"starvation mode"

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many days my food diary tells me i may be in 'starvation mode', however i am in no way under eating i feel, and am hardly ever hungry, only before meals, just at normal times, since i started eating healthy and exercising my appetite is not as big as it used to be, i thought this was normal...

anyway i don't want to be in "starvation mode" but also don't want to force myself to eat when i'm not hungry..
anyone else have this problem?
any tips?
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Replies

  • Chunkabutt83
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    everyone has different opinions on this. Most tell you anything under 1200 is starvation mode and to eat until you get over that. Myself, I believe in listening to your body and eating when your hungry. To me, eating when your not hungry seems to be how most of us got here in the first place.
  • michaelachallis
    michaelachallis Posts: 137 Member
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    To me, eating when your not hungry seems to be how most of us got here in the first place.

    exactly!
  • 6heatherb6
    6heatherb6 Posts: 469 Member
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    everyone has different opinions on this. Most tell you anything under 1200 is starvation mode and to eat until you get over that. Myself, I believe in listening to your body and eating when your hungry. To me, eating when your not hungry seems to be how most of us got here in the first place.
    Perfectly said....
    EVERYONE will have an 'EXPERT' opinion....I eat about 1000 cal/day and it's great for me....shhhhh guess what...I'M NOT STARVING!!!!
    :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

    Listen to your tummy and your heart...

    All the very best
  • MaryRarick
    MaryRarick Posts: 12 Member
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    I find that if I start eating earlier in the day and eat mini meals throughout the day it's a little easier.
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
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    I would suggest eating more calorie dense foods that are healthy, things like avocado, nuts, nut butter, salmon...that way you don't have to eat so much of it and it will give you good nutrition.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    Even 1200 puts me in starvation mode... I completely stopped losing weight until I upped mine to 1400.

    It's really more of a personal thing...are you asking because you stopped losing weight or just reading posts and freaking out?
    Doing it once in awhile isn't going to hurt :) How much weight do you have to lose?

    Eating high protein and low carb will fill you up and keep you feeling full... I drink a lot of my calories making protein shakes between meals.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    Even 1200 puts me in starvation mode... I completely stopped losing weight until I upped mine to 1400.

    It's really more of a personal thing...are you asking because you stopped losing weight or just reading posts and freaking out?
    Doing it once in awhile isn't going to hurt :) How much weight do you have to lose?

    Eating high protein and low carb will fill you up and keep you feeling full... I drink a lot of my calories making protein shakes between meals.
  • michaelachallis
    michaelachallis Posts: 137 Member
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    great thanks heaps everyone :)
  • TruckerChick
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    The bad thing about the whole starvation mode thing - and what they mean by that - is when the body goes into starvation mode, it will hold onto, or store, every calorie it takes in, regardless of how much you burn by exercising, because it believes you are in a time of famine. Unfortunately, this is an innate function of the body that we have no control over. You can do that for short periods of time, but if you continue to do it over long periods of time (like years), your body will start to break down its own muscle to use as energy because you aren't giving it enough expendable energy.

    Does that make sense??
  • Kym1610
    Kym1610 Posts: 333 Member
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    What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for everyone. I eat between 900-1100 cals a day generally. I am making healthier low cal food choices and I am not hungry the majority of the time. On the days I am I eat more. I tend to just listen to my body. You have to find what works for you.
  • michaelachallis
    michaelachallis Posts: 137 Member
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    denise - yes, that confirms what i guessed happened!
    xena - thanks! will give them a read
  • michaelachallis
    michaelachallis Posts: 137 Member
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    are you asking because you stopped losing weight or just reading posts and freaking out?
    Doing it once in awhile isn't going to hurt :) How much weight do you have to lose?

    i am still losing weight (have about 10kgs to go) , i just wanted to make sure i wasn't going about in an un-healthy fashion, seeing that little warning notice every day was worrying me!
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
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    I personally think starvation mode is a myth. [:
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    We can talk about opinions all day long. My opinion - read the links posted at the beginning of each section on the forum so you have a complete picture of how MFP is designed to work - then make your own decision. And just a note: if your body does hit "starvation mode" that doesn't mean you FEEL hungry, it means something along the line of chronically depriving your body of the nutrients it needs to function at a healthy level (malnourishment). The long-term effects of that can be dangerous.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    "Starvation mode" doesn't mean you are actually starving. Just means you are eating pretty low and your body MIGHT stop releasing fat stores and start running on only what you are giving it, slowing and/or stopping weight loss.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    are you asking because you stopped losing weight or just reading posts and freaking out?
    Doing it once in awhile isn't going to hurt :) How much weight do you have to lose?

    i am still losing weight (have about 10kgs to go) , i just wanted to make sure i wasn't going about in an un-healthy fashion, seeing that little warning notice every day was worrying me!

    There's a reason it gives you a warning. You can lose weight while being malnourished and not feeling hungry. True, only you can decide for yourself, but please read the links I suggested earlier, then make whatever decision you think is right.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I personally think starvation mode is a myth. [:

    This. Your body prefers to burn fat over the protein in your muscles. That's what it's stored for.
  • Navmachine
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    im pretty sure my daily calorie intake would freak people out into thinking i had some kind of eating disorder. i agree that every person is different, and to only eat when you feel hungry.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    "Only eat when you're hungry" does not work for everyone because in some cases, lack of appetite indicates metabolism slowing down.

    I hate the term "starvation mode" because it makes the whole thing sound like a black and white deal with no grays in between, and I don't think that's how it works. However, you can't deny that not fueling your body properly has negative influence on your metabolism. Proper nutrition is crucial in keeping your metabolism fired up.