Starvation mode: real, fake or a matter of opinion
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This is real!
Have a look at this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment
it is a study that was done 60 years ago in minnesota (when research was done without funding by food/diet companies) - it was a very simple experiment - take a group of men, limit them to 1500 calories a day for a period of months, and see what happens...
the results were stunning... Among the conclusions from the study was the confirmation that prolonged semi-starvation produces significant increases in depression, hysteria and hypochondriasis, most of the subjects experienced periods of severe emotional distress and depression - but more to the point, when the study ended, they all gained back the weight fast, and most of them exceeded their starting weight.
You can also see a small segment on this study in "The men who made us thin" BBC series
http://youtu.be/I-_LoAm_etU (minute 8 is where they describe this study and their findings).
I can also personally attest, that every time I did such a severe diet, I found my self bouncing back really fast...
While these are very valid concerns, they were not 263lbs and were on low cals for 6 months.
Already posted by someone else, but this link is very good: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/0 -
I'd be more concerned with the issue about loose skin. If you lose weigh quickly you increase the chance that you'll end up with lots of loose skin, poor muscle mass and not liking how you look.
I appreciate that that may be preferable to being overweight, but why not slow down the weight loss and make sure when you hit your goal you look the best you can.
You've done a great job so far, but personally I'd eat more, lose slower and be able to post a kick *kitten* success story when you've hit your goal. :flowerforyou:
And yes this doesn't answer your question but you've had loads of good responses about that, so I thought I'd post another reason to go slower
^^agree with this, plus there are adherence concerns with low calories.0 -
OP, i'm no expert, but this is what i've learned thus far:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/stellabellamoonpie0 -
starvation mode is when you do not eat anything for an extended period of time and your body turns on itself for energy; the initial effects of this usually start to occur when you eat nothing for 72 hours...so an extended fast of 72 + hours will put you into starvation mode.
Most people confuse this with missing snack five out of six and say "you are in starvation mode" or they will say that if you skip a meal you are in "starvation mode"; this is where the myth comes into play because you are not in starvation mode if you skip a meal or a snack ....
If you under eat for a long period of time then you can damage your metabolism as it readjusts to lower levels of calories, but, again, this is not starvation mode...
Starvation mode is a boogie man that has been made possible by diets that sell you on six small meals a day, DR Oz, etc....0 -
oh and you probably could of ran a search on this and found about a thousand similar threads...0
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sounds legit...
Bro, muscle memory goes hand in hand with skinny memory. That's why if youAs real as muscle memory, lol.
Lose weight and then gain it back, you can get skinny again within a week.
Everybody knows this.0 -
I find the problem with starvation mode is that I am always so hungry ! I did beat it once though by eating my Shatner's Bassoon. But I did add salt so it wasn't so bad. But then my veins starting pulsing and I thought my heart would explode. I got a new SB on Ebay and you know what ? The guy who sold it to me was complaining because he was not losing weight - due to being in starvation mode ! I asked him if he was always hungry...........0
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If you could lose close to the same amount of weight while eating a lot more, feeling a lot better, and not losing as much lean body mass... why would you want to continue to starve yourself?
are yah dumb?0 -
Although you're losing weight now with the large calorie deficit, you're likely to hit a plateau before you reach your goal weight and also more likely to put the weight back on after losing it.0
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Hodgie, you shoulda stuck with eating cake.0
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Ok, here's the deal. I'm not starving myself. My caloric intake is low, but I'm not walking around hungry all the time. I eat when I'm hungry & feel satisfied when I'm done. My question about starvation mode was not a "my stomach is constantly growling" question but a "am I not losing weight faster cause my caloric intake is too low" question. I am not depriving myself at all... So, no I'm not dumb, yes I could have searched this and found 1,000 topics on it but none with my specific stats & why do people feel the need to post comments if its not helpful to the question being asked?0
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Oh, also, I do not feel weak or depleted. I have more energy now than I did before I started losing weight. I feel great physically & mentally.0
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Oh, also, I do not feel weak or depleted. I have more energy now than I did before I started losing weight. I feel great physically & mentally.
hmmm... you wont be saying this in 3 weeks... (i am 100% sure because i have been there)0 -
hmmm... you wont be saying this in 3 weeks... (i am 100% sure because i have been there)
Well its so nice to know you are 100% sure of how I will be feeling since we are all created exactly alike...0 -
OP, i'm no expert, but this is what i've learned thus far:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/stellabellamoonpie
^^^^ : ) ^^^^^
This!!0 -
If these were your numbers would you keep things like they are or would you step up the intensity to get a higher daily deficit?
You're in a 2 lbs/week groove with a great deal of weight left to lose - many here would *kill* to be in those shoes.
I would put this in the "if it ain't broke..." category and just keep on keepin' on.
Well done!0 -
This won't end well
haha!
yes the same old road ....... its fake dear.0 -
Fine - lets say that the effect is different for people with high body fat percentages - a 1300 calorie diet for a grown man IMHO is not safe - in fact even caloric deficit preachers limit the calorie deficit to 1800 for men and 1200 for women, which brings me to - caloric deficit is NOT the only parameter for weight loss!
For example, my caloric deficit is less than 1000 calories a day, yet for the past 5 weeks I have been loosing 4 lbs a week - according to calorie deficit math this should have only been achievable with a 2000 calorie deficit, that I assure you is not the case.
All of this is may be so, but has nothing to do with the myth that fat people can go into "starvation mode" and stop losing weight.
If you have more than 20% body fat (probably less than that, but I'll go with it conservatively) and you eat a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Period. You must. End of story.
This has nothing to do with the harm you might do by seriously undereating or not getting the correct nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.
It simply means that if you are overweight the idea that you need to eat more to lose weight (the common remedy for the so-called "starvation mode" around here) is completely false.
There are health and nutrition reasons to eat a proper diet. Avoiding "starvation mode" is not one of them for most people.0 -
In my opinion, this is one of the most valuable threads on this forum which should be read by everyone.http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss
Read this, it's got links to a lot of research on the topic.0 -
If these were your numbers would you keep things like they are or would you step up the intensity to get a higher daily deficit?
You're in a 2 lbs/week groove with a great deal of weight left to lose - many here would *kill* to be in those shoes.
I would put this in the "if it ain't broke..." category and just keep on keepin' on.
Well done!
Thanks!!!0 -
In my opinion, this is one of the most valuable threads on this forum which should be read by everyone.http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss
Read this, it's got links to a lot of research on the topic.
Great thread indeed, and I agree a must read... OP - I suggest you read it...0 -
Aside from the metabolic changes that occur with chronic under feeding there are other health concerns and significant risks of VLCDs: gallstones (1/4 people but not always a concern), cardio issues including sudden death from ventricular tachycardia, hormonal damage to the adrenal/pituitary system, hair loss, etc... Such a large deficit cannot meet micronutrient needs of muscle repair from your exercise - you also increase the risk of exercise injury and reduce the overall benefits from your practice.0
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How will testing your metabolism stop you putting weight back on?
If your metabolism has indeed slowed down, then your RMR will be lower than it was when you started. Which will in turn make your TDEE lower than it was. TDEE = RMR + general lifestyle calories burnt + exercise calories. Basically your maintenance figure will be lower.
In saying that, if you have gained a heap of muscle it may not have changed or in fact increased.0 -
Sorry ben. I get irritated with students who do tests to improve their fitness. It is lazy science and I get gnarly over it.
Doing a test won't improve anything. It gives you a number, a baseline to use. But the test itself won't change anything. So testing your metabolism won't make you lose weight - as you say, you need to use the info.
I am just back in full on lecturer mode, new term has started
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I think that starvation mode is mostly a myth, except in the case of people who are literally starving (underweight and not eating anything). I think what happens for people on diets with too-low calories is that they have very little energy for exercise and they eventually can't take it anymore and binge, resulting in more calories in than out overall.0
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This is real!
Have a look at this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment
it is a study that was done 60 years ago in minnesota (when research was done without funding by food/diet companies) - it was a very simple experiment - take a group of men, limit them to 1500 calories a day for a period of months, and see what happens...
GAH!!!!!!!
Those people were down to single digit body fat percentages!
Most of the people around here being told to "Eat! You are in starvation mode!" are fat!
Basically, if you are over 20% body fat, you can't be in starvation mode and any calorie deficit will result in weight loss!
Now, this is only talking about weight loss. If you eat an unhealthy diet without enough nutrients for your body to function you may have other health problems besides weight loss.
But the whole "starvation mode" thing around here is when people hit a plateau they get told to eat more and for 99% of people that is not going to make you lose weight. If you are fat, a calorie deficit makes you lose weight.
Exactly.0 -
Aside from the metabolic changes that occur with chronic under feeding there are other health concerns and significant risks of VLCDs: gallstones (1/4 people but not always a concern), cardio issues including sudden death from ventricular tachycardia, hormonal damage to the adrenal/pituitary system, hair loss, etc... Such a large deficit cannot meet micronutrient needs of muscle repair from your exercise - you also increase the risk of exercise injury and reduce the overall benefits from your practice.
Some people here think that a Very Low Calorie Diet is 1200 calories. A VLCD is defined as 800 calories or less.0 -
Kids in Africa are on starvation mode when losing aditionall pound is a matter of death or life...we are on diet...0
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Matter of opinion completely. No one person on here will know your body, your medical issues or weather or not you get enough or are lacking in something. Even we sometimes can't tell when our body is lacking in certain things
When it comes to LCDs getting a doctor on board is the smartest thing anyone can do as they will make sure you are getting what your body needs and they will be looking out for you! That's why I trust my GP over the opinions we see here. And I always will.
If you trust a GP for your nutritional and exercise advice, then you're ignorant. They know next to nothing about the subject. Good luck with that.0
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