Starvation Mode - Myth or Fact

jnp96 · January 2013

I just don't know if I believe in the starvation mode thing. Eating less usually means weighing less. What is your take on this subject?

djames92 · January 2013

ive never eaten so little that it would be a problem so i have no idea

amandapye78 · January 2013

I actually dont know if I believe it, if so why would anoriexic people be so skinny? I also know I went through a depression in highschool where I ate very little and ended up being dangerously underweight in a matter of a month ( I was skinny to start with though)

BarackMeLikeAHurricane · January 2013

A reduction in BMR can occur on very low calorie diets sustained over long periods of time but true "starvation mode" typically occurs in females with <10% body fat and males with <5% body fat. Look up "Minnesota starvation experiment" for further reading.

binknbaby · January 2013

I think in general, the way it's being used is a misnomer. I would say that more often, what people experience (what they are calling "starvation mode") is more like a dormant metabolism. They're not actually "starving", but they are not eating enough to keep their metabolism going, so it just shuts down.

My former trainer explained it like this: Imagine your metabolism is a bonfire. If you put on too much wood at once, it can't burn. But if you only use kindling, the fire will be low and will burn out quickly. The best way to build a fire is with both kindling and logs. If you keep that fire stoked with kindling and logs, it will be easier to burn the occasional big log. So the goal is to keep the fire going--not overloading it with too many big logs at once, and not letting it die out with tiny bits of kindling. It's a balance.

AnvilHead · January 2013

Cp731 · January 2013

A reduction in BMR can occur on very low calorie diets sustained over long periods of time but true "starvation mode" typically occurs in females with <10% body fat and males with <5% body fat. Look up "Minnesota starvation experiment" for further reading.

Thank you, because i am 24 percent body fat and im always under in calories and my body is not starving.I do eat a lot of protein which helps

BarackMeLikeAHurricane · January 2013

A reduction in BMR can occur on very low calorie diets sustained over long periods of time but true "starvation mode" typically occurs in females with <10% body fat and males with <5% body fat. Look up "Minnesota starvation experiment" for further reading.

Thank you, because i am 24 percent body fat and im always under in calories and my body is not starving.I do eat a lot of protein which helps

Protein is key to retaining lean body mass while eating at a deficit so make sure to keep it up.

Fuzz610 · January 2013

@binknbaby-- I think your first paragraph solved my problem! About not eating enough to keep the metabolism going.
I've been skipping lunch alot lately and weight loss pretty much stopped. Thanks!!

anaduffy · January 2013

I started my weight loss journey at 267 lbs and I'm sure most of you think it's because I eat too much or too much of the wrong thing but honestly if you looked at my average day I would eat maybe 800 calories a day and maybe "pig out" once a month the starvation mode people are talking about is not saying you are starving your body is just preparing for less food consumption so if you eat 1000 calories a day for a week and then eat 3000 calories for a few days your body is more likely to store the fat instead of passing it though your system. now that I am making sure to eat between 1500-1800 calories a day my body is dropping weight at a steady pace.

AnabolicKyle · January 2013

Lyle McDonald explains it this way:

In general, it's true that metabolic rate tends to drop more with more excessive caloric deficits (and this is true whether the effect is from eating less or exercising more); as well, people vary in how hard or fast their bodies shut down. Women's bodies tend to shut down harder and faster.

But here's the thing: in no study I've ever seen has the drop in metabolic rate been sufficient to completely offset the caloric deficit. That is, say that cutting your calories by 50% per day leads to a reduction in the metabolic rate of 10%. Starvation mode you say. Well, yes. But you still have a 40% daily deficit.

kusterer · January 2013

Lyle McDonald explains it this way:

In general, it's true that metabolic rate tends to drop more with more excessive caloric deficits (and this is true whether the effect is from eating less or exercising more); as well, people vary in how hard or fast their bodies shut down. Women's bodies tend to shut down harder and faster.

But here's the thing: in no study I've ever seen has the drop in metabolic rate been sufficient to completely offset the caloric deficit. That is, say that cutting your calories by 50% per day leads to a reduction in the metabolic rate of 10%. Starvation mode you say. Well, yes. But you still have a 40% daily deficit.

kusterer · January 2013

Sorry, I was trying to quote and comment, but screwed up. I am 67 and have been on VLCDs several times in my life including a 10-day hunger strike. To me, the issue is not what is happening when you are restricting calories and losing weight, it is how your body responds, by 1) putting on weight more easily in the future to prepare for the next "famine" and by 2) holding on to fat better during the next VLCD "famine" as an adaptation to an environment where repeated food scarcity is a problem.

AnabolicKyle · January 2013

Sorry, I was trying to quote and comment, but screwed up. I am 67 and have been on VLCDs several times in my life including a 10-day hunger strike. To me, the issue is not what is happening when you are restricting calories and losing weight, it is how your body responds, by 1) putting on weight more easily in the future to prepare for the next "famine" and by 2) holding on to fat better during the next VLCD "famine" as an adaptation to an environment where repeated food scarcity is a problem.

Common sense stand point this makes prefect sense but is there any research to back it up?

kusterer · February 2013

Not being a scientist, I don't read science articles. But I was told this by my Mayo nutritionist. She explained that, to avoid triggering this, their weight loss program always includes a 2-3 month maintenance period after every loss of 10% of body weight.

Starvation Mode - Myth or Fact

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