Been sick, in starvation mode, how do I get out??

kellya009
kellya009 Posts: 54 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been sick for a week and unale to eat a lot, around 500-800 calories per day.

I haven't lost any weight, but I know my body is in starvation mode now.

How can I transition out of this in the next week, to get back to my normal 1400 cals per day, without gaining weight?

Replies

  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    You are not in starvation mode. Do some research, unless your body fat is less than about 8% you will NEVER get into starvation mode.
  • kellya009
    kellya009 Posts: 54 Member
    Ok, so I can just shoot back up to 1400 calories without gaining any weight?
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,296 Member
    If you aren't sick anymore, eat. It shouldn't be hard to go back after only a week.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    The whole "starvation mode" is overused and misunderstood.

    If you eat at a very large caloric deficit for an extended period of time your body will adapt and your metabolism will, in layman's terms, slow down. This is one of the reasons people will often gain more than they lost after going on some of the crash diets and then going back to their old habits - their body has reset what normal is.

    The notion, however, that your body will hold on to its fat etc when in starvation mode is just plain silly. Take a look at concentration camp survivors and Japanese POWs liberated after WWII, if "starvation mode" were real they wouldn't have been walking skeletons.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Easy, eat.....
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,641 Member
    How to not starve.........EAT! lol
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
    The whole "starvation mode" is overused and misunderstood.

    If you eat at a very large caloric deficit for an extended period of time your body will adapt and your metabolism will, in layman's terms, slow down. This is one of the reasons people will often gain more than they lost after going on some of the crash diets and then going back to their old habits - their body has reset what normal is.

    The notion, however, that your body will hold on to its fat etc when in starvation mode is just plain silly. Take a look at concentration camp survivors and Japanese POWs liberated after WWII, if "starvation mode" were real they wouldn't have been walking skeletons.

    Clearly they were doing keto.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    Easy, eat.....

    what he said ^^
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    The whole "starvation mode" is overused and misunderstood.

    If you eat at a very large caloric deficit for an extended period of time your body will adapt and your metabolism will, in layman's terms, slow down. This is one of the reasons people will often gain more than they lost after going on some of the crash diets and then going back to their old habits - their body has reset what normal is.

    The notion, however, that your body will hold on to its fat etc when in starvation mode is just plain silly. Take a look at concentration camp survivors and Japanese POWs liberated after WWII, if "starvation mode" were real they wouldn't have been walking skeletons.

    Clearly they were doing keto.

    LOL
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Don't even get on the scale for a week or so. You are probably going to gain a couple pounds back unless you've kept yourself REALLY hydrated. But as soon as you are able, just start eating your 1,400 calories again.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Ur not going to gain weight eating 1400 cals... just eat. And you are not in starvation mode, lol. U are afraid of nothing.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    Ok, so I can just shoot back up to 1400 calories without gaining any weight?

    Isn't the goal to help your body bounce back fully from being sick? If you gain a little weight from bringing your calories back to a healthy number, you can lose it again.
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
    Ok, so I can just shoot back up to 1400 calories without gaining any weight?

    Phyyyysics.
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    You arent in starvation mode. Just eat whatever. Youll be fine.
  • mochaphobic
    mochaphobic Posts: 92 Member
    While you were sick, were you able to stay hydrated? If so, you should be fine. If not, then that needs to be your first priority and just eat what you can. I was told that if you gain a little bit of weight after being sick it could be just your body rehydrating and holding onto every little bit it can but as soon as it reaches that point of being hydrated again you'll lose the excess.
  • vanessalillian82
    vanessalillian82 Posts: 350 Member
    I find that listening to your body works best when you're recovering from illness. If you're hungry, eat, but eat lots of healthy foods that your body actually needs to repair and don't go over the top on portion size. Maybe stay away from the scales for a week or two because you have to mend before you can lose weight again.
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
    If you cant eat volume, make sure the foods you are eating are higer cal. Add peanut butter, carbs, nuts, protein shakes, smoothies, granola bars....those kind of things. Get on a routine of eating at least 3 times a day to retrain your body to crave food. Good luck. I know its just as hard to up your calories as it is to lower them. You can do this.
  • kellya009
    kellya009 Posts: 54 Member
    Thanks everyone who gave great info and advice. I'll be trying these things.

    Not so much to the people with condescending one-liners.

Categories