Starvation Mode
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I absolutely agree with you!!! I know I want to have dinner with friedns sometimes and eat real food! Not lettuce!I can lose weight eating 1900 calories a day, ensure that I get enough micronutrients through food, go out and enjoy myself and have a meal/glass of wine etc, get enough energy to strength train, get enough protein and fats (yes, you need fats too), not worry about gaining when I hit my target and go to maintanance.
Or, I can eat less than 1000 calories a day, not get enough micronutrients through food, never go out for a meal, have declining energy levels, not get enough protein or fats and gain when I try to eat more when I have hit my target and run the risk of having a suppressed .metabolism.
Now, I can lose weight on both (I am currently losing at 1900) - but I know which one I prefer. So whether you believe in starvation mode or not, my question is....why would you pick the latter?
I get that this is a cost/benefit decision. If someone is very overweight, then the cost/benefit is different than someone who has 5, 10, 20lbs to lose.
Also, there are so many posts from folks under 1200 saying that 'it works for me' or 'I have lost no muscle mass' - how do they know? - have they had their metabolism tested and a DEXA scan before and after?
She will learn......Then she is going to be asking all of you for advice!!!0 -
I've noticed if you eat more than 1200 but your net is below 1200 because you exercised that day, then it doesn't give you that message. I've wondered about that myself, so in general, I try to get the minimum 1200 cals of intake.0
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I did lose weight eating 1100-1200 calories a day, but the only problem I have with it, is how long can you keep that up? I have since raised my cals to 1450, and have in turn gained a few lbs.0
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This is getting good!
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Bump for later0
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Eat less, exercise more. That is my motto!0
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Really?!? You don't get it, huh? If you think that you are eating too few/too many calories based on the advice of a computer program on a website - here's a wild idea - GO SEE A DIETICIAN!!!
Bottom line? BIG difference between being healthy and being skinny.0 -
Bump to read all the input later. Have a great day everyone!0
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Really?!? You don't get it, huh? If you think that you are eating too few/too many calories based on the advice of a computer program on a website - here's a wild idea - GO SEE A DIETICIAN!!!
This is great advice. However, not everyone can afford a dietitian and still want to make informed choices. There's nothing wrong with asking a few questions and seeing what everyone says - I don't think anyone has said on this thread that their very life hinges on the advice they get in it
Also, for people like me whose insurance covers a nutritionist, it's not like they give you that appointment overnight. I made an appointment back in April - first available opening was in July. In the meantime, there's nothing wrong with making educated guesses. But, yes, a professional you trust is the best source of information. 0 -
what in the hell is a dietitian going to do except run a calculation that is basically doing the same thing? what a waste of money usually. get a metabolic test done, purchase a BMF, or go by trial and error--starting with what IS PREDICTED for your stats and adjusting as necessary. don't eat as few calories as possible and work backwards.0
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Really?!? You don't get it, huh? If you think that you are eating too few/too many calories based on the advice of a computer program on a website - here's a wild idea - GO SEE A DIETICIAN!!!
This is great advice. However, not everyone can afford a dietitian and still want to make informed choices. There's nothing wrong with asking a few questions and seeing what everyone says - I don't think anyone has said on this thread that their very life hinges on the advice they get in it Also, for people like me whose insurance covers a nutritionist, it's not like they give you that appointment overnight. I made an appointment back in April - first available opening was in July. In the meantime, there's nothing wrong with making educated guesses. But, yes, a professional you trust is the best source of information.
....sometimes. I read on here all the time about nutritionists telling people to eat 1200-1400 cals to lose weight, without doing as much calculation as is advised here. I think your approach is right- get as much information as possible, and then make the best informed decision possible. Then fine tune to find what works best for you.
@ love4fitness- what is a BMF? I'm sure this is obvious but I'm feeling dense (which makes me heavier than fat..ba dump bump bump)0 -
@ love4fitness- what is a BMF? I'm sure this is obvious but I'm feeling dense (which makes me heavier than fat..ba dump bump bump)
Bodymedia Fit0 -
@ love4fitness- what is a BMF? I'm sure this is obvious but I'm feeling dense (which makes me heavier than fat..ba dump bump bump)
Bodymedia Fit
Thanks 0 -
Okay...everytime I complete my food and exercise log for the day, it says that "you are eating too few calories" in red...and it goes on to say that I may be putting my body into starvation mode. Okay...question. How is it that if you eat too few calories, you can put your body into starvation mode...but then doctors perform gastric bypass surgeries which in turn reduces the number of calories consumed far below what a normal person would consume. Wouldn't that put your body in starvation mode if all you could eat was a baby jar of food? I'm confused...can someone please clear this up for me? Thanks
One note about gastric bypass surgery- yes you can lose a lot of weight from it. However, my mom (and others that I know who have had it) ended up with malnutrition issues and she ended up having a heart attack when her iron levels bottomed out. She lost hair and has all kinds of issues. Making drastic changes like that does come at a price.
I had gastric bypass about a year and a half ago and have lost 125lbs and lost very little muscle mass and went from a BMI of 42 to 23. You lose weight fast and it is like starvation which is why you should consistently meet with your doctor and be monitored. I still go for blood draws to check my vitamin levels/stores. I have followed every recommendation from my doctor/surgeon and his team. It's a regimen for the rest of my life to take vitamins and supplements for what my body does not absorb and what I lack because I don't eat as much as before. I can bet there's more people with good stories/outcomes because of having gastric bypass than people who don't make the lifestyle changes it requires. No, it's not for everyone. But it was for me!!! I use MFP to track calories because I don't want to regain all the weight I lost. I also track all my daily vitamins (2- chewable multivitamins, 2 calcium, chewable iron, b-12, b-complex with at least 100mg of b-1 or thiamine, and I also take a supplement for hair/skin/nails) It's not always easy but it is the best thing I've ever done for my health, it's been an amazing journey... and I also have started a support group as well. To the above poster, I sure hope your mom has found a good doctor to help her get better.0 -
Your body needs a balance of calories, carbs, protein (nutrients) and water to survive, along with exercise. You body is like a car...it needs fuel to function!
Based on your body weight, you can make yourself have an "unhealthy" weight loss. It doesn't say you will not lose weight, it say "Starvation Mode"... you are starving yourself.
Anyone who has the surgery to shrink their stomach, should ONLY do it for medical purposes and as a last resort. It is not healthy or normal for your stomach to be clamped. God did not intend for you to destroy your normal body functions for the pure satisfaction of appearance. The surgery itself is worse than not eating... too much risk and not a health option. Not to mention the doctors and medical world that is capitalizing on your laziness. Not cool!
I have lost 90lbs in 8months in the passed and I can testify that the more I ate healthy, the quicker I lost the weight. It is ALL about balance. If you exercise, you need more calories. PERIOD. Most people think you are losing "weight" by eating less and exercise more, and yes you will lose "weight" but you are losing muscle mass, bone mass, and inevitable destroying what is needed to burn fat. The less calories you consume the more your body will fight (survival mode) to produce more calories and store fat to burn off SLOWLY overtime.
EAT PEOPLE!0 -
I started out on MFP eating around 1450 cals a day and walking then I went to 1200 a day and was burning like no body's business at the gym also. So I was ending up with negative net cals almost everyday. I thought "nice, those lbs will melt away for sure" NOPE! I lost at frist but not like you would think and then it jsut stalled out! I was exactly the same for WEEKS!! I even gained 2 lbs!
So after some research I decided to try the "eat more lose more" approach. I gotta tell ya I was skeptical and freaked out at the prospect of gaining incase it wasn't working.
I struggled to eat my new calorie goal (1700) and I also started eating back *some* of my exercise cals a day too...this was hard to do since my stomach was used to handling so few a day...so I added higher cal things into my diet like more dairy and nuts etc...I tried to add in more healthy snacks too....
After only doing this for 5 days I weighed myself (I was sure I was gonna gain because I felt like i was always eating and I figured my body would have to readjust after being on 1200 for so long so I thought I will gain then I will give it one more week and then see if I lose.)
But to my amazement I had LOST 3 LBS in 6 days doing this!!!
I am a believer! I will never agian go back...If I can continue to exercise, eat a good diet and not deprive myself and still lose...I say YAY!!
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I am no expert either but will add my two cents for what it is worth.
It is MY understanding that if you are overweight or obese being under you BMR or recommended calories it won’t put you in starvation mode since you have that fat store to pull from. I am in this mode at this time.. I haven’t felt too tired or super hungry at all. If I do I eat a small snack and feel fine. I have more energy and feel better than I have in a long time.
Once you reach your goal weight, or remove your fat stores THEN you will need to be careful to NOT go below a set amount, your BMR, for example or you could lose muscle and by your body feeling off of its own muscle you would be in starvation mode.
Again IMO, an anorexic can still lose even eating extremely small amounts but they have little if any muscle, so they are living off of their own body and can only do so for so long. It is HUGE part of why they are so weak.. No muscles..
So if you are going to eat below your BMR then make healthy choices, get exercise and see how you feel. If you are always tired and feel run down then adjust. If you are under a doctors and or nutritionist care then check with them to make sure you are being safe..
I am currently on a low carb - 1200 calorie day (both recommended by my doctor and nutritionist) lifestyle and I am also doing zumba twice a week and now lifting weights.
I have never felt better.0 -
Your body needs a balance of calories, carbs, protein (nutrients) and water to survive, along with exercise. You body is like a car...it needs fuel to function!
Based on your body weight, you can make yourself have an "unhealthy" weight loss. It doesn't say you will not lose weight, it say "Starvation Mode"... you are starving yourself.
Anyone who has the surgery to shrink their stomach, should ONLY do it for medical purposes and as a last resort. It is not healthy or normal for your stomach to be clamped. God did not intend for you to destroy your normal body functions for the pure satisfaction of appearance. The surgery itself is worse than not eating... too much risk and not a health option. Not to mention the doctors and medical world that is capitalizing on your laziness. Not cool!
I have lost 90lbs in 8months in the passed and I can testify that the more I ate healthy, the quicker I lost the weight. It is ALL about balance. If you exercise, you need more calories. PERIOD. Most people think you are losing "weight" by eating less and exercise more, and yes you will lose "weight" but you are losing muscle mass, bone mass, and inevitable destroying what is needed to burn fat. The less calories you consume the more your body will fight (survival mode) to produce more calories and store fat to burn off SLOWLY overtime.
EAT PEOPLE!
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I agree But there are a lot of conflicting articles out there online...I just needed some type of clairity! Thanks
I'll share my personal experience, the site was recommending 1700 calories a day for me to lose 1lb a week, I tried it and at first it worked but then I started getting tired, sick , it just wasn't working.
I then went to see a dietitian and had my metabolism tested professionally and discovered I at the time it was 2299 calories BMR, I was under eating by a massive amount, yes weight was dropping but I wasn't healthy. Now I eat between 2800-3000 a day and I have lost 20 lbs, gained muscle mass and dropped 4% body fat.
This may not have been starvation mode per say, but metabolic slow down does indeed exist and if people chose to ignore it that's their choice but to denounce it outright is dangerous in my opinion.
FYI : Metabolic Starvation does not = Tummy Grumbling
This is great information, thanks for sharing! :happy:0 -
I've posted on this plenty before, with lots of f-bombs.
Starvation mode is a myth. If you have excess body fat, your body goes to this primarily as its energy source. Could you lose some lean mass if you didn't eat anything at all? Sure. If you had 100lbs of pure body fat though, your body is going to seek that out as an easy energy source.
Will your metabolism slow down? Not by any substantial amount. Your metabolism encompasses the entirety of all processes that make your body work, and allow you to exist and function. Will you feel like butt here or there? Maybe, but unlikely. Hell on a recent thread I proved this wrong by eating about 500 calories a day of nothing but water, almond milk, and whey protein powder. Did this for days, did weightlifting, martial arts, and my normal 13 hour shifts at work fine. It's kind of pointless, but you can do it, and you will lose fat.
Starvation mode only really exists when you are actually starving, eg in a DPRK work camp, making bigger rocks into smaller rocks.
Not to be rude... ok, well, to be rude... you're an idiot.
Sorry, i'm not usually one to say stuff like this but you're just crazy wrong. Just got read a nutrition textbook from college level and you'll figure it out. That's all.0 -
Your body needs a balance of calories, carbs, protein (nutrients) and water to survive, along with exercise. You body is like a car...it needs fuel to function!
Your body doesn't actually require any carbs to be eaten, it can look after itself in that department.
Car analogies usually fail, and this is no exception. My car has a fuel tank like I have fat reserves - it can keep going for a long distance and time on them.0 -
Starvation mode doesn't exist.........until it happens to you.0
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I love every single one of you who are replying with the sanity information about eating the feed your body. At least some of us will still be here, losing our weight, eating LOTS of food, making our body healthy and getting stronger. Those who believe it is okay to eat less than your body needs to function in a healthy manner will find out eventually. And I am sorry for them but I will not argue them to health. They will have to depend on their own resources and find out in the end when they're extremely sick or skinny-fat and their body has started to eat them up from the inside.0
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Don't confuse the idea of starvation mode with the inability to lose weight. You can still lose weight when you're in starvation mode. The difference is what type of weight you lose:
When you eat sufficient calories to fuel your basic body functions, but less calories than you burn in a day's activities, you tend to lose body fat.
When you eat insufficient calories to fuel basic body functions (starvation mode), your body does not burn fat for energy - it's simply doesn't have the fuel for that. What it does is, it starts looking for protein - in your muscles, bones and organs. Protein burns much more efficiently than fat and because fuel is scarce, your body looks for the most economical way to obtain energy to fuel your vital body processes. So you lose weight, yes, but it's not fat. More than likely, it will be muscle.
When you lose muscle weight, it does take less calories to support your daily activities, so if you continue to lightly starve yourself, eventually you'll lose enough muscle where the calories you are eating will be enough to fuel your vital body processes, this is referred to as a slow metabolism. When your metabolism has slowed, things will level out. However, if you ever decide to eat more calories than the little bit you've been eating, you will quickly gain weight, more than you probably expect or want.0 -
People, it is NOT a myth. Take it from someone that was diagnosed with it and treated for it. Anorexics lose weight because they eat so little that their body eats their muscles, and when they run out of that, it eats their organs, and then dies. People who eat reduced but not anorexic levels can put themselves in a state where they are stagnant.
Me, after test after test, I was diagnosed with starvation mode because my metabolism only worked (as in, my thyroid producing hormones) if I ate. 45 minutes after a meal, my thyroid would shut down and all metabolic processes for the purpose of staying active, healthy, and losing weight, shut down. This means, my body didn't burn long enough to work off the food I would eat, even at 900 calories a day, thus creating enormous weight gain. This is how I gained over 200 pounds in about 2.5 years.
Granted, one or two days will not create this but if you continuously undereat, you risk not only starvation issues, but refeeding issues. Refeeding is dangerous and can be fatal.
I've written two researched and documented blog posts regarding this issue. Google all you want, but I defer to medical journals and the Mayo Clinic for my information, not here, not any fitness website... I weigh 440 pounds. My doctor told me not to eat under 2660 a day for a long time.
You'd think that if you weigh as much as me and are as fat as I am, the doctor would have said drop it to 1200 if that was healthy and right.
One thing I will say here though is that when a person is starving, as in having NO FOOD for a day or more, medical professionals concur that the MINIMUM that person should eat when being rehabilitated is 1200 a day. Anything under 1200 is considered generally inadequate.
As for bypass patients... this is the official guidelines as submitted by the Bariatric Times, the periodical/peer review that surgeons use for setting post-op guidelines. A summary:0 -
When you eat insufficient calories to fuel basic body functions (starvation mode), your body does not burn fat for energy - it's simply doesn't have the fuel for that.
So in your world the tens of thousands of calories in fat storage isn't available as fuel ?
How do people lose fat on PSMF diets - is that because they eat plenty of protein or because the calories are above some magic number.0 -
Your body is meant to do everything it can to survive hence starvation mode.
If you are trying to lose weigh starvation mode will slow this process as your body will attempt to retain everything you eat as it is running on the system of a low calorie (unhealthy) diet.
Your body is not magical, it cannot hold out forever so therefore eventually it will start to wither away.
This is starvation mode. Not a myth.0 -
I then went to see a dietitian and had my metabolism tested professionally and discovered I at the time it was 2299 calories BMR, I was under eating by a massive amount, yes weight was dropping but I wasn't healthy.
I'm super curious about this! What procedure did she/he use to test your metabolism? I would love to know how many calories I'm actually burning.0 -
OKAY heres a scare tactic for you. starvation mode makes your hair fall out, makes your periods stop, makes your nails chip, your skin turn gaunt and yellow and your breath to STINK. what the hell is wrong with nourishing yourself? maybe THATS the reason you cant seem to keep the weight off.
thats me eating 600-800 cals a day, about 3 months into my sickness. starvation mode is REAL. and do NOT educate people on matters that you know very little about. it doesnt happen over night, of course, BUT if you religiously eat way less than 1,200 cals a day there are going to be inevitable health complications. that simply is NOT ENOUGH calories to sustain an active lifestyle! CMON GUYS LETS BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES HERE!
Thank you for being honest about your disorder and standing up to not let this horrible message get through that it is okay to starve0
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