Starvation mode?

I have developed a bad habit of not eating regularly, which I have learned has put my body in 'starvation mode'. My normal routine consists of a couple cups of coffee (with sugar free creamer) in the morning, and then a big dinner at night. I will occasionally eat something mid day, but not regularly. I am generally active, but I don't work out (yet). I have tried in the past to eat on a schedule (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) but I have ALWAYS gained weight, which of course makes me stop the routine! Are there any tips on how I can get into a routine of eating regularly, especially when I don't feel hungry, and still lose weight?

Don't need the blood sugar spike without any other food to combat it.

What makes you think you're in starvation mode.

She goes into it every morning when all she has is that coffee.

You aren't in starvation mode and there's nothing wrong with only eating once a day if you get your calories in during that meal. Lots of people eat that way and are just fine. Most people can't manage to go that long without food but if you can and that works for you then there's no need to change. Starvation mode requires you to be at minimal calories per day for months. Skipping a meal doesn't put you in starvation mode.

Starvation mode is a myth , 50 or 60 years ago people didn't eat the. Crap we eat today working class had to manage on few home made meals with food they grew. Go back to basics I say , it's easy cook from fresh have loads of veg and don't listen to the rubbish people come up with who think they know it all and no nothing.

You aren't in starvation mode and there's nothing wrong with only eating once a day if you get your calories in during that meal. Lots of people eat that way and are just fine. Most people can't manage to go that long without food but if you can and that works for you then there's no need to change. Starvation mode requires you to be at minimal calories per day for months. Skipping a meal doesn't put you in starvation mode.

sigh.

really? there's nothing wrong with eating one 2000 calorie meal a day?

I'm really curious why you think this.

I'm curious as to why you think it's instantly wrong. Not everyone can follow that sort of IF plan if they find that a.) their energy lags or b.) they're prone to binge eating. However, that's enough science behind IF and AF practices that find that doing that, or doing things like that, is just as healthy (often with even more health benefits, like better cholesterol ratios, better BP, and optimum fat loss if at a deficit still) as 3 meals a day, or 5 meals a day. "Three meals a day" is a fairly new phenomenon in terms of humans and eating... and I mean that both in terms of evolution and sociology. Long term studies have found benefits from this, but even short term periods of this show no adverse effects, as there's quite a few studies on the health and weight of Muslims during Ramadan (they don't lose or gain weight when eating maintenance calories in one meal after fasting all day... for a month).

And, as has been posted ad nauseum, there's been very well known studies that show that eating a day's worth of calories in one sitting does not put you into starvation mode... consistent HIGH deficits over a period of time longer than 6-8 hours of sleep a night is what puts a body into starvation mode.

You aren't in starvation mode and there's nothing wrong with only eating once a day if you get your calories in during that meal. Lots of people eat that way and are just fine. Most people can't manage to go that long without food but if you can and that works for you then there's no need to change. Starvation mode requires you to be at minimal calories per day for months. Skipping a meal doesn't put you in starvation mode.

sigh.

really? there's nothing wrong with eating one 2000 calorie meal a day?

I'm really curious why you think this.

I'm curious as to why you think it's instantly wrong. Not everyone can follow that sort of IF plan if they find that a.) their energy lags or b.) they're prone to binge eating. However, that's enough science behind IF and AF practices that find that doing that, or doing things like that, is just as healthy (often with even more health benefits, like better cholesterol ratios, better BP, and optimum fat loss if at a deficit still) as 3 meals a day, or 5 meals a day. "Three meals a day" is a fairly new phenomenon in terms of humans and eating... and I mean that both in terms of evolution and sociology. Long term studies have found benefits from this, but even short term periods of this show no adverse effects, as there's quite a few studies on the health and weight of Muslims during Ramadan (they don't lose or gain weight when eating maintenance calories in one meal after fasting all day... for a month).

And, as has been posted ad nauseum, there's been very well known studies that show that eating a day's worth of calories in one sitting does not put you into starvation mode... consistent HIGH deficits over a period of time longer than 6-8 hours of sleep a night is what puts a body into starvation mode.

see my second post.

also, I didn't argue for 3 meals a day either did i?

but here's some interesting info:

"A US Department of Agriculture study found that eating just one large meal a day versus three normal-sized meals lowers weight and body fat but raises blood pressure; three meals per day lowers blood pressure. A National Institute on Aging study found that eating one large meal a day rather than three raises insulin resistance and glucose intolerance: two key features of type-2 diabetes. "

so... it has its risks

Are you really going to take food advice from the Department of Agriculture?

I'm not usually one for conspiracies but I think there's a good chance of there being one there, seeing as their primary interest is making sure you and I buy as much food as possible. They're the ones pushing 6 meals a day. I suggest you get your information from more impartial sources.

It's the same amount of calories, but it's not the same amount of food unless you're buying all the little snacks you'd otherwise buy and eating them during your one meal.

I'd assume that most people who do IF are like me and buy their food in bulk. I'm spending far less on food now than I was when I was eating 5 meals a day.

The other industry that pushes the 5 meal a day plan is the supplement industry who want you to pay extortionate prices for their protein bars. They've also perpetuated the myth that we can only consume 30g of protein at a time (I wonder why).

The Department of Agriculture or the supplement industry isn't going to fund and/or publicise research into IF since they'd lose billions. The science behind fasting is there though, if you want to look for it.

Starvation mode is a myth , 50 or 60 years ago people didn't eat the. Crap we eat today working class had to manage on few home made meals with food they grew. Go back to basics I say , it's easy cook from fresh have loads of veg and don't listen to the rubbish people come up with who think they know it all and no nothing.

why are our opinions rubbish and yours gospel? i think all of us need to preface our nutrition advice with "in my opinion" because there are LOTS of viewpoints on the subject.

for example, people back then were USED to eating less food. you take someone in today's society who has typically eaten 3, 4, 5,000 calories a day, and they suddenly switch to 800 a day, they WILL go into what's referred to as "starvation mode" because their bodies aren't used to so few calories.

in my opinion.