Starvation Mode and Dukan Diet

Forget diets. Eat the right amount of calories for weight loss. Think long term. It is expected to stop losing weight on these programs.

I did a week of the 6 week body makeover before realizing I was only getting about 800 calories... make sure you stay above 1200 after exercise!

"We’ve all seen the countless threads and posts about starvation mode. Many contain a lot of misinformation and apply the concept too broadly. It’s my aim to clear up some misconceptions (of both believers and non-believers). I’m going to try to keep this simple and straightforward and easily understandable.

What is Starvation Mode?
Starvation Mode – aka survival mode, famine response, adaptive thermogenesis

Starvation mode is a reaction to inadequate energy. If your food intake is too low to meet energy requirements, the body starts accessing inside sources. It will attempt to access fat stores first, and in the highest proportion. If you have a lot of fat stores, most of the energy will come from fat, and a little from muscle. If you have less fat stores, most will still come from fat, but a higher percentage will come from lean tissue, such as muscles. The leaner you get, the more difficult it is for the body to access fat quickly.

When the body perceives intake to be too low and energy stores (fat) to be inadequate for making up the difference quickly, it begins to compensate to prolong survival. First, it slows metabolism (the rate at which you use energy.) If intake continues to be too low, it then begins to access muscle, because it is easier and faster. The loss of lean tissue further slows metabolism. If this cycle continues for a significant period, at the right levels, it results in an ever-decreasing metabolism. This means a person can eat less and less (to a point), and still have slow or no weight loss because the body’s energy requirements have decreased. Remember that total energy requirements include BMR, daily activity and purposeful exercise.

Who is at Risk?
Most people with large amounts of fat stores are not at risk of starvation mode. This is usually women over 35% body fat and men over 25% body fat, but there is no exact point. They have sufficient energy stores to supplement the body’s needs for energy (however, they still have other needs that must be met, such as vitamins and minerals). The closer a person is to a healthy BMI, the higher risk and consequences of starvation mode.

When Does it Happen?
It doesn’t happen by skipping a meal or even a whole day or at 1200, 1000, or any other random cal number. Typically, metabolism will begin to decrease after about 72 hours of significantly inadequate intake. But this is dependent on the individual’s specific situation – what the energy requirements are, how much fat they have, and the exact level of intake. The loss of lean tissue begins sometime later. It could be days, weeks or months. It may be at 1200 for one person, and 2000 for another. Again, it depends on the individual and will be a different point for everyone.

Then Why are Anorexics Skinny?
Anorexics were “normal” weight at some point. They began decreasing intake and using up fat stores. How long this takes depends, again, on energy requirements and actual intake. The body has a “range” in which it feels comfortable accessing fat, without decreasing metabolism too much or burning too much muscle. As an average, this is between 250 and 1000 calories below maintenance requirements. When you drop below this range, the body begins starvation mode reactions. Anorexics WERE in starvation mode at some point – but they continued to decrease intake. There is a level of extreme calorie restriction and lack of fat stores at which starvation mode turns into actual starvation. The body is adaptable, but it has its limits. At this point, the body has no choice but to burn everything – fat, muscle, organs, hair, skin, etc - simply to sustain bodily functions. Severe anorexia is the result of continuous extreme calorie restriction and malnutrition (typically below 500 cals). You can try it their way. But remember, a lot of them develop horrible diseases from malnutrition and many of them die.

But Some People Claim You GAIN Weight in Starvation Mode?
Starvation Mode itself will not cause weight gain. However, a combination of starvation mode, binges, and carb loading, can cause weight gain. Once the metabolism decreases, your energy requirements are lower. So you have to eat less just to maintain your current weight. The body has become more efficient at using and storing energy. But most people have a hard time maintaining a very low intake consistently for long periods. So if your typical intake is 1000 (just an example), but you have occasional binges of 3000 and the binge is mostly carbs, the body can’t use all of that at one time anymore. So the body shuttles it to fat storage. This won’t be a huge gain, but a lb or two a month maybe. It’s not dramatic, but if someone lives this way for years, they can gain a decent amount of weight.
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I've been on the dukan diet for just over 3 weeks and have lost 8 pounds - I think you might need to up your food intake, if I'm hungry I eat more (just allowed foods) and make sure I still count calories on here so I know I'm not under my 1200 a day limit.

a typical cruise day PP for me is : galette pancake with yoghurt, smoked salmon & light cream cheese, & mustard chicken for dinner (usually about two drumsticks and a thigh or until I am full!) and mid day snack of yoghurt

a cruise PV day for me is: Gallette pancake, steak with asparagus, & dinner can be mushroom, cottage cheese and roasted fish. A midday snack of cooked rhubard with an oabran topping or I sometimes freeze my yoghurt in a lolly form and have that.

good luck!

I am on the Dukan diet at the moment and the weight is dropping off me. Virtually exactly as he describes in the book. If this isn't the case for you then I would give it a miss. It is very restrictive in the beginning so it may be doing you more harm than good.

Personally, counting calories does not work for me. I have polycystic ovaries so if eat too many carbs/sugars the weight piles on. Regardless if I'm only taking 1200 calories a day.

You need to take this into account when trying to lose weight. Everyone is different and reacts in different ways to the types of foods we eat and how we exercise.

A lot of what the Dukan diet teaches you is very useful for the long term. And the beginning of the diet is really good if you're trying to wean yourself off something (for me it's wine, beer and sugary condiments). I'm only half way through the 2nd week and already the nagging hunger I used to suffer from has gone completely. And I'm not craving anything. Plus cutting down salt means that I can now taste my food and don't need all the condiments I used to pile on.

Anyway, just thought I'd offer my 2 pence worth

Hi Spalfrey,

My sister & I have been doing dukan for 2 months now, I have lost 16 pounds, she has lost 15. My main advice to you is to be creative! i have eggs & turkey bacon for breakfast, a strip loin for lunch and chicken for dinner. My snacks include: oat bran cookie or vanilla moist cake (check out this forum for many delicious dukan recipes http://www.dukaners.com/), babybel lite cheese or laughing cow lite cheese, and occasionally jello sugar free chocolate pudding. I use a lot of spices and sauces in my cooking such as franks red hot sauce, soya sauce, and sugar free ketchup. Such add-on's make quite the difference. I even make oatbran pancakes and use sugar free syrup!

Don't give up hope, I have been a yo-yo dieter all my life going from very thin to slightly overweight. Dukan has taught me balance and control. We all stagnate. Make sure you eat more and the weight will go.

I see this post was a while ago, Im curious to hear how things turned out for you ;-)

Summer