

In a perfect world, people would stop giving advice like "it's best not to eat a couple hours before bed."

It makes absolutely no difference for weight purposes if you eat two minutes or two hours before bed. And it doesn't make a bit of difference whether you eat cottage cheese or chocolate chip cookies.

why are people on here so angry? lol

and that's not entirely true. the whole point of eating protein/fat before bed is that your body will spend more time burning THAT while sleeping than burning your muscle. More muscle means you burn more calories, meaning you raise your metabolism, helping you lose weight.

instead of flaming, why don't you post WHY you hold that belief?

red_road

billsica

If you are on medication and you are swelling, and its 25 pounds of swelling. You need to go see your dr.

AnvilHead

the whole point of eating protein/fat before bed is that your body will spend more time burning THAT while sleeping than burning your muscle.

The body's preferred substrate for utilization while at rest is fat, not muscle. Your body goes about repairing the muscles while at rest, not consuming them. Furthermore, your body is still in the process of digesting/metabolizing all the food you ate throughout the day - it doesn't all happen within a couple hours of a meal.

More muscle means you burn more calories, meaning you raise your metabolism, helping you lose weight.

A pound of muscle at rest burns about 6 calories. A pound of fat burns 2-3 calories. You'd need a very, very substantial increase in muscle mass to make the calorie burn significant.

Just curious....is your "coach" title in your username related to being a BeachBody "coach"?

Matt_Wilken

starvation mode is NOT a myth. those same sub-saharan africans have pot bellies (kinda gross but: http://www.kingsacademy.com/mhodges/03_The-World-since-1900/11_The-Bewildering-60s/pictures/STP-118_Starvation-in-
^ that's what happens when you're starving. your body stores extra fat so it can live off that fat longer in the absence of nutrients coming into the body.

Facepalm @Africans being fat due to starvation mode...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001604.htm

yep because that's what i said.

Starvation mode is a myth, I never agreed to your theory or the fact that Africans are fat because of starvation. Those pot bellies you are referring to is due to malnutrition, Kwashiorkor, and not fat as you stated previously.

Matt_Wilken

It's eating carbs right before bed that's the biggest no no.

Another myth

sonjalucia

Good Grief....

I hope you are not taking the advice of every single poster here OP...IMO The best is to see a series of doctors (which it sounds like you are) to see if they can pinpoint what is wrong, what are the contributing factors, and how to reverse it.

Good luck with this and I hope you start feeling better soon!

kayx199189

You need to eat more its as simple as that, you know you can't eat that little you are abusing your body, also it seems you are very uneducated we're nutrition and fitness come into the mix, it is impossible for you to gain muscle eating just 500 cals a day good genetics or not you have to be eating more calories then you burn to build muscle, I think you need to increase your calories to about 1600-1800. Please don't continue this destructive path it won't just effect you it'll hurt your family

CoachReddy

starvation mode is NOT a myth. those same sub-saharan africans have pot bellies (kinda gross but: http://www.kingsacademy.com/mhodges/03_The-World-since-1900/11_The-Bewildering-60s/pictures/STP-118_Starvation-in-
^ that's what happens when you're starving. your body stores extra fat so it can live off that fat longer in the absence of nutrients coming into the body.

Facepalm @Africans being fat due to starvation mode...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001604.htm

yep because that's what i said.

Starvation mode is a myth, I never agreed to your theory or the fact that Africans are fat because of starvation. Those pot bellies you are referring to is due to malnutrition, Kwashiorkor, and not fat as you stated previously.

'twas sarcasm - relax.