Starvation Mode...??

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OUKoala23
OUKoala23 Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, I'm new to this site and love that counting calories has put a lot in perspective for me. However, I am (very surprisingly) not getting close enough to my goal of calories consumed. I always felt that I ate "a lot" for me and eat about 6 small meals / snacks a day... of course trying to have them be healthy most of the time if I can help it. I also do cardio exercise at least 5 days a week for 30-45 minutes. I haven't seen any change in my weight in the past month or so, in fact it fluctuates 3-4 lbs day to day (frustrating to say the least) but I usually chalk that up to water weight. When I completed a daily food entry it mentioned something about 'starvation mode". In no way did I feel like I was depraving myself so I was a little confused. Could someone explain that to me? or if anyone else finding there are having a similar problem? It could be that I'm plateauing but am not sure... Thanks :)

Replies

  • Celo24
    Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
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    Try reading this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/188509-my-take-on-exercise-calories-please-read-if-you-are-new

    That may help explain one reason why you may not be losing weight. Good luck!
  • scjohnson420
    scjohnson420 Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm in the same boat... but i've def. realized and read many places that not eating enough is the same as eating too much. when you don't eat enough your body goes into starvation mode and saves every little thing you eat rather then burning it and helping you lose. So when you don't eat enough your metabolism slows way down which makes it harder to lose weight. So def eat your calories every day! and eat them all. Bc its very true that not eating enough can cause a plateu.
  • xrayeyeskatie
    xrayeyeskatie Posts: 3
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    I am having the same problem. If I am not hungry, I do not want to force myself to eat but I also do not want to be in starvation mode. Not sure how accurate that is. Also I do not get why when you exercise the amount of calories you burn is added to the amount of calories you should eat. What is the point of exercising and burning calories if you are supposed to eat what you burned? Don't get it.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
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    Your body HAS to have so many calories a day to sustain itself. If you do not eat enough calories, it sends your body into 'starvation mode' in which it stores EVERYTHING as fat for your body to feed off of for energy in the future. With me, I have to eat at least 1200 but no more than 1350 calories in a day for optimal weight loss. You might not feel like you're starving yourself and I often have to throw and extra snack or two into my day to hit 1200 calories.... BUT I HAVE been losing weight. I was down three pounds before I joined this site and I have lost 7 more since joining. It's a great feeling, but I do notice the weight drops FASTER now that I am consistently hitting a minimum of 1200 calories, so apparently it DOES make a difference... I hope this helps!
  • CallMeMamaBoo
    CallMeMamaBoo Posts: 295
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    When I started exercising in December to lose weight, I was losing pretty rapidly and not really counting calories or changing my diet. I cut out sodas and drank more water and that was about it. Once I started counting calories, portion controlling, and making healthier food choices.... I stopped seeing the scale move. I'm even doing double the workouts I started out with. I think for me, I'm not eating enough but I am afraid to eat more and sabotage myself. I'm curious to see the answers you get also as I am in pretty much the same boat. Stuck on the same number for too long! but I am still seeing changes in my body and in my measurements, so be sure you are also measuring yourself.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Try reading this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/188509-my-take-on-exercise-calories-please-read-if-you-are-new

    That may help explain one reason why you may not be losing weight. Good luck!

    Celo's is a great post, and there are a few others that may help too. Stay strong!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories
  • iamthepreston
    iamthepreston Posts: 195 Member
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    Add me as a friend and I will look at your Calorie and exercise log.

    Without knowing what is going on it's hard to say anything, but the above posters are probably right that you need to eat more.

    PJ
  • OUKoala23
    OUKoala23 Posts: 17
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    Thank you all for the responses!!

    That's how I felt - after I really made more of a conscious effort to cut back on calories (thinking I was eating way too much) and counting everything and upped my work outs, I stopped seeing the scales move too... very frustrating. So when I saw that about the starvation mode I wanted to make sure I was understanding it correctly. It's reassuring to hear the successes that others have had making sure they were making their calorie goal if not a little more. Guess I wasn't thinking about it too much and didn't know as much as I thought! I will definitely try to add more healthy snacks to my day to at least get closer / meet my daily goal. Looking forward to hopefully seeing some changes after that!! Thanks for the links too :)
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    starvation mode is a myth. and many people on here cant let it go. is there truth to it, sure like most myths it has to come from somewhere. the thing is, when people think of starvation mode, its actually a slowing of your metabolism. meaning your bmr drops a little bit. do you stall? no..you'll continue to lose weight on a low calorie diet, it will just not be as drastic if you at just a tad bit more. there are many programs for super obese people that restrict their diets to 800 calories a day. There is no set hard fast rule that says you must eat tons of calories or eat this or that amount. you can use the BMR to judge, but everyone is different and our bodies react different to stimuli.

    If you are eating a resonable amount of calories, your body wont suffer any. You wont lose muscle mass or you wont be sickly like many people on here say. its simple..your body burns carbs first for fuel, then fat, then muscle.

    if you are having a rough time losing weight, and you feel you've been under your calories and working out enough, you may need to visit a doctor for a check up. there are medical issues that could cause you to retain weight. if you are healthy, then its probably because you've stalled or hit a plateau. its simple to break through, lower your cals a little bit and change up your workout routine.

    ps your body will not 'store' everything you eat as fat when you are starving..what it will do is USE it. it has to, to function properly.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    starvation mode is a myth. and many people on here cant let it go. is there truth to it, sure like most myths it has to come from somewhere. the thing is, when people think of starvation mode, its actually a slowing of your metabolism. meaning your bmr drops a little bit. do you stall? no..you'll continue to lose weight on a low calorie diet, it will just not be as drastic if you at just a tad bit more. there are many programs for super obese people that restrict their diets to 800 calories a day. There is no set hard fast rule that says you must eat tons of calories or eat this or that amount. you can use the BMR to judge, but everyone is different and our bodies react different to stimuli.

    If you are eating a resonable amount of calories, your body wont suffer any. You wont lose muscle mass or you wont be sickly like many people on here say. its simple..your body burns carbs first for fuel, then fat, then muscle.

    if you are having a rough time losing weight, and you feel you've been under your calories and working out enough, you may need to visit a doctor for a check up. there are medical issues that could cause you to retain weight. if you are healthy, then its probably because you've stalled or hit a plateau. its simple to break through, lower your cals a little bit and change up your workout routine.

    ps your body will not 'store' everything you eat as fat when you are starving..what it will do is USE it. it has to, to function properly.

    Trying to compare morbidly obese people and people with 20 lbs to lose is absurd. The level of body fat percentage has HUGE implications for weight loss. Period. Someone with a very high body fat percentage can withstand a larger deficit. Does that mean they should be trying to lose 10 or 20 lbs per week? No. For many, many reasons. And does that same deficit apply to a relatively lean person? No. Because they don't lose weight in the same way.

    And yes, sometimes a morbidly obese person is recommended a VLCD under very specific conditions. That doesn't mean it's not without VERY serious risks - it means that in a very small number of cases, the benefits can outweigh the risks.

    Believe what you like. But please stop trying to tell people that 800 cal per day is a healthy, "reasonable" intake.
  • qtpiesmom
    qtpiesmom Posts: 394 Member
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    Not to be rude but where do you get your information on starvation mode is a myth?
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
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    Not to be rude but where do you get your information on starvation mode is a myth?

    for instance, from:

    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

    the point is, obviously there is such a thing as starvation mode, but equally obvious it rarely applies to the people, such as are on MFP who are overweight, or even within a normal BMI range and trying to lose weight. What does also happen is that as you bring your weight down, your BMR will get lower too, so within reasonable limits, calorie goals should reflect that fact.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Not to be rude but where do you get your information on starvation mode is a myth?

    for instance, from:

    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html

    the point is, obviously there is such a thing as starvation mode, but equally obvious it rarely applies to the people, such as are on MFP who are overweight, or even within a normal BMI range and trying to lose weight. What does also happen is that as you bring your weight down, your BMR will get lower too, so within reasonable limits, calorie goals should reflect that fact.

    But a random blogger with no formal nutritional or exercise education (who specifically states she isn't an expert and has no applicable education) isn't where I typically go for reliable information regarding a medical issue.
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
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    Someone (erhem* not OP) has a major attitude problem IMO. Whenever I see her posts she ends up defensive and offending someone. I have often wondered if she was a frustrated moderator or perhaps just a miserable person? If the intent is to be helpful, she is missing her mark when she comes off as arrogant.

    People with all the answers aren't here still fighting the "flab" ;)

    Save the fake "not my intention" bull for someone who believes it.

    These forums are not ONLY for information sharing but also support. Making posters feel attacked for any reason is as counterproductive as misinformation.
  • julie4760
    julie4760 Posts: 125
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    If I find my calorie count is low I have a higher calorie food to bring it up. Believe me it works the exercise factor and eating back some of the calories works as exercise boosts the metabolism and your body will try and concerve energy and not burn fat if there is insufficient energy available. Hope how i've written it makes sense and good luck to you i'm sure things will come together.
  • MeliciousMelis
    MeliciousMelis Posts: 458 Member
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    Adjust the way you think about it- semantics can play a huge role here. I tend to think of not getting enough calories (1200) per day, as being "nutritionally deficient" instead of "starving" (technically you would need several days under target to go into "starvation mode" so the phrase is a little ambiguous.

    That being said, if I am nutritionally deficient, If my body doesn't get enough nutrients, then my metabolism won't function well...and that's the last thing I want.

    Sometimes "feeling" hungry (or not hungry) is too emotionally literal. Eat. Make sure they are good calories- not empty ones. Drink your water, and if you exercise, eat the calories you expend, so your NET stays as the baseline you set (for example, 1200).

    Above all, keep at it. You can do this :)

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