"Starvation Mode?"

Flipjax

Hey guys, first post here...

I just had a quick question about calories and working out. Currently, I have a limit of 1450 calories per day, and if I eat under 1200 MFP says I am in starvation mode. =P

My question is: If I exercise and don't record it in MFP (which is what I do every day, having started exercising recently,) am I in "starvation mode" because the amount of calories I burned puts my total calories under 1200?

Hopefully thats understandable.

Thanks! =]

tonyrocks922

https://www.google.com/search?q=starvation+mode+myth

Flipjax

I suppose I could have just googled it. That is a good idea. That's exactly what I was looking for =]

skydiveD30571

Irregardless of any "starvation mode" belief or disbelief, MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories. If you burn x amount, MFP will tell you that you can and should eat that many more calories. Now, because most people overestimate their calorie burn I wouldn't eat them ALL back. But you should be eating most of them back or your results will begin to suffer sooner or later.

shadow2soul

Alot of people like to say "Starvation Mode," but eating VLCD's has the potential to cause actual health problems.

Problems with extremely low calorie intake (most of this stuff doesn't happen right away, but later down the road...its kind of like how some smokers end up with emphysema or lung cancer and some don't):

- Malnutrition

"Inadequate caloric intake can lead to malnutrition over time. According to MedlinePlus, malnutrition occurs when the diet does not allow the intake of a sufficient amount of nutrients. A diet with extremely low calories does not allow for adequate consumption of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the body needs to perform its daily life processes. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to various problems, including fatigue, impaired wound healing and extreme weight loss." *1*

- Slower Metabolism (takes a while, but does happen)

"Metabolism is the rate at which the body burns fuel for energy. The basal metabolic rate is the minimum number of calories necessary to perform daily basic functions such as breathing, growth, cellular repair and digestion, according to MayoClinic.com. When calories are restricted over a long period of time, the body will compensate by holding on to the few calories that are consumed. Instead of burning calories freely, the body will perform basic life processes more slowly to conserve fuel. This can actually lead to weight gain." *1*

- Physical Changes

"A decrease in caloric intake may cause positive physical changes at first, especially in individuals with extra weight to lose. However, an extreme decrease in caloric intake can cause negative physical changes over time. Once individuals lose excess weight, calorie restriction can cause various physical problems. The Calorie Restriction Society indicates that decreasing daily calories too much can lead to reduced bone mass, fatigue, sensitivity to cold temperatures and food obsession due to extreme hunger. The CRS recommends gradual calorie reduction over a period of at least six months to avoid some of the side effects of low caloric intake." *1*

-Side Effects:

"Let’s look at some of the uncomfortable side effects of very low calorie diets:

Dry mouth
Headache
Dizziness
Fatigue and weakness
Cold intolerance
Dry skin and nails
Menstrual irregularities in women
Hair loss
Constipation/diarrhoea
Irritability and confusion
Inability to concentrate
Muscle breakdown
Problems with nerve and muscle function due to an imbalance in minerals and electrolytes
Conditions such as osteoporosis, anaemia, gout, gallstones, clinical depression, heart problems, renal failure, and liver disease" *2*



References:
*1*
http://www.livestrong.com/article/277053-what-are-the-dangers-of-low-caloric-intake/
*2*
http://www.dietriffic.com/2009/05/14/very-low-calorie-diet/

savithny

Yeah, whether or not “starvation mode” is a “myth,” your body responds to caloric restriction by going into something that you COULD call “conservation mode.” It starts burning fewer and fewer calories. So sure, you might not be going into “starvation mode” and consuming your heart muscle for energy, and sure, you might not actually starve to death, but what you might do is turn down your metabolism so low that weight loss stalls and you have to either cut calories further to continue losing or stop cutting calories at all to try to reset it. Mathematically, it is possible for women eating at very large deficits to produce such a big slowdown of metabolism that they can maintain on less than 1200/day (some studies have found as much as a 40% drop it metabolic rate if a large deficit is kept up for a long time).

blleadon

Just like others have said, regardless of what you want to call it: "starvation mode", "starvation mode myth", it still is what it is and your body/progress will suffer eventually from it.