Starvation Mode

[waynef 25]

Is starvation mode real? does it really happen?

My Fitness Pal says I need 2600 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week, yesterday I ate about 1200, is that enough?

Someone help me please.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Yes, starvation mode does exist, however everyone is different.

I eat between 1100-1200 calories a day and lose consistently, despite the fact Lost It (the app I use) says I should be eating like 2700 too. So for me, it works and I'm not in starvation mode.

What does your nutrionist say you should be eating daily? I would follow their direction over that of anyone on here or myfitness.

[waitingpatiently 250]

Some feel that it does exist others (like me) say no. It just doesn't make since to me. I work in healthcare and just can't see where its possible.

However, I do think everyones body is different. Some bodies I think work more effiently than others and don't require as many calories. My body must be REAL effient because if I ate 1200....and didn't work my butt off exercising, I would gain weight. But I know I'm not quite the average. I was on a 1200 calorie day limit for years and still gained about 1/2-3/4 a pound a month. Since December I have religiously kept my calories to less than 900 and for the last 5 weeks have been less than 800 (all but 3 days) and have only lost 30 pounds...this includes pre-op and 4 weeks of post-op.

It crazy how our bodies are different....but I would STRONGLY suggest that you don't eat the 2000 calories a day. Maybe normal people can eat this much and not gain weight, but most with weight issues would probably gain.

I would suggest you start at the 1200 calories and give it a good try....if you aren't seeing progress, then I would drop it down to 1000 and try again. Hopefully that you will do it for you. Plus I would consider doing a high Protein low carb diet.....it seem to work well for a lot of bansters (including me).

Good luck.

Oh...ps.....be careful counting your exercise calories from my fitness pal. I noticed it was giving me credit for burning way more calories than I had. (i put in that I did the elliptical for 30 minutes and it gave me credit for something like 550 calories...where my actual machine only gave me 240. ( I have a high-end machine....so I believe it over myfitnesspal)

I know 30 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but thats only about 2 pounds a week.....thus the reason I decided to get the lap band I'm hoping with a few fills I will be satisfied with only eating 800-900 calories and not feel like I'm on a diet all the time.

[NWgirl 574]

I have an allowance from 1200-1400. I have heard that for women and dieting, most don't recommend going below 1200m (this is without any kind of surgery) because the metabolism can slow. Even if your body stops losing for awhile, it will start again.

[flab u less 45]

I have been stalled for two weeks now. I was eating 500 to 600 calories. Now I am up ping as of yesterday to 900 or 1000. We will see. I exercise everyday and burn like 600 calories.

[readytogoforit 172]

change you settings on Fitnesspal.com to the calories you want. I added Fiber now, just to see how much i get each day.

I agree don't starve yourself. 1200- 1400 is about right. I don't always eat that much but that is the goal. my problem comes from carbs. I like to keep them low and that is hard to do!

many people don't even keep track of how much they eat! I could not do that, i measure and weigh everything. Maybe that will change when I get to goal.

[B-52 7,113]

The idea that "not eating enough" causes the body to stop losing weight because it goes into "starvation mode" is a popular myth among dieters.

Article By: The Weight Watchers Research Department

There are various articles on line about this....I for one am old school: calories in versus calories burned = weight loss.

I also believe that I had enough fat stored as energy that I could survive on a deserted island for months without food....just give me Protein and water!

It has also been my personal observation that the people who worry about getting enough calories in, are also the ones complaining about slow weight loss. Just my observation.

'm sure I'll get a lot of " flak" from this one.....but....it is just a line we use to rationalize eating more....if it were true , the opposite should hold true. if we eat too much are body would go into " dump the fat mode ".... seems my body skipped the memo on that one !

[NWgirl 574]

The idea that "not eating enough" causes the body to stop losing weight because it goes into "starvation mode" is a popular myth among dieters.

Article By: The Weight Watchers Research Department

There are various articles on line about this....I for one am old school: calories in versus calories burned = weight loss.

I also believe that I had enough fat stored as energy that I could survive on a deserted island for months without food....just give me Protein and water!

It has also been my personal observation that the people who worry about getting enough calories in, are also the ones complaining about slow weight loss. Just my observation.

'm sure I'll get a lot of " flak" from this one.....but....it is just a line we use to rationalize eating more....if it were true , the opposite should hold true. if we eat too much are body would go into " dump the fat mode ".... seems my body skipped the memo on that one !

I don't disagree that people use starvation mode to rationalize eating more (who hasn't read "Help! my body is in starvation mode" the second day a person is on the liquid diet), but it is true the metabolism slows with the less food you eat.

I, personally, have never been able to lose weight based on calories in/calories out. I am on my feet walking around all day due to my job and burn 3000-3500 per day. If the simple equation were true, I should be losing about 4lb a week, which I'm not.

[B-52 7,113]

I don't disagree that people use starvation mode to rationalize eating more (who hasn't read "Help! my body is in starvation mode" the second day a person is on the liquid diet), but it is true the metabolism slows with the less food you eat.

I, personally, have never been able to lose weight based on calories in/calories out. I am on my feet walking around all day due to my job and burn 3000-3500 per day. If the simple equation were true, I should be losing about 4lb a week, which I'm not.

I have never even counted calories since being banded, and have gone all day without eating at times, other than my morning Protein shake.

I work out strenuously 3 hrs a day, including running, and I have never had a problem with energy levels, and I reached my goal within a year, and still loosing below my goal.

Based on the starvation mode equation - theory, you should eat more to loose more!!!

I have always found the less I eat, the more I loose.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Sorry but thanks to Google, anyone can find an article to back their argument. Here's one that explains what starvation mode is and how it CAN effect you:

"While a starvation diet may help you lose weight quite fast in the short term, you will pay a heavy price because you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of weight problems. Your metabolism gets progressively slower with each day you remain on a starvation diet. This resultant slower metabolism needs less fuel, so you consistently have to eat less and less to lose weight!"

For the full article, look here: http://optimalbodywe...ode-weight-loss

Perhaps "starvation mode" is a poor thing to call it, but as stephyanders mentions above, eating too little can adversely effect your metabolism by slowing it.

Everyone is different, and everyone's body processes calories differently. Not only calorie amounts but types. Some say "no carbs!" but some need and do well with good carbs. Some can loose like crazy on only 800 a day, others need a minimum of 1000.

I have done a lot of research on the topic of calories and calorie types and have found the whole "less is more" isn't necessarily true. I had been eating about 1000 calories a day the first 2 months and had steady weight loss. However, I'd slowed a lot and only lost 7 pounds last month. So, after my research about calories and metabolism, I upped my calories a mere 200 to 1200 daily.

I have lost another 23 pounds this month since increasing my calories, bringing my total weight loss to 81 pounds in less than 4 months.

[B-52 7,113]

Well.'m at my goal and still loosing, I'm sure you'll let us know when you reach your goal.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Well.'m at my goal and still loosing, I'm sure you'll let us know when you reach your goal.

I wasn't aware of the fact this was a competition, I was simply sharing research knowledge with others. I'd have shared it if had failed as well, it just so happens the researched proved true in my own life.

[1shauna1 129]

Everyone's body is different. I do believe your metabolism can slow wayyy down if you're not eating enough (I don't have that problem :-/). However, to the OP - if you're feeling satisfied, with lots of energy on 1200 cals a day, then go with it! MFP (and I'm on there too!) doesn't take into account weight loss surgery. I don't think you are SUPPOSED to eat that much after being banded (most people that I've read on here range from 800-1400, but I've never seen anyone state their goal was 2000 cals or more per day). Obviously if you're working out a lot, you probably need to make some adjustments for that.

[Lola Granola 14]

I don't have a band yet, but I still tend to agree with Mis73's comments. I have been most successful on low carb diets in the past (although still not successful enough,... that is obviously why I am here). However, I decided to give low carb one last go before deciding to have the lap band surgery. This is something that I have noticed that I had never "really" had any "data" to support in the past..... until now. I kept a VERY elaborate spreadsheet of everything that I ate (weighed and measured everything.... NO cheating). First, I found it was difficult to eat enough calories. I was eating a lot less than I would have expected. I averaged about 1000 calories per day for a little over 4 months. I lost 5 pounds. I gave up on my diet (who the heck wouldn't, right?) and began to notice that rather rapidly dropped about 8 pounds..... doing nothing but eating a few more calories. I didn't go "hog" wild or anything and I continued to monitor what I was eating because I didn't want to start eating sweets again. I noticed that I rather modest increase of about 200 calories per day (I basically let myself have some bread) was what did it! Weird, huh? At any rate, the calories do continue to gradually increase..... I would estimate (totally scrapped the spreadsheet after 8 months) that I am right back to eating something in the neighborhood of 2000 to 2500 calories per day. Still not eating sweets, however!! I have not put the 13 pounds back on, but I am sure that it would eventually find it's way back to me.... That experiment was about all I needed to cause me to decide to have the surgery. I researched the band, decided to give a diet one last go, totally crappy results..... and LOTS of hard work..... and then I scheduled myself a date for surgery. Moral of my story..... I think that there is definately a calories in calories out component to all of this, but I do think that we can slow our metalbalism down by not eating enough. That is what my data would suggest.... at least in my case.

[judych 225]

Is starvation mode real? does it really happen?

My Fitness Pal says I need 2600 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week, yesterday I ate about 1200, is that enough?

Someone help me please.

my myfitnesspal tells me i have to have at least 1200.. and my nutritionalist says 1000, so im goign with my nutritionalist. it does cause some issues when filling out my daily quota though.