Starving yourself...

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ExplorinLauren
ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Lets start off 1st by saying...ok, I am expecting a lot of ridicule over this one... But there doesn't need to be!

I have to say tho, even tho I am on the healthier path, I eat healthy foods, I eat normal cals, exercise, I try to eat at least some of my exercise cals back... ... I get it. I am doing all of that.

But SOMETIMES, the "starve yourself, get there way faster" thought DOES creep into my head.

I appreciate the science of it all. I logically know that if I eat the right things ..and exercise adequate amounts... I will get where I wanna go. I know people say "eat too little, and your body will go into starvation mode.".... I sord of comprehend that...accept that any anorexic in town will tell you different. lol... if there were such a thing, there would be no anorexics. I once lived on a 400 calorie diet per day... I lost 12 lbs the 1st week. Mostly water I am sure.. BUT... Obviously it didn't work... or I wouldn't be here...

I guess I am looking for a reminder of why starving yourself for instant results .... wont equal what I am looking for long term. There I said it. Go ahead... burn me at the stake.
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Replies

  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
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    The thing about eating less is that yes... you will lose weight faster... but its not in a healthy way and you are doing more harm to your body by going that route. Eating a VLCD or starving yourself really messes with your metabolism... it slows it down a lot. The reason the "eat more lose more" idea is so prevalent on this site is because it is:

    1) easier to maintain over a long period of time (because you get to eat!!)
    2) promotes a healthy metabolism
    3) is a healthy way to lose weight and KEEP that weight off

    patience is key... think of it as a lifestyle chance rather than a means to and end.

    hope that helped!
  • BodyPositive
    BodyPositive Posts: 41
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    I was a on a vlcd and it's done me more harm then good. Yeah the numbers dropped pretty quick, but what I see in the mirror is no muscle or leaness about my body. I thoroughly regret it. I've lost my period. When that thought creeps into your head, just remember that food is fuel. And it needs fuel in order to lose fat healthily. Doing it the healthy way makes everything more manageable. The restrictions i gave myself have lead to binging.
  • Sofithomas
    Sofithomas Posts: 118
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    I was a on a vlcd and it's done me more harm then good. Yeah the numbers dropped pretty quick, but what I see in the mirror is no muscle or leaness about my body. I thoroughly regret it. I've lost my period. When that thought creeps into your head, just remember that food is fuel. And it needs fuel in order to lose fat healthily. Doing it the healthy way makes everything more manageable. The restrictions i gave myself have lead to binging.

    This.

    You will lose weight no doubt about it but trust me from past experience when you start eating 'normally' again (and its inevitable - your body will scream for balance and normality till you give it) you will put the weoght on soooo fast and it really sets up bingeing behaviour trust me. It is SO much better to do it slowly, just thinknitll be so much easier to keep it off!!
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    If you purely want to lose weight, with no concerns for anything else, then starving yourself is perfect - look at anorexics, or pictures of torture victims - like POWs from war photos*, clearly all of these people have lost tonnes of weight through starvation.


    If you want to lose fat without losing lean mass, don't want to risk damaging your health, or want to change your body shape to something that's not the same as the ones listed in the previous paragraph, then starvation is not a good idea.


    *Apologies for the slightly crass analogy, but making a point here.
  • SorchaRavenlock
    SorchaRavenlock Posts: 220 Member
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    What you have to ask yourself is if you want to get skinny fast, or skinny healthy. In the long term it doesn't matter whether you got to your goal weight a bit slower, but it will matter that you kept your body healthy while getting there.

    Look after yourself, eat enough and eat healthy. Not only will you reach your goal weight, but you'll have beautiful hair, strong nails and healthy skin. You'll look much better, and feel much better. That's what you want in the end, isn't it?
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
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    Soooooo much better taking the slow and steady. 400 calories a day?!! Not smart because at that low an intake, you're probably not even meeting your protein needs. Less muscle mass means drop in metabolism means once you STOP dieting, much easier to put it right back on because of the new shoddy metabolism. Stick to the slow cut. Not only will this help you spare more muscle mass, but it will also make it an easier part of your life. Whenever I do cuts, I start off at a 250 calories deficit and then only slowly increase that as plateaus set in. Towards the very end I might even bump the calories back up occasionally at a plateau. Lower your calories and your body will adjust to it, but a slight increase after dieting a while and the body will adjust to that also most likely overcompensating and STILL keeping you in a deficit despite the increase!

    Don't let the vanity of it or the impatience take control. Going super low on the calories is not a good idea in the long run. It will more than likely set you up for a rebound disaster far worse. Enjoy the ride. Take the slow and steady. Be healthy, and your body will reward you in time yeh. Cheers
  • SaiLex15
    SaiLex15 Posts: 24 Member
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    What you have to ask yourself is if you want to get skinny fast, or skinny healthy. In the long term it doesn't matter whether you got to your goal weight a bit slower, but it will matter that you kept your body healthy while getting there.

    Look after yourself, eat enough and eat healthy. Not only will you reach your goal weight, but you'll have beautiful hair, strong nails and healthy skin. You'll look much better, and feel much better. That's what you want in the end, isn't it?

    this ;-) It won't be all about the weight, but how you look will be much much better.
  • mrsnathanandrew
    mrsnathanandrew Posts: 631 Member
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    Not only will you gain it all right back when you start eating, but there are multiple heath risks. A girl I went to high school with was anorexic, and now she can't have kids because of what she did.
  • Aleara2012
    Aleara2012 Posts: 225 Member
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    I did a VLCD in 2007, I was on 600 calories a day. Lost a bunch of weight quickly and felt great the first couple of weeks. Then by day 20 I had no energy, felt weak and dizzy all the time. It was just terrible! I upped my calories and ate about 1200 cals a day for the next 4-5 months. I felt much much better on 1200 calories although the weight was coming off slower. However by the 5th month I hit a plataeu and was still not at my ultimate goal. I got so tired and sick of the 1200 plan which for me is unrealistic to stick to for a long period of time that I just gave up. I must say that I did not gain the weight back, Not before I got pregnant 2 years later anyway. What my point is - first of all starving yourself is unhealthy, you would feel really bad very quickly, you will have no energy to exercise, you can't realistically stick to it long enough to achieve your goals and it doesn't really work at the end because you are more than likely to plataeu before you are done losing... I am no "healthy-eating police", I am just saying - it is not worth it and it doesn't really work. ;) Now I am losing at 1650 calories a day. I feel great, I adon't go hungry (most of the time anyway), I have energy and I still enjoy my food... And it does work (see my ticker below) - it has taken me 3 months to lose 30lb. I still have a long way to go to my ultimate goal but I am not scared of it anymore, it may take a year, it may take 2 years but I know I can live on 1650 calories without the need to binge or overeat, without feeling i am on a diet, etc. This works much better for me!
  • leopard_barbie
    leopard_barbie Posts: 279 Member
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    Soooooo much better taking the slow and steady. 400 calories a day?!! Not smart because at that low an intake, you're probably not even meeting your protein needs. Less muscle mass means drop in metabolism means once you STOP dieting, much easier to put it right back on because of the new shoddy metabolism. Stick to the slow cut. Not only will this help you spare more muscle mass, but it will also make it an easier part of your life. Whenever I do cuts, I start off at a 250 calories deficit and then only slowly increase that as plateaus set in. Towards the very end I might even bump the calories back up occasionally at a plateau. Lower your calories and your body will adjust to it, but a slight increase after dieting a while and the body will adjust to that also most likely overcompensating and STILL keeping you in a deficit despite the increase!

    Don't let the vanity of it or the impatience take control. Going super low on the calories is not a good idea in the long run. It will more than likely set you up for a rebound disaster far worse. Enjoy the ride. Take the slow and steady. Be healthy, and your body will reward you in time yeh. Cheers

    On a 250 deficit do you eat your exercise calories back?
  • MeowserKitty
    MeowserKitty Posts: 185
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    Think about this, your brain needs 400-600 calories a day. Do you want to starve your brain?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Soooooo much better taking the slow and steady. 400 calories a day?!! Not smart because at that low an intake, you're probably not even meeting your protein needs. Less muscle mass means drop in metabolism means once you STOP dieting, much easier to put it right back on because of the new shoddy metabolism. Stick to the slow cut. Not only will this help you spare more muscle mass, but it will also make it an easier part of your life. Whenever I do cuts, I start off at a 250 calories deficit and then only slowly increase that as plateaus set in. Towards the very end I might even bump the calories back up occasionally at a plateau. Lower your calories and your body will adjust to it, but a slight increase after dieting a while and the body will adjust to that also most likely overcompensating and STILL keeping you in a deficit despite the increase!

    Don't let the vanity of it or the impatience take control. Going super low on the calories is not a good idea in the long run. It will more than likely set you up for a rebound disaster far worse. Enjoy the ride. Take the slow and steady. Be healthy, and your body will reward you in time yeh. Cheers

    On a 250 deficit do you eat your exercise calories back?

    Yes.. MFP is set up so you always have a deficit at the end of the day. So if you exercise, burn off 250 and then eat those back, you'll still be 250 less at the end of the day.

    To OP:
    Don't do.. I've thought about it too and while I would have liked to lose weight faster, the end result of going slow is much than the end result had I starved my self and lost weight super fast.
  • leopard_barbie
    leopard_barbie Posts: 279 Member
    Options
    Soooooo much better taking the slow and steady. 400 calories a day?!! Not smart because at that low an intake, you're probably not even meeting your protein needs. Less muscle mass means drop in metabolism means once you STOP dieting, much easier to put it right back on because of the new shoddy metabolism. Stick to the slow cut. Not only will this help you spare more muscle mass, but it will also make it an easier part of your life. Whenever I do cuts, I start off at a 250 calories deficit and then only slowly increase that as plateaus set in. Towards the very end I might even bump the calories back up occasionally at a plateau. Lower your calories and your body will adjust to it, but a slight increase after dieting a while and the body will adjust to that also most likely overcompensating and STILL keeping you in a deficit despite the increase!

    Don't let the vanity of it or the impatience take control. Going super low on the calories is not a good idea in the long run. It will more than likely set you up for a rebound disaster far worse. Enjoy the ride. Take the slow and steady. Be healthy, and your body will reward you in time yeh. Cheers

    On a 250 deficit do you eat your exercise calories back?

    Yes.. MFP is set up so you always have a deficit at the end of the day. So if you exercise, burn off 250 and then eat those back, you'll still be 250 less at the end of the day.

    To OP:
    Don't do.. I've thought about it too and while I would have liked to lose weight faster, the end result of going slow is much than the end result had I starved my self and lost weight super fast.

    Makes perfect sense, thankyou :-)

    Always tempting to go back to my 1200 net but it's below my BMR so I know this is UNHEALTHY.
  • PinkAndSparkle
    PinkAndSparkle Posts: 324
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    I've been in treatment for eating disorders for about 7 years now. I was eating 600-800 calories/day for about 5 of those years. Initially I dropped weight quickly, but it just led to a path of destruction. Eventually I GAINED weight at that low intake and my metabolism is effed. I try to spread my story as much as I can because I think most of us want quick results and do not think about the long term impact of torturing our bodies.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    If you've a lot to lose then starving yourself isn't a viable option because you'd become ill and weak way before you became slim, and also who wants to feel crap all the time just to be slim? The way this site recommends losing is far preferable and do-able too! I don't feel like I'm being deprived of anything, if I want something extra I've either got to work harder to get it or save some calories from another day, but I'm not going short of nutrients or risking passing out to achieve my goal.
  • joeq722
    joeq722 Posts: 86 Member
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    Imagine you were flying in a little two seater plane.

    You are flying very high, and lets say your weight goal was equivalent to "getting a closer look at the town below".

    The correct way to do it is to perhaps circle and gradually lower the altitude as you go.

    The stArvation way is akin to pushing the controls all the way forward and nose diving straight down.

    You will get your closer look at the town, the same as you will achieve your weight goal with starvation.

    The short answer is your weight loss wont last long enough to enjoy.
    The weight will return with interest.
    And you will be damaging your metabolism in the process.

    But if all you want is a quick look at the town........
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    You can retain most of your muscle mass on a high protein very low calorie diet, usually these are medically prescribed formulations that are nutritionally complete - but I suspect SlimFast comes off the same production line.

    So with the right nutritional intake a big deficit is not unworkable.

    If your fat stores can provide 30 calories/day per pound and you're running a 1000 calorie deficit then you obviously need at least 33 pounds of fat to go at. The fat reserves are there to keep you going when you have no access to food, so all this melodramatic BS about your body or brain stopping has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

    If you're fat enough you can lose fast at a high deficit but for health make sure you eat all the things the body needs. A time limit of 4 to 6 weeks is usually suggested for this approach. It's often used in clinical studies to get fast and statistically significant results, for example http://www.diabetologia-journal.org/Lim.pdf
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
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    I was a on a vlcd and it's done me more harm then good. Yeah the numbers dropped pretty quick, but what I see in the mirror is no muscle or leaness about my body. I thoroughly regret it. I've lost my period. When that thought creeps into your head, just remember that food is fuel. And it needs fuel in order to lose fat healthily. Doing it the healthy way makes everything more manageable. The restrictions i gave myself have lead to binging.

    Ummm - if I read your profile correctly; you're 19 and 5'6" and weigh 94 lb - and you're on MFP to lose more??? You say you're getting medical treatment which is a very good idea, and I don't think you should be using this site to support your further weight loss, when your BMI is worryingly low and your periods have stopped. Use it to gain in a healthy way to a reasonable weight that allows your body to function, and we will cheer you every step of the way...
  • cherrybomb_77
    cherrybomb_77 Posts: 411 Member
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    I struggled with anorexia as a teenager. I'm sure it had something to do with why I completely blew up when I actually started eating :/
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
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    Why would you want to do that yourself, it isn't healthy! In order for this to work it's got to be a lifestyle change!! Forget the scale and concentrate on making good food choices and exercising! If you fuel the body it will properly metabolize and burn the fat! Check out the group "Eat More to Weigh Less". Lots of valuable info there!

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