is my body in starvation mode ?

shanehen
shanehen Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

been dieting for around 9 weeks now with a 2 week holiday in between - in the 1st seven weeks I lost lb15 but for the last two weeks I have actually gained 2lb im at a total loss and losing faith slowly

my exercise is very intense and I spend between 7 and 12 hrs on average a week burning around 10,000 + - my target goal is around 1400 calories per day which I can manage ok and pretty much just hit that amount - somedays I will use the allowance from my exercise but most days do not

is this likely to be the problem am I starving the body because im consuming around 1400-1500 calories a day and then burning between 1000- 2000 some days

thanks shane
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Replies

  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    Not enough calories net even for a teenage girl let alone a 43yr old male. Eat more or exercise less.

    See here to find out what you should be eating.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    Many thanks I understand the logic but MFP put me on 1400 calories a day to achieve the goal - is this a flaw in the way it calculates

    thanks shane
  • Reeceybaby1988
    Reeceybaby1988 Posts: 91
    no flaw, MFP dosnt add in excercise calories

    so if you are set to eat 1400 calories a day, then burn 1000+ in excercise, you need to eat 2400 calories for that day, given you a NET consumption of 1400

    get it?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    no you are not in starvation mode...

    you cannot be eating every day and be in starvation mode.

    you can only go into starvation mode if you do not eat anything for 72+ hours ...

    what are you using to calculate your buns, and what kind of exercise are you doing? According to your post you are average a 1500 a day calorie burn which I find pretty hard to believe. My highest intensity lifting session only burns about 500 calories and I have a body fit media to track that..

    if you are using MFP database or the exercise machine then this burn count is probably flawed...
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Many thanks I understand the logic but MFP put me on 1400 calories a day to achieve the goal - is this a flaw in the way it calculates

    thanks shane

    You'll notice that if you log your exercise? MFP will ADD those calories to your total for the day.

    It is set on a model of creating a set deficit -- 250 or 500 or 1000 calories per day. To do that, it uses the activily level you put in, and then takes into account any exercise that you log.

    So its not a flaw in MFP's math. It's a flaw in how you are USING it. You're supposed to eat back your exercise.
  • Nissi51
    Nissi51 Posts: 381 Member
    Open your food diary
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    Open your food diary

    OMG thats an awesome back! :drinker:
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    Many thanks I understand the logic but MFP put me on 1400 calories a day to achieve the goal - is this a flaw in the way it calculates

    thanks shane

    MFP is not the best at choosing your best calorie goal. I'd listen to others who gave links and suggestions. I'm 5'4" and weight 125# my maintenance calorie intake is 1600-ish per day.
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    Many thanks I understand the logic but MFP put me on 1400 calories a day to achieve the goal - is this a flaw in the way it calculates

    thanks shane

    got it thanks its just taking some time to convince myself to eat more :o)
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    Hi I weigh 214 lbs so its easier to burn that amount

    normally I will do at least 1-2 hrs a day swimming, running, cycling -its very easy at my weight

    1hrs swimming is nearly 1000 calories
    running uphill on a treadmill also 1000 calories an hour
    if I go for a ride it will be normally 2hrs as it will burn 1000 calories +

    I work for myself so it easy to find the time
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    will open diary one moment
  • Ladyinwaiting4
    Ladyinwaiting4 Posts: 202 Member
    we are the same height and you are my goal weight. if I ate 1600 calories would that put me at 125 pounds instead of 170 pounds if I consistently eat that amount.
    Many thanks I understand the logic but MFP put me on 1400 calories a day to achieve the goal - is this a flaw in the way it calculates

    thanks shane

    MFP is not the best at choosing your best calorie goal. I'd listen to others who gave links and suggestions. I'm 5'4" and weight 125# my maintenance calorie intake is 1600-ish per day.
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    Also how much do you currently weigh what is your BF percentage. From what ive read you dont even need to worry about the so called starvation mode until you hit about 10 percent BF. I burned about average 1000 a day or more and had a intake of about 1600 and I did not have any issues of course I had about 35 percent BF ratio if not more.,
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    I weigh 211-212 lbs BF is 22%
  • AngisBubis
    AngisBubis Posts: 25 Member
    Open your food diary

    OMG thats an awesome back! :drinker:


    Wow! Ditto!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Hi I weigh 214 lbs so its easier to burn that amount

    normally I will do at least 1-2 hrs a day swimming, running, cycling -its very easy at my weight

    1hrs swimming is nearly 1000 calories
    running uphill on a treadmill also 1000 calories an hour
    if I go for a ride it will be normally 2hrs as it will burn 1000 calories +

    I work for myself so it easy to find the time

    what are you using to calculate these burns? This seems very high to me...
  • SkinnyGirlPending
    SkinnyGirlPending Posts: 20
    Hi I weigh 214 lbs so its easier to burn that amount

    normally I will do at least 1-2 hrs a day swimming, running, cycling -its very easy at my weight

    1hrs swimming is nearly 1000 calories
    running uphill on a treadmill also 1000 calories an hour
    if I go for a ride it will be normally 2hrs as it will burn 1000 calories +

    I work for myself so it easy to find the time

    I highly doubt unless you are swimming at Olympic levels, you are not burning that many calories. Same with the running. These numbers are really, really wrong and I have no idea where you are getting them.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    also, if MFP gave you 1400 calories a day and you really are burning 1000 a day then you need to eat 2400 so you net 1400 that is the MFP method...
  • cassyrawr
    cassyrawr Posts: 8
    HI! I just wanted to add what happened to me! I started doing P90X the beginning of this year before I found MFP and have been doing it for a while. I wasn't seeing any results and it was making me depressed. I finally started counting calories and was only eating 1000 calories a day while burning around 500 a day. I was in starvation mode. I started following MFP and started to loose weight... because it was making me eat more. So ya.... my 2 cents :) Oh was 180lbs so I wasn't in shape or anything.
  • SkinnyGirlPending
    SkinnyGirlPending Posts: 20
    Hi I weigh 214 lbs so its easier to burn that amount

    normally I will do at least 1-2 hrs a day swimming, running, cycling -its very easy at my weight

    1hrs swimming is nearly 1000 calories
    running uphill on a treadmill also 1000 calories an hour
    if I go for a ride it will be normally 2hrs as it will burn 1000 calories +

    I work for myself so it easy to find the time

    I highly doubt unless you are swimming at Olympic levels, you are not burning that many calories. Same with the running. These numbers are really, really wrong and I have no idea where you are getting them.
    Double checked, I am almost your weight and even if I put 60 minutes of "Fast vigorous" swimming it only gives me 700 and I know that number is probably wrong.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    also, if MFP gave you 1400 calories a day and you really are burning 1000 a day then you need to eat 2400 so you net 1400 that is the MFP method...

    Quick, accurate and to the point.

    Starvation mode doesn't mean much, but you can slow down your metabolism a lot, which will cause you to stop losing and gain very easily.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    HI! I just wanted to add what happened to me! I started doing P90X the beginning of this year before I found MFP and have been doing it for a while. I wasn't seeing any results and it was making me depressed. I finally started counting calories and was only eating 1000 calories a day while burning around 500 a day. I was in starvation mode. I started following MFP and started to loose weight... because it was making me eat more. So ya.... my 2 cents :) Oh was 180lbs so I wasn't in shape or anything.

    i am just going to say no and refer to my original post..
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Hi I weigh 214 lbs so its easier to burn that amount

    normally I will do at least 1-2 hrs a day swimming, running, cycling -its very easy at my weight

    1hrs swimming is nearly 1000 calories
    running uphill on a treadmill also 1000 calories an hour
    if I go for a ride it will be normally 2hrs as it will burn 1000 calories +

    I work for myself so it easy to find the time

    I highly doubt unless you are swimming at Olympic levels, you are not burning that many calories. Same with the running. These numbers are really, really wrong and I have no idea where you are getting them.
    Double checked, I am almost your weight and even if I put 60 minutes of "Fast vigorous" swimming it only gives me 700 and I know that number is probably wrong.
    OP I think your burn calculations are off..I am in good to great shape and I do not think I good run uphill for an hour...I can do a 5k at about 8 minutes a mile as a reference point...what grade was the treadmill on ..were you walking or running...? Huge difference...
  • PcShed
    PcShed Posts: 84 Member
    For your calorie intake it looks like you are overtraining. Remember muscles need time to recover and if calorie intake is low then your body its not getting the nutrition it needs and any food you take the body will store for later use hence weigh gains. Sometimes more training its not always best. Hope this helps.
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    for the calorie count

    running is calculated by equipment at our gym, 43 year old male weighing 212lbs and 6 foot tall
    the incine on the machine is 12 out of a maximum 20 if I set the incline at 0 yes its around 500 calories an hour

    but when the incline is set higher it dramatically increases - checked at 2 gyms 2 separate manufacturers equipment

    cycling the calories are from MFP 10-12 mph for my eight and size is 580 calories an hr and I go for 2 hrs
    swimming is breaststroke and calculated from MFP 1hr which is around 80 lengths for me and MFP reports 966 cals for my size

    thanks
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    its mixed walking and running - I cant run for an hr up hill :o)
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    for the calorie count

    running is calculated by equipment at our gym, 43 year old male weighing 212lbs and 6 foot tall
    the incine on the machine is 12 out of a maximum 20 if I set the incline at 0 yes its around 500 calories an hour

    but when the incline is set higher it dramatically increases - checked at 2 gyms 2 separate manufacturers equipment

    cycling the calories are from MFP 10-12 mph for my eight and size is 580 calories an hr and I go for 2 hrs
    swimming is breaststroke and calculated from MFP 1hr which is around 80 lengths for me and MFP reports 966 cals for my size

    thanks

    On the one hand, MFP seems to aim high with calorie burn but, on the other hand, it's not like you're eating your calories back so...
  • michelle7673
    michelle7673 Posts: 370 Member
    Guys - it isn't the burn numbers. He isn't eating those calories back. Look at his diary.
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    Im going to try everyone's advice and try to eat back 2/3 of my calorie burn and see what happens

    thanks to all
  • shanehen
    shanehen Posts: 11
    its just getting past the psychological aspects of eating more when on a diet - retraining the brain :o)

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