Starvation Mode

chanstriste13
chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Here's a little blurb from Dr. Jamie Ackerman Foster from Ohio State University about starvation mode. It's summed up pretty well for anyone interested:

Question:
at what point does my body go into starvation mode?

Answer:
When you are consuming very little to no calories, you body goes into starvation mode. There is really no clear cut answer as to exactly when the body goes into "starvation mode", since this is a gradual process, and it varies from person to person due to differences in metabolism.

Stored glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate in our body, is the primary fuel source in early starvation, and is depleted in about 24 hours. Your body then begins to use lean tissue or muscle to keep it functioning. This directly leads to a loss of muscle, which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body needs fewer calories and weight loss slows down.

It is important when dieting to eat an adequate amount of calories to prevent your body from entering into starvation mode, so that your body is burning fat and not muscle.

Here's the link if you want to peruse the site: http://www.netwellness.uc.edu/question.cfm/45914.htm

Replies

  • celtickarasu
    celtickarasu Posts: 76
    I've always wondered about this. Back in high school I had a problem with anorexia. I managed to pull out of it before I got too messed up, but I did get down to 96 lbs, and I'm 5'1". Like I said, I know it could have gotten much worse. So I wasn't eating anything then, so I'm assuming my body was in starvation mode. If starvation mode lowers your metabolism and slows weight loss, then how did I lose so much weight in a relatively short time?
  • Chicka_Boom
    Chicka_Boom Posts: 62
    I've always wondered about this. Back in high school I had a problem with anorexia. I managed to pull out of it before I got too messed up, but I did get down to 96 lbs, and I'm 5'1". Like I said, I know it could have gotten much worse. So I wasn't eating anything then, so I'm assuming my body was in starvation mode. If starvation mode lowers your metabolism and slows weight loss, then how did I lose so much weight in a relatively short time?

    If you starve yourself & eat very few calories you will lose weight, but in the process your body will cannibalize your muscle tissue and slow your metabolism way, way down (not to mention the strain it puts on your heart & other organs). What that means is that as soon as you start eating normally again, you will start gaining weight very quickly, and it can be difficult to reset your metabolism after an extended period of starvation. Also, it means that if you are starving yourself Monday through Saturday, but then you binge on Sunday, you may find yourself actually GAINING weight. Many eating disordered people follow a similar starve/binge pattern, & that's one reason why on average bulimics tend to be overweight.

    Have you gotten medical treatment for your eating disorder? If not, you should seriously consider seeing a doctor, even though you say that you are better now. That sort of illness can have long-term effects on your body and your mind, and you may find that the old disordered thought patterns are harder to shake than you might think. You should absolutely have your heart checked out in particular, if you haven't. It's also worth remembering that while calorie counting & weight loss focused sites like this one can be really helpful to a great number of people, they can be triggering & destructive to someone with an eating disorder. Take care of yourself!
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