Bad Calories Vs. Starvation Mode: Which is Better?
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frenchy2010
Posts: 70
I had not planned my day today too well and ended up eating about 500 calories total by 9pm. When it gets to that point, you have to go to sleep by 10, and the nearest food joints available are small-portioned happy hour bar menus, it seems that you have limited options:
- Eat nothing at all
- Eat a small portioned salad or another healthy yet limited calorie meal, which would get you 400 calories max, which would come to a total of 900 for my day, i.e. still in starvation mode territory.
- Eat a good portioned burger (white bread buns) with fries, which would definitely get you to your goal of 1200 calories plus.
I chose the latter, but I know I will pay for it internally and externally.
My question is, which is better to do in a dire situation:
a) Go into starvation mode but save your body from harmful calories, or
b) Eat stuff that will prevent you from going into starvation mode but is definitely bad for your well being?
- Eat nothing at all
- Eat a small portioned salad or another healthy yet limited calorie meal, which would get you 400 calories max, which would come to a total of 900 for my day, i.e. still in starvation mode territory.
- Eat a good portioned burger (white bread buns) with fries, which would definitely get you to your goal of 1200 calories plus.
I chose the latter, but I know I will pay for it internally and externally.
My question is, which is better to do in a dire situation:
a) Go into starvation mode but save your body from harmful calories, or
b) Eat stuff that will prevent you from going into starvation mode but is definitely bad for your well being?
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Replies
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starvation mode is an overused idea on this site.
if you are overweight and have large amount of body weight, you will not starve. besides that, one day of low calories is hardly starvation mode.
just to get an idea of what true starvation mode is, some people really need to do read the news or look up places where they are truly starving people.0 -
Wow, one day with not enough calories will have very little overall affect. You might be tired or hungrier the next day, that's about it.
I would have gone with the small portioned healthier option and stayed under target if I had the will power to do so.
One bad meal in that scenario is better than no meal, the small would have been your best solution but try not to put yourself in that position again
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starvation mode is an overused idea on this site.
if you are overweight and have large amount of body weight, you will not starve. besides that, one day of low calories is hardly starvation mode.
just to get an idea of what true starvation mode is, some people really need to do read the news or look up places where they are truly starving people.
:flowerforyou:0 -
My first thought is to just plan better, maybe if you are likely to be on the run all day to pack some healthy snacks or even a protein bar in case its needed.
Don't worry about starvation mode though, if you are eating a reasonable amount of calories for your size, one day below (or even several days below) will not do any long term harm to your metabolism. The problem comes when this type of eating becomes the norm - over time, consistent under-eating will slow your metabolism and have other undesirable effects on your health.
Next time, if you don't want the fast food (not that there is anything toxic about it as you have suggested), then skip it.0 -
I know there are some on this site who are on the heavier side, but I'm quite the opposite. I'm lean and I've found myself to really pay a toll if I don't eat enough calories within the day. At the same time, my health - not necessarily weight - takes a toll if I eat crappy stuff, too! My stomach and liver cannot stand a lot of heavy foods, yet my brain and mental sanity cannot stand not eating! So perhaps it's just a catch-22 on my part.0
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starvation mode is an overused idea on this site.
if you are overweight and have large amount of body weight, you will not starve. besides that, one day of low calories is hardly starvation mode.
just to get an idea of what true starvation mode is, some people really need to do read the news or look up places where they are truly starving people.
True, however I think the idea of "bad Calories" is pretty overused too. There is very little evidence to suggest that the consumption of a single meal of junk food is "bad"... Do which one makes you feel better, neither will do long term harm as an isolated incident.0 -
For the people conflating starvation and "starvation mode," I can only say this: :grumble:
Now, for you, frenchy. Since you want to be getting in more calories, but not eating unhealthy foods, maybe you could do a small portion of something full of calories? For example, you could do the salad, and then use an olive oil-based dressing. Or you could eat a good quality bread dipped in olive oil. Avocados and nuts are also healthy, but full of unsaturated fats, which drive up their calorie counts.0 -
My first thought is to just plan better, maybe if you are likely to be on the run all day to pack some healthy snacks or even a protein bar in case its needed.
Don't worry about starvation mode though, if you are eating a reasonable amount of calories for your size, one day below (or even several days below) will not do any long term harm to your metabolism. The problem comes when this type of eating becomes the norm - over time, consistent under-eating will slow your metabolism and have other undesirable effects on your health.
Next time, if you don't want the fast food (not that there is anything toxic about it as you have suggested), then skip it.
Thank you, Rayman! I had had a bad habit a few months back of not eating enough calories at all, simply due to not having the appetite. It got to the point of feeling like my liver was going to explode every time I did, which, like you said, could be a result from under-eating. I unknowingly had hypotension at the time as well, which could have played a part.
I think that's an excellent idea about healthy snacks. All the French girls I know do that, now that I think of it.0 -
If you have any kind of body fat to lose, then starvation mode does not exist for you. You're body, when in desparate need of calories, does NOT turn it into fat. It uses it and then uses your body reserves. I mean its common sense.0
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I had not planned my day today too well and ended up eating about 500 calories total by 9pm. When it gets to that point, you have to go to sleep by 10, and the nearest food joints available are small-portioned happy hour bar menus, it seems that you have limited options:
- Eat nothing at all
- Eat a small portioned salad or another healthy yet limited calorie meal, which would get you 400 calories max, which would come to a total of 900 for my day, i.e. still in starvation mode territory.
- Eat a good portioned burger (white bread buns) with fries, which would definitely get you to your goal of 1200 calories plus.
I chose the latter, but I know I will pay for it internally and externally.
My question is, which is better to do in a dire situation:
a) Go into starvation mode but save your body from harmful calories, or
b) Eat stuff that will prevent you from going into starvation mode but is definitely bad for your well being?
This again..
Ok. Let me make this simple.
There is no such thing as starvation mode.
There are no foods that will make you starve. That would not be food.
Metabolism doesn't change or have dramatic shifts.
The idea of eating more to lose more is ignorant.
There are foods that make you fat. That is a different discussion about Insulin, several other hormones and more.
My biggest piece of advice is to educate yourself. Stat asking How and Why. Put those questions into Google. Go from there. This forum is full of misinformation and bad advice. Get educated and help yourself.
Good questions to ask.
"What is the biological process for fat storage?"
"What is insulin and what does it do?"
That's a good start.0 -
I'm so grateful that I found MFP and read the debunking the whole starvation mode thing!
I started to get so paranoid about it all!
I ate below yesterday, but i know one day isn't going to be a problem, that said, I'd also have a burger and enjoy it. I'm not super clean eating quite yet, baby steps :happy:0 -
Both "Bad calories" and "starvation mode" are largely based on myths, at least as used by the OP in this post. So in that case, it's like asking "Easter Bunny vs. Tooth Fairy: Which is Better?" Which the answer to is clearly the Easter Bunny.0
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This again..
There is no such thing as starvation mode.
There are no foods that will make you starve. That would not be food.
Metabolism doesn't change or have dramatic shifts.
The idea of eating more to lose more is ignorant.
There are foods that make you fat. That is a different discussion about Insulin, several other hormones and more.
My biggest piece of advice is to educate yourself. Stat asking How and Why. Put those questions into Google. Go from there. This forum is full of misinformation and bad advice. Get educated and help yourself.
Good questions to ask.
"What is the biological process for fat storage?"
"What is insulin and what does it do?"
That's a good start.
Oh wow, please, please excuse me for my ignorance. My gosh, if only I knew everything about everything. I forgot that some people do.
Well, I'd suggest that instead of berating others about their stupidity, why don't you give them the secondary sources to your insights? This is the one thing I find so puzzling about forums, most people rarely have any scientific references for their statements, which, sorry to say, I find to be a tad bit more ignorant than the ignorance of those who post just outright idiotic questions about "starvation mode". Why, you could be quoting from a fad diet book for all I know.0 -
starvation mode is an overused idea on this site.
if you are overweight and have large amount of body weight, you will not starve. besides that, one day of low calories is hardly starvation mode.
just to get an idea of what true starvation mode is, some people really need to do read the news or look up places where they are truly starving people.
claps hands -touché ❤ ???? 0 -
You aren't going to starve after one day of low calories. Nor are you going to get fat after one meal of fast food.0
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I know there are some on this site who are on the heavier side, but I'm quite the opposite. I'm lean and I've found myself to really pay a toll if I don't eat enough calories within the day. At the same time, my health - not necessarily weight - takes a toll if I eat crappy stuff, too! My stomach and liver cannot stand a lot of heavy foods, yet my brain and mental sanity cannot stand not eating! So perhaps it's just a catch-22 on my part.
Why if you are lean are you setting yourself a goal of 1200 cals a day?0 -
Simple answer - FOR ME...... i.e. might not be the right answer for you - if it comes down to it, bad food within my calorie goal is a no brainer over starvation mode. Starvation mode is a sure fire way to send me into a binge, while bad food within my calorie goal raises the chances of a binge, it is not a sure thing like starvation mode is. Since I am a rather large gent, starvation mode kicks in after missing one meal...... DOH!!!!0
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Oh G-d, this is turning into another starvation mode battle. :sad:
People, the question is, on a day when you have trouble reaching your target, if you are better off under-eating or eating junk food. The answer is that one day of under-eating won't do you lasting harm, but that there are, in fact, healthy foods that are high in calories, usually because they are high in unsaturated fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil, etc.).
Please note that OP did *NOT* ask for a commentary on the validity of the assertion that consistent under-eating will result in a slowdown of the body's metabolism, resulting in more difficult weight loss and significantly easier weight gain. :grumble:0 -
Ok, but why couldn't the OP have gone to the burger place and had one of the healthier options? They didn't need to eat the white bread and fries for instance. It just seems like an odd question.0
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Oh G-d, this is turning into another starvation mode battle. :sad:
People, the question is, on a day when you have trouble reaching your target, if you are better off under-eating or eating junk food. The answer is that one day of under-eating won't do you lasting harm, but that there are, in fact, healthy foods that are high in calories, usually because they are high in unsaturated fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil, etc.).
Please note that OP did *NOT* ask for a commentary on the validity of the assertion that consistent under-eating will result in a slowdown of the body's metabolism, resulting in more difficult weight loss and significantly easier weight gain. :grumble:
Thank you, bathsheba!0
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