Help from the starvation mode experts!

momof2osaurus
momof2osaurus Posts: 477 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been trying to educate myself on starvation mode and nutrition in general. I've lost weight in the past, but it was with NutriSystem and therefore I didn't have to think about anything. Until I stopped doing it and started gaining weight, anyway. :grumble:

Anyway, according to MFP, my BMR is 1753 calories. According to the fancy fancy scale at the gym, my BMR is about 1820. I have my activity set at sedentary, and I've selected that I want to lose 2 lbs/week - which is not unreasonable, given that I weigh 220 lbs. From some maintenance calorie calculators I've found, I'd need to eat about 2150 calories a day to maintain. I'm 5'6.5", so my BMI is about 35.1. From what I understand from the (very helpful!) posts here, I don't need to worry too much about starvation mode at this point - even though I'm really close to the 1000 calorie/day deficit where you start to be concerned. Is that right? I am losing weight, but it's pretty slow given my size - a pound, maybe a pound and a half a week. My exercise is hit or miss, so eating my exercise calories isn't much of a concern just yet.

Thank you for any help!! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • kasmir8199
    kasmir8199 Posts: 507 Member
    If your BMR is 1820, you need to get in 1820. I little under us ok, but not drastically under. BMR or RMR tell how much your body needs a day if you were to do absolutely nothing but rest. So, adding activity on top of that, you'll need more energy. When you over exercise and under consume, your body begins to draw glycogen from your lean muscle mass, not the stored fat that you're trying to get rid of. You don't want to lose muscle mass.
  • Lizzy_Sunflower
    Lizzy_Sunflower Posts: 1,510 Member
    here are a few more things to read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/stroutman81/view/calories-for-larger-folks-138169


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

    I particularly like the one titled your bodies thoughts on calories

    It's also important to remember that you can change things along the way, once you know how your body reacts to them.

    Good luck on your journey and happy reading!

    :drinker:
  • PhilipHall
    PhilipHall Posts: 37 Member
    I have been told that men should eat a min of 1500 cal a day to avoid the dreaded starvation mode. I hit a plateau or went into a starvation mode because I was only eating 1200 cals a day for a while. I have done a good bit of research and discovered that just about everyone has a different opinion on this subject. It is my experience that the most effective way to loose weight is to boost your metabolism to make your body be working for you instead of against you. I think this is best accomplished by eating 4-5 small (400-600 cal) meals per day with a diet high in protein and incorporating a cardio workout of at least 45 min 3 days per week. If you exercise more you will loose more. This is just my 2 cents. Good luck!!

    I try to roughly keep a 1:1 ratio of carbs to protein and a 2:1 or as much as a 3:1 ratio of protein to fat.
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
    Good for you for searching and wanting info. I recommend reading stroutman's blog and posts. I'm currently reading his nutrition 101 on his site. If I weren't on a phone I'd link it but you can find a link on his blog. I bet it gives you all the info you need.

    Also consider the bodyforlife method/book/website. Very intense yet customizable exercise and reasonable food. On the whole, it's balanced and lots of people including myself and others have earned good results following the plan.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I've been trying to educate myself on starvation mode and nutrition in general. I've lost weight in the past, but it was with NutriSystem and therefore I didn't have to think about anything. Until I stopped doing it and started gaining weight, anyway. :grumble:

    Anyway, according to MFP, my BMR is 1753 calories. According to the fancy fancy scale at the gym, my BMR is about 1820. I have my activity set at sedentary, and I've selected that I want to lose 2 lbs/week - which is not unreasonable, given that I weigh 220 lbs. From some maintenance calorie calculators I've found, I'd need to eat about 2150 calories a day to maintain. I'm 5'6.5", so my BMI is about 35.1. From what I understand from the (very helpful!) posts here, I don't need to worry too much about starvation mode at this point - even though I'm really close to the 1000 calorie/day deficit where you start to be concerned. Is that right? I am losing weight, but it's pretty slow given my size - a pound, maybe a pound and a half a week. My exercise is hit or miss, so eating my exercise calories isn't much of a concern just yet.

    Thank you for any help!! :flowerforyou:

    a pound to a pound and a half per week is a really good rate of loss, so you shouldnt be worried, you're doing a great job!
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