Why not just starve?

reba971
reba971 Posts: 80
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
OK, here goes.
I have been sick for about 5 days now with a stomach virus. I am past the bad part, but still eating less than 1000 calories a day. I did finally start exercising again yesterday. But here is my question. If starving is such a bad way to lose weight...then why does it work so well? I have lost more weight in the last 5 days then I have in the last 5 weeks! So, I guess my real question is why not do this for a while and get some of the excess weight off and then start to slowly eat more and exercise more? I know there are all kinds of theories about metabolism, and what this will do to it, but I am not sure anymore. I feel great, I look better, I just wonder what would happen if I keep up the less than 1000 calories and exercise????
«1

Replies

  • ambie35
    ambie35 Posts: 853 Member
    Because as soon as you eat more then 1200 calories a day your body will cling to the food and cause you to gain weight.
    Although starvation provides instant results,they are not sustainable results.
    The while point of weight loss is to retrain your brain so "starving" to shed fast is only going to confuse your body.
  • casey12105
    casey12105 Posts: 293
    well, the heart attack you'll have from your body not having enough energy to run itself for starters..
  • TiniTurtle
    TiniTurtle Posts: 595 Member
    it works, but it isn't good for us. i'm glad you're feeling better. many diet plans have jump start phases where you eat in extremes for a couple weeks & then slowly work toward healthier eating & exercising because it does work & keeps you motivated because you are seeing the scale move. ♥ listen to your body.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    Starving is fine. Look how healthy the kids in Ethiopia look. :indifferent:
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    It may not have totally been the starving that caused you to lose weight while you were sick. Your body was fighting something and probably fighting fiercely. It was busy. Starving when you feel healthy is extremely difficult to sustain. And your body will do whatever it can to get by on as little calories as possible so even the slightest increase in calories will cause weight gain.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    The larger the calorie deficit you have, the more stressful it is on your body. Starving yourself is *not* healthy for your organs, and sets you up to gain all the weight back by lowering your metabolism. (Your body starts running off of fewer calories, so what used to be maintenance calories will turn into a level that causes you to gain weight.) You're likely to experience vitamin deficiencies, which cause their own problems. (No, a daily multivitamin does *not* make up for all the vitamins you're not eating.) You are more likely to be dehydrated, as you normally get a bit of water from foods, and people who starve themselves actually weaken their thirst mechanism. You won't have enough energy to do all the things you want to do, will likely be tired, and have some mental cloudiness --> none of which sounds fun to me.

    It's not worth it. Slow and steady is the way to go - your body will thank you for it.

    Edited to add - you say you feel great now, but give it enough time and you WILL experience negative side effects from inadequate calorie intake.
  • shonasteele
    shonasteele Posts: 473
    Well, I'm not so big on the 'starving' thing - I have a hard enough time keeping to 1200-1400 calories per day. But I have wondered about 'dieting' for a week then not counting calories for a week, and switching back & forth. I figure it would help develop the good habits without feeling like I am constantly 'dieting' and eventually the 2 would meld together into a workable long-term way of eating that balances healthy living with the yummy factor. Don't know if it would work, but as long as I don't go totally crazy on my 'off' week and I keep exercising it shouldn't be too bad.

    Just don't go crazy with the 'starving' - that's how anorexics are born. And you don't want to start messing around in that territory cuz it'll kill ya faster than the fat will. Find a healthy balance and don't be in a rush - it takes years to put on so expect it to take time to come off too.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I don't find it does work well. I had pleurisy a few years ago and couldn't eat a thing for 2 weeks and didn't lose a single lb.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Starving DOES work, unfortunately the end result isn't pretty.

    starving.jpg
  • erinhale
    erinhale Posts: 137 Member
    I am sorry what I said was mean. GO read the sucess stories and see if any of them used your technique. OOO you don't see any stories like that? There is a reason. Its either because it doesn't work, its not healhty or they are in rehab clinics for eating disorders.
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
    No offense but... really?? Why do you think they have eating disorder rehabs?
  • reba971
    reba971 Posts: 80
    As for anorexia and the Ethopians...well I am not saying they look good. I am saying they are skinny and I am fat. I am saying that I have been eating right and exercising for about three months now and have seen very little weight loss.

    Thank you to those of you who actually are trying to help explain this to me.
  • Ashley_Panda
    Ashley_Panda Posts: 1,404 Member
    Because it's NOT HEALTHY.
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    This is from your profile: When I was younger it was easy for me to lose it, I would just stop eating for a while and the weight would disappear, now nothing happens. Ready for a new way and a new body!

    It sounds like you actually want to just go back to doing things the old way. So, I guess when you actually have to eat again the fat will come back. If you want to make a change, ("This time it's for real!") then you need to do things the right way, not the easy way. I think you must have known the types of responses you were going to get. No one here is going to tell you it's ok to starve yourself. I'm certain that isn't advice you'd give your children, why would you give it to yourself? I mean, seriously?
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
    As for anorexia and the Ethopians...well I am not saying they look good. I am saying they are skinny and I am fat. I am saying that I have been eating right and exercising for about three months now and have seen very little weight loss.

    Thank you to those of you who actually are trying to help explain this to me.

    They're skinny but they're also dying. Your body needs nutrition to function. No nutrition... no function... shut down of kidneys, etc

    Since this is basically what you're suggesting you do.. here ya go: http://www.eatingdisordersonline.com/explain/anorexiaeffects.php
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Please keep in mind forum rules when posting.

    Do not attack/slam/insult other users. The forums are here so that members can help support one another. Attacks or insults against each other takes away from the supportive atmosphere and will not be tolerated. You can discuss the message or topic, but not the messenger - NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, YOU will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself, defending a friend, etc. are NOT excuses. Violations of this rule are taken very seriously and may result in being banned without warning! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

    Not everyone has the same level of knowledge or education regarding weight loss, nutrition and health that you might. Insulting someone for asking a question does not follow the spirit of MFP or the forums, which is support and information. If you don't have anything constructive to add... don't.

    Thank you for your cooperation.
    Ladyhawk00
    MyFitnessPal Forum Moderator
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    There's a load of physical consequences such as not getting in enough micronutrients from healthy sources, losing muscle mass, etc.

    There's also the potential psychological risks seeing as it can eventually become anorexic tendencies.
  • Setof2Keys
    Setof2Keys Posts: 681 Member
    Please keep in mind forum rules when posting.

    Do not attack/slam/insult other users. The forums are here so that members can help support one another. Attacks or insults against each other takes away from the supportive atmosphere and will not be tolerated. You can discuss the message or topic, but not the messenger - NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, YOU will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself, defending a friend, etc. are NOT excuses. Violations of this rule are taken very seriously and may result in being banned without warning! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

    Not everyone has the same level of knowledge or education regarding weight loss, nutrition and health that you might. Insulting someone for asking a question does not follow the spirit of MFP or the forums, which is support and information. If you don't have anything constructive to add... don't.

    Thank you for your cooperation.
    Ladyhawk00
    MyFitnessPal Forum Moderator

    Well said...For fitness guru's the daily battles I struggle with (as well as many of my MFP friends) it seems like common sense, but we all have to start educating somewhere. At least she's asking and not just doing it.

    Although your weight loss is slower, you are doing it correctly. In turn it is a life style change, not starvation. Your body does not react well to starvation and you will gain the weight back that way. The "hard" way is more manageable and you will be more thankful in the end. If starvation worked so well when you were younger, then you would not be battling the same weight issues now. Take care and I hope you got some positive info on here from the MFP COMMUNITY...
  • reba971
    reba971 Posts: 80
    Oh my God people! First of all there is no such thing as a stupid question!
    We are here to support eachother and learn things and ask questions and get other peoples opinions.
    If you didn't have anything nice to say about my post then keep your mouth shut, just go on to the next question.
    There really is no need to be mean to someone who has a question. I was looking for information about what my metabolism will do in this situation. I did not say I was gonna starve myself or become anorexic. I was just asking a question. Being mean or sarcastic is not helping me out at all.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    Oh my God people! First of all there is no such thing as a stupid question!
    We are here to support eachother and learn things and ask questions and get other peoples opinions.
    If you didn't have anything nice to say about my post then keep your mouth shut, just go on to the next question.
    There really is no need to be mean to someone who has a question. I was looking for information about what my metabolism will do in this situation. I did not say I was gonna starve myself or become anorexic. I was just asking a question. Being mean or sarcastic is not helping me out at all.

    The anorexia comment wasn't an attack on your character. Extreme calorie deficits can be a slippery slope though.
  • mckshowie
    mckshowie Posts: 210 Member
    im going to get crucified for this... but i dont really believe that if you go back to HEALTHY eating habits and reasonable calories, you'll get fat/gain ridiculous amounts of weight etc.

    if you look at anorexics who go through rehab - and im talking they have SERIOUS problems and have been starving themselves for prolonged periods of time - they're not all overweight when they come out.

    i don't condone starving yourself, at all. i couldn't do it. but i don't think that doing it and then eating again will cause you to gain bunches of weight... as long as you're not going back to your old eating habits that made you overweight to begin with.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    As to the OP, these threads may help answer some questions about metabolism and health consequences of underfeeding and how to determine healthy, realistic cal goals.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/222019-60-lbs-in-60-days?hl=60+lbs

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding
  • CriticalX
    CriticalX Posts: 212 Member
    Oh my God people! First of all there is no such thing as a stupid question!
    We are here to support eachother and learn things and ask questions and get other peoples opinions.
    If you didn't have anything nice to say about my post then keep your mouth shut, just go on to the next question.
    There really is no need to be mean to someone who has a question. I was looking for information about what my metabolism will do in this situation. I did not say I was gonna starve myself or become anorexic. I was just asking a question. Being mean or sarcastic is not helping me out at all.
    sorry for others on here. but not eating right u lose bad and good. u just wanna lose the bad
  • marji4x
    marji4x Posts: 144 Member
    it's not sustainable and it's terrible for you in the long run. This was a good fat2fitradio.com episode on the topic of starvation diets: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/2011/02/fat-2-fit-118-the-evils-of-starvation-diets/
  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
    it wont be fat you will be losing its precious muscle!!
  • lclarkjr
    lclarkjr Posts: 359 Member
    Overall health is a lot more important than just losing weight. Healthy weight loss is possible so just stick with it. Starving yourself causes your body to burn muscle for energy and cling to fat. So you may weigh less but you will still be fat. Aim for being healthy (good diet and regular exercise) and the weight loss will come naturally. I know you can do it!
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    if you look at anorexics who go through rehab - and im talking they have SERIOUS problems and have been starving themselves for prolonged periods of time - they're not all overweight when they come out.

    i don't condone starving yourself, at all. i couldn't do it. but i don't think that doing it and then eating again will cause you to gain bunches of weight... as long as you're not going back to your old eating habits that made you overweight to begin with.

    I realize you make it clear that you don't condone starvation to lose weight, but your focus on subsequent weight gain/loss concerns me. Gaining weight back afterwards is not the only (or even most important) reason to avoid starvation. It's horrible for your overall health, and as I mentioned above makes you very vulnerable to vitamin deficiencies, dehydration, loss of muscle mass, etc. Not to mention the mental aspects of starving yourself. It's not healthy. period. I'm sure that if I really wanted to, I could lose weight and keep it off using any unhealthy "diet" out there, but that doesn't mean they're in any way healthy.
  • debbiepaints
    debbiepaints Posts: 9
    It's water weight. As soon as you start eating and drinking normally again it will come back up and besides STARVING yourself is not a healthy or fun way to get weight off.
  • Kristy0728
    Kristy0728 Posts: 63
    Techinically - your body actually becomes MORE "fat" when you are starving. Your body looses its muscle mass.
  • MistyMtnMan
    MistyMtnMan Posts: 527 Member
    Sure you may get thinner BUT you will still be made of mostly fat. You can still be fatty and not overweight. Thin doesn't equal healthy. Plus you won't be able to maintain just not eating a lot forever. You may loose a lot but you may also GAIN it all back and then some because you are not learning to eat the right foods and the right amounts.

    There's a reason not many people have athletic bodies and that most of the population is overweight. IT"S HARD WORK. If you want to get thin the right way and STAY thin. Do it the right way now. People are so used to getting things as soon as they want them. You gotta just stick with it through the good and bad and you will get to where you want.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories