Starvation Mode is a Myth.

Here is a report from the National Health Association:

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

Surely that is a "legit source"?

From their website:

The National Health Association (NHA) is a non-profit organization that promotes the benefits of a plant-based diet. The Association provides educational materials, educational events, and services to thousands of people around the world.

The National Health Association relies upon membership dues and donations to accomplish its objectives and educational programs throughout the year. One way of helping NHA achieve its goals is to make a tax-deductible donation to the Association.

The site you linked to is an article written by an individual who is part of this non-profit organization. It's not a scientific study. I wouldn't give it any more merit than the blog you posted previously.

I appreciate the alternative views.

I think the point is that many people just toss around "starvation mode" at inappropriate times. Regardless of whether or not it really exists, I disagree with the way the term is used on many occasions.

If someone is eating too few calories, their body may respond by dropping its BMR, in an attempt to conserve energy. This is not necessarily starvation mode.

Starvation mode occurs when the body's nutritional needs are not being met, despite the dropped BMR.

I got the fact you were annoyed at this site from "Because I am so sick of hearing about Starvation Mode!!!". That, to me, screams annoyance. I find alot of things interesting, but the point on this site is to help people, not spread more bad information because you received bad information. All this response does is miss the point just lik the person who went off on you did. It's about long-term weight loss, not the fact that a calorie deficit is necessary to lose weight.

Miss Misinformation:

Do YOUR homework first. (Note the condescending tone similar to your post.) So you know, any point discussed on this site (or any other) can find a counterpoint and copy and paste it. You are completely missing what the starvation mode is, and how it can affect someone. It's based on long-term weight loss, and your body's ability to continue to burn calories at an effective level, and upon storing calories, store them in a way that powers short term activity instead of long-term fat storage.

If you'd like to discuss this in detail, I will happily PM my phone number, and you can call me from a blocked number and I'll help you understand this.

Also, if you'd simply gone and worked out rather than copying and pasting random articles, you'd be in a better place. If you find this place so annoying, get your information from what you consider the other "diet sites"...

SSG

As I stated at the beginning of the post, they were not my words, I only posted an article I found because I found it interesting. I wanted to see what everyone would say about it. No need to call people names. I don't find this place annoying at all (where did you get that from?) I love myfitnesspal and tell everyone I know about it.
The reason I went looking for information on starvation mode is because I was BLASTED by another user recently because of my average 900 calorie daily intake which is being monitored by a doctor. This person told me my organs were going to shut down and I was going to die. I was SHOCKED that my doctor would allow this to happen to me! So I went looking for the information. I am in a great place right now. I've lost 20 lbs in 2 months. I just recently reached a healthy BMI, which is really exciting for me! I really just wanted to see what everyone had to say about this article.....
Peace?

You can absolutely lose weight by not eating 1200 calories, and going into "starvation mode". BUT, you will NEVER maintain it, if you change your diet in the slightest. So basically you'd end up eating next to nothing for the rest of your life.

not true for everyone

Miss Misinformation:

Do YOUR homework first. (Note the condescending tone similar to your post.) So you know, any point discussed on this site (or any other) can find a counterpoint and copy and paste it. You are completely missing what the starvation mode is, and how it can affect someone. It's based on long-term weight loss, and your body's ability to continue to burn calories at an effective level, and upon storing calories, store them in a way that powers short term activity instead of long-term fat storage.

If you'd like to discuss this in detail, I will happily PM my phone number, and you can call me from a blocked number and I'll help you understand this.

Also, if you'd simply gone and worked out rather than copying and pasting random articles, you'd be in a better place. If you find this place so annoying, get your information from what you consider the other "diet sites"...

SSG

As I stated at the beginning of the post, they were not my words, I only posted an article I found because I found it interesting. I wanted to see what everyone would say about it. No need to call people names. I don't find this place annoying at all (where did you get that from?) I love myfitnesspal and tell everyone I know about it.
The reason I went looking for information on starvation mode is because I was BLASTED by another user recently because of my average 900 calorie daily intake which is being monitored by a doctor. This person told me my organs were going to shut down and I was going to die. I was SHOCKED that my doctor would allow this to happen to me! So I went looking for the information. I am in a great place right now. I've lost 20 lbs in 2 months. I just recently reached a healthy BMI, which is really exciting for me! I really just wanted to see what everyone had to say about this article.....
Peace?

What kind of a doctor would put a person who is at or near a healthy BMI on a starvation diet? And yes, it's a starvation diet.

When I got down to a healthy BMI, I upped my caloric intake because I didn't need to lose weight as quickly. Then when I got within a few percentage points of what I was aiming for for body fat % (I'm going for 18 -- which I'd never get to by starving myself because it's easier for the body to burn muscle than it is to burn fat. Did your blogger tell you that too?) I upped my caloric intake again. And I'm STILL losing fat and building/keeping my beautiful lean muscle because I don't have an insane deficit.

I must have ADD because this post was way to long to keep my attention. We are each individuals and as the old saying goes, "different strokes for different folks". If you are indeed eating 900 calories or less a day, what does that have to do with the other 99.9% of people that eat 1200-1500 calories a day? I tried a much lower calorie count to start with. I ended up at the doctor, with heart palpitations, low blood pressure, I almost passed out several times, and my potassium and sodium were dangerously low from exercising and not taking in additional calories to compensate for it. That may work for you for a short period, but as soon as you go back to a reasonable calorie intake, you are going to gain weight. You cannot live for a prolonged amount of time with so few calories...and that my dear is what MY doctor told me. I think I would be doing a little research on this doc of yours. A lot of doctors are quacks you know?

The following describe the various risks inherent in LCDs and VLCDs (eating below BMR, typically), especially without supervision of a doctor and dietician. And these are mostly for obese/morbidly obese people - The dangers for a relatively lean person can be far higher.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8777329&dopt=AbstractPlus

http://www.ajcn.org/content/47/6/981.full.pdf+html

http://www.ajcn.org/content/56/1/230S.full.pdf+html

http://www.ajcn.org/content/39/5/695.full.pdf

http://www.springerlink.com/content/vl488623pn1q0219/


Long-Term Weight Patterns and Risk for Cholecystectomy in Women
Background: Obesity and rapid weight loss in obese persons are known risk factors for gallstones. However, the effect of intentional, long-term, moderate weight changes on the risk for gallstones is unclear.

Objective: To study long-term weight patterns in a cohort of women and to examine the relation between weight pattern and risk for cholecystectomy.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: 11 U.S. states.

Participants: 47 153 female registered nurses who did not undergo cholecystectomy before 1988.

Measurements: Cholecystectomy between 1988 and 1994 (ascertained by patient self-report).

Results: During the exposure period (1972 to 1988), there was evidence of substantial variation in weight due to intentional weight loss during adulthood. Among cohort patients, 54.9% reported weight cycling with at least one episode of intentional weight loss associated with regain. Of the total cohort, 20.1% were light cyclers (5 to 9 lb of weight loss and gain), 18.8% were moderate cyclers (10 to 19 lb of weight loss and gain), and 16.0% were severe cyclers (≥ 20 lb of weight loss and gain). Net weight gain without cycling occurred in 29.3% of women; net weight loss without cycling was the least common pattern (4.6%). Only 11.1% of the cohort maintained weight within 5 lb over the 16-year period. In the study, 1751 women had undergone cholecystectomy between 1988 and 1994. Compared with weight maintainers, the relative risk for cholecystectomy (adjusted for body mass index, age, alcohol intake, fat intake, and smoking) was 1.20 (95% CI, 0.96 to 1.50) among light cyclers, 1.31 among moderate cyclers (CI, 1.05 to 1.64), and 1.68 among severe cyclers (CI, 1.34 to 2.10).

Conclusion: Weight cycling was highly prevalent in this large cohort of middle-aged women. The risk for cholecystectomy associated with weight cycling was substantial, independent of attained relative body weight.
http://www.annals.org/content/130/6/471.full

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v22/n6/pdf/0800634a.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8696424?dopt=Citation

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7489033&dopt=Citation

http://www.springerlink.com/content/t462u540t7151722/

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0689/is_n3_v41/ai_17516395/

http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/18/6/620?ck=nck

http://www.ajcn.org/content/53/4/826.full.pdf+html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2341229&dopt=Citation

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2613433?dopt=Abstract

http://www.ajcn.org/content/49/1/93.full.pdf+html

http://www.ajcn.org/content/45/2/391.full.pdf+html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6694559&dopt=AbstractPlus

http://www.ajcn.org/content/57/2/127.full.pdf

http://www.ajcn.org/content/51/2/167.abstract?ck=nck

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v32/n3/abs/0803720a.html

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/low_calorie.htm

love love love this post! THANKS for setting it straight...like you said, People seem to forget that humans(sadly)all around the world die everyday of starvation, not by making sure they eat their 1200+ calories a day...

You are talking about somethign completely different. I wish people would quit calling it starvation mode - really, it's "reduced metabolism mode" or something like that. I know there's actually a scentific name for it but I can't remember what post I saw it in. Someone starving to death and someone doing damage to their bodies (and causing weight loss to slow) because they eat too little (but not enough to truly starve) are two different scenarios.

Similarly, your body is not going to shut down your organs or eat your muscle tissue until your fat stores are used up.

That's not true. Obese individuals can burn more fat in higher deficits, but for people who have just a little weight to lose (or are just regular "overweight" instead of obese) cannot handle a high deficit the same way that an obese individual can. Someone of a little-more-than healthy weight who goes on a crash diet and eats 800 calories a day while still exercising (or whatever the specific scenario might be) will lose lean muscle mass because the body is not getting all the fuel it needs. The body will take some from fat, but it will take some from muscle, too.

the technical term is either long term fasting, or the famine response. Most research calls it Long Term Fasting as it's easier to turn into an acronym that way, and scientists love their acronyms, plus it's easier to contrast it to Short Term Fasting.

As I stated at the beginning of the post, they were not my words, I only posted an article I found because I found it interesting. I wanted to see what everyone would say about it. No need to call people names. I don't find this place annoying at all (where did you get that from?) I love myfitnesspal and tell everyone I know about it.
The reason I went looking for information on starvation mode is because I was BLASTED by another user recently because of my average 900 calorie daily intake which is being monitored by a doctor. This person told me my organs were going to shut down and I was going to die. I was SHOCKED that my doctor would allow this to happen to me! So I went looking for the information. I am in a great place right now. I've lost 20 lbs in 2 months. I just recently reached a healthy BMI, which is really exciting for me! I really just wanted to see what everyone had to say about this article.....
Peace?

My dear, I understand that you want this discussed, but I would hope that before you do something like this, with a topic this charged by emotion (and it is on this site) you would first at least do a search on the forums, you'll see if you do, that there's literally hundreds of posts about this very topic to read over where myself and others have already posted the research to read, or if you are so inclined, just go to www.ajcn.org and look at the studies and research for yourself.

Anyway, think about what you just said, you were blasted by another user, Medically monitored low calorie diets are usually ok if the doctor is credible in that field, and if that's the case, why worry about what another user said? Doctor prescribed diets are the only time I'd feel comfortable, as a trainer, with someone moving forward with it. Although I am curious about the reasoning behind it. Was there some specific reason why he had you on a diet with so few calories? I ask because I HAVE done all the research, I mean the real research via medical journals and pouring over hundreds of studies done by research firms, and I can confirm that except in special cases where either the subjects were morbidly obese and could support extended very low calorie diets, or they were in some other way metabolically impaired, a diet that low was never found to be worth the risks to health.