Starvation mode (again probably...)

Options
melville88
melville88 Posts: 137
in Food and Nutrition
I know a lot of people always talk about the body going into starvation mode. But what i want to ask is that if I eat for example 500 calories in a day, do nothing but sit and study and I genuinely do not feel hungry during the day, will I still go into starvation mode? I know that everyone says when you hit starvation mode it means you stop losing weight because your body stores everything you eat but surely your body needs to also burn calories to live? I'm just wondering really about it, any thoughts? xxx
«13

Replies

  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    Options
    k so first go to the tools section and calculate your BMR. That is the minimum amount of calories you need to maintain your weight and for your body to do its everyday normal functions (digest food, etc). Yeah you'll lose weight on 500 calories, but it's not going to be fat. It will more than likely be water, muscle, and a bit of fat loss. Then you will probably plateau or go into "starvation mode" if you even eat a little bit higher than that 500 cals. Your body is going to be wondering when it's going to get it's next food source and hang onto as much of it as possible. You won't lose weight as effectively. You will look "skinny fat" and won't have any muscle definition. So yeah, you may lose weight on 500 cals, and you may not stop losing weight on 500 cals like everyone preaches about starvation mode, but it's a really bad route.

    that being said, I've lost the weight I want to lose before in an unhealthy manner and gained it back twice as fast when I ate normal.
  • AlyssaC2010
    AlyssaC2010 Posts: 100
    Options
    I can tell you I'm not qualified to give you an answer about the whole burning/eating thing....buuuut I would never recommend eating less than 1200 calories a day and even that seems so low to me. From what I understand (& this is just what I've heard throughout the years...) your body goes into starvation mode to hold onto energy it needs to live on. After a while it uses the fat stored on your body for energy then goes and starts eating your muscles and then organs...something like that. This is why experts, articles, tv shows say not eating is so dangerous because over long periods of time of not eating will cause major damage to your body that can take a very long time to repair. Even if you don't feel hungry at least have some small snacks that are healthy to get the nutrients you need...like yogurt w/ granola or an apple & peanut butter. Plus, when you finally become hungry again you're more prone to actually overeat if you deprive yourself of too many calories. Hope I helped some :)
  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
    Options
    One day at 500 calories won't send you into starvation mode, but I wouldn't recommend it regularly over an extended period of time. See this post for a great article that addresses this very topic:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing?hl=700+calories
  • melville88
    melville88 Posts: 137
    Options
    Yeah this does help but at the same time, if my body needed more calories than that then why don't I feel hungry? I've set my daily goal to 1000 and sometimes I have time off this, like the start of april it was more like 1300 or something. But I have a lot of fat to lose still. I don't know, I just get so confused about it because surely it's better to eat salads and fruits etc than burden myself with unnecessary fat, just to reach a calorie goal? xxx
  • lyndsloo
    lyndsloo Posts: 242
    Options
    Hi there, it is NEVER recommended to eat less than 1200 calories a day, even if you are exercising or not. Your body needs essential nutrients and calories it gets from food so your brain and body can function properly. I noticed in your Food Diary you are only eating 500 calories on some days. If you are really serious about losing weight, you need to definitely increase your calorie intake. I promise you, from personal experience, increasing your calories and exercising is your best way to lose weight in a healthy manner. It is VERY unsafe to continue eating the amount of calories you are intaking right now...trust me, I've done it!

    Best of luck!
  • wintergirl99
    wintergirl99 Posts: 11
    Options
    starvation mode doesnt exist.
    ur metabolism goes down =(
    but "starvation mode" isnt real.
    eat less, lose more.
  • Pariah
    Pariah Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    salads and fruits are great, but your body still needs protein, and fat. you can easily boost your calorie intake with out adding unhealthy things. if you are avoiding meat, you can get protein by adding things like beans and tofu. and add fat by simply drinking a glass of milk, eating a cup of yogurt, having some peanut butter. all of those are good fats. people get so scared when they think of fat calories, but you body does need some fat. and with out protein your body can't build muscle. you might not be concerned about being muscular per say, but you body has more muscles than just abs, quads, etc. your heart is a muscle, a very important muscle.
  • Pariah
    Pariah Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    say's the person with an obvious eating disorder. been there, done that. being skinny is great, but it's hard to enjoy if your dead.

    edit, i meant to quote wintergirl99's post.
  • turtle080808
    turtle080808 Posts: 22
    Options
    starvation mode doesnt exist.
    ur metabolism goes down =(
    but "starvation mode" isnt real.
    eat less, lose more.
  • turtle080808
    turtle080808 Posts: 22
    Options
    Starvation mode is real and does exist! I have done really well til I worried about not losing enough then stopped eating as much.....bad idea! went up 2% body fat and lost lean muscle!! Body breaks down muscle and stores everything as fat. I am sure you dont want that!!
  • melville88
    melville88 Posts: 137
    Options
    I'm glad you looked at my food diary, (maybe you noticed the week at the start of april where I went up to 1200-1500 for a bit). BUT 'if i'm serious about losing weight'- well I am serious; I've been at it since the start of october 2009 and so far i've lost 89 pounds (well 90 as of this morning but I only log scale readings once a week). This is what I don't understand about 'starvation mode'. I haven't plateaued, I haven't noticed a significant difference in the amount of weight I've lost from one week to the next, it's been really steady progress. I'm not sure if I'm the right person to go on my fitness pal, because I lost my first 62 pounds before I joined and since joining I feel a lot more obsessed about counting correctly etc. I do try to eat a lot of protein, I had to adjust my percentages to accomodate for more protein because I kept going over it. And I do eat some natural fats. I just read that link to the starvation mode page, thank you, it was really helpful but i'm still in a bit of a mental battle about it.
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 21,750 Member
    Options
    Yeah this does help but at the same time, if my body needed more calories than that then why don't I feel hungry? I've set my daily goal to 1000 and sometimes I have time off this, like the start of april it was more like 1300 or something. But I have a lot of fat to lose still. I don't know, I just get so confused about it because surely it's better to eat salads and fruits etc than burden myself with unnecessary fat, just to reach a calorie goal? xxx
    You don't feel hungry because your body's metabolism has slowed down to match what you're feeding it. It's a survival mechanism. Our bodies are very good at trying to work around the things we do to sabotage them. If you gradually increase your calories by adding good, healthy foods (fruits, veggies, lean proteins and whole grains), your body will adjust to that and will start working more efficiently (burning more calories). You'll probably start feeling hungry again, and as confusing as that might be, that's a good thing! :smile:
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
    Options
    Ketosis is a state associated with starvation and one of its side affects is a diminished appetite .. so no, if you really need the calories you won't necessarily be hungry for them. It's actually a pretty good sign that your metabolism has slowed down to accommodate the reduced calories.
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
    Options
    I just read that link to the starvation mode page, thank you, it was really helpful but i'm still in a bit of a mental battle about it.

    It might be time to see a doctor about this. You could be on your way to a serious eating disorder.
  • jimbos1954
    jimbos1954 Posts: 4
    Options
    Yes, your body will go into starvation mode and start fighting to hold on to the fats in your body. You need to eat something within the first 30-45 minutes when you wake up in the morning. Then, eat 4-5 meals a day. The average body needs between 1500-2000 (bare minimum 1300-1600 to 1700) calories a day to keep the metabolism going strong. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then eat something about every 4 hours, or so. See if you can find a good multi-vitamin that needs to be taken 3 times a day. Regular vitamins off the shelf are taken once a day. The first time you go pottie most of the vitamin leaves your body.

    The most important thing to remember is if you DO NOT feed your body within the first 30-45 minutes after you wake and get up in the morning, your body WILL go into starvation mode and stay there ALL DAY.....no matter what you do.
  • sphinctress
    sphinctress Posts: 202 Member
    Options
    starvation mode doesnt exist.
    ur metabolism goes down =(
    but "starvation mode" isnt real.
    eat less, lose more.

    I see you have some pro-ana images. If you want help, reach out. If you don't, it doesn't mean you don't need help. MFP has been a great support for me in my struggle with food, I know there's a supportive community here for you with yours. You can email any time if you so choose.
    Wish you health.
    : )
  • melville88
    melville88 Posts: 137
    Options
    I just read that link to the starvation mode page, thank you, it was really helpful but i'm still in a bit of a mental battle about it.

    It might be time to see a doctor about this. You could be on your way to a serious eating disorder.

    Awww bless you for your concern, but the only eating disorder I have/had is obesity (i.e. I was 45 BMI when I started my diet, now I'm 32, so still technically obese). I would go and see the doctor but every time I've been to the doctor (pre diet) it's been the same thing: YOU MUST CUT DOWN PORTIONS, DON'T EAT JUNK FOOD, HAVE A BANANA! I'd probably get laughed out of the office if I went in and said I think I might be developing an eating disorder.

    Also, I really love food so I never could be anorexic. What I'll do is when this week is done and I've recorded my next weight, I will make a conscious effort to reach at least 800 a day for a week, then 900, then 1000... cos surely if I suddenly just start eating 1200+ calories I'll re-balloon? thank you everyone for all your advice and concern, xxx
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
    Options
    Also, I really love food so I never could be anorexic. What I'll do is when this week is done and I've recorded my next weight, I will make a conscious effort to reach at least 800 a day for a week, then 900, then 1000... cos surely if I suddenly just start eating 1200+ calories I'll re-balloon? thank you everyone for all your advice and concern, xxx

    LOL, not all anorexics are skinny ... quite a few never get that far.

    But I'm glad to see you're gonna try to eat more. That's definitely a good sign!
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
    Options
    I think you should see a doctor and a nutritionist about this. MFP isn't the place for everyone, the obsessive calorie-counting makes it harder for some. The starvation mode isn't a myth, but I also don't think that it's below 1200 for all females and 1500 for all males. With that said, your body does need certain levels of vitamins, macronutrients, etc... to maintain proper function and be healthy so you really need to reach those levels. Go get your BMR tested, and talk to a nutrionist...you really don't want to be doing harm to your vital organs in order to lose weight. Good luck!
  • Pariah
    Pariah Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    I just read that link to the starvation mode page, thank you, it was really helpful but i'm still in a bit of a mental battle about it.

    It might be time to see a doctor about this. You could be on your way to a serious eating disorder.

    Awww bless you for your concern, but the only eating disorder I have/had is obesity (i.e. I was 45 BMI when I started my diet, now I'm 32, so still technically obese). I would go and see the doctor but every time I've been to the doctor (pre diet) it's been the same thing: YOU MUST CUT DOWN PORTIONS, DON'T EAT JUNK FOOD, HAVE A BANANA! I'd probably get laughed out of the office if I went in and said I think I might be developing an eating disorder.

    Also, I really love food so I never could be anorexic. What I'll do is when this week is done and I've recorded my next weight, I will make a conscious effort to reach at least 800 a day for a week, then 900, then 1000... cos surely if I suddenly just start eating 1200+ calories I'll re-balloon? thank you everyone for all your advice and concern, xxx

    Eating disorders are not limited to the thin. Binge Eating can be sign of an eating disorder. compulsive overeating can be a sign. bingeing and purging. starvation. over exercise. all signs. i'm not diagnosing you, i'm just saying that you can have an eating disorder at any weight. it's not necessarily weight that defines at eating disorder, but the actions that coincide with disordered thoughts.

Categories