Someone mention to me if you do not eat enough you can make your body think it is in starvation mode

shar12mae
shar12mae Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Fitness pal said I should be eating 1900 when I started today but been working at this for a couple weeks with keeping my calorie range between 1200 to 1500 will this impede me from losing more weight

Replies

  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Starvation mode isn't real. Your body won't hold on to your fat. You can eat down to 1200 calories and keep losing.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    If you do not eat enough, yes, you can starve. If you starve long enough it will lead to your death. In order to starve you need to eat nothing or next to nothing for a very long time. Nothing short of actually starving will make your body think it's starving. Your body is far too smart for that. Also, if you do starve, you won't be fat when it eventually claims your life.

    The starvation mode myth refers to a mythical mode the body enters into when it's deprived of calories in the short term. For some reason in this mode the body stops functioning under the laws of physics and doesn't burn fat despite being in a caloric deficit. This mode does not exist. There is no scientific reason for it to.
  • Zella_11
    Zella_11 Posts: 161 Member
    Starvation "mode" is a myth...

    Keep it simple--take in fewer calories than you burn, and you'll lose weight. Take advice like that with a grain of salt. I've lost 8 lbs following the plan MFP laid out for me--my daily limit is 1,240 calories per day.

    Keep it up!! You are doing a great job!
  • BiggDaddy58
    BiggDaddy58 Posts: 406 Member
    It is not that starvation mode is not real..it is actually your body protecting itself. By eating too little..your body will slow down your metabolism..and while still burning fat for fuel..it will also burn muscle mass, if you continue to not provide enough fuel. I have started on a diet of 1200-1400 calories a day..but know, that will not be sustainable, nor healthy. Check out sites that will help you design a healthy program of weight loss for you..based on your age, weight, height, lifestyle, etc..then design one that works for you.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    No.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Starvation mode isn't what people popularly believe. It is real, if you want to read about it, and understand that it is a long term effect, here you go: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss

    Keep it simple, don't worry about it. Assure you get enough fats and protein. And eventually if you need to take a diet break of a few weeks, do so.

  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    vismal wrote: »
    If you do not eat enough, yes, you can starve. If you starve long enough it will lead to your death. In order to starve you need to eat nothing or next to nothing for a very long time. Nothing short of actually starving will make your body think it's starving. Your body is far too smart for that. Also, if you do starve, you won't be fat when it eventually claims your life.

    The starvation mode myth refers to a mythical mode the body enters into when it's deprived of calories in the short term. For some reason in this mode the body stops functioning under the laws of physics and doesn't burn fat despite being in a caloric deficit. This mode does not exist. There is no scientific reason for it to.

    This is why I feel everyone trying to lose weight should remove the word "starve" in any of its variations from their vocabulary completely.

    You are not starving. You have never been starved. You will never be starving. There are people in this world who starve. You are not one of them.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    vismal wrote: »
    If you do not eat enough, yes, you can starve. If you starve long enough it will lead to your death. In order to starve you need to eat nothing or next to nothing for a very long time. Nothing short of actually starving will make your body think it's starving. Your body is far too smart for that. Also, if you do starve, you won't be fat when it eventually claims your life.

    The starvation mode myth refers to a mythical mode the body enters into when it's deprived of calories in the short term. For some reason in this mode the body stops functioning under the laws of physics and doesn't burn fat despite being in a caloric deficit. This mode does not exist. There is no scientific reason for it to.

    This is why I feel everyone trying to lose weight should remove the word "starve" in any of its variations from their vocabulary completely.

    You are not starving. You have never been starved. You will never be starving. There are people in this world who starve. You are not one of them.

    Adaptive thermogenesis is the correct term - starvation mode sounds better and does tend to explain some of the effects. Language is fluid - one word may mean many things.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    BUT- even though "starvation mode" as popularly understood is a common myth, eating too little for your energy level and body type can cause serious health problems. If you start having headaches, feeling fatigued, getting sick more often, or notice your hair or fingernails getting brittle, you might wanna up your intake.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    20% deficit is fine. Any more than that may cause problems.
This discussion has been closed.