Top 10 MFP community falsehoods

Great post

Just confirms what I have believed for years; eat less calories than you burn and lose weight - it just works

Bump to read later.

Obviously you don't know what the definition of starvation mode really is or what is entailed in developing the condition. A show like Survivor isn't going to generate the condition in the people because 1. No show on television is going to allow people to risk their lives to starvation, and 2. the participants eat too regularly.

Starvation mode is a condition that is developed after a long, extended period of habitual lack of nutrition. By eating an extreme deficit every single day for a long period of time, a person can develop the syndrome. It is commonly seen in anorexics, bulimics, and those in 3rd world countries. We're talking eating one meal of limited calories a day, if that.

The idea that starvation mode can be achieved by eating a modest deficit is ill-educated. However, the claim that it flat out does not exist or that no one in developed countries could suffer its effects or the difficulties of refeeding syndrome is preposterous, and completely ignores very real problems that many people on MFP could be facing.

I've written several blog entries about my own diagnosis, my struggle with RS, and my difficulties with allowing people to ignore the issue because they aren't well read enough on the subject. They include research, excerpts from medical journals, the Mayo Clinic, and more.

The problem with starvation is not only the nutritional deficit, but the dangerous issues that come with refeeding. RS is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that should not be ignored or taken lightly.

You're describing an actual starvation response (the ultimate result of an advanced level of AT) and not the common, incorrect "starvation mode" that we're talking about. You're basically arguing the same side. What you're talking about is definitely real, but it's not what most people call "starvation mode". That mythical thing is based on the misguided idea that eating too little in the short term will cause your body to suddenly freak out and "hold onto" its fat stores. A real starvation response is *generally* not possible in overweight and obese individuals, because the fat stores will be depleted long before that point is ever reached. Some exceptions have been seen, but drastic hormonal imbalances are usually to blame. This is not the same thing as "starvation mode".

Except for the fact that the medical diagnosis received is starvation mode? The fact is, MANY overweight people, due to the prevalence of eating disorders in the overweight, could have developed this set of issues and have severely impacted their metabolism and ability to burn energy adequately in their extreme efforts to lose weight.

Personally, I was diagnosed back in 2003 with starvation mode. I had GAINED over 200 pounds in 2 years. The issue was that I was starving myself for 90% of the time, and then binged without discretion or concern. I had series of bloodwork done that established that my otherwise healthy thyroid completely shut down between meals, rendering it virtually impossible for me to lose the weight that I was gaining at an exponential rate. When I began a program to establish a healthy lifestyle, I suffered serious problems with Refeeding Syndrome.

Based on the response to my blogs, it has become clear that several people are inadvertently experiencing these problems. It has been stated by the medical community that it only takes 2 days of starvation and a modest influx of 300 calories to cause a person to have refeeding problems. It causes all sorts of uncomfortable, and in some cases, life-threatening, problems, and it shouldn't be ignored.

If a person is worried about their habits causing starvation mode, the appropriate response is not to deny the "myth" but to realize that the person may be entertaining completely unhealthy methods in their effort to lose weight. They might be working on the notion that calories in vs calories out is all that matters, and they will stop putting calories in.

Without knowing what a person is doing, you can't possibly determine whether this is a real issue to be concerned about or not, and making blanket statements that you don't have to worry about it at all is dangerous. Not all people who are starved are thin.

Obviously you don't know what the definition of starvation mode really is or what is entailed in developing the condition. A show like Survivor isn't going to generate the condition in the people because 1. No show on television is going to allow people to risk their lives to starvation, and 2. the participants eat too regularly.

Starvation mode is a condition that is developed after a long, extended period of habitual lack of nutrition. By eating an extreme deficit every single day for a long period of time, a person can develop the syndrome. It is commonly seen in anorexics, bulimics, and those in 3rd world countries. We're talking eating one meal of limited calories a day, if that.

The idea that starvation mode can be achieved by eating a modest deficit is ill-educated. However, the claim that it flat out does not exist or that no one in developed countries could suffer its effects or the difficulties of refeeding syndrome is preposterous, and completely ignores very real problems that many people on MFP could be facing.

I've written several blog entries about my own diagnosis, my struggle with RS, and my difficulties with allowing people to ignore the issue because they aren't well read enough on the subject. They include research, excerpts from medical journals, the Mayo Clinic, and more.

The problem with starvation is not only the nutritional deficit, but the dangerous issues that come with refeeding. RS is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that should not be ignored or taken lightly.

You're describing an actual starvation response (the ultimate result of an advanced level of AT) and not the common, incorrect "starvation mode" that we're talking about. You're basically arguing the same side. What you're talking about is definitely real, but it's not what most people call "starvation mode". That mythical thing is based on the misguided idea that eating too little in the short term will cause your body to suddenly freak out and "hold onto" its fat stores. A real starvation response is *generally* not possible in overweight and obese individuals, because the fat stores will be depleted long before that point is ever reached. Some exceptions have been seen, but drastic hormonal imbalances are usually to blame. This is not the same thing as "starvation mode".

Except for the fact that the medical diagnosis received is starvation mode? The fact is, MANY overweight people, due to the prevalence of eating disorders in the overweight, could have developed this set of issues and have severely impacted their metabolism and ability to burn energy adequately in their extreme efforts to lose weight.

Personally, I was diagnosed back in 2003 with starvation mode. I had GAINED over 200 pounds in 2 years. The issue was that I was starving myself for 90% of the time, and then binged without discretion or concern. I had series of bloodwork done that established that my otherwise healthy thyroid completely shut down between meals, rendering it virtually impossible for me to lose the weight that I was gaining at an exponential rate. When I began a program to establish a healthy lifestyle, I suffered serious problems with Refeeding Syndrome.

Based on the response to my blogs, it has become clear that several people are inadvertently experiencing these problems. It has been stated by the medical community that it only takes 2 days of starvation and a modest influx of 300 calories to cause a person to have refeeding problems. It causes all sorts of uncomfortable, and in some cases, life-threatening, problems, and it shouldn't be ignored.

If a person is worried about their habits causing starvation mode, the appropriate response is not to deny the "myth" but to realize that the person may be entertaining completely unhealthy methods in their effort to lose weight. They might be working on the notion that calories in vs calories out is all that matters, and they will stop putting calories in.

Without knowing what a person is doing, you can't possibly determine whether this is a real issue to be concerned about or not, and making blanket statements that you don't have to worry about it at all is dangerous. Not all people who are starved are thin.

Extremely well spoken.

Jeez...

Joshdann was clearly talking about people who think they are in starvation mode when they are eating everyday but gaining weight. The majority of those people are under-estimating intake or over-estimating exercise.

He obviously was not talking about being diagnosed with a medical condition after seeing a doctor and having bloodwork done.

Please stop being so touchy.

Well said and thank you!

That is, without a doubt, the most intelligent and well-articulated post that I've ever read on these forums, and I agree with you 100%. Well done, sir.

THis^^ Thanks OP for sharing!

bump to read when i get a break

guys... thyroid issues are exceptions to the rule. I think if you'll read back a few pages you'll see that my own wife has hypothyroidism and I am intimately familiar with its effects. I did not intend for my generalization to include people with extreme and untreated hormonal imbalances... that would be silly. But, as more than one person has taken it that way I do sincerely apologize. Thyroid issues can be a ***** to deal with.

God help us all. I let most of your sweeping generalizations slide because you have a right to your opinions as much as anyone else here at mfp (and let’s not lose sight of the FACT that you posted just that – your opinions), but your claim of being "intimately familiar" with thyroid disease because your wife has thyroid issues is really pushing the envelope and it turns my stomach. Should anyone actually consider your opinion, they are in for a world of hurt AND your disclaimer for “people with extreme and untreated hormonal imbalances” doesn’t get you off the hook either. You are way out of your league.

My primary care physician, a licensed M.D., is NOT an expert in this area, but that didn't stop her from ordering useless TSH tests and prescribing more ineffective medication. Now, let's throw in the cost containment issues used by so many HMOs and PPOs who don't like referring patients to specialists (in this case, an endocrinologist), and those who suffer from this stinking malady will spiral down both physically and emotionally because they believe they are being treated appropriately. Not necessarily true.

Good People of MFP: If you have ANY symptoms associated with a thyroid disorder, get to a doctor. If ANY symptoms persist following your physician’s treatment (regardless of your TSH level), see an endocrinologist and don’t fail to have regular rechecks. Better yet, if you can afford to skip the general practitioner altogether and go straight to an endocrinologist, do it. Do your homework and get to know this disease inside and out; know the symptoms and know what to look for. Review the research on new treatments and the different tests available and find out for yourself if that one little molecule of difference between levothyroxine and Synthroid is making a difference in your treatment, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. KNOW this disease, OWN it, and take control because it will destroy you if not properly treated. Oh, and stay away from anyone’s advice to the contrary, including general practitioners (and engineers).

Bump for a read later