A trick around starvation mode?

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PenguinPrincess
PenguinPrincess Posts: 101
in Food and Nutrition
Everyone threatens if you don't at least 1200 calories a day you'll put your body in starvation mode and not only stop losing weight, but probably gain weight.

I read an article that said you could eat around 800 a day for two days in a row, then eat at least 1200 calories (more if you exercise) that next day and this continued pattern would make you lose weight, but prevent your body from going into starvation mode.

Any thoughts?
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Replies

  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    OR, you could just eat enough on a daily basis and lose weight the healthy way.
  • ashnm88
    ashnm88 Posts: 748
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    Interesting fact, thanks for sharing.
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
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    I didn't eat a "net" of 1200 cals every day and was fine. Im maintaing now, no probs! I think some ppl put too much into "starvation mode".
  • owlcalls
    owlcalls Posts: 16
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    Some say starvation mode is a myth, so who knows.
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
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    While I'm sure (in extreme situations) starvation mode exists and all that, it's called starvation for a reason. You're not going to starve on something a little less than 1200 calories. Yes, that's a healthy guideline, but scaring people into thinking they're in starvation mode is silly. Go out on a mountain and eat a handful of berries every day and you'll go into starvation mode. Eat 900 calories? No. No, you won't.
  • irunforfun
    irunforfun Posts: 113 Member
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    Eat clean, move your body more. I started this whole eating under 1,200 calorie thing. The only thing it did for me was make me depressed, sure I lost weight but I felt like ****. I'd rather have the calories in me to do the things I enjoy. I still eat between 1,200 and 1,300 most days but I never go below that.
  • CarlyC08
    CarlyC08 Posts: 63
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    OR, you could just eat enough on a daily basis and lose weight the healthy way.

    Exactly!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Zig-zagging calories is quite common. Starvation mode occurs if you go under calories for weeks to months consistently, not one or two days.
  • karine05p
    karine05p Posts: 1
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    I don't get why you would want to do that... How could you not be constantly hungry with 800 calories? How could you possibly build strength, muscles, tone, or just have energy at all?. Plus if you eat just 800 calories a day (which is probably half of what you should be eating to maintain if NOT exercising), what do you think happens when you get back to normal?

    Someone has to explain to me the whole point of wanting to eat so little because it isn't the first time i read this and i just do not understand. 1200-1500 is already VERY little of a calorie-intake and is good if you have quite a bit of fat to lose in my opinion. Otherwise you will lose fat, but pretty much eveything else
  • Vahana
    Vahana Posts: 3 Member
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    Yeah I pretty much ate 1300 calories a day but with exercise I only netted 500-700 each day. I lost a pound a week for the last 5 months very consistantly. Do what fits you the best! Every person't body is going to react different....
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,319 Member
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    I suppose it could work.. but 1.5 pounds a week is good, don't screw it up.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    While I'm sure (in extreme situations) starvation mode exists and all that, it's called starvation for a reason. You're not going to starve on something a little less than 1200 calories. Yes, that's a healthy guideline, but scaring people into thinking they're in starvation mode is silly. Go out on a mountain and eat a handful of berries every day and you'll go into starvation mode. Eat 900 calories? No. No, you won't.

    Actually, eat 900 calories consistently over a few months and yes, you certainly will. As your body catabolizes muscle to make up the difference your BMR drops, once your BMR drops to 900 or below, you will stall on weight loss, and then start gaining. It doesn't happen over night, but it does happen eventually.
  • sara709
    sara709 Posts: 170 Member
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    I didn't eat a "net" of 1200 cals every day and was fine. Im maintaing now, no probs! I think some ppl put too much into "starvation mode".

    You didn't net 1200 but you still ate 1200
  • Fat2Fit2012
    Fat2Fit2012 Posts: 18
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    calorie zig zaging its called i believe ! have not tried it
  • lor007
    lor007 Posts: 884 Member
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    I would rather enjoy food and not be miserable.

    Thanks for the trick, though! :flowerforyou:
  • paper_doll_
    paper_doll_ Posts: 64
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    Sounds like a similar theory to intermittent fasting. Like any weight loss idea, it will work great for some people and not for others. There will be people who say it is a great idea and safe etc, and people who will say it isn't.

    Ultimately, a couple of days a week of very low calories is not going to make you unwell, as long as you make sure you are getting enough nutrition overall.
  • LisaJ135
    LisaJ135 Posts: 5
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    Your probably right , I would say 2 days would be Max before the body decided to slow down your metabolism ,but I would think by the 3rd day you well eat to much.
  • foremant86
    foremant86 Posts: 1,115 Member
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    whyyyyyyyyyyyyy would you ever want to eat so little? it's absolutely ridiculous.

    with a good diet and a bit of exercise you can eat MORE than 1200 calories and lose weight.

    i work out 25 minutes a day and eat around 1500-1700 calories and have lost 21lbs in 2 1/2 months.
  • robinso5
    robinso5 Posts: 310 Member
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    Starvation mode does exist and i am a blatant example of it! i have maintained an unhealthy weight of 245 lbs. for well over 7 years! wanna know how, because i was eating too little! i would go days without eating anything but breakfast and maybe a sub trying to lose weight only to notice i never really LOST anything! i was in maintanance mode. whatever my body got it used to keep me alive and comfortable so therefore i never let go of anything i put in my body. now i know i need to eat atleast 1200 to keep me going and help in this weight loss journey so i try to eat atleast 1200 and some of my exercise calories even if i have to drink an additional protien shake after dinner!
  • robinso5
    robinso5 Posts: 310 Member
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    and starvation mode isnt on purpose you just kind of get used to eating a small amount and that actually fills you up.

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