if your body goes into starvation mode, how long does it take to get out of it?
slemonfit
Posts: 97 Member
if your body goes into starvation mode, how long does it take to get out of it?
like say you dont eat much for a week, like 1000 calories
then when you start eating more like say 1500-2000 calories a day
how long will your body take to stop being in starvation mode?
after a few days or will your body continue to be in starvation mode storing the extra calories as fat for a long time?
like say you dont eat much for a week, like 1000 calories
then when you start eating more like say 1500-2000 calories a day
how long will your body take to stop being in starvation mode?
after a few days or will your body continue to be in starvation mode storing the extra calories as fat for a long time?
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Replies
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About the time it takes to order one supersized big mac meal with coke from McDonalds.
If you could even get yourself into that mode.3 -
I've heard that there is no such thing as starvation mode....but I'm some what new to this im sure someone will chime in3
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A person would crave in and eat before starvation takes place. Low calories over a long period of time could result in metabolic adaptation. The body will not starve from eating 1000 calories for a week. You may lack certain nutrients but not starve.4
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there is no starvation mode. If there were, it would take more intense conditions than 1000 cals a day for just a week to enter it. When you "come out of it" (as in stop eating so little) you must up your physical activity to makeup for the additional calories or you will either stop losing or maybe gain.2
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Starvation mode really isn't what you think it is. If you eat under your recommended calories for an extended period of time, what will happen is that your body will start to break down muscle as well as fat for fuel. Then if you suddenly start to eat a lot more calories, because you have less muscle mass, you will gain fat easier.
Just read this.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/11597552 -
"Starvation mode" as described by many here simply does not exist. That said, extreme calorie deficits put a lot of stress on your body and jacks with your hormones...particularly your cortisol levels. These things negatively impact the basic functioning of your body, including your metabolism.
I would think it wouldn't take all that long to balance things out provided the proper intake and nutrition.5 -
I wonder if even the people that do those 21 day survival shows even get to starvation mode?2
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True starvation response is pretty much only seen before death at very low levels of body fat. Adaptive thermogenesis is something else that many call starvation mode but it seems to be somewhat lasting although how much it really affects weight regain and BMR is a matter of some debate.3
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JeffseekingV wrote: »I wonder if even the people that do those 21 day survival shows even get to starvation mode?
I don't think so. It seems that the first documented case was that of the Biodome participants and IIRC it accounted for a 5% drop in BMR. I am on my phone so I cannot link the study very easily but it should be easy to find0 -
Eating too little is not going to keep you from losing weight. You might lose weight more slowly than expected for the calorie deficit (for other reasons), but the body doesn't decide to retain weight because you aren't eating. But what can happen is that you won't have the energy to perform your regular tasks, so you will end up burning fewer calories than normal. Once you eat, your energy level will begin to increase within a few minutes.3
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Starvation mode really isn't what you think it is. If you eat under your recommended calories for an extended period of time, what will happen is that your body will start to break down muscle as well as fat for fuel. Then if you suddenly start to eat a lot more calories, because you have less muscle mass, you will gain fat easier.
This. To lose weight and be happy with the results, the idea is to lose fat while preserving as much of your lean muscle mass as possible. So eating enough to keep yourself going, and exercising properly, is key.2 -
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I ate 800 calories per day (with measuring to be sure I was accurate) complete with fainting spells, erratic periods, insomnia, frightening forgetfullness and falling-out hair for two years and I can tell you that I began to gain weight THE INSTANT I "started eating" again. As in, that very first month I gained about five pounds.1
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It takes 2 days 6 hours 23 minutes and 5 seconds from the exact time you intake 1 calorie over 1200 for a girl or 1600 for a guy regardless of your height/weight/age/activity level.2
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I ate 800 calories per day (with measuring to be sure I was accurate) complete with fainting spells, erratic periods, insomnia, frightening forgetfullness and falling-out hair for two years and I can tell you that I began to gain weight THE INSTANT I "started eating" again. As in, that very first month I gained about five pounds.
Now this is interesting. Why did you decide to do this? Measuring it so it's exactly 800 is odd and curious0 -
I ate 800 calories per day (with measuring to be sure I was accurate) complete with fainting spells, erratic periods, insomnia, frightening forgetfullness and falling-out hair for two years and I can tell you that I began to gain weight THE INSTANT I "started eating" again. As in, that very first month I gained about five pounds.
Of course you did. You ate more calories. Did you use a hrm to be sure you burnt those extra calories exactly?
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There really is no starvation mode in the way people think one exists. Your body will not just slow down and stop burning fuel, it will search out other sources of fuel to compensate for the dramatic reduction of caloric intake, glucose, then fat, then protein. You will likely reduce your TDEE over time because of the reduction in overall bodyweight and lack of quick energy to fuel any physical activity. Your body will slow down and stop burning fuel once your heart and brain stops functioning, not until.2
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redundant thread is redundant. We're all on the same page. Is OP even still here?1
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The mode where you undereat for so long that it "crashes" your metabolism and transforms everything you eat into fat (not just weight)?
If you ever reach that point you should volunteer your body to science. There are a few hundred million starving people on planet Earth right now who undereat chronically and are skeletally thin, who would love to learn the secret of getting/staying fat on a low calorie diet.
You might be able to help solve the world hunger problem and save millions of lives with your magic body!4 -
If anyone here actually got into legit starvation mode, I'd be impressed (and concerned).0
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I ate 800 calories per day (with measuring to be sure I was accurate) complete with fainting spells, erratic periods, insomnia, frightening forgetfullness and falling-out hair for two years and I can tell you that I began to gain weight THE INSTANT I "started eating" again. As in, that very first month I gained about five pounds.
Well, of course you would. You are eating more calories. You were eating at a calorie level to maintain that current weight an as soon as you deviate from that you will gain. That's how it works. Likewise if you eat less you will lose weight.
In regards to OP, starvation mode doesn't exist in the sense you are thinking of. And it would take a heck of a lot more time than a week.0 -
JeffseekingV wrote: »I ate 800 calories per day (with measuring to be sure I was accurate) complete with fainting spells, erratic periods, insomnia, frightening forgetfullness and falling-out hair for two years and I can tell you that I began to gain weight THE INSTANT I "started eating" again. As in, that very first month I gained about five pounds.
Now this is interesting. Why did you decide to do this? Measuring it so it's exactly 800 is odd and curious
Why I decided to do it: Because I wanted to get down to 100 pounds. I actually got down to 95.
How I knew exactly: weighed and measured absolutely everything that went into my mouth. I ate all the way up to those max calories, trust me - I mean down to having five left over for the day and having an exact measure of bouillon to eek out those last five. (Pickles were another favorite of mine to get right up to that max level.) I was hungry.
Very very very very very hungry. I was terrified to go over but trust me, I was not about to go under either.
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The same amount of time it takes the Easter Bunny to deliver all the eggs.
Seriously, though, it is largely a myth. There is some negligible effect on metabolism, but not this massive plateau-inducing stall bogeyman that broscience uses to scare people.0 -
Jennloella wrote: »Of course you did. You ate more calories. Did you use a hrm to be sure you burnt those extra calories exactly?
And this was exactly the point.
If "starvation mode" exists (I don't believe it does, at least not in the fashion that weight loss gurus like to warn it does), then it must be DARNED low for some of us.
For all the rest of us...there's just either eating at our maintenance, undereating to lose, or overeating and gaining.
In my case, "starvation mode" would have had to have been darned low. I mean how low would I have had to have gone to get to it? 700 calories? 500? 200? I just personally feel that (and granted, this illustration was only my personal experience) in order to get to that "metabolism-killing" "starvation mode" that I was "never going to recover from" (or take months/years to recover from) as the urban legend goes, I'd have to have gotten near death's door.
And no, I did not use a heart rate monitor. However, as I said, I was quite young (this was between ages 16 and 19), was (am) 5'1" tall if that matters, walked 2.5 miles each day at a fast pace due to chronic lateness , took PE (gym) each day and worked myself quite hard there, then after school, would do an aerobics VHS (yes, seriously, LOL...this was the 80s), then after dinner and before bed I would do "calisthenics" (do they still call them that any more? I haven't heard the term in quite some time): 50 push-ups (not "girl" push-ups, full push-ups), 100 sit-ups (had never heard of crunches at the time) and 30 leg lifts on each side (those last I felt and still feel were useless).
Near the end of this phase (about the last year and a little bit, I think?) I added bench pressing to my routine because my boyfriend was into that, but never lifted "heavy": 120 lbs. was my max. I remember that, that number sticks in my mind. I went to his house to do my presses three times a week.
That was my routine and I NEVER took a day off...it's odd but I can't even recall a single day when I took a day off due to sickness. So although I didn't have a heart rate monitor, I'm pretty confident that I was burning at least 800 calories a day.
Wow...looking back on all that, I can't believe I managed it. But I did. How is that even possible? If I saw my teenage child attempting this I'd probably freak out. Ah well!
Anyway, that was probably going OT, but was attempting to answer the question as completely as possible.
And yeah, this thread is redundant; newer people with their own POVs, as well as long-time members (so it would appear) attempting to inform, seem to both have chimed in.
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@lawoman72 thanks. That must have been very difficult. Are you healthier now?0
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@lawoman72 thanks. That must have been very difficult. Are you healthier now?
Oh thank you...what a kind-hearted thing to ask!
Well, I did achieve a much happier medium for a number of years in there...ranging from 1200-1400 calories per day to maintain about 115-120 lbs. I definitely felt healthier at that point.
Unfortunately, I mentally "snapped" (can blame nobody but myself) 12 years ago and gained a significant amount of weight and yes, obviously, due to way too many calories. As far as I can tell, I hadn't ruined my metabolism or anything like that...as I said, I seem to have snapped back to pretty much normal (eat too much, gain; eat less, lose) after ALL the crazy things I've done to my body. (The human body is amazing!) It is what it is...I'm getting back on track now.
Thanks for asking.
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I read through the replies, thanks for the responses. When I said starvation mode, I just meant if your metabolism slows down a little because you're not eating enough, then you start eating normally again how long does it take for it to go back to normal? Is your metabolism permanently affected? For a while I ate 1300 calories (im 5'1 small framed, female) and im always afraid of not eating enough and its affecting my metabolism, sometimes at this calories level im hungry, i dont know if its ok or i should eat more if my body wants more food and i dont eat more if that will affect my metabolism. like is it bad to feel hungry a lot? i didnt go under 1200 but even at 1300 calories i would feel hungry a lot, lately ive been eating more like 1600 calories a day and i wonder if my metabolism is the same or if it is more now and less before because i ate less before0
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No, your metabolism will not be affected.0
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Ugh all these replies are WRONG!!
STARVATION MODE IS REAL!
Rare but REAL.
IT DOES NOT HAPPEN FAST.
I have a team of doctors treating me right now for this!!
I lost the feeling of being hungry or thirsty. & I work a lot, my kids are grown so no one else to feed... over time i just didnt think about it.
It wasnt on purpose...
I was hospitalized in march with concerning but not really figured out gut issues & bloodwork.
No real answers over the next couple months- they even thought possible cancer.
Symptoms progressed.
I started gaining weight RAPIDLY in my belly after I jumped the curve. (50lbs in 20 days,May to June)
36" waist to 49" waist.
My hair was falling out in handfuls.
My left eyebrow retreated.
My whole body aches(your body starts sucking your muscles & bones dry).
Brain fog. Dizziness. --this was most scary personally, as I've NEVER been one to lose my keys or forget where my car was in a parking lot etc.
Skin super itchy & feels like sandpaper.
Headaches.
Always freezing. Daily temp was 95-96
Thyriod & blood sugar imbalances but not contributed to any other diagnosis.
Etc etc.
**I am currently on IV INFUSIONS & fluids every week from STARVATION MODE! **
I was put on this app so they can track my intake & make sure I eat.
It's getting a little easier,as now I can SEE it, but still makes me nauseous to eat & I'm only up to drinking around 22oz of water per week without getting sick.
I HATE that theres NOTHING about this disorder except a bunch of dieting crap! I cant find REAL answers because so many posts have false info.
I have always been very active, inside & outside of work(Id blow through 22,000 steps at work, avid hiker, etc). & eat super healthy. But when I actually had to log my calories,my issue became clear. I also wasnt eating CARBS unintentionally. I'd eat a handful of frozen veggies & a little diced chicken breast each evening after work, salads.... & a Gatorade- which apparently at least kept my electrolytes survivable & I've been told to continue.
I learned I can add some black beans to my veggies for more iron, which isnt a huge daily change since I like them.
My calories have been raised from 1200-1400 per day to more than 1700. I'm still at a deficit 8 days in, but getting better.
(Stupid step counter keeps ADDING more daily calorie need lol!)
Supposedly if I eat more, I will lose weight but I'm not seeing that yet. And my brain just CAN'T believe it!
But I'm also on week #5 of 7 of the IVs & they say i probably wont see/feel a change until weeks AFTER the 1st 7 weeks are complete! :-(
But my hair IS starting to grow back! My eyebrows too. I feel a little better.
Temp is back up to 97-98 & they didnt need to wrap me in heated blankets during my infusions today.
But I'm bruising easier. But maybe that's a sign I have red blood cells again?? I have no clue.
I was hoping to find an answer about how long til I'd see weight loss... but I guess I'm stuck with the "you probably wont feel much different for weeks later, if your body holds onto these nutrients "...
But starvation mode is REAL!! It doesnt happen in a day or a week...
I'm 40 & hope I'm able to refuel my body & get my metabolism working again soon and heal my organs.
Theres still a chance I wiped out my gut & my galbladder from not eating enough. My red blood cells were super shriveled up. Idk how much longer I wouldve had & didnt realize it...
EAT EVERY DAY FROM ALL FOOD GROUPS! & eating enough is important.2
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