Question about the infamous starvation mode

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emmab0902
emmab0902 Posts: 2,337 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Let me preface this by saying I have special circumstances which require me to not fully abide by my MFP estimates. For one, I am on medication that suppresses metabolism and fat oxidation. Secondly, what I am eating now already represents a significant increase (and improvement in quality) on pre MFP intake. Pre MFP I doubt I would have eaten over 20g of protein a day, but probably ate 5 times that in sugar! So this thread is not about my food diary!

1) If starvation mode results in preservation of adipose tissue at the expense of muscle, would weight loss not be greater? I had thought that muscle loss was accompanied by a relative loss of water molecules, so wouldn't starvation mode result in apparent weight loss albeit muscle not fat?

2) What are the signs a person is or may be in starvation mode? Surely weight loss will continue albeit at a slower rate.

3) Doesn't eating a good protein intake and doing strength training offer some protection against loss of lean body mass? I realise that all weight loss is a combination of fat and muscle, but thought that strength training and a good protein intake helped preserve muscle loss.

Looking forward to input.

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  • BeverageTreats
    BeverageTreats Posts: 149 Member
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    1. To a point. The brain considers certain levels of muscle mass expendable in times of famine, but not all of the muscle mass that it takes for survival and a minimal level of motility and function.

    2. Usually when a person realizes, 1. above has already occurred about as far as it is going to go at the current intake level. Then they stop losing any more weight or it slows way down.

    3. Yes, but also to a point. If deficit is too high, muscle gets catabolized no matter which macronutrients the intake is made up of.
  • jedi9393
    jedi9393 Posts: 121
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    starvation mode is the craziest thing ever!! i ate under 1000 cal for 2 weeks. And didnt lose a pound. I was working out and everything. Eating healthy. Then this Saturday I eat almost 2000 calories and over night I lose 4 pounds. I hate my body it confuses me. I've eaten consistantly 1800 calories and no loss, Then take one day to eat 2300 and lose weight again. So I have to go up down and up and down in my calories.

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