Did I go into starvation mod and did I hurt my metabolism?

JDMPWR
JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
So as some of my friends on MFP know I hit a plateau about a week and a half ago. Couldnt figure out why. Yet it was so blindly obvious and I just noticed it now. I did finally break free of it but since then the weight loss has been SUPER slow and I think I know why(I have been eating muscle not fat!!!)

I had a caloric intake pre workout of 1847(I now dropped it down to 1550) and I would burn about 1100 cals working out. I wasn't eating ANY of my exercise cals at all. so to give you an idea how many cals I was consuming here is the last 2 weeks(The higher the net # is to 1550 the closer I am to eating all of my calories for the day, including my exercise cals.)

10/1 Net 687
10/2 Net 2478(not sure what happened that night!)
10/3 Net 1230
10/4 Net 560
10/5 Net 708
10/6 Net 1115
10/7 Net 720
10/8 Net 815
10/9 Net 1541
10/10 Net 1760
10/11 Net 584
10/12 Net 891
10/13 Net 1349
10/14 Net 1489

I have worried about this in the past and could never find a good answer as how to get your body out of starvation mode and back to working right. What do you guys think? Previous to that period I was eating dam near all of my cals give or take 50-100 cals.

Replies

  • John8188
    John8188 Posts: 54
    Just start getting yourself back on track and your body will get where it should be.
  • eheule
    eheule Posts: 1
    It's been my experiance that ypu should try to eat normal meals while working out. One thing my nutrition counselor told me was that I should not ignore carbs while lifting. They help your body compensate for the stress of a workout.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    I do not cut carbs at all really. Look at my diet log.
  • springgrl
    springgrl Posts: 168 Member
    If I was going to add calories to get th net calories back into line, I would add them back slowly over a week or two to give your metabolism a chance to realign and reduce the risk of gaining weight in the short term. Good luck.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    well i am testing tonight. I ate all my cals including exercise and I will see how I weight tomorrow and watch it for the next day or two. If I start to gain weight at full cals I will step it back and progressively gain over the next 2 weeks.

    Good thought though. Thank you for your input.
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
    I a gree with springgrl... add them back slowly and then dont do it again... your body will get back to normal just takes a little time
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    am to think I almost listened to your *ss and only was only about to eat half my workout cals back :)

    Weird thing is I didn't feel weak or tired during the day but the OxyPro Elite and Jack3d could have something to do with that.
  • joleanrook
    joleanrook Posts: 117
    Starvation mode is a bunch of BS, seems to me the biggest problem you face (from your numbers above) is consistency.
    You need to pick a number and stick with it, it's all those fluctuations that are slowing you down.

    http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267
  • Nina74
    Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
    seems to me the biggest problem you face (from your numbers above) is consistency.
    You need to pick a number and stick with it, it's all those fluctuations that are slowing you down.


    Inconsistency in calories is one of the best things you can do if you want to lose weight. Try googling "calorie cycling".
  • gambitsgurl
    gambitsgurl Posts: 632 Member
    You and I can do it together. I've JUST admitted today that I screwed up. I've been trying to eat 900 cal a day but burn and extra 600 average. So 1200 + 600 = 1800 and I've been eating HALF that. I just noticed I lost more weight on the weeks I "cheated" once or twice. I have a BodyBugg and the program told me since I've only lost 2 lbs in 3 weeks I MUST be eating 2500 calories a day and I got all upset knowing I didn't.

    I'm just writing it off and starting over. I haven't gained back the 18 I've lost but I want to get back to losing.

    *hold his hand"

    let's go
  • gambitsgurl
    gambitsgurl Posts: 632 Member
    Starvation mode is a bunch of BS, seems to me the biggest problem you face (from your numbers above) is consistency.
    You need to pick a number and stick with it, it's all those fluctuations that are slowing you down.

    http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267


    Yeah - totally thought like you until I learned the hard way. My caloric intake was a precise 900 a day, every day. I was wrong.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    Well last night I ate all my exercise cals and my weight went up .2-.4lbs which doesnt really scare me because my scale sucks @ss.

    So I will do my regular routine today and see how I pan out tomorrow. For some reason though i feel super tired today just like I did the last time i ate all my exercise cals which I think was last week.
  • joleanrook
    joleanrook Posts: 117
    cycling your calories does work to an extent but not every day fluctuations like that! Every 2.5 weeks you should do 1 day increase followed by 1 day decrease then go back to the amount that is appropriate for your height/weight, etc.

    Also, I stand by what I said about starvation mode -even the concept behind the theory is illogical. What do I know though I only have a history of over 38 DFW clients losing 100+ pounds when I was a weight loss counselor.

    Lastly, if you are still feeling tired I would ask (again I think) if you are getting enough potassium.
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
    am to think I almost listened to your *ss and only was only about to eat half my workout cals back :)

    Weird thing is I didn't feel weak or tired during the day but the OxyPro Elite and Jack3d could have something to do with that.

    I figure that you would lose faster if you eat half back cause we still have quite a bit to lose and the estimates on some of the workouts are pretty high like the eliptical.So by eating half of them back It gives you a margin of error built in to make sure you lose the 2lbs a week. That is my reasoning. Once you get to the last 10lbs is where it is more important to eat your calories back. You just gotta find what works for you... That is what has been working for me. I never feel weak or tired. Just a little sore somtimes.

    Edit: Oh, and I work 12hr shifts and am up for 18hours a day or more most days.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    I actually thought you left the margin for error while driving home from work today. So I bumped my intake up to 1820 and will eat half of my exercise cals back and see how that goes for 2-3 weeks.
  • cakefarm
    cakefarm Posts: 33
    I can tell you from personal experience that starvation mode is NOT a bunch of bs. I subsisted on / maintained a size 6 at 1200 calories for years. As soon as I attempted to eat at what was supposed to be my BMR (1800 cals), I gained weight. My endocrinologist told me I'd have to continue eating at that caloric level and continue gaining weight until I stopped gaining and started losing. It took several months: I had to get even fatter before I could even start to lose weight. You WILL lose weight because muscle weighs more than fat and you are cannibalizing your muscle. You're losing weight; not fat.

    I will NEVER eat below my BMR again. Quick weight loss is not worth effing up your metabolism.
  • joleanrook
    joleanrook Posts: 117
    I will only post one more time because I find no value in arguing with anyone.

    I consume 800 calories a day, I burn on average 75-100 of those calories and I do not re-consume them.
    This is a VLCD. I also exceed my daily allowance of fiber and protein to assist in the VLCD and prevent muscle loss.
    Tomorrow will mark 1 month for me and I have lost 14 lbs. I am almost done with the weight loss phase and then will transition into the muscle building phase.

    I am a medical professional myself as well as a former weight loss counselor with a proven track record. You don't have to believe my credentials or rely on them in any way but my doctor not only approves my diet & exercise plan, he also regularly views my MFP diary and offers suggestions.

    A VLCD is NOT for everyone, and it will not work if you follow it up with binge eating. The main reason some people do not recommend a VLCD is because it is hard to get adequate nutrition at those low caloric levels, this is remedied by taking supplements.

    Furthermore, I have not lost one ounce of muscle mass. In fact, at my physical check up Friday my LBM (lean body mass) had greatly improved since I began this diet. You can assume I'm "cannibalizing" my own muscle all day long but the science and the numbers don't lie - I am not only down 14 lb I am also leaner and more toned. My thyroid was also checked Friday and continues to be fine and a urinalysis proved my specific gravity, pH, protein, glucose, and ketones, are all well within normal limits.

    I'd recommend anyone interested to view this link:
    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

    That's all I have to say on the matter, negativity will not help ANYONE lose weight. If what you are doing works for you then continue to do it, but if it's not working then may need a little more education about nutrition and weight loss. Best of luck to everyone!!! :smile:
  • abcollins1355
    abcollins1355 Posts: 22
    I can tell you from personal experience that starvation mode is NOT a bunch of bs. I subsisted on / maintained a size 6 at 1200 calories for years. As soon as I attempted to eat at what was supposed to be my BMR (1800 cals), I gained weight. My endocrinologist told me I'd have to continue eating at that caloric level and continue gaining weight until I stopped gaining and started losing. It took several months: I had to get even fatter before I could even start to lose weight. You WILL lose weight because muscle weighs more than fat and you are cannibalizing your muscle. You're losing weight; not fat.

    I will NEVER eat below my BMR again. Quick weight loss is not worth effing up your metabolism.
    \

    that wasnt "starvation mode" that was you jacking up your metabolism.

    Since you constntely ate at a level that i would advise no one to do, your body slowed your metabolism down to compensate for the lack of calories and nutrients.
    Then when you kicked up the cals, your metabolism was so slow that it could not handle all of it and so you gained weight.
    Once your body adjusted for the new cal level, your metabolism revved up (or what some refer to as a reset) and then you would have leveled out.

    And no, muscle does not weigh more than fat. 1 pound is one pound. Its like the old joke, what weighs more 1 pound of feathers or one pound of lead.
    They both weigh a pound!!

    And if you lose weight, then you are on some level losing muscle. It is all in the science.
  • cakefarm
    cakefarm Posts: 33
    http://www.burnthefat.com/starvation_mode.html

    No offense but Tom Venuto is a world renowned trainer with a proven track record and he completely disagrees with you.

    To each his own.
  • xaviernelson
    xaviernelson Posts: 24 Member
    I just joined mid october and mistakenly (as I learned today) was focusing so much on the calorie intake that I was extremely excited that I had days with 1300 or even 1400 calories remaining, but when I started losing energy this week and feeling weaker, a friend took a look at my diary and set me straight.
    When I was speaking with my wife about it this evening she helped me break it down even further and while today I was still left over with 965 calories when I closed my entries, I am now going forward (not going to keep beating myself up over it) and try to adjust how I am eating.
    It won't do me any good to keep doing days where each meal is 200 or less calories.
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