starvation mode

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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    i ask because the main study, the minnesota starvation experiment, cut the subjects' calories to near starvation levels for 4 months and found that metabolism slowed some, but not much, in order to try to prevent tissue loss. but metabolism didn't slow that much. instead of losing 3 lbs a week, a subject would instead lose around 2.5 lbs a week.

    Did that study also reveal any muscle loss, tissue loss, brain function change, organ damage? Did they even test to see if that was happening or was it strictly weight loss.

    go here and read about it

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment

    the point wasn't that people should starve themselves for weightloss. the point is that hardly anyone is in "starvation mode" while dieting. the subjects in the study were ideal weight when the experiment was started, and it took months of severely restricted calories before it messed up their metabolism (and it didn't even mess it up that much).

    other side effects are pretty awful, such as depression, anxiety, hallucinations, etc. but that doesn't matter because most people who are overweight and on a calorie restricted diet aren't going to go into starvation mode.

    Yes you can be on a calorie restrictive diet but those diets typically are not lower than your basal metabolism rate, they are a reduction of your current grossly high calorie intake. You are making it sound like this study is some sort of vindication for those who advocate a dangerously low calorie diet. Shame on you sir. You have taken a 1400 page study which ended with horrible side effect and in some case mutilation and have boiled it down to " you don't go into starvation mode right away "

    **edited by MFP moderator**. i didn't claim anywhere that people need to starve themselves, or that they should, i'm only stating that what people claim that others are in "starvation mode" that it isn't the case, and scientific studies support my claim.

    Well, there it is. You are right and everyone else is wrong. Well done.
  • Fit_Canuck
    Fit_Canuck Posts: 788 Member
    The fact that you would use that word to describe someone just goes to show why this discussion is over for me. And you should be ashamed of yourself for writing it here.
  • WifeMomDVM
    WifeMomDVM Posts: 1,025 Member
    I believe starvation mode is something that happens when someone drastically restricts their calories for a long period of time and then they stop losing weight and continue trying to slash calories until they are eating a ridiculously low amount each day - maybe 800-1000 calories - though I've seen some short people on here swear this is all they need. Then when they realize this isn't sustainable and try to eat a "normal" amount of calories - they get upset about gaining weight.

    I think (IMHO) that it would be exceedingly difficult to get one's needed fiber, vitamins, minerals, and daily protein on such a low number of calories.

    Therefore - I'm one of those advocates on the boards that thinks just about everyone should be eating more than 1200 calories a day. Why? My observations that the HEALTHIEST people I've found on this site - eat quite a bit. I tried to do what they did and it worked for me.

    Now I know there is more than one way to skin a cat - but I'm a firm believer in the camp of feeding your body nutritionally well, keeping your hormones in balance and listening to your "hunger" signals and exercising regularly for health benefits.

    Not sure if I really answered your question but at least I got to share my opinion. Yours can be different from mine - and that's ok. Whatever makes you happy.
  • applekoko19
    applekoko19 Posts: 85 Member
    That Minnesota study was done using men who started out at a healthy weight so I don't really thing you can say that the same sorts of responses would occur in the bodies of obese people (like me). Also it was done only using men as test subjects and even my cat could tell you that weight-loss in men and women follows differing trends. Obviously the research is insufficient so for now we just need to listen to our own bodies and see what they are saying!

    my point is that people need to stop using "starvation mode" as the response to people who are overweight not losing weight for some small amount of time. it is also absurd to expect overweight people to go into starvation mode faster, given their body's stores of energy, than people who are of ideal weight.

    Sorry maybe I wasn't being clear... In my own way I was agreeing with you about how 'starvation mode' is used all over MFP. I eat around 900cals a day but they are coming from much better food than I was eating when I ate 2000PLUS. When I said we need to listen to our bodies I ment just that if a person is starving themselves I would imagine they would feel intense hunger.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    I think that starvation mode is a dieting myth. But I do believe that upping your calories CAN result in greater weight loss simply because if you have more energy you move more and may be less likely to overeat or under estimate your calories. But when people who aren't losing weight or who are gaining weight get told to eat more I feel really bad for them, especially on this site, when there's a very real possibility they're over estimating their calories burned and are probably already overeating. That's just what I think and I could very well be wrong. Everyone needs to find and do what works for them and if starvation mode makes them feel better about losing weight in a slow, healthy rate more power to them.

    Are You In The Starvation Mode or Starving For Truth?

    http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    The fact that you would use that word to describe someone just goes to show why this discussion is over for me. And you should be ashamed of yourself for writing it here.


    Ditto that.
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
    serious question. i want all the people who are on these forums that throw around the term "starvation mode" to come in here and state what they believe it is and why they believe it

    biologic, this question was only posed so you could call people out? Really, this is covered thousands of times already on this site and many others.

    After five years on this site, I have learned that you cannot reach everyone. It would be better if you just post helpfully and frequently, without trying to "fix" everyone to agree with you.

    There are tens of thousands of people on this site. Many people come and go every day. Please try to be a positive force.

    I have to agree with CM here. You are inciting a riot on the basis that you want to ONCE and FOR ALL end the debate... in a couple of responses you have made you seem to be flitting your eyelashes and acting all innocent as if you didn't know that this is a subject of much debate on these forums.

    There are new people joining this site every minute of every day (maybe not specific times - I don't want to be called out on not knowing my stats!). This ensures that there will be someone asking or stating "starvation mode" just as often.

    Each individual is different. A certain diet may work for one that does not work for the next. A type of diet may work for a length of time for multiple people... but there are specific studies on this effect and if you truly want the information, rather than trying to incite a riot, you would search the annals of google or the American Journal of Medicine, not the individual people of this site -- most of whom are not doctors or nutritionists either.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    serious question. i want all the people who are on these forums that throw around the term "starvation mode" to come in here and state what they believe it is and why they believe it

    biologic, this question was only posed so you could call people out? Really, this is covered thousands of times already on this site and many others.

    After five years on this site, I have learned that you cannot reach everyone. It would be better if you just post helpfully and frequently, without trying to "fix" everyone to agree with you.

    There are tens of thousands of people on this site. Many people come and go every day. Please try to be a positive force.

    I agree.

    Also, http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390234-does-starvation-mode-exist-and-what-is-it
  • biologic
    biologic Posts: 81
    serious question. i want all the people who are on these forums that throw around the term "starvation mode" to come in here and state what they believe it is and why they believe it

    biologic, this question was only posed so you could call people out? Really, this is covered thousands of times already on this site and many others.

    After five years on this site, I have learned that you cannot reach everyone. It would be better if you just post helpfully and frequently, without trying to "fix" everyone to agree with you.

    There are tens of thousands of people on this site. Many people come and go every day. Please try to be a positive force.

    I have to agree with CM here. You are inciting a riot on the basis that you want to ONCE and FOR ALL end the debate... in a couple of responses you have made you seem to be flitting your eyelashes and acting all innocent as if you didn't know that this is a subject of much debate on these forums.

    There are new people joining this site every minute of every day (maybe not specific times - I don't want to be called out on not knowing my stats!). This ensures that there will be someone asking or stating "starvation mode" just as often.

    Each individual is different. A certain diet may work for one that does not work for the next. A type of diet may work for a length of time for multiple people... but there are specific studies on this effect and if you truly want the information, rather than trying to incite a riot, you would search the annals of google or the American Journal of Medicine, not the individual people of this site -- most of whom are not doctors or nutritionists either.

    i just started coming here like 4 days ago. the reason i brought this up is because "starvation mode" is overused and misunderstood. so i want people to come in here and state what they believe it to be and why (as in, they read scientific journals and can cite the reasons why they believe it, or they just heard it and are parroting what someone told them). i don't see why that is such a big deal.

    if you believe something then you should state why you believe it.
  • biologic
    biologic Posts: 81
    serious question. i want all the people who are on these forums that throw around the term "starvation mode" to come in here and state what they believe it is and why they believe it

    biologic, this question was only posed so you could call people out? Really, this is covered thousands of times already on this site and many others.

    After five years on this site, I have learned that you cannot reach everyone. It would be better if you just post helpfully and frequently, without trying to "fix" everyone to agree with you.

    There are tens of thousands of people on this site. Many people come and go every day. Please try to be a positive force.

    I agree.

    Also, http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390234-does-starvation-mode-exist-and-what-is-it

    yes, more people need to read this before using "starvation mode" in any of their replies.
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,179 Member
    I see a recurring theme in your posts on this thread about what people "need" to do or "should" do when discussing starvation mode. You might be more persuasive if you just shared your thoughts and didn't try to tell other people how to share theirs. That and calling someone a derogatory name totally discredited you in my opinion. I see that post has been removed, as it well should have.
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    You're going way overboard and making this a bigger deal than what it is.

    True "starvation" happens when we are close to death and our body start metabolizing muscle and organs for energy.

    As far as diets go many doctors and researchers are calling the state where leptin and declined a "famine" or "starvation" response. I also believe that it's a process that slowly develops over time, and actually the biggest problem with "starvation mode" as it pertains to diets, is keeping the weight off.

    I am certified in nutrition and personal trainer, I have and MD on my team, and dietitians I work with, Most importantly I fought obesity on the front lines,I lived it! Once I realized that this is very much a FACT and the reason I would plateau and constantly yo-yo my weight. I was able to plan and win the battle once and for all.

    Can people still lose weight in "starvation mode" yes of course they can. You said the guys in the M.S.S went from 3lbs to 2.5lbs weight loss per week. If that's true they lost 1,750 calories of expended energy to their metabolism. To me this matters. IMO, any type of metabolic slowdown is unacceptable.

    The thing about "starvation mode" is that it's really easy to get out of. Calorie restriction cause leptin decline and calorie surplus causes leptin to spike. Take one day a week and eat more than you need and it's over.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I can understand Biologic's frustration - this site is the only place I have ever seen mention of "starvation mode", and it does seem to be the first answer anyone gives when a poster asks "why am I not losing?" - regardless of their actual situation!

    But I accept that I can't change people's minds, and so I use the Buddhist chant of Let go, let go, let go" and step away from teh interwebs.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    yes...I also understand the op's frustration. I have finally learned that nothing on these types of forums ever changes. With new people coming in all the time, the same things happen over and over. Starvation mode is misunderstood here and used (with probable good intention, maybe) much too often. Debates will never end on fad diets...on drinking pop.....etc.

    what really bothers me though is the admitted number of young people on these forums. The rules require us to be at least 18. I have seen numerous posts by admitted 15 year olds asking for and getting advice. Often the advice seems "ok". But advice is also given to these kids that is irresponsible for even an adult..

    OP- you can try to change it but it aint gonna change.
  • kessamode
    kessamode Posts: 3
    depends on wat kind of starvation we're talking about. are we talking about ''i skipped breakfast once or twice'' or wat i call real starvation: those who are dominated by it every single day. we see starvation, they say selfcontrol, literally dying to be thin.
    wat started as a harmless diet turned into a world war 3 of ur own: you vs food

    and fyi starvation for me is when the person is dying, not trying to be thin aka stupid
  • wenders123
    wenders123 Posts: 338 Member
    Dear Posters,

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