Kicking the "Starvation Mode"

cedarhurst2006
cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so I now know since joining this group that I have to eat my exercise calories, which I haven't been doing, hence my body has been living in the "starvation mode". I've increased my calories.... How long will it take for my body to know that it doesn't need to store fat and will begin to burn the fat?

PS - For those who complain on this site that there are too many entries about eating your exercise calories, I consider myself pretty educated and informed and have lost 125 lbs to date and still didn't know this fact. So, by asking the question and getting answers from all who are helpful are great and I feel I've been given the tools needed to overcome a plateau.

Replies

  • glendadykstra
    glendadykstra Posts: 24
    I am not sure, but, I think it is pretty quick. The problem is that your body will want to 'catch up to pre-starvation mode. My doctor warned me of that. :( I did the starvation mode. Dropped a total of twenty one pounds and now I have gained back almost lbs. UGH! :frown:
  • glendadykstra
    glendadykstra Posts: 24
    almost ten.. Sheesh
  • caligirl2802
    caligirl2802 Posts: 232 Member
    Mine was really quick after a week I lost 2lbs and the next week I lost 4lbs.... now I have gone back to averaging about 1lb a week
  • Strive2BLean
    Strive2BLean Posts: 300 Member
    If you lost 125 lbs. and didn't eat your exercise calories then I would assume that I can lose my 40 lbs. without eating my exercise calories. Is that correct?
  • mistyb47711
    mistyb47711 Posts: 861 Member
    should be a week....i have not gone through this yet, but just by watching and reading others most is within a week
  • rainbowbuggy
    rainbowbuggy Posts: 320
    Please don't feel like you have to explain why your asking a question! Your entitled to ask what you want and anyone who doesn't like it should skip over and just not answer. Personally I think this is a great question. Sadly I don't have an answer but would like to see what others say. Thanks for posting! :-)
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    If you lost 125 lbs. and didn't eat your exercise calories then I would assume that I can lose my 40 lbs. without eating my exercise calories. Is that correct?
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    If you lost 125 lbs. and didn't eat your exercise calories then I would assume that I can lose my 40 lbs. without eating my exercise calories. Is that correct?

    I lost 125 lbs. by changing my eating lifestyle completely and was unable to exercise (complications from diabetes diagnosis). My calorie intake was 1200-1400 daily. In January I joined a gym, built back alot of strength I lost and am now doing 40 minutes of cardio but was still keeping caloric intake the same. I think that's how I got stuck in starvation mode. I didn't increase my calories when I started really working it at the gym. It's a puzzle - I hope this unlocks it.
  • yanicka
    yanicka Posts: 1,004 Member
    If you lost 125 lbs. and didn't eat your exercise calories then I would assume that I can lose my 40 lbs. without eating my exercise calories. Is that correct?

    Eat your exercices calories :noway:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Ok, so I now know since joining this group that I have to eat my exercise calories, which I haven't been doing, hence my body has been living in the "starvation mode". I've increased my calories.... How long will it take for my body to know that it doesn't need to store fat and will begin to burn the fat?

    PS - For those who complain on this site that there are too many entries about eating your exercise calories, I consider myself pretty educated and informed and have lost 125 lbs to date and still didn't know this fact. So, by asking the question and getting answers from all who are helpful are great and I feel I've been given the tools needed to overcome a plateau.

    First, I love your av. Good shot!!

    Second CONGRATS on your weightloss!

    Third Thanks for pointing out you didn't eat the correct cals so now are experiencing a problem.

    Fourth and answering your question from my OWN experience only. I lost 32 eating exercise calories. When I hit the last 10 I only weighed 132 so you can imagine at 50 yrs old I thought 1100 or 1200 would be fine. Wrong. My body was more effiecient (sp) because I lost so much by exercise and was stronger. It was like :"HEY your going to RUN and then not fuel me???" :angry:

    I finally went to maint cals for 1 month. I then reduced by 50-100 cals a week until I was at about 1400 PLUS exercise cals. It took about 2 months but I lost another 5 pounds. (before life slapped me upside the head and I gained back some weight)

    For Strive-the more you weigh, the more you can get away with eating less because your body has stores. with only 40 lbs to lose it is better to choose 1/2 to 1 lb a week and eat your exercise cals or at least 1/2 of them.

    Banks has a lot of good professional threads explaining this stuff. I am just giving my experience.

    OH and I am back to square one (well minus 25 pounds) in getting myself back to healthier.

    Thanks for posting:flowerforyou:
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    If you lost 125 lbs. and didn't eat your exercise calories then I would assume that I can lose my 40 lbs. without eating my exercise calories. Is that correct?

    I lost 125 lbs. by changing my eating lifestyle completely and was unable to exercise (complications from diabetes diagnosis). My calorie intake was 1200-1400 daily. In January I joined a gym, built back alot of strength I lost and am now doing 40 minutes of cardio but was still keeping caloric intake the same. I think that's how I got stuck in starvation mode. I didn't increase my calories when I started really working it at the gym. It's a puzzle - I hope this unlocks it.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    If you lost 125 lbs. and didn't eat your exercise calories then I would assume that I can lose my 40 lbs. without eating my exercise calories. Is that correct?

    Eat your exercices calories :noway:

    :laugh: I know right? LOL......it is funny how if you have DONE it you GET it!!

    MFP is an awesome, simple tool to help you lose weight. Go by the rules and you will lose. Period. You have to!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    :laugh: I know right? LOL......it is funny how if you have DONE it you GET it!!

    MFP is an awesome, simple tool to help you lose weight. Go by the rules and you will lose. Period. You have to!
    Hear hear!
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    We'll see............... I've started eating my exercise calories and it will be almost a week. I have increased my food intake and my stomach is growling all the time. Maybe my body is burning up the more I eat? I don't know. I've added the calories and I haven't gained any weight. I'll give it a few more days. Fingers crossed!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    We'll see............... I've started eating my exercise calories and it will be almost a week. I have increased my food intake and my stomach is growling all the time. Maybe my body is burning up the more I eat? I don't know. I've added the calories and I haven't gained any weight. I'll give it a few more days. Fingers crossed!

    it's growling because prior to eating more your body adjusted it's hunger hormones to the level of food you were giving it, but now you're giving it closer to what it needs, and your body is expecting (and using) the extra so it's telling you i WANT MORE. I'm not saying that it's time to drop the MFP model and start listening to your body (eventually, once you're at a healthy weight and your body is used to the right calorie amounts you can do that, but not until then).
    this is normal. You see, when you set a deficit, you SHOULD be a little hungry (not starving or anything, but there should be a modest hunger sensation some of the time), that's natural, you're eating less than your body needs to maintain weight, therefore your body, if working properly, is going to tell you it need more to maintain (which is the goal a healthy body is always striving for). Keep your deficit reasonable, and eat your exercise calories to stay within that deficit and you'll be doing things the right way, some mild hunger is part of that process.
  • sunshinemonkey
    sunshinemonkey Posts: 44
    I am so glad that you posted this!
    After all the negativity surronding questions on this topic I haven't dared ask!
    I've been reading as much as I can about it and I think I have a pretty good idea now but I have been burning around 800 cals per day and I really struggle to eat them all! So my thoughts were....'should I exercise less?'

    I realise I have just posted another question on your topic but I reckon I'd get slated if I posted this as a topic!
    Would really apriciate any advice!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    I am so glad that you posted this!
    After all the negativity surronding questions on this topic I haven't dared ask!
    I've been reading as much as I can about it and I think I have a pretty good idea now but I have been burning around 800 cals per day and I really struggle to eat them all! So my thoughts were....'should I exercise less?'

    I realise I have just posted another question on your topic but I reckon I'd get slated if I posted this as a topic!
    Would really apriciate any advice!

    If you find it difficult to eat 800 extra calories, there's no reason you can't cut down on the amount of exercise, and just make it maybe a little more intense. There's no rule that says you have to exercise for XXX number of calories or XXX number of minutes. My exercise time is usually between 35 and 45 minutes and burns between 300 and 500 calories a day, and I'm in fantastic shape, great body fat %, Great endurance levels, good musculature ...etc.
  • Victorian131
    Victorian131 Posts: 130
    Yeah I burn between 500 and 600 calories a day and I love what its doing to my edurance level (and my legs!) but I guess my body has adjusted to me eating 1200 when I couldnt exercise as now I am trying to eat my exercise calories back Im feeling full and sluggish and fairly bloated after meals. Im guessing it will take a while for my body to adjust but its making exercising hard when Im in that kind of 'ooh that was a lot of food lets cat nap until it goes away' mood.
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    Yeah I burn between 500 and 600 calories a day and I love what its doing to my edurance level (and my legs!) but I guess my body has adjusted to me eating 1200 when I couldnt exercise as now I am trying to eat my exercise calories back Im feeling full and sluggish and fairly bloated after meals. Im guessing it will take a while for my body to adjust but its making exercising hard when Im in that kind of 'ooh that was a lot of food lets cat nap until it goes away' mood.


    Exactly!!
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