"Starvation Mode" real or fake?

saraboston

As in, if you eat too few calories your body will go into starvation mode and you won't be able to lose weight.

What do you think, is it real or fake? 

(edited for clarity)

pennypie07

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't it obviously real because of disorders like anorexia. That is an extreme example of too few calories, of course. But even below a certain threshold your body is bound to need energy and will get it from other sources if you're not feeding it.

saraboston

pennypie07:

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't it obviously real because of disorders like anorexia. That is an extreme example of too few calories, of course. But even below a certain threshold your body is bound to need energy and will get it from other sources if you're not feeding it.

Yes, sorry. I mean starvation mode as it's described to dieters, not as in actually starvation. Edited the above.

daves_sweetpea

I'd like to know too.  Weight Watchers revised some of their health facts last year b/c "science changed" and leaders are no longer suppsed to say that too few calories will put a body into "starvation mode" or "ruin your metabolism."  I know that extreme calorie restriction can really damage organ functions-maybe that's what people refer to when they say "starvation mode?"  On the other hand, good & bad things can rev up the meatbolism (good-building more muslce, bad-burn victims, overactive thyroid) but a person's metabolism really can't be reset or recked, can it?  I'm a big fan of WW but I think they really oversimplify or dumb-down some things so I wouldn't be surprised if the metabolism answer is far, far more complex than their explanation.

 

foundmylazybum

It used to be pretty common around here to hear people say "OMGNOOOZZZ!! You eat 1200 cal/day..you will go into starvation mode!"

I *think* that's probably a misnomer for a lot of people that 1200 cal is going to throw off your metabolism.

People who are anorexic are CONSTANTLY calorie restricting..and restricting is like 500 calories mixed with constant exercise (ever see an anorexic exercise in the shower..they do that) That action will eff up your metabolism. Not running less than 20 miles a week and eating 1200 calories a day.

That's where I (personally) feel that phrase was misused. At least around here.  

Julia-Henry

Honestly, every time I've ever thought that my metabolism was messing up weight loss for me, it's been a simple issue of basic math - I've been eating more and burning less than I thought I was. Once I start tracking properly, my issues disappear.

I think it's a myth (at least in terms of people trying to lose in a more or less normal manner). Sometimes it's hard to figure out how many calories you need and whether or not your guesstimate is off, but the basics work - eat less than you burn and you will lose.

Sessalee1010

True starvation mode is something you see in extreme cases of very low body fat and caloric deficits more along the lines of 4-6k plus per day over a period of months, not days. It is more about the loss of balance of hormones in your body, which does in fact affect your metabolism. 

It is real, but not in the way that the term gets tossed around here. 1200 cal/day works for some people and it is a safe amount of calories to consume to lose weight. Talk to your doctor, listen to your body, and eat enough so you're not cranky. 

Gummybear

I am on team exaggerated and overused. I am sure there is some truth to it from a scientific standpoint, but just like there is no magic number that works for everyone  for weight loss, there is no magic "starvation" number either. Plenty of people get by on a very low calorie diet and are perfectly healthy.

I think the real reason people don't lose is they are drastically underestimated how much they eat and how overestimating how much they burn.

WinesNotWhines

I think it's rare unless you're eating fewer than 1000 calories/day or exercising a LOT, like several hours a day, and not eating enough. 

I think the average person who eats 1200 calories/day and works out for 30 minutes is fine.  

annabear07

I do think it is a rare occasion, but people do need to make sure they are eating enough to fuel their body.  I gained 8lbs my first marathon training season by not eating enough to fuel my body, or eating all the right things.  The next time around I paid much better attention to my intake and what I was eating and I didn't really gain anything.

Like how metabolism is different for every person, I think the starvation mode can affect some people and not others but it is far rarer than advertised.

shorewife

Prolonged reduced calorie intake causes adaptation.  There really isn't an issue in the short term with calorie restriction for weight loss as long as the person can handle the deficit without overcompensating and bingeing.  And then after a month or two, a 'break' is needed.  Without the break (meaning eating at maintenance) then yes the body will eventually adapt to the new caloric intake.  This is what is referred to as 'starvation mode' but it is a misconception that it happens immediately if you miss a meal or eat under 1200 calories.

RenoisPrettierThanYou

Sessalee1010:

True starvation mode is something you see in extreme cases of very low body fat and caloric deficits more along the lines of 4-6k plus per day over a period of months, not days. It is more about the loss of balance of hormones in your body, which does in fact affect your metabolism. 

It is real, but not in the way that the term gets tossed around here. 1200 cal/day works for some people and it is a safe amount of calories to consume to lose weight. Talk to your doctor, listen to your body, and eat enough so you're not cranky. 

 

....I don't know if I could ever eat enough food to do that!

Sessalee1010

RenoisPrettierThanYou:

Sessalee1010:

True starvation mode is something you see in extreme cases of very low body fat and caloric deficits more along the lines of 4-6k plus per day over a period of months, not days. It is more about the loss of balance of hormones in your body, which does in fact affect your metabolism. 

It is real, but not in the way that the term gets tossed around here. 1200 cal/day works for some people and it is a safe amount of calories to consume to lose weight. Talk to your doctor, listen to your body, and eat enough so you're not cranky. 

 

....I don't know if I could ever eat enough food to do that!

Some days I feel like that too!