Sarvation mode is just wishful eating...

I accidentally ate at or under BMR this week and did 45 mins-1 hr of cardio (including sprints) after 12-16 hours of fasting every day. I am already in single-digits body-fat wise. I just read about starvation mode and got scared! I checked the scale, figuring I must have gained at least 10 pounds, but instead I am down 1.5 lbs and 1% body fat. I am so confused, what is going on?! I thought I had to eat 5000 calories/day to get awesome abs?! Please help!

Starvation mode only occurs when your body literally has nothing left.. like an insanely low body fat percentage. The term is way overused. You lose weight by expending more calories than you consume.

I completely agree!! I'm reading Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat... and he goes into some detail citing lots of research articles to support the fact that "starvation mode" does not occur as often as we think it does.

Yeah, let's listen to the guy with three posts who joined this month. He must know everything.

All this 'i cant reach my calories etc etc... we were all fat that is how we got fat by eatng too many calories. Eat less, burn more, be thin!!!

This is all kinds of wrong I don't even know where to begin.

^^^This is true, and people are actually going for this bs... :indifferent:

I have trouble eating in the morning. I dont feel like eating so I just drink my coffee and water and then its 5pm....I know that cannot be good on my body but I am just not hungry and kind of nauseous thinking of food and then I only eat 1200 if I am lucky I just feel like I need to eat earlier and then if its 1200 I am okay but eating 1200 between dinner and bed isnt good.

There's nothing wrong with this. I purposefully put off eating most of my calories until the end of the day because it just works better for me. As long as you're eating well when you eat doesn't matter.

I do the same.

Not everyone got fat by eating too much.
PCOS can cause weight gain. Cushings can cause weight gain even if you're eating barely anything. Hormone imbalances can affect weight.
It CAN be very hard for people to get enough calories once they start tracking, ESPECIALLY if cutting out high-calorie foods that probably made up most of a person's meals. One burger at Mcdonalds, plus fries and a coke is waywayway more calories, but just as filling as a homemade salad with light dressing and some grilled chicken. People are getting full on healthier low-cal foods and so of course some are going to start having trouble filling the calorie gap with healthy things.

All this 'i cant reach my calories etc etc... we were all fat that is how we got fat by eatng too many calories. Eat less, burn more, be thin!!!

This is all kinds of wrong I don't even know where to begin.

:drinker:

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/

Do some research. You have to be at such a low BMI to ever see starvation mode. And explain anorexia if you stop losing weight when you don't eat? Before you flame me not making light of ED. Just making a valid point.

Re anorexia - good point. Same thing with the lap band. If reducing calories significantly didn't work then the lap band would not be treatment for morbid obesity.

AGREE AGREE AGREE! I think people who overuse "starvation mode" are just mad because they can't stop eating after they are satisfied or full...and what is all this "eat more, and lose weight" about?! If that was the case no one would be here!

I think everyone has their own opinions on this matter and different things work for different people. For myself Its a little hard for me to consume 1500 calories. I mean yes about 3 -6 mos ago i didn't have a problem with it especially on days i stopped at mcdonalds but now I'm vegan so even though i eat a lot fruits and veggies only add up to so much. Plus I have my doctor monitoring me because were doing a study together to find out if switching to a full vegan lifestyle can help promote better health as in bloodwork, blood pressure, and everything else in between. I eat my meals and i workout and I'm never hungry so until i stop losing weight or i become so hungry i want to eat everything in site I perfectly happy with my calorie intake even if it is below 1000 some days. I know Ive gotten all the protein, fiber, carbs, and all my nutrients in that i need for the day so why worry? Cause at the end of the day what really matters is if you consumed the right amount of mineral, nutrients, carbs, fiber, proteins, etc and not how many calories you were able to force down your throat in one sitting. Thats my rant on this. Sorry guys it just drives me nuts how people freak out about this subject.

All this 'i cant reach my calories etc etc... we were all fat that is how we got fat by eatng too many calories. Eat less, burn more, be thin!!!

OMG!
It's not always calories in vs calories out!
hormones!
hormones!

hormones up!
hormones down!

FFS.....

This is how most of us feel when we see crap like this on the boards!

Hormones magically generate energy from the ether? I always KNEW that physics was a lie!

This past week I ate less and worked out a little more and lost 2 lbs!

All this 'i cant reach my calories etc etc... we were all fat that is how we got fat by eatng too many calories. Eat less, burn more, be thin!!!

I wasn't ever fat, and some days I can't reach my calories.


I also like being contrary!

hmmm. I ate very little for years it only exasperated my problem. I'm realizing that I need to eat more. Not everybody burns the same, have you heard of thyroid issues? Most people with thyroid conditions are told to eat 800 calories a day and do and nothing happens...how do you figure that one.

I had mono once, I didn't eat for 1.5 months. I slept a lot, I ate like 2 bowls of cereal, and a little broth during that time...my tonsils were too swollen to eat, I loathed it. I did not LOSE ANYTHING! I lost my muscle tone is all. lol

hmmm. I ate very little for years it only exasperated my problem. I'm realizing that I need to eat more. Not everybody burns the same, have you heard of thyroid issues? Most people with thyroid conditions are told to eat 800 calories a day and do and nothing happens...how do you figure that one.

Considering thyroid conditions serious enough to make weight loss impossible are generally fatal within a few years if untreated, not many people running around with that issue. I have a couple of friends who have legitimate thyroid issues (surprise surprise, neither of them are obese, although maybe on the border of overweight), and feel bad for them having to listen to people who are just fat and unable to accept accountability talk about their "thyroid" and "metabolism" issues.

Edit: Not telling you you don't need to eat more, but if you have a serious thyroid issue, you need to be getting medical treatment to keep your hormone levels healthy. If your hormone levels are within normal bounds, you have no reason why you can't lose weight the same as someone without a thyroid issue.