Obsession with starvation mode...

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  • ShellBell4281
    ShellBell4281 Posts: 127 Member
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    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
    http://www.adonisindex.com/how-to-get-into-starvation-mode/

    Maybe people should do some looking and get the facts on how the whole "starvation mode" myth started. Unless you have less than 6% body fat and work out most of your waking hours you will NEVER experience this.

    Thank you! I'm tired of everyone screaming STARVATION MODE!
  • DeanneLea
    DeanneLea Posts: 261
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    We all got overweight by eating too much. It makes me laugh so much when people are now saying they are struggling to eat their calories due to exercise etc We didn't have a problem eating them not so long ago but now we have a problem reaching them?

    No one is saying to overeat. Eating above your BMR and below maintenance is still a deficit.

    You come off as pretty rude by the way, and you have no scientific peer reviewed studies here to back up what you're saying. There are hundreds of studies in medical journals, however, that do support eating at least your BMR.

    But you go ahead and eat your 1200 calories.

    I will eat my 1600 and be much happier. As you can see I have lost almost 20 lbs....but I guess it's not working.

    This! This should be a lifestyle change...not a diet. I eat my daily target, weekly bonus cals I have worked into my weekly total AND most exercise calories. I actually enjoy life and I'm keeping it that way.
  • Casey45
    Casey45 Posts: 160 Member
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    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
    http://www.adonisindex.com/how-to-get-into-starvation-mode/

    Maybe people should do some looking and get the facts on how the whole "starvation mode" myth started. Unless you have less than 6% body fat and work out most of your waking hours you will NEVER experience this.

    Thank you!

    Hmmm will read these, then comment, if I remember and have time.
  • striveforhealthy
    striveforhealthy Posts: 137 Member
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    I haven't read half of what has been said on here but...

    I eat back my calories from working out. I wasn't eating them back and plateaued for over two months. I've obviously found success and what works for me.
    Everyone is different. Everyone's body is different.
    You do what you need to do for you and I'll do what I need to do for me. :drinker:
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    ding ding ding..another argument on starvation mode :)
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    There are hundreds of studies in medical journals, however, that do support eating at least your BMR.
    That's exactly what the OP suggested.
  • lisakyle_11
    lisakyle_11 Posts: 420 Member
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    ...although many may disagree with me, i actually agree *with* you on this...

    *runs for cover*
  • clobercow
    clobercow Posts: 337 Member
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    This idiocy again. OP. Stop spouting bull****. Thanks.
  • Gladiolus
    Gladiolus Posts: 20
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    When I think of "starvation mode" I see people of skin and bones in poverty and pain, not an overweight American who missed a few thousand calories this month.

    People who actually starve to death don't have any fat on their body at the end. Just sayin'.
  • Brechin89
    Brechin89 Posts: 92
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    I'm 5'4" 160lbs my bmr is 1623 according to this site...

    I've been eating around 1000-1300 calories a day. I don't eat veggies at all except corn... I eat fruits, meats, and some starches time to time.

    I burn about 200 calories at the gym on average.

    That puts me between 800-1100 calories a day.

    I'm not starving, I'm not hungry, the only thing I suffer from is some energy loss... Its not that bad either...

    Starvation mode = bull****
  • barney50501Missy
    barney50501Missy Posts: 79
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    Well, I've also lost almost 20 lbs and that's at 1200 calories a day and I don't eat back my exercise calories. I think that is kind of the point here. 1600 eating back calories, 1200 not eating back calories...and we've both lost about the same amount. It works for me, maybe not for you. It's amazing how huffy this conversation is getting. I say do what works for you.
  • christenwypy
    christenwypy Posts: 335 Member
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    I'm actually pretty sick of reading about starvation mode. Sure, it was interesting at first but I think everyone has heard over and over again both sides of the debate.

    Could it be that we are all individuals with different needs?

    How about this- if you are feeling very hungry, lightheaded, or weak you need to eat more. If you are full then you have no need to eat. Could it be that simple?

    There are SO many factors that come into play. What kind of workout you did, how much strain is on your body, what functions are going on at any given time (especially for women), and how fast your metabolism is personally. We all know people who never gain weight and eat constantly and others (many of us) just stray from our diet for a day and put on pounds. We are all different.

    A few weeks ago I was a hundred or two under my calories goal almost every day. I had no desire to eat back my exercise calories. Then I upped my workout from 30 to 60 minutes adding in strength training and running (or trying to- which I never did before). I stayed eating the same and then by the end of the week I felt awful, not healthy at all. I also for some inexplicable reason gained weight. I upped my calories by 100 and have been eating my exercise calories back. Why? Because I am hungry. I am eating healthy (for the most part- I am not perfect) but if my body is screaming to eat, I feed it. Later I will probably not feel the need once again and so things will balance out. I feel healthy now and lost what I had gained. No it does not make sense, but I'll take it.

    I just do not get why people are so stuck on having to be "right" about this or any other issue. To each their own. If someone is just not eating their exercise calories but they feel okay and are eating through the day, they are not suffering from an eating disorder and are not on the verge of death. It is possible for both sides to be right, it is what is right for them.
  • dolldreams
    dolldreams Posts: 245 Member
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    Thank you for this! I quite frequently eat around my 1200 (I will admit some days I'm 100 cals or so under) and I exercise around 300 - 600 calories 6 days per week so some days I end up at around 600 NET. The amount of tsk tsk I get from friends on here and comments about not eating drives me insane!!!

    Thank you for being a voice of reason.

    I end up with some low nets due to exercise too and I'm happy my friends have been awesome about it so far. It just works for me this way and some day I plan to eat like a normal person where I have high days and low days and don't worry too much about it as long as I feel good and am not gaining.
  • christenwypy
    christenwypy Posts: 335 Member
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    When I think of "starvation mode" I see people of skin and bones in poverty and pain, not an overweight American who missed a few thousand calories this month.

    People who actually starve to death don't have any fat on their body at the end. Just sayin'.

    LOL that is what I am always thinking. If you put overweight people on an island with no food they would not go into "starvation mode" and the when you pick them up a few weeks later still be fat. They'd lose a lot of weight. I am not suggesting anyone do this. It is just a thought that occurred to me when I first was told about starvation mode and how it makes us stay fat.
  • naomi8888
    naomi8888 Posts: 519 Member
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    I'm actually pretty sick of reading about starvation mode. Sure, it was interesting at first but I think everyone has heard over and over again both sides of the debate.

    Could it be that we are all individuals with different needs?

    How about this- if you are feeling very hungry, lightheaded, or weak you need to eat more. If you are full then you have no need to eat. Could it be that simple?

    There are SO many factors that come into play. What kind of workout you did, how much strain is on your body, what functions are going on at any given time (especially for women), and how fast your metabolism is personally. We all know people who never gain weight and eat constantly and others (many of us) just stray from our diet for a day and put on pounds. We are all different.

    A few weeks ago I was a hundred or two under my calories goal almost every day. I had no desire to eat back my exercise calories. Then I upped my workout from 30 to 60 minutes adding in strength training and running (or trying to- which I never did before). I stayed eating the same and then by the end of the week I felt awful, not healthy at all. I also for some inexplicable reason gained weight. I upped my calories by 100 and have been eating my exercise calories back. Why? Because I am hungry. I am eating healthy (for the most part- I am not perfect) but if my body is screaming to eat, I feed it. Later I will probably not feel the need once again and so things will balance out. I feel healthy now and lost what I had gained. No it does not make sense, but I'll take it.

    I just do not get why people are so stuck on having to be "right" about this or any other issue. To each their own. If someone is just not eating their exercise calories but they feel okay and are eating through the day, they are not suffering from an eating disorder and are not on the verge of death. It is possible for both sides to be right, it is what is right for them.

    Too sensible!!!
  • Autry403
    Autry403 Posts: 88
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    I'm considered morbidly obese.. currently 267 pounds, my heighest was 297. I can eat at a very large calorie defecit because my body has tons of fat to fall back on.
    When I get closer to my goal weight, I'm going to start slowly adding more calories to my diet, so that when I get to my goal, I can eat normal sized meals.

    That's exactly what I am going to do . I'm eating like 1400 / day but when I get closer to my goal weight ... I'll start eating more calories .

    Sooooo your indignation on this subject is the result of 1 day's worth of logging calories?

    mmmKay.

    funny how you are quick to judge missy . i have had 3 separate accounts on mfp since december of 2011 . i have been tracking my calories since then , i just made this account today actually . anyways , i didn't start actually wanting to lose weight until a month ago , now i have lost around 10lbs healthy . i've lost 30lbs before and i gained it back being to comfortable with myself around my husband eating out for every meal . i just got married so i had a little extra money to spend on going out to eat , making me gain 15lbs . therefore , i decided i wanted to lose weight last month . i have been off and on exercising for about 4 years now . this time i'm trying to stay committed no promises , only my goals . this site is to help encourage people with their goals and success to weight loss . it's not meant to come up here and be negative towards every post , which i get all the time . i'm healthy and that's all that matters to me .
  • barney50501Missy
    barney50501Missy Posts: 79
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    Amen sister!
  • aegira
    aegira Posts: 204
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    I spoke with my Endocrinologist and Nutritionist about this on April 6th. I meet with them every 3 months. I send in my food log to them twice a week for analysis. The simple answer they gave me is in order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. They explained to me that eating back the calories you burned off during exercise makes the burn off moot... I started just eating the calories my Nutritionist set up for me and not eating back the exercise calories and the weight began coming off after a long plateau.

    Basically, I believe that everyone is different. Some of us can't get the weight off by eating back the calories we burn off, others can. Nobody loses weight in the same manner. For some of us it takes a long time while others are able to lose quickly. Learn what's best for your body and stick with it!

    Cheers and much success to all! :smile:

    Totally agree with you :flowerforyou:
    I actually got to the stage after reading many of the For & Against posts here totally confused and actually stressed thinking I was doing something wrong. After talking to my doctor, who is very proud of my weight loss (he is such a sweetie :happy: ). He explained that I don't have to worry about starvation mode as I still have weight to lose and as long as I eat healthy foods it doesn't matter whether I hit 1200 calories or not. This doesn't mean I am going to "starve" myself by eating crackers and water, it just means that I am learning to listen to my body and if it needs a little extra fuel after a big day then I eat a few extra calories. Equally if I have a day where my boss has chained me to my desk :laugh: then I find I'm not so hungry and may not reach my total calories on that day. We are all individuals, be sensible make your own decisions after all you're a grown up :drinker:
  • lururu
    lururu Posts: 123 Member
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    Thank you for this! I quite frequently eat around my 1200 (I will admit some days I'm 100 cals or so under) and I exercise around 300 - 600 calories 6 days per week so some days I end up at around 600 NET. The amount of tsk tsk I get from friends on here and comments about not eating drives me insane!!!

    Thank you for being a voice of reason.

    I end up with some low nets due to exercise too and I'm happy my friends have been awesome about it so far. It just works for me this way and some day I plan to eat like a normal person where I have high days and low days and don't worry too much about it as long as I feel good and am not gaining.

    This works for me too, it probably all depends on how fast your metabolism is to begin with right? I mean, if you are overweight then that is a big indication that your metabolism is already rather lazy. Hopefully forcing your body to make the best of what you feed it rather than giving it a huge glut of calories that it has no hope of burning off and so stores it as fat will result in a more effective metabolism at the end?
    I also find it very hard to believe that my body is 'starving' when the whole idea of storing fat is to supplement your energy during 'lean' times? By eating a little less I am just forcing my body to use the stored fuel that it has, it's not in my body's best interests to use my muscles when there is stored fat readily available, if I can't mobilise due to weakened muscle then how can I find more food?
    The main thing is we find a way that works for us, that we can maintain for the long term and that doesn't result in an impact on our health, for some that's eating more, for others it is eating less. But one truth will always stay the same - Eat less, move more :)
  • theartichoke
    theartichoke Posts: 816 Member
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    no one wants to reply? Is it because I questioned people making any excuse (even under MFP) to still eat loads?( Eat your exercise calories back.... make sure you net your BMI.... help! I don't know how to eat to my net target). OF COURSE YOU DO IF YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT! It was 't long ago since you ate to excess to gain those pounds.This is just making excuses to keep on eating more which we all know got us to where we are?!

    Wow. Well, since you already know everything I guess there's nothing left to learn. Good luck and see you in the Eat More to Weigh Less group when you mysteriously stop losing weight (or more likely gain it all back) and truly do figure it out.

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