Starvation mode vs. low-calorie diet

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alazarus
alazarus Posts: 80 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Where's the line between putting your body on a healthy low-calorie diet and sending it into starvation mode?

How do you know if you're eating too few calories? I know one of the telltale signs is that weight loss is extra-hard when you're in starvation mode, but how can you be sure that you're not just slow at losing weight anyway?

Since starting a calorie-monitored diet two weeks ago, I've been wondering if I've accidentally put myself in starvation mode, or if my body's just slow at adjusting

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  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
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    1200 net calories is the minimum that allows women to still lose weight and be healthy. 1500 net for men.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    Where's the line between putting your body on a healthy low-calorie diet and sending it into starvation mode?

    Eating below 50% of your maintenance calories will start the starvation mode.
  • Sara1978
    Sara1978 Posts: 213 Member
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    I just took a peek at your profile-- it looks from that like you're only trying to lose 10lbs. If you're trying to lose only a few pounds, you shouldn't be on a low-calorie diet at all, really-- at least, not "low" by the standards of people on here. ;) Set your goals for half a pound a week, and exercise. I'm trying to take off those last few stubborn pounds as well, and my calories per day work out to 1380 + my exercise calories. A relatively fit person usually needs to build muscle to get the last few pounds off rather than starve themselves.

    As far as starvation mode is concerned, when I first started on this site and was trying to get things going, at 1200 calories a day, I came dangerously close to driving myself into starvation mode. I had headaches, felt dizzy, and was generally crummy feeling-- and I wasn't losing very much weight. I bumped my calories up to my BMR and the weight started falling off, plus I felt a lot better.
  • iamthepreston
    iamthepreston Posts: 195 Member
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    It is really hard to tell.

    Some things you can look at:

    Scales do not move for 3 weeks or more (not the best indicator)

    You need more sleep

    You are lethargic and feel wore down during the day

    During workout you have no energy you just have to push yourself through them with will power.
  • mmindymae
    mmindymae Posts: 3 Member
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    Are you talking about the calories WITH your workout or without, when you mention your BMR. When I work out, it normally bumps my calories up to 1500-1700 calories.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    you won't be in starvation mode within 2 weeks. human bodies are a remarkable thing. it often takes months or even years to get the actual effects but many people around here throw it out very loosely

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