Starvation mode?

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Replies

  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    There's a lot of opinions on starvation mode but it is very real. In short version, your metabolism slows down to conserve your body fat when you don't eat enough calories.

    If your body doesn't want to burn fat when it's starving, then what does it store fat for?

    because EVENTUALLY it will use the fat stores when no other sources of fuel are available. in addition, thermodynamics dictates that something must happen to excess fuel...it cannot vanish into thin air absent caloric expenditure via metabolic processes, exercise or TEF... so it's stored for future use. The problem is that we replenish our energy stores by eating BEFORE the stored fat is ever needed--so you have storage upon storage upon storage. That doesn't mean that the body will preferentially use the body fat in the case of a famine since muscle is more metabolically active and requires more energy to maintain. Therefore, it gets rid of this calorically "expensive" tissue first. Only after the body has basically eaten away its own muscle will the fat stores be targeted (in the case of fuel shortage of course).
  • FinallyFitAce
    FinallyFitAce Posts: 40
    The best analogy I have would be oil starvation in an engine. One may fill the engine with the highest quality oil, but if the quantity isn't adequate, oil starvation will occur and the engine will blow. In the other hand, if poor quality oil is used, but the adequate quantity is poured into the engine, it may not function at its optimal capacity, but oil starvation will not occur.

    ^^^ great analogy.
  • scottc561
    scottc561 Posts: 329 Member
    Starvation mode occurs when you consume 50% or less of your total calorie needs for an extended period of time. It is not based on your bmr, but your TDEE. In simple terms if you have a bmr of 2000 and a TDEE of 3000 per day. Say you ate only 1500 cal per day that would be a 50% reduction and you would slowly starve yourself. This has been well documented and the posters saying starvation mode doesn't exist need to do some research on the matter before spewing false info. Of course eating at a lower deficit can have the same affects but will take longer to achieve.

    Here's a study that was done on men right after WW2 to help figure out how best to treat all the starving people after the war.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment
  • Need2bfit918
    Need2bfit918 Posts: 133 Member
    several people seem to say starvation mode will prevent you from losing weight, but in those studies by the end they had little to no fat left. they also had very little muscle left , but their slower metabolism never slowed nearly enough to prevent weight loss ,at least not until they got to almost no body fat
  • ebony__
    ebony__ Posts: 519 Member
    everyones digressing a little from the topic, which wasnt 'is or is not starvation mode real' but, what are the contributing factors
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    everyones digressing a little from the topic, which wasnt 'is or is not starvation mode real' but, what are the contributing factors

    try this one - http://www.burnthefat.com/metabolic_damage.html
  • scottc561
    scottc561 Posts: 329 Member
    everyones digressing a little from the topic, which wasnt 'is or is not starvation mode real' but, what are the contributing factors
    i told you what the contributing factor is 2 posts up. Not what you wanted to hear?
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    is it your metabolisms job to keep your weight the same? my understanding is your body is made to store fat for later use, not just to keep

    This is correct.

    Fat is stored because the person consumed too many calories, the excess energy has to go somewhere and if it is not burned off during the day, it will be stored as fat.

    To burn it off, the person needs to move about and the more they move about the more energy they use up until they have no calories left during that day, the body will then start to burn off its reserve supply of energy - namely fat.
  • wiscyproblems
    wiscyproblems Posts: 16
    People need to be careful when quoting the study in WW2. It is important to note that the subjects only stopped losing weight and started actually catabolizing their lean muscle when they reached a body fat percentage of between 5-10%. It also should be noted that these subjects were taking part in extremely vigorous exercise for long periods of time during the study, while on a severely restricted diet.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    Starvation mode occurs when you consume 50% or less of your total calorie needs for an extended period of time. It is not based on your bmr, but your TDEE. In simple terms if you have a bmr of 2000 and a TDEE of 3000 per day. Say you ate only 1500 cal per day that would be a 50% reduction and you would slowly starve yourself. This has been well documented and the posters saying starvation mode doesn't exist need to do some research on the matter before spewing false info. Of course eating at a lower deficit can have the same affects but will take longer to achieve.

    Here's a study that was done on men right after WW2 to help figure out how best to treat all the starving people after the war.

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

    So you mean to tell me that if I eat 50.1% of my TDEE I'll be free and clear of starvation mode? SUH-WEET!
  • ebony__
    ebony__ Posts: 519 Member
    everyones digressing a little from the topic, which wasnt 'is or is not starvation mode real' but, what are the contributing factors
    i told you what the contributing factor is 2 posts up. Not what you wanted to hear?

    yeah thats great, my phone hadnt synced to see the most recent posts
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    People need to be careful when quoting the study in WW2. It is important to note that the subjects only stopped losing weight and started actually catabolizing their lean muscle when they reached a body fat percentage of between 5-10%. It also should be noted that these subjects were taking part in extremely vigorous exercise for long periods of time during the study, while on a severely restricted diet.

    People won't listen, because many people still think that even if they have a BF% of 30, they will cannibilize their own muscle, they are following certain ideas because it is what they want to hear. They don't want to listen to the ideas that they may actually need to cut their food down in order to lose weight, for some people that is too damn much to bear I guess.

    Things have gone beyond ridiculous.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    what people talk about here on MFP (eating too few calories) should actually be called "conservation mode" not starvation mode.

    eating too few calories causes your body to conserve energy and thus slows or even stops weight loss. starvation mode is drastic calorie deficit for prolonged time that causes the body to start eating muscle then eventual death. I dont suggest either.
  • MrsLVF
    MrsLVF Posts: 787 Member
    Starvation mode occurs when you consume 50% or less of your total calorie needs for an extended period of time. It is not based on your bmr, but your TDEE. In simple terms if you have a bmr of 2000 and a TDEE of 3000 per day. Say you ate only 1500 cal per day that would be a 50% reduction and you would slowly starve yourself. This has been well documented and the posters saying starvation mode doesn't exist need to do some research on the matter before spewing false info. Of course eating at a lower deficit can have the same affects but will take longer to achieve.

    Here's a study that was done on men right after WW2 to help figure out how best to treat all the starving people after the war.

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

    Hmmm interesting.
    My TDEE is only 1733 so your saying i can eat say 900 calories a day and won't go into starvation mode, because that's not less than 50%?
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    what people talk about here on MFP (eating too few calories) should actually be called "conservation mode" not starvation mode.

    eating too few calories causes your body to conserve energy and thus slows or even stops weight loss. starvation mode is drastic calorie deficit for prolonged time that causes the body to start eating muscle then eventual death. I dont suggest either.

    See, this is where I have a great problem with the whole notion.

    How can weightloss just stop, why would it stop when the body is still using energy?

    If it stops, what exactly is the body using for energy?

    The body will eat muscle when the bodyfat is under around 8%, that excludes the vast majority of people on this site. Before bodyfat reaches 8%, it will dig into its reserves of fat, which is what it is stored for.

    Much of the scaremongering that goes on on this site defies the laws of physics and is ridiculous to the extreme.

    Metabolism does not stop either, if it did people, you would all know about it, or your families and friends would, because you would be dead.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    what people talk about here on MFP (eating too few calories) should actually be called "conservation mode" not starvation mode.

    eating too few calories causes your body to conserve energy and thus slows or even stops weight loss. starvation mode is drastic calorie deficit for prolonged time that causes the body to start eating muscle then eventual death. I dont suggest either.

    See, this is where I have a great problem with the whole notion.

    How can weightloss just stop, why would it stop when the body is still using energy?

    If it stops, what exactly is the body using for energy?

    The body will eat muscle when the bodyfat is under around 8%, that excludes the vast majority of people on this site. Before bodyfat reaches 8%, it will dig into its reserves of fat, which is what it is stored for.

    Much of the scaremongering that goes on on this site defies the laws of physics and is ridiculous to the extreme.

    Metabolism does not stop either, if it did people, you would all know about it, or your families and friends would, because you would be dead.

    But catabolism can set in long before actual starvation.

    Edit; Although I do agree that the wrong name is applied to the 'starvation mode' most people are talking about here.
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    It doesn't exist. It is a myth that won't die because people will not get the facts.

    Here are just a few sites to check out.

    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html
    http://fitnessblackbook.com/main/starvation-mode-why-you-probably-never-need-to-worry-about-it/
    http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/weight-loss/truth-starvation-mode
  • barackobamamama
    barackobamamama Posts: 21
    Thank you. I am so sick of people worrying about starvation mode. The only time you'd need to be concerned about it is if you literally have no fat on your body, are not taking in any calories and energy is starting to come from your bones and muscles.
  • imaginaryplaces
    imaginaryplaces Posts: 123 Member

    See, this is where I have a great problem with the whole notion.

    How can weightloss just stop, why would it stop when the body is still using energy?

    If it stops, what exactly is the body using for energy?

    The body will eat muscle when the bodyfat is under around 8%, that excludes the vast majority of people on this site. Before bodyfat reaches 8%, it will dig into its reserves of fat, which is what it is stored for.

    Much of the scaremongering that goes on on this site defies the laws of physics and is ridiculous to the extreme.

    Metabolism does not stop either, if it did people, you would all know about it, or your families and friends would, because you would be dead.

    This^^
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    what people talk about here on MFP (eating too few calories) should actually be called "conservation mode" not starvation mode.

    eating too few calories causes your body to conserve energy and thus slows or even stops weight loss. starvation mode is drastic calorie deficit for prolonged time that causes the body to start eating muscle then eventual death. I dont suggest either.

    See, this is where I have a great problem with the whole notion.

    How can weightloss just stop, why would it stop when the body is still using energy?

    If it stops, what exactly is the body using for energy?

    The body will eat muscle when the bodyfat is under around 8%, that excludes the vast majority of people on this site. Before bodyfat reaches 8%, it will dig into its reserves of fat, which is what it is stored for.

    Much of the scaremongering that goes on on this site defies the laws of physics and is ridiculous to the extreme.

    Metabolism does not stop either, if it did people, you would all know about it, or your families and friends would, because you would be dead.

    I never said anything about metabolism stopping.

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