starvation mode

Midnightsun04
Midnightsun04 Posts: 33
in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys! I'm wondering about the starvation mode your body go into when you eat too little calories. MFP has the number set to 1200 for everyone. I'm 5'2 and petite, about 110 right now. I'm not sure if the 1200 is my 'starvation mode' number because I'm smaller than most people. Also how do you know when you hit starvation mode? Are there warning signs?
I've been eating pretty consistently at around 1200-1300 with out eating my exercise calories back. I'm just kind of curious about his whole thing. I don't want to slip into starvation mode by accident, but if I eat more than about 1500 I start gaining.

Replies

  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
    Nails getting brittle, hair falling out, for women period becoming very short/light or none at all, lack of energy are all string indicators you're not eating enough.
  • susanofscottsdale
    susanofscottsdale Posts: 114
    "Starvation mode" may or may not exist - study results are mixed. And, if it does exist it is the result of long-term dieting with a daily calorie deficit of 500-1000+ per day, not a short term or intermittant deficit.

    Many people who comment here on MFP seem to embrace the notion that eating more causes weight loss. It does not. People may see short term fluctuations in weight that support this notion, expecially when combined with a lot of wishful thinking. Seeing the red letter message in food tracking if you are even 1 calorie below the target further reinforces this notion.

    Yes, your calorie needs vary based on your body size, age and activity levels. Calculate your BMR, which can be done in the MFP Tools section, to learn your base calorie needs per day.
  • lobbylobster
    lobbylobster Posts: 33 Member
    A study I read says that consuming less than 1200 calories will only lower your metabolism by a maximum of 15%. People on here get too worked up about consuming a bare minimum of 1200. I eat until I'm full, if its not 1200 worth of food, tough.
    The only thing to be concerned about is whether you are receiving adequate nutrition.

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