Another starvation mode question

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sloew
sloew Posts: 106 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know about the starvation mode, I know I need to eat more calories to lose... I just recently uppsed it and have felt the diff myself but when I told my friend about it she asked why my body would go into starvation mode if I had 29% body fat?? I couldn't answer her... Does anyone know the answer?!

Thank you!

Replies

  • mamitosami
    mamitosami Posts: 531 Member
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    I found this interesting... http://fitnessblackbook.com/main/starvation-mode-why-you-probably-never-need-to-worry-about-it/

    From a fellow MFP'er.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I know about the starvation mode, I know I need to eat more calories to lose... I just recently uppsed it and have felt the diff myself but when I told my friend about it she asked why my body would go into starvation mode if I had 29% body fat?? I couldn't answer her... Does anyone know the answer?!

    Thank you!
    The term "starvation mode" is over dramatizing the simple notion of how metabolism is stifled when a calorie deficit is too high. Try not to have any more conversations about anything diet related.
    Just follow the MFP recommendations, eat to goal daily, and let your results speak for itself.
    This is how MFP works
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

    And Tips for Newbies
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/470367-tips-for-newbies

    When asked about your success, just say I eat less, and I exercise more.
    That's enough.
    And never use the term "starvation mode" again. It has no real meaning or definition.
  • DecemberNick
    DecemberNick Posts: 64 Member
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    The key to that discussion is your metabolism. I wouldn't necessarily call it starvation mode, but, as you deprive your body of sustenance, it will respond by slowing down your metabolism (fat burning included). Your body only knows one thing, it has to survive at all costs. Its response is to be more economic in its energy expenditure because, from what it's detecting, the next meal may be a ways off.

    When you eat more, you're telling your body that it has nothing to fear and to turn the burners back on. Metabolism speeds up and it gets less stingy with its resources. Obviously, eating a ton of food doesn't necessarily put this on full blast...you can eat faster than your body can cook it. You just have to strike that balance that kicks up your metabolism and permits you to get the nutrition you need for your frame.
  • fitfoodietrainer
    fitfoodietrainer Posts: 6 Member
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    Starvation Mode is when your body is literally burning your muscle for fuel, instead of burning stored fat.

    When you eat the correct amount (and ratios of macronutrients) for your metabolism and activity level, with a reasonable deficit, and eat small meals throughout the day, (as well as paying attention to the timing of your meals, eating most of your carbs around the time you exercise, etc.) you train your body to burn fat as fuel.

    To burn fat as fuel is actually a slow process, and your body can only metabolize about 2 lbs per week at the most (maybe a LITTLE more or less depending on your overall size), and if there is too much of a calorie deficit it will start pulling nutrients from wherever it can find them, including your muscles. And guess what - your heart is a muscle. Want to know what happens when someone dies of starvation? Usually heart failure, because the muscle tissue is so damaged.

    WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS (in Starvation Mode) WILL HAVE A HIGHER THAN NORMAL BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, EVEN IF THEY LOOK "THIN". (And it is possible to not look thin at all, and be in this mode.) They will carry most of their fat in the belly area, because it is easier for the liver to draw energy from fat if it's close by. Their lean muscle mass will be slowly depleting.

    It is imperative for long term weight loss and metabolic health to incorporate resistance training into your exercise routine, and eat enough to maintain or increase your lean muscle mass.

    Hope that gives you what you need to share with your friend! Also, I highly recommend working with a trainer - the users on this site are mostly great, but very few of them have the professional expertise needed to answer these types of questions.

    Take care!
  • Tubby2Toned
    Tubby2Toned Posts: 130 Member
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    Starvation Mode is when your body is literally burning your muscle for fuel, instead of burning stored fat.

    When you eat the correct amount (and ratios of macronutrients) for your metabolism and activity level, with a reasonable deficit, and eat small meals throughout the day, (as well as paying attention to the timing of your meals, eating most of your carbs around the time you exercise, etc.) you train your body to burn fat as fuel.

    To burn fat as fuel is actually a slow process, and your body can only metabolize about 2 lbs per week at the most (maybe a LITTLE more or less depending on your overall size), and if there is too much of a calorie deficit it will start pulling nutrients from wherever it can find them, including your muscles. And guess what - your heart is a muscle. Want to know what happens when someone dies of starvation? Usually heart failure, because the muscle tissue is so damaged.

    WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS (in Starvation Mode) WILL HAVE A HIGHER THAN NORMAL BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, EVEN IF THEY LOOK "THIN". (And it is possible to not look thin at all, and be in this mode.) They will carry most of their fat in the belly area, because it is easier for the liver to draw energy from fat if it's close by. Their lean muscle mass will be slowly depleting.

    It is imperative for long term weight loss and metabolic health to incorporate resistance training into your exercise routine, and eat enough to maintain or increase your lean muscle mass.

    Hope that gives you what you need to share with your friend! Also, I highly recommend working with a trainer - the users on this site are mostly great, but very few of them have the professional expertise needed to answer these types of questions.

    Take care!

    This is a great post. Thanks.
  • lisakyle_11
    lisakyle_11 Posts: 420 Member
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    bump - nice link!
  • lilojoke
    lilojoke Posts: 427 Member
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    I know about the starvation mode, I know I need to eat more calories to lose... I just recently uppsed it and have felt the diff myself but when I told my friend about it she asked why my body would go into starvation mode if I had 29% body fat?? I couldn't answer her... Does anyone know the answer?!

    Thank you!

    Yes we need to eat more but how much more? Nobody really knows and at the best its all a guess. I say your progress says it all depending on your goals and what your current routine is.

    "No one can tell you what you need to do. Not me, not this coach, not that trainer, not your mom, nor your significant other, not this fitness pro and not that expert. This process is truly one of introspection. We always want someone to tell us the answer or rescue us somehow. The humbling truth is that ultimately, there is no one that can do that for us. No magical plan or diet or coach or system. The “right” system for you will be the one you develop over time, on your own, based on your own unique insights, experiences and growth opportunities. The good news is that you get to create it–and it truly becomes what you make of it." - Jill Coleman

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