How long does it take to enter starvation mode?

fevre
fevre Posts: 60 Member
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
How many days must one undereat in order to enter starvation mode? Would going under 1200 calories for just one day send the body into starvation mode? (Not that I have any trouble eating, haha, I'm just curious!)

Replies

  • peggybrant
    peggybrant Posts: 144 Member
    I don't think one day is gonna do it.
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
    No, one day will not do it. You have to eat below 1200 consistently. As for how long, it depends on how much fat you have. The more fat you have, the easier your body will deal with deficits, and the longer it would take you to reach starvation mode.
  • Belle_Fille
    Belle_Fille Posts: 469
    No, one day will not do it. You have to eat below 1200 consistently. As for how long, it depends on how much fat you have. The more fat you have, the easier your body will deal with deficits, and the longer it would take you to reach starvation mode.

    what he said^^^
  • bekdavis
    bekdavis Posts: 290 Member
    great topic!!! thanks for the post. I have lots of fat. hee!
  • aschroyer
    aschroyer Posts: 23
    I was curious because I have seen alot of people asking this question and warning me about it. So I found a link that may help.

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1574882/starvation_mode_dispelling_the_myths.html?cat=5
  • tiffsNEWlife
    tiffsNEWlife Posts: 145
    No, one day will not do it. You have to eat below 1200 consistently. As for how long, it depends on how much fat you have. The more fat you have, the easier your body will deal with deficits, and the longer it would take you to reach starvation mode.

    Well put!! Thank you!
  • Nysie5
    Nysie5 Posts: 215 Member
    thanks for the that article, cleared things up!
  • LittleMissAngi
    LittleMissAngi Posts: 243 Member
    Good to know.

    I hate that little notice if I don't eat enough, I feel like it's yelling at me!

    haha!!!!
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
    I was curious because I have seen alot of people asking this question and warning me about it. So I found a link that may help.

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1574882/starvation_mode_dispelling_the_myths.html?cat=5

    That article didn't impress me much. It was short on research and high on "this should be common sense". When you have to quote a study from 1944 to try to prove your point, it's not usually a very strong one.

    I've seen a lot more evidence that points to starvation mode causing the body to stop losing weight entirely.
  • RosieGB33nz
    RosieGB33nz Posts: 142
    If we eat it 12,000 calories everyday even with exercising, does this mean we wont go into staravation mode..... it tells me that i will go into starvation mode if i dont eat my exercise calories as well as the 1245 im to eath a day....
  • Ange_
    Ange_ Posts: 324 Member
    There are some people that think you can stop your body going into starvation mode by 'swinging' how much you eat each day over a week period. I've read articles that recommend going under your calorie goal by 200 calories 2 days a week, over by 200 calories 2 days a week and the rest your average calorie goal. The overall week consumption is then what you are aiming for anyway and the nice thing is that you can make the weekends your extra calorie days.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    I personally don't believe in starvation mode as many believe it to be.

    Starvation mode is Anorexia.
  • LikeNoOneElse84
    LikeNoOneElse84 Posts: 475 Member
    Thanks for the article
  • mrman44445
    mrman44445 Posts: 20
    for me takes 10 mintues hahaha
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    No, one day will not do it. You have to eat below 1200 consistently. As for how long, it depends on how much fat you have. The more fat you have, the easier your body will deal with deficits, and the longer it would take you to reach starvation mode.

    This
  • CraigIW
    CraigIW Posts: 176
    I personally don't believe in starvation mode as many believe it to be.

    Starvation mode is Anorexia.

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    This!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    There are some people that think you can stop your body going into starvation mode by 'swinging' how much you eat each day over a week period. I've read articles that recommend going under your calorie goal by 200 calories 2 days a week, over by 200 calories 2 days a week and the rest your average calorie goal. The overall week consumption is then what you are aiming for anyway and the nice thing is that you can make the weekends your extra calorie days.

    This isn't starvation mode, this is stagnating. If you body gets used to something, it adapts and maintains.
  • Malvarez2013
    Malvarez2013 Posts: 19 Member
    Here is an article that will answer all questions about starvation mode. http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/weight-loss/truth-starvation-mode
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Here is an article that will answer all questions about starvation mode. http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/weight-loss/truth-starvation-mode

    I followed the link from this to the study about how starvation affected test subjects psychologically and it was scary as all get out. :/
  • Boring2Fit
    Boring2Fit Posts: 182
    I personally don't believe in starvation mode as many believe it to be.

    Starvation mode is Anorexia.

    You cannot assume that someone has Anorexia because they ate less than 1200 calories. I can understand your point but anorexia can be a very severe mental health issue
  • LaurasClimb
    LaurasClimb Posts: 211 Member
    I was on the "Alternate Day Diet" for over a year. Basically, I ate 500 calories every other day and ate whatever on the alternate days. I know, sounds crazy. But I lost 50 lbs and never went into starvation mode. Actually, the only reason I stopped was because I joined a gym and knew I needed more than 500 calories when I worked out.
  • KarlDR
    KarlDR Posts: 55 Member
    I'd also add that the figure of 1200 which is commonly referenced is not necessarily accurate for everyone. I am much bigger than most people, and I only have to drop to about 1800 for a week or so to see my weight loss stop dead until I've had a week of 2500 cals.
  • auticus
    auticus Posts: 1,051 Member
    There is starvation mode... there is also your body coping with you dropping your caloric intake and making adjustments on its own.

    It's easy to just torture oneself with few calories to try to undo being fat... but that really usually backfires in your face for many reasons. I recommend researching it.

    There is no silver bullet.
  • adjones5
    adjones5 Posts: 938 Member
    bump
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    How many days must one undereat in order to enter starvation mode? Would going under 1200 calories for just one day send the body into starvation mode? (Not that I have any trouble eating, haha, I'm just curious!)
    It takes a few weeks or more actually.

    Usually after a long period of time on too little calories on some silly crash diet -- BOOM. .... metabolism starts to slow in an effort to save you from it's perceived famine...lol

    This won't happen in one day or even a week on too little calories, so fear not, and this whole concept of "starvation mode" is a bit hyped.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    How many days must one undereat in order to enter starvation mode? Would going under 1200 calories for just one day send the body into starvation mode? (Not that I have any trouble eating, haha, I'm just curious!)
    It takes a few weeks or more actually.

    Usually after a long period of time on too little calories on some silly crash diet -- BOOM. .... metabolism starts to slow in an effort to save you from it's perceived famine...lol

    This won't happen in one day or even a week on too little calories, so fear not, and this whole concept of "starvation mode" is a bit hyped.

    I do kind of wonder if this still holds true for people with a history of yo-yo dieting, though. I wonder if we tend to go into starvation mode faster.

    Maybe not, though, it might be that we simply end up with a slower metabolism at the start of our latest weight loss attempt.
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
    for me takes 10 mintues hahaha

    Lmao this is what I was going to say!
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    How many days must one undereat in order to enter starvation mode? Would going under 1200 calories for just one day send the body into starvation mode? (Not that I have any trouble eating, haha, I'm just curious!)
    It takes a few weeks or more actually.

    Usually after a long period of time on too little calories on some silly crash diet -- BOOM. .... metabolism starts to slow in an effort to save you from it's perceived famine...lol

    This won't happen in one day or even a week on too little calories, so fear not, and this whole concept of "starvation mode" is a bit hyped.

    I do kind of wonder if this still holds true for people with a history of yo-yo dieting, though. I wonder if we tend to go into starvation mode faster.

    Maybe not, though, it might be that we simply end up with a slower metabolism at the start of our latest weight loss attempt.
    For sure!
    It's different for everybody, and we must remember that the whole physiological response is an internal survival mechanism.
    It's a good thing!
    So, how can we use this? I use it with a weekly deficit offset with a high calorie "free day" to shock the metabolism.

    And...it's just fun!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories