Starvation Mode is a Myth: The Science
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Wow. Just...wow. I have rarely seen such vehemence outside the political or religious realms.
As the OP, I hereby declare this thread officially dead. Please return to doing whatever works best for you. And good luck to everyone! :flowerforyou:
Sorry, but how can you be surprised that there is passionate discourse when it comes to people's health? Why do you think there are BILLIONS of dollars spent every year on diet/exercise/weight loss? You post a thread with that title (and a fairly useless study) and expected....what?0 -
Wow!! I've read probably about 1/2 of the responses here. I think my opinion is exactly the same as when I started reading it.
Everyone is different. Eating too much or too little is bad for you!
I'm hungry, I'm going to go eat some lunch.
Please treat each other with respect!! :flowerforyou:0 -
In my nearly 2 years here, I've seen it get heated EVERY time this topic comes up. The veterans just sigh...because...here we go again.:mad:0
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1200 calories is the absolute minimum amount necessary for the body to function. Of course, it will vary depending on the person, but if one eats below 1200, they can get seriously ill in a short period of time.
Starvation mode refers to a prolonged period of time that a body is denied the nutrients necessary for its survival. Just because you fast for a day, doesn't mean your body will enter starvation mode. I try to fast every month, having a 1-day water-only fast. This does not mean that my body enters starvation mode, and I don't think MFP or any personal trainer or nutritionist will disagree.
hmmmm...I stay under 1200 calories every day, exercise every day, and my health has done nothing but improve
Anybody find it funny that the people with the most lbs lost are they ones who can see that the article presented makes sense. It is the ones with low lbs lost that seem to want to continue to believe in Starvation Mode.
Actually, it's the other way around. I'm not sure who you're talking about, but the people I've seen lose weight and keep it off eat more small healthy meals throughout the day. The ones who are overweight are either starving themselves and complaining that they can't lose, or are still gorging on fast food. You can also look all over this website and see that.0 -
See this what makes changing your life style so hard. Some people say you must eat x amount or you are going to go into starvation mode and others say no. I know people talked about the Eat Stop Eat Diet and it is based around the concept of fasting. So has anyone tried it?
I have not tried this diet, but I have done spiritual fasting. I personally could not do a 21 day fast but I did seven weeks of 3 days fasting and 4 days eating and in the process lost 30 lbs.
I do not advocate this as a diet because my trust was in my Lord not in my body.
And I know the Lord helped me because I have tried to do this to lose weight several times and I cannot do very long at all.
Spiritual fasting is a completely different thing. :bigsmile:0 -
In my nearly 2 years here, I've seen it get heated EVERY time this topic comes up. The veterans just sigh...because...here we go again.:mad:
If the veterans are so sick of it,why dont they just ignore it?:laugh:0 -
Some do, but many still care when erroneous information is propagated.0
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In my nearly 2 years here, I've seen it get heated EVERY time this topic comes up. The veterans just sigh...because...here we go again.:mad:
Exactly! And actually, I think most people did treat everyone with civility on this thread. I've seen much worse debating on this same topic than this one.
I can only speak for myself, but as one who's had close people in my life be very negatively effected by vlcd eating ways or EDs, I feel sensitive to the bad information or misguided info that's out there & being spread. I have some on my friends list here as well that are asking some of these questions and debating how to approach their weight loss strategy. Sometimes I wish I could just shield them from some of the misguided, albeit well-intended, info that gets all over the msg boards.If the veterans are so sick of it,why dont they just ignore it?0 -
Well if someone is just going to come in and say "oh us vets are so tired of this blah blah blah" and then leave the convo why come in the first place.Its seems like if thats all you have to say then you should have just let the thread die insted of bumping it back up0
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Oh that's far from my first post in this thread, lol.0
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Thanks for this post. I was just going to now post a question about how long one could undershoot the 1200 cal's before the body went into starvation mode, and happened to see your post where you answered that very question! I haven't checked out the links yet but the post info makes sense to me. Appreciate your sharing!! :flowerforyou:0
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I guess everyone is different! I exercise only a few days a week, but 1200 calories isnt enough! If I eat any less than that I get sick. I get dizzy and sick to my stomach and my doctor told me 1200 isn't enough for me. People, please don't starve yourselves! Just eat healthy and exercise. It's just very concerning because I have a student who is obsessed with counting calories and she eats the bare minimum and she's very unhealthy.0
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Thanks for this post. I was just going to now post a question about how long one could undershoot the 1200 cal's before the body went into starvation mode, and happened to see your post where you answered that very question! I haven't checked out the links yet but the post info makes sense to me. Appreciate your sharing!! :flowerforyou:
This, this is the reason "vets" (or just people who care and know what they're talking about) keep responding.Well if someone is just going to come in and say "oh us vets are so tired of this blah blah blah" and then leave the convo why come in the first place.Its seems like if thats all you have to say then you should have just let the thread die insted of bumping it back up
Conversely, one could ask why those who think outside of this idea and continually egg the question on bother to post in these threads. I know I don't like arguing til I'm blue in the face with people who refuse to prove their point. Honestly, this reminds me a lot of one thing: high school.
It will be great to see the pics from sub-1200/1500 people when they reach their goals, if they reach them. Don't like this attitude? Prove me wrong. Will all of the sub-total advocates post pictures of themselves to prove me wrong? While you're at it why don't explain your fitness as well- what can you lift, what do you run, etc. If eat under those numbers and have an ideal and healthy physique I'll take back everything I've said.
Once you've proved you're correct I'm sure the people here advocating eating your calories and have current pics of themselves being built and fit will be happy to take back their opinions as well. I haven't seen a single healthy picture from someone advocating this, so please, prove us all wrong. If you're just starting and you need a few months to get it sorted out I'll be here, be sure to make a big gloating thread when you do it so I don't miss it. And remember, healthy does not equal skinny or skinny fat, and I'm talking your goal weight, not 1/2 or even 3/4 of the way there. Let's see this theory for all it is. So go ahead, make my day!
K Thx :flowerforyou:0 -
You are my hero. Thank you for actually PROVING that starvation mode doesnt happen in hours.... I mean really... HOURS???? C'mon people.
But at the same time everyone IS different, and therefore their bodies act differently to food. Which is why you need to figure out what you should and should eat and what your limits should be on your OWN! MFP is just here to help you get there and follow your own guidelines.
Again, thank you so much for this. I KNEW that the whole starvation mode thing couldnt be right. I mean, I am usually under my calories by 100 or more every day..and I'm pretty sure Im not starving. In fact, foods taste better to me now when I eat. Quality is definately better than quantity!!
Have a great weekend!!0 -
Ok, my two cents worth on this topic.
Everyone's body reacts differently to food, water intake, exercise, fasting, sleep etc. I don't have any hard fast scientific studies on this but I was 175 pounds for the longest time. Quite happy with my weight. Not too chubby not skinny. Just curves. Since my divorce I have lost way more weight than I thought possible without much exercise at all. My problem is that one day I eat, the next day I can't cause the thought of food repels me and makes me ill. (before anyone says anything - I know I know, therapy, eat something, exercise, whatever).
I think that you have to find what works for you and what doesn't. If eating 2000 calories a day makes you happy and you exercise and maintain or lose weight - good on ya. If you are eating 1000 calories a day and your not hungry then fine! It will all balance itself out in the end as long as you know what is and isn't good for YOU!
I don't believe in starvation mode. I do believe in dehydration and the serious side effects that it can have. So my advice is eat whats good for you when you can, exercise if you can (you always feel better afterwards anyways) but darn it drink something! You can drink some calories if you need something (smoothies or ice cream shakes or juice).
Of course if you are going to the gym weight lifing and cardio burning thousands of calories...you better eat enough to sustain yourself.0 -
Thanks for this post. I was just going to now post a question about how long one could undershoot the 1200 cal's before the body went into starvation mode, and happened to see your post where you answered that very question! I haven't checked out the links yet but the post info makes sense to me. Appreciate your sharing!! :flowerforyou:
This, this is the reason "vets" (or just people who care and know what they're talking about) keep responding.Well if someone is just going to come in and say "oh us vets are so tired of this blah blah blah" and then leave the convo why come in the first place.Its seems like if thats all you have to say then you should have just let the thread die insted of bumping it back up
Conversely, one could ask why those who think outside of this idea and continually egg the question on bother to post in these threads. I know I don't like arguing til I'm blue in the face with people who refuse to prove their point. Honestly, this reminds me a lot of one thing: high school.
It will be great to see the pics from sub-1200/1500 people when they reach their goals, if they reach them. Don't like this attitude? Prove me wrong. Will all of the sub-total advocates post pictures of themselves to prove me wrong? While you're at it why don't explain your fitness as well- what can you lift, what do you run, etc. If eat under those numbers and have an ideal and healthy physique I'll take back everything I've said.
Once you've proved you're correct I'm sure the people here advocating eating your calories and have current pics of themselves being built and fit will be happy to take back their opinions as well. I haven't seen a single healthy picture from someone advocating this, so please, prove us all wrong. If you're just starting and you need a few months to get it sorted out I'll be here, be sure to make a big gloating thread when you do it so I don't miss it. And remember, healthy does not equal skinny or skinny fat, and I'm talking your goal weight, not 1/2 or even 3/4 of the way there. Let's see this theory for all it is. So go ahead, make my day!
K Thx :flowerforyou:
I will be glad to! :devil:0 -
You are my hero. Thank you for actually PROVING that starvation mode doesnt happen in hours.... I mean really... HOURS???? C'mon people.
But at the same time everyone IS different, and therefore their bodies act differently to food. Which is why you need to figure out what you should and should eat and what your limits should be on your OWN! MFP is just here to help you get there and follow your own guidelines.
Again, thank you so much for this. I KNEW that the whole starvation mode thing couldnt be right. I mean, I am usually under my calories by 100 or more every day..and I'm pretty sure Im not starving. In fact, foods taste better to me now when I eat. Quality is definately better than quantity!!
Have a great weekend!!
Um. First, nothing in the OP's post proved anything (other than that one study on 6 men for 3 days means nothing, especially in a scientific sense.)
Second, you clearly didn't read even some of the other posts in the thread. You need to look at more than the "sound bite" to educate yourself. Not trying to be rude, just saying seeing one title, post or thread is hardly a good way of actually learning something on such a complex issue.
Last, I don't believe ANYone has said that starvation mode, famine response or any other way you want to phrase it happens in hours, or even days. It takes a sustained large (how large depends on the person) caloric deficit over weeks or months to develop. And the point at which a person falls below the threshold is different for each person, based on numerous dynamic variables.0 -
well ive been eating this way most of my life except the period of time when I ate nothing but fast food and would drink 6 sodas a day and gained all this stupid weight.Its been a year of me eating the way that was normal for me pre drug years,and I am not in starvation mode.
I am in NO WAY advocating people eat the way I do.
I have no idea what YOUR body needs.
Just mine0 -
bump...0
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I'm sorry if this has been covered but I haven't seen it...
What about the idea that if you don't eat enough that your body will burn muscle, and tend to store fat?0
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