Starvation Mode..... I don't get it....??

matwood74
matwood74 Posts: 111
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Everyone! Sorry if this is an old subject, but I needed some info if you could!!! I keep hearing
about "starvation mode" and how you need to eat enough calories.... etc. I don't understand how
this supposedly happens. I had always thought that if you don't eat alot, you stay thinner. I know
people with ED's get very thin (not that's it's healthy at ALL), so why don't they hit "starvation mode"
and NOT lose weight??? I'm not trying to sound uneducated..... I just don't understand how all
of that works. :embarassed:
Thank for the help!!!
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Replies

  • CassieLEO
    CassieLEO Posts: 757 Member
    I want to know more too LOL!!!
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
    It's a myth. It really only applies to you if you're at a healthy weight and don't need to lose anymore.

    Also, INB4U:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2016490?dopt=Abstract

    And no, that is not the only journal. Research, plzkthxbai.

    Edit: I'm actually proving this now.
  • annie_p
    annie_p Posts: 319 Member
    I honestly have no idea...BUT my guess would be...

    Our body goes into Starvation mode after a certain point, where it holds onto everything it can. Eventually(like in the case of eating disorders), your body NEEDS something to keep living, so it starts "eating itself" and taking in everything it can that your body has stored up.

    Not very scientific, but that's kind of what I've taken away.
  • Irene8509
    Irene8509 Posts: 381 Member
    I think that what happens is when you drop calories quickly your body actually holds back on burning off fat (that's why you feel light headed, fatigue, that little sensation in your belly that says eat). It's a short term reaction as your body tries to figure out if this is going to continue and it needs to go into the fat reserves and burn to stay alive. If you stay to a lower calorie count and ride the cravings and fatigue within a week or two your body adjusts to the new calorie intake. But if you begin to be more active don't forget to adjust your calorie count up or you'll go through the same cycle again. Hope this helps...
  • carolynmittens
    carolynmittens Posts: 344
    you'll find most people here "believe in" starvation mode, ie if you don't eat enough calories your body will store any cals you do take in as fat immediately. personally, that's not true for me, as i was my all-time thinnest when i was consuming about 600 cals a day, at night, my only meal of the day. sometimes i would go 2 or 3 days without eating at all. and i was a stick! i'm eating 3 meals a day now and am 20 lbs heavier ;P it's not at all healthy to deprive your body like that, obviously, but it will not prevent you from losing weight.
  • liveinbliss
    liveinbliss Posts: 108 Member
    Starvation mode is not a myth but it does get thrown around a lot and isn't always the cause of people not being able to lose weight. When you put your body in a calorie deficit that is under what your body need to function it begins to conserve fat and calories becuase it doesn't know that you are trying to lose weight it thinks your starving. For most people the deficit you put your body into is not really enought to be a true starvation situation so you are at a weight loss standstill and you probably don't really feel all that great since you are under nuorished, but you aren't really starving. Say though you truly have an eating disorder and really are starving your body with only 300-500 calories a day your body really does have to burn the fat to stay alive and sadly it also burns the muscle and anything else it can to survive. That is why anorexics are so paper thin the body has truly used everything it can to survive....that is real starvation not a starvation mode!
  • nmoreland
    nmoreland Posts: 183 Member
    The way I see it, "starvation mode" is a reaction of your metabolism. Our bodies become accustomed to what we eat. If you continue to give your body little to no nutrients, then it learns to hang on to everything that it gets. At this point, you will stop losing weight because your body will hold on to everything that you eat. People with eating disorders get "skinny" because they do not feed their body anything, so their body starts to feed on itself. Eating disorders also have a lot to do with self esteem and control issues, not just the weight issue.
    It is important to listen to your body and feed it what it needs, especailly if you are working out hard. When some people hit a plateau they eat more for a period of time to "mess" with their metabolism and get things going again.
  • _eislek_
    _eislek_ Posts: 198 Member
    I've found that here, starvation mode is a way for people to give themselves an excuse to have dessert at night so they reach the BARE MINIMUM of 1200 calories. Cause apparently if you don't eat that much you'll wither away and be dead in a matter of days.
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
    Aye.
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
    Start with this link, then go to the top of the forum section and read all the posts with the red push pin icon - they answer all these sorts of questions.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
    Compare that with a study of a larger group of people, and that looks like a personal problem.
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
    Starvation mode will help you hold onto your reserve energy stores, but it won't keep you from...ya know....starving. People with anorexia are literally starving.
  • matwood74
    matwood74 Posts: 111
    Wow. Thanks for the answers so far, I really appreciate the help!! I have a lot to learn!!:ohwell:
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
    I found this article helpful, and written on a level of granularity that I find acceptable for the average adult. http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

    My advice to you....

    Basically, you need to stop thinking about numbers for just a moment. Think about the way your body feels. If you work out, you need to have a little fuel before (simple carbs like fruit) and recovery foods afterward (chocolate milk is the number one choice). If you don't do that, you will not build muscle as efficiently, you are at greater risk for injury, feel more fatigue, etc.

    But you could just diet and NOT work out. You risk hitting a "plateau" because your metabolism will adjust to the decreased calorie diet, and your weight loss will not be as rapid as you would expect. Working out and refueling appropriately will prevent this. With my body, if I try to cut too many calories, I simply cant maintain a normal workout regime. It's just too draining.
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
    Working out will help keep your metabolism up.
  • matwood74
    matwood74 Posts: 111
    I workout, well, do cardio every single day. I've never gone over my calorie intake
    according to MFP. I don't eat a ton, but I don't deprive myself either. I keep hearing
    the whole thing, "if you don't eat enough, you won't lose weight"...... I want to lose
    the weight asap, I just want to be doing it the best way i can!!
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
    Are you drinking enough water?
    Are you on any kind of medication?
    Have you had your thyroid checked?
    Do you consume a lot of sodium?
    Do you drink a lot of carbonated beverages?
    Do you consume too many white carbs?

    These are all questions you can ask yourself, plus a lot more that may help you with your journey.

    If you want to do it the best way you can, then that's probably eating a sensible amount of calories and doing at least an hour of cardio a day, unless directed by your doctor to do otherwise.
  • caesarslaw
    caesarslaw Posts: 45
    wow there are some really rude people here (and I'm specifically talking about two individuals)

    I, like the OP, would want to learn more about it and read about it and MFP has been helpful because there are a lot of people with varying ideas and with various evidence supporting their positions. But...if you resort to that level of rudeness be sure I won't listen to you.
  • _eislek_
    _eislek_ Posts: 198 Member
    wow there are some really rude people here (and I'm specifically talking about two individuals)

    I, like the OP, would want to learn more about it and read about it and MFP has been helpful because there are a lot of people with varying ideas and with various evidence supporting their positions. But...if you resort to that level of rudeness be sure I won't listen to you.

    You can just say people's names instead of trying to be all vague and mysterious. I know you were probably talking about me.

    I wasn't being rude to the OP, I was just trying to let her know that some people here are 1200-calorie-a-day nazis. They'll be rude to you if you even think about talking about eating less than 1200. They outnumber the more open-minded individuals who understand that your body won't go into starvation mode if, God forbid, you only eat 1100 calories a day. They shove this 1200 idea down your throat and I am trying to let her know that.

    But if you don't want to listen to me, it doesn't really matter. :)
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    Starvation mode is not a myth,thats how I gained all my weight.I spent many many years using drugs daily.So I was probobly only eating every couple of days.I never got scary skinny during this time I was about 125 pounds.When I quit the drugs I started eating around 1500 calories a day and put on around 100 pounds.So I do belive it exists.I think people end up throwing it around way way to much here.And I dont think it will happen if I dont eat my exercise calories.
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
    you'll find most people here "believe in" starvation mode, ie if you don't eat enough calories your body will store any cals you do take in as fat immediately. personally, that's not true for me, as i was my all-time thinnest when i was consuming about 600 cals a day, at night, my only meal of the day.
    "Starvation mode" as used on MFP, generally refers to the body's reduced fat usage, and increased fat storage - so you feel weak, fatigued and irritable most of the time, and any brief surplus you do have gets laid down as fat.

    By being so consistently under you were avoiding "starvation mode" in this sense by the simple expedient of starving.
  • _eislek_
    _eislek_ Posts: 198 Member
    Starvation mode is not a myth,thats how I gained all my weight.I spent many many years using drugs daily.So I was probobly only eating every couple of days.I never got scary skinny during this time I was about 125 pounds.When I quit the drugs I started eating around 1500 calories a day and put on around 100 pounds.So I do belive it exists.I think people end up throwing it around way way to much here.And I dont think it will happen if I dont eat my exercise calories.

    "I think people end up throwing it around way way to much here.And I dont think it will happen if I dont eat my exercise calories."

    That's what I'm trying to get across.
  • Losingitin2011
    Losingitin2011 Posts: 572 Member
    For the record, skinny does not always mean HEALTHY. Yea, you're going to be skinny if you're starving yourself, but you're also not going to have good muscle tone, and your body is going to have a harder time sustaining itself. I am an anorexia survivor, and I can say that when I was skinny, I was NOT healthy by any means. I was sick all the time, looked awful, and felt awful. I would take being overweight over that any day of the week.

    Starvation mode has to do with the fact that our bodies need a minimum amount of calories in order to run organ functions. I think of it like gas in a car. You ever notice how it feels like the last half of the tank goes so much more quickly than the first half, and without gas, the car doesn't run? Your body isn't that much different.

    It isn't a matter of "believing" or not believing, it's a matter of logic. If you aren't giving your body fuel to consume, it will consume your muscle, and cling to anything you're taking in. While your brain knows you're trying to lose weight, it doesn't seem to be able to communicate that idea to your body. I lost 9 pounds by eating more than 1200 calories. I don't go over 1400 usually, but that is what works for ME.

    Sorry if I sound snarky. I just get irritated when people go off saying it's a myth when it's common sense.
  • CricketKate
    CricketKate Posts: 3,657 Member
    I've found that here, starvation mode is a way for people to give themselves an excuse to have dessert at night so they reach the BARE MINIMUM of 1200 calories. Cause apparently if you don't eat that much you'll wither away and be dead in a matter of days.

    I think that if you looked at the food diaries of most people on here who are eating their "exercise calories" you would find a lot of nuts, proteins and whole grains. People are not working out just so they can have a piece of cake every night. I'm not advocating either way, I think that people need to do what feels right to them, but that seems to be a fairly judgemental blaket statement.
  • pandafoo
    pandafoo Posts: 367 Member
    whether or not you believe in starvation mode, what most people would prob agree on is the importance of getting enough nutrition and fuel for your body. i personally think it's very important to have your net calories be high enough so that your metabolism doesn't slow down, so that your body is getting enough nutrients to function properly.

    sure, anyone can lose weight by eating just 500 calories a day. i've seen many diaries on here that actually have net calorie intakes of -500 or -1000 on a consistent basis! i'm horrified when they rationalize it by saying, "well, it's worked for me, so i'm going to continue with this."

    however, with such a low calorie intake, the loss is probably coming from muscle, not fat. if it's coming from muscle, the body fat percentage is getting higher over time. people who are "skinny fat" are also at high risk of medical conditions. in my view, if you want to lose weight in a healthy manner, without losing muscle and wreaking havoc on your metabolism, it's important to have your net calories be high enough so your body can function well.
  • RadicalCharlie
    RadicalCharlie Posts: 123 Member
    @Losingitin2011: You said you were previously an anorexic, so I don't know why you think this is a myth. We are the ones who should be irritated because you fail to do any legit research on your own.

    @hsinster: Actually, your body burns fat before muscle. Why do you think we store fat? It's used as an extra source of energy when enough is not provided in food. Now, I'm not saying you won't lose ANY muscle. I personally don't mind losing a little muscle because even if I did get to a healthy body fat percentage, I would still be considered "Obese" according to my BMI because I have way too much muscle mass for someone who doesn't really work out, and never has.
  • _eislek_
    _eislek_ Posts: 198 Member
    I've found that here, starvation mode is a way for people to give themselves an excuse to have dessert at night so they reach the BARE MINIMUM of 1200 calories. Cause apparently if you don't eat that much you'll wither away and be dead in a matter of days.

    I think that if you looked at the food diaries of most people on here who are eating their "exercise calories" you would find a lot of nuts, proteins and whole grains. People are not working out just so they can have a piece of cake every night. I'm not advocating either way, I think that people need to do what feels right to them, but that seems to be a fairly judgemental blaket statement.

    I didn't literally mean dessert. It may have been a judgmental statement but people here are judgmental. I KNOW what works for my body. I don't starve myself and I am not "killing" myself but not consuming 1200 calories a day. People here think just because they read some books or can type in "starvation mode" into Google, they know what is right for my body and they don't.
  • breezymom81
    breezymom81 Posts: 499 Member
    bump
  • Jillatha
    Jillatha Posts: 85 Member
    so many people are sure it is a myth and the same are sure it is true, what I was more concerned with is what level it kicks in at if it kicks in at all. Like I think would I lose more if I ate a bit more as my net total is normally below 1000 after all my exercise for the day. Would eating that extra 200cal a day make me lose more? I don't want to risk it if it will make me gain!
  • Losingitin2011
    Losingitin2011 Posts: 572 Member
    @Losingitin2011: You said you were previously an anorexic, so I don't know why you think this is a myth. We are the ones who should be irritated because you fail to do any legit research on your own.

    @hsinster: Actually, your body burns fat before muscle. Why do you think we store fat? It's used as an extra source of energy when enough is not provided in food. Now, I'm not saying you won't lose ANY muscle. I personally don't mind losing a little muscle because even if I did get to a healthy body fat percentage, I would still be considered "Obese" according to my BMI because I have way too much muscle mass for someone who doesn't really work out, and never has.

    What? I never said I thought anything was a myth. You are free to think what you want though, and I am free to think what I want. Have a nice day.
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