Question about anorexic diet

cherriegh wrote: »

we are told we wont lose weight if we don't eat enough to fuel our workout and our bodies will go into starvation mode and hang on to fat but anorexics dont?

Because what you are told is nonsense. There are bad things that happen if you eat too little, but not your body holding onto weight. That makes no sense.

One important reason you don't want to drop calories too low, however--in addition to simple health concerns--is that it can lead to increased loss of muscle mass and increased metabolic adaptation which means that when you stop dieting your maintenance will be lower, which can make regain easier and faster. Another reason is that lots of people have trouble sustaining very low calories and will tend to fall into a starve/binge or at least starve/overeat pattern. They don't necessarily realize it, but they end up wiping out their deficit plus during the binging or overeating periods, especially if they had some metabolic adaptation.

I lost 60 pounds in a very short period of time by eating 500-800 calories a day or what some people would consider "starvation"/too low calories. My body did not rebel. However, what did eventually happen once I entered maintanence is that I entered a terrible starvation/binge cyclefrom all the deprivation in which I'd binge one day and then eat almost nothing the next, etc. Anyways, I think there is a lot of research to show that this whole thing about starvation and not losing weight is a myth.

cherriegh wrote: »

so the explanation that our bodies go into starvation and u end up not losing at all is just a myth to prevent ppl from using extreme diets for weight loss resulting in muscle loss but not that u actually wont lose weight its just unhealthy...

By and large, this is correct. That said, VLCD also put a lot of stress on the body and raise cortisol levels...this can interfere with your metabolism...and while you're still going to ultimately lose weight, it can actually make things more difficult and certainly more unpleasant.

You also will experience adaptive thermogenesis...basically a slowing of your metabolism as your body makes efforts to become more efficient to compensate for the drastic deficit of energy...it does this by shutting down "non-essential" functions like growing hair and nails, having a regular period, etc.

And, as you've pointed out...loss of muscle tissue, including vital organ tissue is ultimately a problem.

Starvation mode though...as it is often presented on these forums, is a myth.

if you are comparing a 'diet' to anorexia... you either don't understand proper nutrition, or need help. Reading a few healthy diet books will give you a good sense of what you SHOULD be doing, then look over your own habits, and make those adjustments.

In simple terms, the body reduces it's metabolic rate based on extreme the deficit is. The less the intake, the lower the metabolism will be.
Physiology doesn't change much from person to person. Regardless if a person is eating a lot less because they intend to or not (say from illness), weight loss will happen. Extreme calorie deficits on people who don't have much to lose will usually result in a perception of "slow" weight loss or the "starvation mode" tagging.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

The 'anorexic diet' gets super fast results, and you might think it's fine if you don't care about the other health dangers, HOWEVER the big deterrent for this aside from all the other health stuff is that once you start having super low calories, your metabolism just about dies. This means that if you ever start eating normally again, your body will take all that food and store practically everything. You'll never be able to eat normal amounts again without your body grabbing every bit and keeping it. Putting on weight will happen super easily because of it.

I have a friend who was anorexic for two years. She was super thin and everyone complimented her all the time, but when she finally couldn't take the hunger anymore and decided to eat like the rest of the world, she gained a massive amount of weight. It's been six years since she stopped being anorexic and she can't maintain a normal weight. A single cookie or a few slices of bread or a doughnut will go straight to her hips. Cheat days actually will 'ruin everything'. Her metabolism is shot so she has to watch everything she eats carefully because she trained her body to operate on such a tiny caloric intake.

Moral of the story: if you want to do the anorexic diet, then be prepared to never eat a doughnut again for your entire life. You'll get results fast, but one slip up and you'll get weight fast as well.

Oh, a question for your "friend" huh? Sure. Well, anorexia isn't a diet. It's a MENTAL DISORDER.