STARVATION MODE

How much did you restrict your caloric intake? For how long did you restrict it? How overweight were you when you restricted calories? Is it possible that you are underestimating how much you eat?

These details matter. It isn't as simple as "go one calorie under 1200 one day, and poof!" Also, the real reason for the 1,200 number isn't concern about starvation; its concern about malnutrition from not getting enough nutrients.

In any event, you should not be eating under your BMR.

Sorry but here we go again. As you are no doubt aware the "starvation mode" falls onto 2 opposite camps, those who poo poo it, and those who insist you will be fat & dead by the weekend

I am in the poo poo camp. Given the basic Western diet and obesity you have plenty of food & fat to survive & lose weight,, even at 1200 calories & below

As has been said before on these forums, not eating, or eating below your BMR will make you lose weight. You only have to look at any news pictures to see affect of not enough food

I am not advocating starving, just be sensible

I eat at or around 1200 calories, works for me

Starvation mode happens at very low body fat levels. There have been military studies on it. It is real.

What MFPers here talk about is NOT starvation mode but rather the ill effects of malnutrition.

Your body engages in many biochemical functions throughout the day, including cellular repair from constant damage. To do these biochemical reactions and to do the repairs, you need vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Your body simply cannot make these out of calories.

So, when you restrict your diet greatly, it is very likely you will not get your full proper nutrition. Because of this, certain reactions and repairs do not take place in the amount they should. This means that the energy to do them is not spent.

Provided you have a significant amount of body fat to use as energy, and you get every vitamin, mineral, and amino acid you need, you'll be fine. However, this is difficult to do when you only have a few calories to work with.

Malnutrition will slow your metabolism down. BUT, it does not stop it. So, you can still beat the effects of malnutrition by lowering calories even further.

As for MFP going by 1200, it is a safety/legal precaution. It is a simply math tool. MFP does not want to be sued by people that would set MFP at 800 calories a day and develop anorexia. It is an arbitrary number that is set low enough that a good majority of people shouldn't eat under while losing weight in a healthy way.

In conclusion:

Starvation mode does exist. Proven fact. Studies down. Every one here has agreed.

What you are calling "Starvation Mode" is actually the ill effects of malnutrition which depends more on nutritional content than it does caloric intake.

Basically comes down to a few things.. Do you want to lose weight quickly and gain it all back, or do you want to lose it and keep it off? You want to lose weight quickly, be skinny fat with no muscle.. starve, you want to lose it and keep it off while having a body you may want in the end, then don't starve.

I don't get the whole "starvation mode" thing either. I do eat between 1200 - 1300 calories a day, I do not eat back my exercise calories (unless its a special occasion), so every time I close out my diary it says "you're eating too few calories, starvation mode, blah, blah, blah", but it also says if I keep doing what I'm doing I'll lose 10 - 15lbs in 5 weeks (which has yet to happen). So I ignore it.

Starvation mode = nice excuse myth for people with no willpower who can't hold thorugh excessive hunger.

There are also people who "for placebo effect" are saying to public how they are feeling full on low cal diet, eventhough they are in so much hunger, they binge after 3 days, and then blame it on "starvation mode"

Love your incredible lack of scientific education. Is everything you post completely biased B.S.?

Personally I think MFP uses the starvation mode rhetoric to avoid any potential legal problems