Starvation mode is a myth, so why do we keep saying it exist

Yes, i discussed this earlier. this is the result of still eating under their maintenance. They don't get all anorexic looking, a lot still look over weight, They're not all "ripped and lean" the question is. WHY NOT? even if they're eating super low calories.

Resting energy expenditure (REE), weight, and body composition were measured up to seven times in 13 obese women during a 24-wk study. Patients were randomly assigned to a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD, 500 kcal/d) or a balanced-deficit diet (BDD, 1200 kcal/d). After 8 wk of supplemented fasting, REE of the VLCD patients decreased by 17% whereas that of the BDD patients was virtually unchanged. REE of the VLCD patients increased during 12 subsequent weeks of realimentation such that differences in REE between the two groups were not statistically significant at week 24 (VLCD = -11%, BDD = -2%). Reductions in weight and fat-free mass (FFM) were 12.1% and 3.6% for the VLCD patients and 10.6% and 4.1% for the BDD patients, respectively. There were no significant differences between the groups in pre- to posttreatment changes in REE normalized to FFM. Results suggest that REE recovers partially after consumption of a VLCD. They also provide evidence of a possible metabolic advantage of weight loss by a more moderate restriction.

Excellent. That really is the first study I've seen which suggests an increase in REE over what is expected based on the size of calorie restriction. However, this same study also said that those returning from VLCD (and wow, 500 kcal/d is really, really low) to a 1200 kcal/day diet did have a rebound in their REE.

Interestingly, the paper concludes with this: "We are unable to determine, at present, whether results for the BDD patients are an anomaly or evidence of a possible metabolic advantage for those who lose weight by a more moderate caloric restriction." So ultimately, it's inconclusive. The sample size was 16 people. And 500 kcal/day is crazy low. Nevertheless, I appreciate you taking the time to find this article because it is by far the best evidence I've seen so far that supports an increase in AT based on size of restriction.

Kudos :drinker:

Your body holds on to fat when you don't eat enough, this is how the skinny fat thing happens. It's loss of muscle mass. This is because your body is precieving there isn't enough food. Look at the most fitess, healthiest friends on MFP you have, i can promise you they eat a lot more than you think.

Eliza, your post is profound! You are generous and kind to share your painful story. Kudos to you for having the strength to survive.

PS. I am barely 5'2". I lose weight on just under 1200 calories and maintain on 1500. An across the board number does not make sense. How can I consume the same calories as a 6 foot man?

add more muscle... or exercise more

Here is my experience of starvation mode.
I was anorexic for 3 years. Some days I ate an orange and a piece of toast and thought I was wonderful for it (more fool me)

In the short term (1-6) months eating under 800 or 900 cals a day:
Makes you irritable, grumpy and a pain to live with
Your breath will smell
Your face skin will dry out and/or you'll get spots
You will feel nauseous with hunger
You stomach will make noise all the time
You will lose hell of a lot of weight (up to 7lbs a week)

6 -12 months
Your period will stop
Your appetite will be gone.
You will have trained yourself to go without food.
Your energy will be non-existant
Your circle of friends will have whittered away as you fall out or cut out all of them in turn because of your eating
Your family will be in a panic about your appearance
Your weight loss will slow down to about 1lb a week (or less)
Your hair will thin

12-18 months
You are really ill now
You panic about your weight loss and drop down to 300-500 cals because some other anorexic on an internet forum said this worked for her
The other Anas on the forums are your only "friends" now
All your muscle has gone
The skin all over your body and your face will be in a shocking condition
You are cold all the time, a horrible soul sucking coldness that seems to come from within
Organ damage has started
Your hair will stop growing and may start to fall out

18 months +
As well as everything else above
The symptoms of mental illness appear (paranoia being the most common)
Irreversible organ damage may have started
Lumps of your hair will fall out leaving you with bald patches

After recovery:
Your body clings on to every calories like a dying man to a shipwreak and you put on weight. You think dropping back to your previous habits will lose it - it doesn't. What do you do then?

Those are the consequences of surviving on anorexic portions of food. Those are the ones I saw myself and others in real-life support groups go through. Some lived, some died. Those that lived took years to get over the consequences of our eating habits. That is the reality of eating half what a woman needs to survive on.

Do you know that anyone can edit wikipedia? Do you really want to ruin your life because someone thought it would be clever to justify their lifestyle choices by lying about the consequences of eating like this?

Is this really the path you want to go down? I am begging you now to stop before it is too late and you embark on a lifestyle that negatively shapes the rest of your life.

Right now, I am now losing 2lbs a week eating around about 2000 cals a day. I am happy, healthy and energetic.

Be smart before it is too late for you.

Wonderful post, and I'm so glad you are recovering. Your post actually made me a bit teary. :flowerforyou:

I agree. Beautiful post.

This isn't just about "losing weight." It's also about becoming FIT. This is My FITNESS Pal.

Seriously, stop it.

Starvation mode ("Starvation response" if you want to research it) only exists for males with 5% body fat or less and females with 10% body fat or less.

A link with cited sources:

http://fitnessblackbook.com/main/starvation-mode-why-you-probably-never-need-to-worry-about-it/

Via Wiki:

Starvation mode is a state in which the body is responding to prolonged periods of low caloric intake levels. During short periods of caloric abstinence, the human body will burn primarily free fatty acids from body fat stores. After prolonged periods of starvation the body has DEPLETED ITS BODY FAT and begins to burn lean tissue and muscle as a fuel source.

(emphasis mine).

You should eat a caloric deficit that's comfortable for you regardless of the numbers.

*sigh*

Famine response is real, and has absolutely nothing to do with catabolizing muscle vs burning fat. It's a hormonal response (by the thyroid) that slows your metabolic rate to match your caloric intake, in order to survive the perceived famine due to severe caloric restriction. Also, fat burning is slow, and when you exhaust glycogen supplies during intense activity, your body will switch over to breaking down amino acids, because those can be converted to glucose faster to replenish glycogen supplies. Oh, and there wasn't a single citation in the article you posted.