The truth about Starvation mode being pushed on MFP boards.

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wildon883r
wildon883r Posts: 429 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Copied from Article base.

MYTH: Eating a diet that is too low in calories will cause the body to go into starvation mode and not burn any calories

FACT: Severely cutting calories will cause the metabolism to adjust slightly, but not enough to prevent fat loss

Remember that people around the world who truly die of starvation are not overweight when they expire. It's true that when you severely cut calories your metabolism will make a slight adjustment, allowing your body to run on fewer calories—but it's not a large compensation. If you need to lose weight and you are not, eat less and/or move more and forget about slowing your metabolism.

Read the rest here- http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-truth-about-starvation-mode-fast-metabolisms-983959.html
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Replies

  • VSgirl2010
    VSgirl2010 Posts: 145 Member
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    good to know!
  • 1FitMomof4Girls
    1FitMomof4Girls Posts: 202 Member
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    Exactly!!!!
  • Mightytaco84
    Mightytaco84 Posts: 76 Member
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    You can definitely go into starvation mode and continue to lose weight. The question is, can you keep off the weight? People who seriously want to change their lifestyles shouldn't attempt to go into starvation mode.
  • Solat37_Neil
    Solat37_Neil Posts: 379 Member
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    I totally believe that "starvation mode" is a load of old ****e. Always have, and always will.
  • Nailrep
    Nailrep Posts: 966 Member
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    You can definitely go into starvation mode and continue to lose weight. The question is, can you keep off the weight? People who seriously want to change their lifestyles shouldn't attempt to go into starvation mode.

    EVERYBODY, no matter HOW they lose weight, WILL gain back every pound if they begin eating more calories than their bodies require.
  • carolynmittens
    carolynmittens Posts: 344
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    yeah i don't really buy it either. i used to eat barely 500 calories a day and i was a stick. but like MightyTaco (hehe) pointed out, the weight won't stay off once you start eating like a normal person again.
  • wildon883r
    wildon883r Posts: 429 Member
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    yeah i don't really buy it either. i used to eat barely 500 calories a day and i was a stick. but like MightyTaco (hehe) pointed out, the weight won't stay off once you start eating like a normal person again.

    How does one eat like a normal person. You meant excessive OVEREATING that got most of us here to begin with? We have to eat enough to maintain high energy levels throughout our day. I eat roughly 3 x 500 calorie meals plus snacks a day under 2000k total and im full of energy all the while my maintain weight calores at current is over 3000 a day. I'm not going to just eat for the sake of eating once i reach my goal weight or eat any different then i am now.. Good luck!
  • carolynmittens
    carolynmittens Posts: 344
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    yeah i don't really buy it either. i used to eat barely 500 calories a day and i was a stick. but like MightyTaco (hehe) pointed out, the weight won't stay off once you start eating like a normal person again.

    How does one eat like a normal person. You meant excessive OVEREATING that got most of us here to begin with? We have to eat enough to maintain high energy levels throughout our day. I eat roughly 3 x 500 calorie meals plus snacks a day under 2000k total and im full of energy all the while my maintain weight calores at current is over 3000 a day. I'm not going to just eat for the sake of eating once i reach my goal weight or eat any different then i am now.. Good luck!
    nope, i meant "normal" in comparison to eating less than 500 calories per day. which most people would agree isn't normal.
  • wildon883r
    wildon883r Posts: 429 Member
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    yeah i don't really buy it either. i used to eat barely 500 calories a day and i was a stick. but like MightyTaco (hehe) pointed out, the weight won't stay off once you start eating like a normal person again.

    How does one eat like a normal person. You meant excessive OVEREATING that got most of us here to begin with? We have to eat enough to maintain high energy levels throughout our day. I eat roughly 3 x 500 calorie meals plus snacks a day under 2000k total and im full of energy all the while my maintain weight calores at current is over 3000 a day. I'm not going to just eat for the sake of eating once i reach my goal weight or eat any different then i am now.. Good luck!
    nope, i meant "normal" in comparison to eating less than 500 calories per day. which most people would agree isn't normal.

    I hear ya. I'd pass out with my current work and play lifestyle if thats all i consumed during the day. I go into nutritional PMS if i not adequately nourished (grumpy) as well as get a headache lol.
  • Ms_Natalie
    Ms_Natalie Posts: 1,030 Member
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    This topic has been and will be around for a very long time...no matter what journals/books are cited. As with all dietry advice, there will always be support and criticism of particular theories.

    However, I believe that an individual requires at least 1200 calories containing good nutirents in order to psychologically and physiologically function. Swimmers eat 3000+ a day to help stay energised and I agree with this totally. It is different for each individual based upon daily exercise, weight, e.t.c.. I do feel though that living on 500 calories a day cannot provide an individual with the essential nutrients and vitamins required to stay healthy. So, for me, it's not a case of starvation mode vs non starvation mode; but feeding your body the energy, nutrients e.t.c....it needs to function successfully.

    I also feel that weight loss is more successful if you are eating correctly....I lost a lot of my weight eating 1200 calories and eating back some of my excercise calories...too much attention on the calories IN can be detrimental. If you are hungry, then eat...starving yourself is no good for a number of reasons.
  • Rodneymc4
    Rodneymc4 Posts: 62
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    yeah i don't really buy it either. i used to eat barely 500 calories a day and i was a stick. but like MightyTaco (hehe) pointed out, the weight won't stay off once you start eating like a normal person again.

    How does one eat like a normal person. You meant excessive OVEREATING that got most of us here to begin with? We have to eat enough to maintain high energy levels throughout our day. I eat roughly 3 x 500 calorie meals plus snacks a day under 2000k total and im full of energy all the while my maintain weight calores at current is over 3000 a day. I'm not going to just eat for the sake of eating once i reach my goal weight or eat any different then i am now.. Good luck!

    ____________

    I have been trying to eat back my exercise calories even when I'm not hungry and I stop losing weight at the rate I did before I started the eat back your exercise calories stuff. I'm going back to eating when hungry and if I have a 500 or 1000 calorie deficit at bedtime then so be it. My body tells me when it needs food.

    However, I will say that I did go thru a period of losing muscle weight without losing fat. I never, ever want to repeat that again, so I have increased my protein intake above the MFP suggestion--I also make sure to have an adequate strength training and weight lifting regiment in conjunction with my vigorous cardio routines.
  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
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    This topic has been and will be around for a very long time...no matter what journals/books are cited. As with all dietry advice, there will always be support and criticism of particular theories.

    However, I believe that an individual requires at least 1200 calories containing good nutirents in order to psychologically and physiologically function. Swimmers eat 3000+ a day to help stay energised and I agree with this totally. It is different for each individual based upon daily exercise, weight, e.t.c.. I do feel though that living on 500 calories a day cannot provide an individual with the essential nutrients and vitamins required to stay healthy. So, for me, it's not a case of starvation mode vs non starvation mode; but feeding your body the energy, nutrients e.t.c....it needs to function successfully.

    I also feel that weight loss is more successful if you are eating correctly....I lost a lot of my weight eating 1200 calories and eating back some of my excercise calories...too much attention on the calories IN can be detrimental. If you are hungry, then eat...starving yourself is no good for a number of reasons.


    average... I believe my BMI reads about 1800 basic based on 170lb 30yr old male... at 6'
    here is a good BMR calulator http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
  • Ms_Natalie
    Ms_Natalie Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I did state that I believed individual differences play a large part in deciding on what your minimum calorie intake should be...I should have made it clearer...I don't believe that a 6ft male should be eating 1200 calories...but nobody should be eating less than this in my opinion... :flowerforyou:
  • Teemo
    Teemo Posts: 338
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    I'm all for being factually and scientifically accurate but it should be with good intentions in mind. The term "Starvation Mode" is usually tossed around in response to questions asking why one shouldn't simply eat NOTHING and then lose weight quicker.

    The simple take home points are: (1) it's not healthy to do so, (2) it's not sustainable long-term because your body WILL 'starve', which may not leave you a skeleton but will certainly negatively impact your life as you become nutritionally and calorically deficient.

    Hence, "Starvation Mode".
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    That makes sense, but it also doesn't explain what's going on with me. I just started a thread. I was overweight, lost 40 pounds, became a spinning/Body Pump instructor. I usually teach twice a day which leaves me burning between 800-1200 calories a day most days. I only lost a few pounds when eating 1200 calories and even THEN I plateaued. I had plateaued eating a bit more before and stayed there for a year. I can not get below 148 no matter how hard I try now. I don't get it.
  • H_82
    H_82 Posts: 418 Member
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    Agree, agree, agree!
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Thank you!!!
  • wildon883r
    wildon883r Posts: 429 Member
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    That makes sense, but it also doesn't explain what's going on with me. I just started a thread. I was overweight, lost 40 pounds, became a spinning/Body Pump instructor. I usually teach twice a day which leaves me burning between 800-1200 calories a day most days. I only lost a few pounds when eating 1200 calories and even THEN I plateaued. I had plateaued eating a bit more before and stayed there for a year. I can not get below 148 no matter how hard I try now. I don't get it.

    Are you healthy, fit & trim? If so i wouldn't worry about a number. If you don't have hardly any body fat then your just fine!
  • dmoses
    dmoses Posts: 786 Member
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    ***LIKE***
  • JAG1224
    JAG1224 Posts: 191 Member
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    personally, i don't plan to eat my exercise calories back but if i'm hungry then i'll eat.. if i'm not hungry and i still have calories left i won't force myself to eat them back. sometimes it just feels counter productive.. but i've done both.. eating them back and not and have been steadily losing weight.

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