Starvation Mode Myth Link

The author is a blogger, and she contradicts herself every other paragraph. she describes HERSELF as a "random person on the internet".

Some of what she says is true. But read VERY carefully, the manner in which she writes is contradictory. I'm not sure what her agenda is, but I suggest reading the same information from a creditable health source.

WebMD
MayoClinic
NIH

That is very interesting and makes a lot of sense. Thanks for posting it up! However that doesn't explain how so many people can exercise frequently and eat a 1200 calorie a day diet and yet still shed very few kilos???

It's scientific fact the body's metabolism can decrease (to a certain point, of course) based on the amount of fuel coming in. That's "starvation mode." It's a survival mechanism.

A blogger's opinion doesn't change scientific fact.

I can find an article that says anything I or anyone else wants to "prove." And if there isn't one already out there, I can write one and post it and then cite it.

Edit: Wow, you should quote some of the article in your post. The author isn't writing that starvation mode is a myth, rather saying people take the term "starvation mode" and run with it. I agree with that. But I also believe people have a very wrong idea about how to lose weight. Although many folks may "embellish" the concept of starvation mode, I really think it's better for people to ignorantly fear "starvation mode" and warn others who are eating too little than for people toignorantly starve themselves in an effort to lose weight and wreck their metabolisms.

2nd edit: Be very careful citing links about very low calorie diets. While the rules for the very obese are generally different than the rules for less overweight people, the metabolism can and will slow itself. There are a lot of cases where doctors will advise a very low calorie diet because getting a large amount of weight off quickly may be more important than really eating a healthy amount at times. I'll preface this next statement with the disclaimer that everyone is *different* but I am a perfect example of starvation mode happening while obese. I lost about 55 pounds eating 0-600 *net* calories most days (1000-1200 total calories consumed, while burning 500-1000 calories through exercise) in 4.5 months and then I could not lose any more. I was 5'4 and about 220 pounds and for over a month I sat at the same weight while creating huge calorie deficits (about 1500-2000 calorie deficit each day, consistently). It took me 3 months to increase my calories up to 1290 NET before I started losing appropriately again. Now my metabolism is up to speed and I'm eating 1500-2000 calories most days and consistently losing 1.5 pounds a week. Yep, I'm eating nearly 1000 calories more some days that I was eating before and I'm losing weight faster. Again, other bodies respond differently, but this was my experience.

I don't understand why you wouldn't want to have as good of a metabolism as possible. I don't understand peoples' aversions to EATING, getting the proper nutrition, and being healthy. Why wouldn't you want to eat as much as possible while losing weight at a good healthy rate?

I personally don't believe in starvation mode in the capacity that it is thrown around on this board and other boards I frequent.

Dr Atkins, even though I believe in his low carb philosophy for the most part, he touted that you need to eat every 3-4 hours in order to keep your metabolism running.

I don't believe that is true. Missing a meal is not going to send you into starvation mode, it is not going to ruin your metabolism either.

I am now following The Primal Blue Print and I am also reading about intuitive eating and intermittent fasting (IF), which is the ability of fast partially and teaching yourself to eat only when hungry. That means going sometimes 10 or 12 hours without eating.

Why is everyone so concerned with starvation mode and other people not eating enough? Let everyone be. Offer support and share your story but let everyone do their thing. We're all here for the same reasons so who is anyone to pass judgment? All this information can be found online if one chooses to seek it. Just let everyone do what works for them, do what works for you and be nice. Don't call others out just for following a different plan. This is a little sad, we're clicking "community" to read these posts so let's act like one.

resptech97, I completely agree. I went through the same exact thing two weeks ago because everyone gets really worried about low cal eaters going into "starvation mode". I've been eating under 1200 cals. for almost 4 months now and I'm losing weight great and have no more side effects than when I was eating 1200. Don't worry and don't let a few know-it-alls discourage you from sharing. Thanks for the post.

mhannan13 you're right we are all here to support one another, share our insight with one another, and to express our opinions. I do know you have been successful with eating under 1200 calories. By telling you that you aren't eating enough has nothing to do with you, it just has to do with numbers. You will lose weight and of course with weight loss you will feel more confident. I just want you to know it is EXTREMELY difficult to get the nutrients your body needs to build muscle, strong bones, and keep a healthy immune system among other things. I am not saying you need to change your ways by any means, but just simply sharing insight. Not everyone on here is trying to put one another down, just sharing opinions sometimes rubs people the wrong way. Good luck with the rest of your journey:)

How to Lose Weight Fast
Losing weight is a simple mathematical formula: You need to burn more calories than you eat. Experts generally recommend creating a deficit of 500 calories per day through a combination of eating fewer calories and increasing physical activity. Over the course of a week, this should yield a loss of about 1-2 pounds of fat.

If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more. Bottom line: 1,050 to 1,200 calories and one hour of exercise a day (but be sure not to dip below this calorie level for safety's sake). On this type of plan, you can expect to lose 3-5 pounds the first week, or more if you weigh over 250 pounds.

"Dieters who follow the plan can lose 2 pounds from diet and 1 pound from exercise each week, and even more if they have more to lose, because the more fat you have to lose, the faster it comes off," says Dansinger.

You may lose even more weight initially if you limit salt and starches.

"When you reduce sodium and cut starches, you reduce fluids and fluid retention, which can result in up to 5 pounds of fluid loss when you get started," explains Dansinger

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/lose-weight-fast-how-to-do-it-safely

I disagree with this....I wast eating about 1300 cal...and doing Insanity workouts...hammering about 450 550 cal a workout and actually gained weight.....I am 5'8" 168...so Im not that over weight...I was told that I am not eating enough....and my body is holding on to everything....Oh and it has been 8 weeks...

Yeah...and the issue with articles that suggest how to lose "weight" quickly never seem to keep in mind that in austere caloric restriction the body is not only losing fat, but also muscle tissue. It's also setting up the stage for adrenal fatigue, reduced immune response, and organ damage.

The initial article was, how do I say, all over the place. I do think starvation mode is thrown around much more than it should be, but I'm not blind to the dangers of following a highly restricted caloric intake over an extended period of time without medical counsel.

And keep in mind the effects of very reduced calories may become much more severe the closer you are to ideal body fat / BMI. Your body has little to burn, so to speak...