calories burned fasting

capriqueen
capriqueen Posts: 974 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Can someone tell me if you burn calories at all during a fast or does the body go into starvation?
Not that I fast everyday, today I was feeling sick from a rather stupid weekend.

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Can someone tell me if you burn calories at all during a fast or does the body go into starvation?
    Not that I fast everyday, today I was feeling sick from a rather stupid weekend.

    You are always burning calories.
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 974 Member
    Then what about the body going into starvation mode when I eat less than 1200? or is that a phenomenon that occurs when fasting continues over a period of time?
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    Your body won't go into "starvation mode" in a day or two of sparse eating during an illness (or hangover). Just stay hydrated, feel better soon and get on track. When you stay in bed all day, you will burn your BMR. The best thing to do is reflect on what caused you to have a "stupid weekend" and take control of that.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Then what about the body going into starvation mode when I eat less than 1200? or is that a phenomenon that occurs when fasting continues over a period of time?

    That would be what we in England call "bollocks".

    Your body uses your Basal Metabolic Rate of calories plus some for digesting food and moving about. If you fast you don't use the digestion bit.
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 974 Member
    it figures. Because if my body weren't burning calories at all it would mean that it wasn't expending energy to keep my body working.

    I've not stayed in bed all day, but I guess I wouldn't have burned more than 1500 calories. (BMR is around 1440).
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    from memory your brain uses 400 - 600 calories a day, so if you're using this it presumably is still working......
  • ar27499
    ar27499 Posts: 1
    From what I understand is the following. When you train your body goes into Recovery mode, when you Fast the body goes into Repair mode....If you fast, say you start on a Monday morning have a breakfast and then start....at 20:00hrs have a cup of soup. Then on Tuesday have nothing until Tuesday at 20:00hrs (Cup of soup)....On Wednesday at lunch time Fasting stops...

    Its recommended to Fast every 5 days...

    When you go back to normal food becareful not to go crazy, monitor your portions. Remember your body would of been shocked.

    Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19112549

    Good luck
  • Ph4lanx
    Ph4lanx Posts: 213 Member
    I do a 5:2 fasting system during the week (Thursday and Saturday being my fasting days), and no, the body doesn't go into starvation mode.

    You do learn a lot of things about the body by fasting though, for instance:

    - Your body stops sending hunger signals after an amount of time of no response.
    - Water is WAY more important than food when it comes to being able to endure a fasting period.
    - A single glass of water will very often stop your body from sending hunger signals for a period of time.
    - You don't totally forego food on a fast. You just severely restrict it. (eg. i eat 500 calories for breakfast, then don't eat until the next morning).
    - Training fasted can be VERY beneficial (just don't take any protein shakes. Creatine/BCAA is fine though. Anything that isn't calorific).
    - You won't pass out from a day with low calorie intake.
    - You WILL have enough energy.
    - Your body will use the fat reserves it has, which is what fasting is primarily aiming for.
    - You will prolong your own life doing it.
    - You will reduce the risk of a lot of health problems by doing intermittent fasting (whether ADF, 16-hour or 5:2 fasting).

    Just what I found from my own research and, more importantly, my own experience.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    Stay with the topic people. She doesnt want advice about how to fast. I think she has a hangover and she thinks that a day of not eating is going to send her directly into "starvation mode" because these forums are full of people's fear-mongering.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,865 Member
    I do 5:2 as well and one thing I learned is that experiencing occasional physical hunger helps me break the habit of mindless eating. I can better recognize when a desire to eat is not driven by actual hunger.
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    I'm interpreting this (along with some others) as a hangover, not something you want to consistently repeat. I wouldn't even consider a fasting routine, but I know others are different. Anyway, give your body what it needs today (fluids, fluids, fluids, and when it's ready give it protein, carbs, and fat.) Chalk it up to a fun weekend, and move on. You probably won't see any ill effects (weight gain) from it.
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 974 Member
    Okay well a bigger question is whether the number of calories burned on fast is equal to our RMR, or the number of calories required by our body, with a given RMR. For example, my RMR is 1440, but I'm required to eat atleast 1.2*RMR=1700, so what is my deficit?
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    Okay well a bigger question is whether the number of calories burned on fast is equal to our RMR, or the number of calories required by our body, with a given RMR. For example, my RMR is 1440, but I'm required to eat atleast 1.2*RMR=1700, so what is my deficit?

    Well that depends. If you spent your fasted day strapped to a gurney or paralysed then your TDEE for the day would be something close to your RMR. If you acted like a normal human and moved around and went about your daily tasks as per normal, then your TDEE (and therefore total deficit) would be as it always is - roughly RMR * 1.2 for a mostly sedentary person.
  • Jesse_Hunter
    Jesse_Hunter Posts: 162 Member
    True starvation doesn't happen in a few days like that.

    If you think you are starving, It is most likely because you have fed your body extremely regularly for years and years. In my opinion it is mostly mental, and partly food addiction.

    some religious monks fast for up to 30 and 40 days before encountering "true starvation".

    I'm not a nutritionist, but I'm pretty sure "starvation mode" in which your body holds onto fat is broscience...
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 974 Member
    I work at a desk job. The only non-sitting part yesterday was 90 minutes of standing and climbing 5 floors of stairs, and perhaps waiting for transport home. Besides that, I was sitting for almost 11 hours. My fast lasted 16-17 hours, that's it. Now. Is it RMR or 1.72*RMR?

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