Does the occasional "starvation mode" day hurt you?

jid314
jid314 Posts: 71
edited September 29 in Success Stories
After a bad, bad dinner I had on July 4th (though it was my first "free" meal in weeks), I thought about trying to complete under my 1510 calorie goal today. This won't happen, but just for example's sake, let's say I hit 7-800 calories today. Is 1 day of low calorie intake after a day of high calorie intake really terrible for you? I've been at or under 1510 for a few weeks now but hit probably 3k yesterday.

Replies

  • apmemo
    apmemo Posts: 43
    I think an occasional ANYTHING can't hurt you!
  • cydonian
    cydonian Posts: 361 Member
    I'm not a health expert, but I think it wouldn't hurt so long as you don't workout today. It would be an awful idea to intake 700 calories and then burn some, even if it's only one day.
  • thisismynewmindset
    thisismynewmindset Posts: 273 Member
    No... one day won't hurt you. As long as you don't do it too often.

    Your body might, at the end of the day, say "hey, where are the rest of my calories you usually give me?" but if you wake up the next morning and eat a good hearty breakfast, your body is likely to say "oh, there they are!".

    Only if your body keeps saying "geez, you are REALLY depriving me of calories, and you are not refueling me" will your body go into starvation mode.
  • melbaby925
    melbaby925 Posts: 613
    I do this sort of thing after I indulge too much. It works out to balance you out, I think!
  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
    I think starvation mode doesnt kick in over 1 day, i think it happens over a long,long time

    just my opinion
  • jid314
    jid314 Posts: 71
    Thanks guy! I'm going to drop it as low as I can today after the bad night I had last night!
  • DixieDarlin1987
    DixieDarlin1987 Posts: 553 Member
    It shouldn't hurt but I wouldn't attempt a workout or anything.....somebody would literally have to scrape me off the floor if I ate that little and then tried to workout lol!
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    If you are going to do this, I would suggest eating the vast majority of your kcals as protein. This will help your body ensure it won't breakdown muscle tissue for energy.
  • skeele
    skeele Posts: 72
    I fast about once a month... going w/o food. Usually skipping 2 meals and then having a dinner at night. I feel that its ok.
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
    papastu is right.

    it takes prolonged starvation to get into 'starvation mode'

    one day of 700-800 calories here and there won't hurt. it'll probably help!
  • vgsaldivar
    vgsaldivar Posts: 4
    I don't think it would hurt either if you eat your regular amount of calories either. If you're gonna eat bad...just work out a little longer the next day.
  • ohdear1986
    ohdear1986 Posts: 110 Member
    well if starvation mode is true, i must be living it! some days i eat 3000 calories and others i eat 800!
  • sophjakesmom
    sophjakesmom Posts: 904 Member
    I try to balance through the week. The app on my phone gives me a "weekly average", which is really helpful. I don't know how to see it on the site though. I use it to plan for a holiday or recover from one. Or sometimes just because. :ohwell:
  • DBabbit
    DBabbit Posts: 173 Member
    Your body does not go into starvation mode for a long time if you are overweight or obese. You won't hurt yourself if you exercise either.
  • ttrotter1960
    ttrotter1960 Posts: 66
    From my own experience and from everything I have read on the subject, neither the starvation day or the high calorie day are a big deal. As a matter of fact, the Body for Life program which is one of the best around encourages you to have a "free day" where you can eat whatever your body tells you it wants. The idea here is that while we are dieting we don't get everything we need in the way of nutrients. Our body tells us what we need in the way of urges. That one day also keeps your body from going into the dreaded starvation mode which makes it really hard to loss any weight. Anyway, no one day is going to make a difference over the long haul either way. It's the long term trend that matters.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    Starvation mode is over a long period of time. Some people on here use zigzag dieting, where they eat varying amounts on different days and just try to net out the week. Other people swear by fasting (not in a million years). I just wouldn't make a habit of eating 700 or 800 calories a day.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    Thanks guy! I'm going to drop it as low as I can today after the bad night I had last night!

    I think this would be a mistake. I believe it would be better to stick to the plan.

    Under eating is just a bad as over eating, actually it is worse for some of us.
  • ttrotter1960
    ttrotter1960 Posts: 66
    Honestly, I wouldn't starve yourself today. It isn't that big a deal. Your scale is going to tell you that you've gained weight the day after a big meal but it's only sitting in your intestines. Very little of that food was actually stored as fat (if any). I would encourage you to eat no less than 1200 calories today but DO get your workout in. If it makes you feel better workout a little harder to burn an extra 300 or more calories. When you eat and exercise you keep muscle mass and also get the nutrients you need. When you deprive yourself of food your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs nor the benefit of the workout.
  • Harrar10
    Harrar10 Posts: 116
    Thanks guy! I'm going to drop it as low as I can today after the bad night I had last night!


    Clearly not healthy and an uneducated way of looking at this. You cant eat 3000 calories one day and 500 the next to "make up for it" It doesn't work like that. It may seem like it makes sense but it doesn't. This is seriously unhealthy and if you have a bad day just continue on with your correct calorie intake the next day. You can hurt yourself by doing this, and even if it is just a "one time thing" it is teaching yourself bad habits and mentally allowing this to be acceptable when in fact it is not.
  • aj_rock
    aj_rock Posts: 390 Member
    Not to plug any specific plans, but there are plenty of diets/lifestyles that call for occasional fasting for extended periods of time, but never longer than 24 hours.

    Two plans that jump to mind are leangains, where you eat all your calories every day in an 8 hour window, and eat stop eat, where you fast completely for one day of the week.

    Just make sure it balances out over time to where you wanna be :)
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    I think starvation mode takes much more than just one day, probably even more than a week. I know if I binge eat one day that I do feel guilty for it and the next couple of days food disgusts me.... basically the same premise with alcohol or candy and so forth. I definitely have had days following a huge meal where I have eaten 700 - 900 calories and worked out and not been hungry. Some how I feel better and it makes me feel like I have made up for the bad day, even though that technically is not correct so its bad advice. Better advice is to just chalk it up as a bad day and continue on with your plan the next day.
  • Corizon
    Corizon Posts: 1
    Starvation mode is a terrible place to be , it took me to 400 lbs at under 1200 calories a day for a year I gained over 100 lbs !!!
  • Lybertie
    Lybertie Posts: 2
    Occasional starvation mode, I have to assume, means simply to take a couple days and forgo eating. That is not actually a good way to loose weight. Your metabolism requires food intake to pick up pace and it works hard to use up the calories you consume. The higher your metabolism is the more weight you will loose. It is wiser after you "fell off the wagon for a day or a weekend" to just pick back up where you left off and eat 5 to 7 very small meals a day. Just enough to give your body something to work with.
    True "starvation mode" usually starts after a fast of 5 or more days. The body will start to compensate for not having enough food intake and you will actually gain weight with every little bit of food you take in. It can also cause you to become seriously ill and change the way your metabolism and hormones and the endocryne system in your body works.

    STARVING is DANGEROUS!! Don't do it!
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
    Absolutely not. In fact, tossing in a day of very low calories is actually good for you. Heck, go for the whole Sh'Bang and do an entire day's fast (provided you don't suffer from blood sugar swings or hypoglycemia).

    Enjoy the catecholamine high during your fast. I certainly do!

    http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20110405/periodic-fasting-may-cut-risk-of-heart-disease-diabetes
  • strido
    strido Posts: 11 Member
    I looked up "starvation mode" on wikipedia some time ago as I was trying to understand what it implied, and although it's very scientific and to the point, the wikipedia page had a great link to an article that exposed several myths about weightloss. You should check it out.
    Good luck with your journey:)
  • LaJauna
    LaJauna Posts: 336 Member
    After a bad, bad dinner I had on July 4th (though it was my first "free" meal in weeks), I thought about trying to complete under my 1510 calorie goal today. This won't happen, but just for example's sake, let's say I hit 7-800 calories today. Is 1 day of low calorie intake after a day of high calorie intake really terrible for you? I've been at or under 1510 for a few weeks now but hit probably 3k yesterday.
    Starvation Mode is a myth. You can only go into starvation if you are completely depleted of any body fat. Then your body will start to burn muscle and organ mass. If you are worried about going into metabolism slow down then calorie cycling is a way to confuse your body into not lowering your metabolism. You would have to lower your calorie intake over months to slow it down to any noticeable levels, especially if you are over your ideal weight.
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