Starvation mode?

Hey love.....I have a feeling like u might some abuse on this subject, becasuse people in the forums are like vultures when it comes to actually skinny people being on it....just be careful because some people are vicious and don't take to heart any nasty things they say

^^ this )))

Hey everyone,
I've heard so many rumours about starvation mode, how it comes about and how to avoid it. Firstly does starvation mode actually exist on someone who is a normal weight even I they cut their calories to 600 a day? I've heard you have to have 17% body fat an then to starve for starvation mode to effect you. Does exercising stop starvation mode or help it because it should be speeding up your metabolism. There are a lot of diets then which have 'cheat days' where you eat all the **** you want that day. How come the people who have the cheat days don't put on weight? I noticed that with the ABC diet people are meant to lose weight quicker due to the daily variation of calories which follows the same principal with cheat days.

Yes, starvation mode exists for people who have a normal starting weight. 600 calories a day is not healthy. Realistically, if you're already a normal weight, you should be eating more calories (for a lower deficit) to ensure healthy weight loss. If you cut that low, you're risking losing lean body mass (such as muscle) rather than losing fat.

I'm not sure where you found the 17% body fat figure. 17% looks very different on women than men, so this arbitrary number won't really indicate much. You can be 35% body fat and still find your weight loss stalling because your body won't part with the fat it has, for fear of starvation.

Exercising won't stop starvation mode from happening. It will more likely just frustrate you as your body will be trying to hold onto the fat you have, rather than allowing you to burn it because it knows it has the nutrition it needs to function.

Cheat days tend to work because generally speaking, if you eat a restricted calorie diet 6 days of the week, and one big day, your average for the week will still be at a deficit, causing a loss. Furthermore, people say that a cheat day kicks your metabolism into gear, as it is surprised into working harder to burn the excess fuel you've provided. This sped up metabolic effort can extend into the week, or just make you look skinner, rather than look like you gained weight from eating a slice of cake.



Hope this helps some.

Reductions in metabolic rate - which some people call "starvation mode" - do occur with large reductions in calorie intake, large weight losses, and probably some other causes too. Usually the reductions are around a couple of hundred calories a day in spontaneous physical activity and the like.

I like Steve Troutman's take on this:
http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#starvationmode

I like this one

http://m.voices.yahoo.com/starvation-mode-dispelling-myths-2900886.html

Great article