starvation mode?

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scorrea2
scorrea2 Posts: 72 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've heard a bunch of different things on when your body goes into starvation mode and slows down the metabolism. When and how does this actually happen?

Replies

  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    It's really just a myth, although experiments in Minnesota have been done and some info was found and determined, it's minuscule though.

    Anyhow.... lets say you want to lose 15 lbs. Your maintenance calories, for example, are 2000, so..... you cut 500 off of that to lose 1lb. a week, which is 1500.

    After a week or so of dieting on 1500 your body will slowly get use to those calories and slow down metabolism. This is when a "re-feed" day comes into play. A re-feed day should be enjoyable, and you eat at maintenance calories for that day and you keep your carbs very high.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    It's really just a myth, although experiments in Minnesota have been done and some info was found and determined, it's minuscule though.

    Anyhow.... lets say you want to lose 15 lbs. Your maintenance calories, for example, are 2000, so..... you cut 500 off of that to lose 1lb. a week, which is 1500.

    After a week or so of dieting on 1500 your body will slowly get use to those calories and slow down metabolism. This is when a "re-feed" day comes into play. A re-feed day should be enjoyable, and you eat at maintenance calories for that day and you keep your carbs very high.

    Bull****.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    It's really just a myth, although experiments in Minnesota have been done and some info was found and determined, it's minuscule though.

    Anyhow.... lets say you want to lose 15 lbs. Your maintenance calories, for example, are 2000, so..... you cut 500 off of that to lose 1lb. a week, which is 1500.

    After a week or so of dieting on 1500 your body will slowly get use to those calories and slow down metabolism. This is when a "re-feed" day comes into play. A re-feed day should be enjoyable, and you eat at maintenance calories for that day and you keep your carbs very high.

    Bull****.

    un-helpful post... is...un-helpful.
  • LoneWolf_70
    LoneWolf_70 Posts: 1,151 Member
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    wrong, starvation mode IS A MYTH. You ppl are ridiculous.
  • rejectuf
    rejectuf Posts: 487 Member
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    Whatever metabolic adaptations your body makes in response to lowered calories are minor and do not stop weight loss if you are eating below your daily expenditure.

    A man in Scotland went one year and 17 days without eating a single thing other than mineral supplements.

    Starvation mode, as it is discussed here, is a myth that is repeated as an excuse when people don't lose weight because they are underestimating how much they eat or overestimating how much they burn.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    It's really just a myth, although experiments in Minnesota have been done and some info was found and determined, it's minuscule though.

    Anyhow.... lets say you want to lose 15 lbs. Your maintenance calories, for example, are 2000, so..... you cut 500 off of that to lose 1lb. a week, which is 1500.

    After a week or so of dieting on 1500 your body will slowly get use to those calories and slow down metabolism. This is when a "re-feed" day comes into play. A re-feed day should be enjoyable, and you eat at maintenance calories for that day and you keep your carbs very high.

    Bull****.

    un-helpful post... is...un-helpful.
    How is that unhelpful?
    Was telling the OP that the response she got was wrong and BS
  • rejectuf
    rejectuf Posts: 487 Member
    Options
    It's really just a myth, although experiments in Minnesota have been done and some info was found and determined, it's minuscule though.

    Anyhow.... lets say you want to lose 15 lbs. Your maintenance calories, for example, are 2000, so..... you cut 500 off of that to lose 1lb. a week, which is 1500.

    After a week or so of dieting on 1500 your body will slowly get use to those calories and slow down metabolism. This is when a "re-feed" day comes into play. A re-feed day should be enjoyable, and you eat at maintenance calories for that day and you keep your carbs very high.

    Bull****.

    un-helpful post... is...un-helpful.
    How is that unhelpful?
    Was telling the OP that the response she got was wrong and BS

    What part? Do you agree starvation mode is a myth, or do you think it is real? Do you think the concept of a refeed day is "BS"? A little explanation goes a long way.
  • runner475
    runner475 Posts: 1,236 Member
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    It's really just a myth, although experiments in Minnesota have been done and some info was found and determined, it's minuscule though.

    Anyhow.... lets say you want to lose 15 lbs. Your maintenance calories, for example, are 2000, so..... you cut 500 off of that to lose 1lb. a week, which is 1500.

    After a week or so of dieting on 1500 your body will slowly get use to those calories and slow down metabolism. This is when a "re-feed" day comes into play. A re-feed day should be enjoyable, and you eat at maintenance calories for that day and you keep your carbs very high.

    Bull****.

    un-helpful post... is...un-helpful.
    How is that unhelpful?
    Was telling the OP that the response she got was wrong and BS

    OK let's assume for a minute it was BS. Now explain what's not. I would really like to know the other logical side to explanation.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Options
    It's really just a myth, although experiments in Minnesota have been done and some info was found and determined, it's minuscule though.

    Anyhow.... lets say you want to lose 15 lbs. Your maintenance calories, for example, are 2000, so..... you cut 500 off of that to lose 1lb. a week, which is 1500.

    After a week or so of dieting on 1500 your body will slowly get use to those calories and slow down metabolism. This is when a "re-feed" day comes into play. A re-feed day should be enjoyable, and you eat at maintenance calories for that day and you keep your carbs very high.

    Bull****.

    un-helpful post... is...un-helpful.
    How is that unhelpful?
    Was telling the OP that the response she got was wrong and BS

    because there are several concepts in that post- making yourself clear and providing accurate information to support your opinion/presentation goes a long way.

    just saying BS and not saying WHY is completely unhelpful.

    That's like this
    OP: I got bulky doing body weight squats
    Jo: BullSH*T
    OP: but WHY?

    versus this
    OP: I got bulky doing body weight squats
    Jo: Rubbish- the only way to put on appreciable size is to lift progressively and eat at a clalorie surplus. more than likely you are seeing water retention or you are eating to much.
    OP: oh... okay. thanks.

    see how much more helpful that is?

    To add on top of that starvation mode IS a myth- you do not magically retain fat when you eat at a too low calorie intake. You just get skinny- and starve to death.

    You're metabolism may tank- sure- but you don't go into starvation mode. If that was the case- people starving to death would not be bags of bones.

    metabolic issues =/= starvation mode.
  • accelerashawn
    accelerashawn Posts: 470 Member
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    Basically, when you haven't had any food for a long time, your blood sugar will start to drop. Your body will try to maintain your blood sugar by burning fat and muscle. Most people refer to that as starvation.

    As for the when: it happens when you havent had anything in your stomach for a long time. The time varies from person to person. As long as you eat a diet sufficient in macronutrients and probably eat at least once every day, you dont have to worry about it.

    Also, you want to convince your body that you want your muscle by working out. That way it will tend to burn the fat and let you hold on to the muscle.
  • scorrea2
    scorrea2 Posts: 72 Member
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    Basically, when you haven't had any food for a long time, your blood sugar will start to drop. Your body will try to maintain your blood sugar by burning fat and muscle. Most people refer to that as starvation.

    As for the when: it happens when you havent had anything in your stomach for a long time. The time varies from person to person. As long as you eat a diet sufficient in macronutrients and probably eat at least once every day, you dont have to worry about it.

    Also, you want to convince your body that you want your muscle by working out. That way it will tend to burn the fat and let you hold on to the muscle.

    Thanks I think that was the most non-confusing answer
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Options
    It's really just a myth, although experiments in Minnesota have been done and some info was found and determined, it's minuscule though.

    Anyhow.... lets say you want to lose 15 lbs. Your maintenance calories, for example, are 2000, so..... you cut 500 off of that to lose 1lb. a week, which is 1500.

    After a week or so of dieting on 1500 your body will slowly get use to those calories and slow down metabolism. This is when a "re-feed" day comes into play. A re-feed day should be enjoyable, and you eat at maintenance calories for that day and you keep your carbs very high.

    Bull****.


    What's bull**** about it?

    I never agreed starvation mode is real at all... I just mentioned studies done in Minnesota. I would be more than happy to post cited materials here if you want to actually see proof of the study. But in no fashion do I agree with it, believe it, support it, which you can see / tell in my original post if you comprehended it, if not, sorry for the lack there of reading.

    Re-feeds are bull**** too?....lol.
  • catchtheislands
    catchtheislands Posts: 25 Member
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    Here is what I think.

    Women unless you are super tall or super huge (no offence) are lucky to lose 1lb of fat a week. Lucky! It's more like .5.
    You retain water during ovulation for a week and your period for a week. Give or take.
    Water aint a changing the measurements or scale in a good way!
    In your first year of weight lifting (which has the largest gains) the most muscle you can build is 2 lbs per month.
    So a 10 lb gain within a week or month, even if you really really really want it to be, is not muscle.


    Cortisol, leptin, stress, bad sleeping, and lower than maintenance calories can cause you to retain water/fat, making it certainly seem like its not going anywhere. (on top of your lady business)

    Even the scientists like Lyle Mcdonald (www.bodyrecomposition.com) who have dedicated their life to fitness and nutrition research and says metabolic damage, starvation mode, is a myth, recommends refeeds and full diet breaks due to these factors.
    These sites, this very one, exists because of diet stress.

    Want to find out if it's real? Times your bodyweight by 12 and eat that many calories religiously, while exercising less (but some) daily and see what happens. By day two you will be thinking... hmmm damn I look pretty good. Your cortisol will return to normal, your leptin will ease, you will drop water you have been holding and have more energy.

    All diets work.
    All diets must have breaks.
    Cutting by more than 10% below maintenance (TDEE) is a bad idea because of the hormone and sleep stress it will cause setting you back further and making you even gain fat/water.


    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Starvation mode, as it is discussed here, is a myth that is repeated as an excuse when people don't lose weight because they are underestimating how much they eat or overestimating how much they burn.


    THIS THIS THIS THIS

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