Why is starvation mode so bad?

This is what I have read about it .. Kinda scary weird stuff in parts, but good to know for the long term goals ahead.
Hope it's helpful.
Good Luck To All Of Us !
~Christina

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A starvation diet does not mean the absence of food. It means cutting the total caloric intake to less than 50% of what the body requires.
The body responds by using its own reserves to provide energy, and these reserves are not just the body`s extra fat. The body loses substantial muscle mass also as the body breaks down these tissues for energy.
Initially, glycogen stores are broken down for energy. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate in our body.
There is little glycogen available so this energy source is depleted during the first hours of starvation. When glycogen is used, water is released which is noticed as a drop in weight on the scale. These labile stores are quickly replenished when feeding is resumed which is noticed by an increase in weight.

The individual`s initial weight when starting a starvation diet will dictate to what extent fat is lost.
Those individuals who are not obese (Body Mass Index (BMI) < 30) will tend to lose their lean body mass more easily and quickly than those who are obese (BMI > 30).
It is dangerous for these smaller individuals to go on a starvation diet because the lean mass that is lost may come from organs such as the heart. In the 1970`s there were several deaths resulting from starvation-type diets. Death is a rare side effect, though.

The more common problem resulting from starvation-type diets is the resultant weight regain.
Weight is typically regained because there has not been a change in the lifestyle that led to the original weight gain.
When the starvation diet is ended, the individual returns to the same old habits. The scale will indicate the weight regain, but it will not identify the composition of the added weight. When weight is regained, it is fat.
When fat replaces the muscle mass that was lost during starvation, the metabolic rate (the number of calories needed to maintain the current weight) is decreased. The frustrated individual typically initiates another starvation-type diet only to continue this cycle.

Also, metabolic rate tends to drop more with more excessive caloric deficits (and this is true whether the effect is from eating less or exercising more); as well, people vary in how hard or fast their bodies shut down. Women's bodies tend to shut down harder and faster.

For the extreme starvation dieters something called Catabolysis begins to occur.
Catabolysis is the process (medical condition) of a body breaking down muscles and other tissues in order to keep vital systems -- such as the nervous system and heart muscle -- working. Catabolysis will not begin until there are no usable sources of energy coming into the body.

Vitamin deficiency is also a common result of starvation diets, often resulting in anemia, beriberi, pellagra, and scurvy. These diseases collectively may cause diarrhea, skin rashes, edema, and heart failure. Individuals are often irritable, fatigued, and lethargic as a result.
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The way it's been explained to me (in layman's terms) is that your body strives to be very efficient with it's energy usage and stores everything it cannot use immediately. When you "starve" yourself you are sending your body a message that food supplies are scarce and therefore you need to store next chance you get.

Also, if your body is constantly receiving insufficient calories for a long period of time, it gets the hint and figures out a way to function on fewer calories (i.e. BMR lowers to accommodate lower calorie levels) Once you have lowered your BMR (metabolism) is is very difficult if not impossible to ever get it back up again.

So, you will eventually stop starving yourself right? and when you do your body is in panic mode thinking "Finally, some food we can store! Store Store Store!" and meanwhile your actual metabolism is slower so before you dieted your BMR may have been 1,400 kCals a day but afterwards it may only be 1,200 kCals a day, couple that with the fact that you've probably lost lean muscle mass (which burns more calories on it's own) and the fact that your body wants to store anything it can and it's easy to see why people often end up bigger and bigger as they yo-yo diet.

Better to slowly and permanently lose weight with small lifestyle changes that you can manage forever. Only people who are truly obese should attempt any kind of a starvation diet and that should be closely monitored by a physician/dietician. The rest of us have to deal with seeing results come about vey very slowly if we want the weight to stay off. Isn't it a bummer? How come I can put on 5 lbs over the winter, but it takes me more than a year to get it off for good? Not fair.

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9/18/07?

Was this thread starving and needed attention?

old isn't bad (9/18/07).....old is smart.......

9/18/07?

Was this thread starving and needed attention?

old isn't bad (9/18/07).....old is smart.......

Yea what She said:bigsmile:

yea what she said too! It is the first of the year and this question is going to come up many,many times over the next couple of weeks....how do I know that? Cause I was one of them this time last year!

Just a little BUMP in the seat to start your monday.

the worst side effect of starvation is death....

ETA: This isn't a random pic. It's connected to the forum post...

Really? You bumped a five year old thread with a broken link? :laugh:

Hmph. It wasn't broken last night.

And this is why we can't have nice things.

the worst side effect of starvation is death....

And your point is what?

if you starve yourself you won't succeed in losing weight. Yes, starvation long-term induces weight loss but you will not be able to starve yourself long-term. You will crack and start binge-eating after a few days.