So let's start by examining the whole "starvation mode" idea that you see all the time in articles about dieting. I picked this one to start with because I'm now tracking my food on My Fitness Pal and the number of people there screaming "starvation mode" is about 10x higher than most of the other weight loss boards I go to. They annoy the heck out of me, so I want to "answer" them in a permanent way vs. just arguing with them over and over on the boards there.
So what is the Starvation Mode Myth? It goes like this:
"If you don't eat enough, you won't lose weight!"
Okay, so all I have to do to lose weight is ... eat more food! Wow, isn't that awesome? If I stall out at 800 calories, I'll just go up to 1000. And if I stall at 1000, I'll go to 1200. If that doesn't work, how about 1500? 1800? 2200? Oh wait, when I ate 2200 calories, I weighed 223 pounds. Okay, that's not going to work.
But what if I just don't go below the magic "1200" that "everyone" says "no one" should go below? That must be what they mean by "starvation mode," right? If I stay at 1200, I will lose weight but if I go below that, I won't.
The problem with this idea is that, if it were true, no one would die from starvation and obviously people do. Clearly, even if you eat what is obviously too few calories to be healthy, such as an anorexic does, you will continue to lose weight.
So where did this idea -- that not eating enough calories makes you not lose weight -- come from?
It started with the famous Minnesota starvation study. Some normal-weighted men agreed to live on a compound where their exercise and diet was strictly controlled. For portions of the study, they were on a "starvation diet" which is defined as 50% of the calories your body needs to function.
For me, these days, that's about 750-850 calories a day. So I was on a starvation diet up for the first four months after my surgery. Yet I lost weight just fine during that period -- better than fine, really. Most of the people on The Biggest Loser are also on starvation diets, from what I can tell. They may eat a lot more than I do but they also exercise strenuously 6-8 hours a day. So they are often below 50% of their calorie expenditure for the day. They seem to lose just fine too.
How can this be?!
The answer lies in what actually happened to the Minnesota guys when they were on their starvation diets.
Like most of us on a diet, their metabolisms did slow down. In fact, after they'd been on this diet for a while -- we're talking months, not days here -- their body fat percentage got to a point below what is considered minimal to live on (about 5% for a guy, 6% for a gal). At this point, their metabolism had slowed down as much as 40%. But -- and this is the important point for those of us on a diet -- they continued to lose weight. Even with that big of a slow down in their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), they were still operating at a great enough calorie deficit to lose.
If this is true with a 40% slow down, it's even more true when the slow down is somewhere in the 14 - 22% range, which is more where if falls with normal dieting.
WARNING MATH CONTENT AHEAD:
Take an individual who needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain their current weight. Assuming calorie expenditure remains the same, they will lose (approximately) as follows:
| Calories | Expected Loss Per Week | Actual Loss |
| 2,000 | 0 pound | 0 pound |
| 1,500 | 1 pound | 1 pound |
| 1,000 | 2 pounds | 2 pound |
| 500 | 3 pounds | 2¼ to 2½ pounds |
As you can see from the table, once you go below a certain calorie level, you aren't getting the weight loss you'd expect. This is because your BMR will go down more if you eat only 500 calories compared to eating 1500. But, as you can see, you are still losing more than if you were eating 1000 calories.
This is a lot different than the "no" weight loss that the "starvation mode" myth touts.
The other important point to note about this study is that it was performed on normal-weighted men. When starvation studies have been done on the obese, they find that the impact of the starvation diet is much less. Our bodies have fat stores designed to get us through a famine (i.e., a diet) and when we have a famine (i.e., a diet), those fat stores get used. The drastic slowdown of the metabolism doesn't happen until those fat stores are largely gone -- which takes a lot longer for the obese than for those who only have to lose 10-25 pounds.
So why are we told not to go under 1200 calories a day, unless under a doctor's supervision?
Mostly because, the more you reduce your intake, the harder it is to get the nutritients you need from food. If you are on a very low calorie diet (as I am), you need to see your doctor(s) regularly, get labs done regularly, etc. Not to mention, vitamin supplementation is a must. Doing what I'm doing on your own can be dangerous, as you may not know or noticed the signs of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Don't forget: some vitamin deficiencies can kill you!
Another reason not to go below a certain calorie expenditure is that human beings are not machines and, unlike the guys in the Minnesota study, we aren't living on a compound with our activity and food strictly controlled. As a result, when we reduce our calories substantially, there is a tendency to subconsciously (or even consciously) reduce our calorie expenditure. Combine this with our tendency to under-report what we eat and over-report our exercise, and you can see where we can get into trouble.
As an example, one Saturday I did a killer two hour workout. After which, I came home and took a three hour nap! Obviously my calorie expenditure that day was lower than if I hadn't taken the nap.
Now, I still lost weight that week. But if I was only eating 500 calories for months at time, I doubt I'd be able to have done that workout to begin with -- I'd still be doing the 30 min. low intensity workouts that I started with. Plus, I might also be taking naps a lot more than once in a while. Both of which would have impacted my weight loss because they would have decreased my calorie expenditure.
Eating more over time has allowed me to exercise more so that, as a result, my rate of weight loss hasn't gone down as much as it could have as my calories have gone up. Plus I'm happy because I'm fitter and healthier.
In the end, it's important to consume enough calories that you have the energy to perform the daily activities you want to and to keep your body healthy. Otherwise, it's self-defeating. After all, the point of losing weight is to be healthier and to get our lives back. It's not to starve ourselves to the point of malnutrition and have so little energy we can't go out and do fun things.
If you want to learn more about starvation mode and read more details about the studies I alluded to, here are some good articles on it:
Are You In Starvation Mode or Starving For Truth? (some typos but the best summary article I've seen)
The Starvation Myth (where I got my table from)
The Truth about "Starvation Mode" (lots of research is discussed)
And here's an article from the other side... Tom Venuto is a big proponent of Starvation Mode and avoiding it. Yet even though the tone of his article makes it sounds like he disagrees 100% with the articles above, about 90% of what he says is exactly the same:
Is starvation mode a myth?- No! It's very real and here is the proof
57 comments:
Thanks for posting this. I've never believed that Starvation Mode stuff. If that were true, people wouldn't starve! It's not healthy to actually starve yourself, but major calorie reduction is how restrictive WLS (like VSG and lap band) works, and as you point out, that's why it needs to happen under controlled circumstances.
Nicely written and very well-reasoned! Thank you so much :-)
This is fabulously written!!! I have been saying the same thing on MFP and they are a cult of naysayers..........LOL
If one or 2 people in particular say something is true, then everyone is a believer. SMH.......
Thank you for this!! I plan to keep your link and use it when people try and use that excuse on me. I have been wanting to write something similar, but you say it so well. Do you mind if I link to it in my weight loss blog?
Sure, Misty. Go ahead and post a link. I'm flattered!
I think an issue that people usually argue with the "starvation mode" is that they generally want to make sure that your A) not malnourished and b) to promote healthy weight loss in which your losing a higher proportion of fat than you are losing muscle. One of the challenging notions about "what you consume" and "what you exercise" is put on its head easily when you can exercise 2500 calories a day and eat 2500 calories a day! It works because by doing nothing all day, you still burn 2500 calories that day and still manage to lose weight. As long as your body thinks its not constantly losing fat all the time, feel free to eat a bit more and exercise off the rest.
Most people can't and don't exercise enough to burn 2500 calories a day though. Heck, I don't burn that much when I do a triathlon unless it's at the longer distances.
In my experience, some people who have been morbidly obese for a long time just can't wrap their heads around the idea of eating less and are looking for excuses to eat more. "Starvation mode" makes a perfect excuse.
Your response really made me think. Some approaches (like hardcore exercise) are just too radical to implement for the average person. I now think, if your overly obese and exercise may feel too psychologically demanding, its okay to diet a little, provided that at least you are learning to eat healthy and having good food choices.
I learned in college that for big problems, its best to take one step at a time to achieve your goals. You can't always let the "experts" tells you what is right and wrong. If you have the right determination, you can definitely make it happen.
Well written but incorrect. The starvation mode that nutritionists and bodybuilders speak of refers to the loss of muscle. When your body goes into "starvation mode", of course it is possible to lose weight. But a large percentage of weight loss will be muscle as well as fat. Hence the skinny fats. You mention anorexics, they have no fat or muscle. Get your facts straight. Look like Richard Simmons?? I don't think so.
Sorry, but you are incorrect. In the starvation studies that have been done, the subjects did not start to lose large amounts of muscle mass until their body fat dropped to essential levels. The idea that, if you eat 1200 calorie a day, you won't lose muscle mass but if you eat 800, you will, is not borne out by the weight of clinical evidence.
Everyone on a diet loses some muscle mass even if they are operating at only a 500 calorie a day deficit and no one loses massive amounts of muscle until they deplete most of their fat stores.
The body is smarter than that. The fat is there to be used in times of "famine" and so it gets used. There is no need to hold onto massive quantities of fat in order to burn muscle mass so bodies don't do that.
P.S. Who said anything about Richard Simmons??
Well said. I think this is such an uncomfortable subject because it smacks of disordered eating.
I'm currently on the Alternate Day Diet that has me eating 600 cals every other day and I have had such positive results. I'm still reluctant to talk with my friends about it because of the stigma of restricting calories. This will help-thanks!
this is great. I've been a bodybuilder for years and always switch dieting up. Have just been curious about this, and how many people are adamant on it. I will RT you and your blog, hope more people read it. :)
to those who regard disordered eating-first of all, this isn't a lifestyle for most. I do things that need to be done to make money and competing is a job....and I am a perfectly content happy fat girl at 20% body fat in the off-season!
Thanks for this article. I found you by doing a search to see how long this "starvation mode" lasted. I didn't really get it because I agree, people die of starvation so I thought there must be a window (72 hours, a week etc.) before you start to lose again after a "stall".
Thanks for all the information. I feel so much better now. I have lost 50 pounds so far and I have 20 more to go.... It was good to see your stats too b/c I'm 4'11" and always felt that was a disadvantage. You are an inspiration to me! Keep up the awesome work!!!!!
I've never bought the starvation mode nonsense for a moment, either. First of all, a starving body is NOT fat.
Secondly, no one in the developed world would be likely to consume so little food as to go into true starvation.
I'm a bit shy of 5 ft 4, and my 'fat' weight is 135. As you can see, my BMR would not be high to begin with, therefore eating 1200 calories would not produce much weight loss unless I worked out like a mad woman to compensate..which I don't care to do, and often don't have time for.
Soo..I see the best weight loss results when I consume between 600-800 calories a day.
Nope, I don't go into starvation mode, nor do I lose my hair, get loose teeth, feel dizzy, etc. Why? because smaller people with lower activity levels simply do not NEED so many calories.
I lost 20 pounds that I had slowly gained over a 2 year period on 500-800 calorie 'diet' phases, but made sure I got necessary nutrients by taking supplements and drinking nutritional shakes as some meals for each day.
I ended up getting well over 200% of the recommended calcium, vitamins, etc.
And..nearly 2 years later, I'm still at my goal weight, so no, I did not 'gain it all back and then some' as those hysterical dieters warn.
To me, 'starvation mode' is not only overblown..it's practically an excuse to eat too much for those with difficulties putting down their forks in order to lose weight.
"It's not heeeealllthy!" they squawk. Oh, yeah? Well, neither is a BMI of 30, my friend.
Step away from the plate, people!
You will lose weight and keep it off if you continually control your intake over the course of your lives.
I will get off my soapbox now.
Myth Busted!!!
Thanks :)
thanks for exposing such a deceiving myth, which one might wonder if it's just a fabrication to keep people in perpetual diet failure. If everyone succeeded on their diets and dieting really wasn't that complex, what then would we do with the supplement and meat magazine industry? Starvation mode - what a great excuse to blow a diet, and a piece of worthless pseudoscience garbage.
Wow thanks a lot! Trying to lose weight and I eat less but I'm always scared of the "starvation mode" because of what other people told me. Awesome I googled this too because I did not believe in it.
This article is so perfect. I'm a research assistant at a major university and I have all of the resources to fully investigate the 'starvation mode' myth. I've used them. Starvation mode, as such, does not exist. I agree with a lot of the people who have posted comments, it is both a justification for people who want an excuse to eat more than they actually need to function, and, possibly, a strategy of the weight-loss industry.
Bodies are dynamic and clever- millions of years of evolution, people! Starvation mode doesn't add up, and it's not really supported by any actual evidence.
The people who are the most critical of those on restrictive diets are often those that are least capable of maintaining one, just like those who whisper ED because someone exerts control over their diet is probably having problems controlling their own diet.
Anyway, thanks for this post it's such a relief to see something based on, you know, actual facts!
Interesting article. However, you are missing a very important point. What are they losing fat or muscle? Weight is irrelevant and I wish people would get that. I'm sure people who cut their calories drastically are actually losing both and why would you ever want to lose muscle.
It can be very deceiving as well. I went from 260 lbs down to 190 lbs, went down several clothes sizes and I was ecstatic about the lose and then it all stopped. I was eating several meals a day, watching my carb intake (not eating any carbs after 2:00 PM) and running like mad (burning 800 to 1000 calories everyday) and nothing. At first glance my lose looks impressive. However, when I took the time to go back and take my previous waist measurement and compare, I had lost 7 inches, not bad. Next, I calculated my body fat % then and now. 28% body fat down to 23%. Still looking good. Next, I calculated my previous weight and body fat levels with todays.
start:
260 lbs 28% BF
Body Fat Mass: 73lbs
Lean Body Mass: 186 lbs
today:
190 lbs 23% BF
Body Fat Mass: 43 lbs
Lean Body Mass: 146 lbs
Total loss:
FAT: 29 lbs
Lean Body Mass (Muscle): 40 lbs
Yep, by cutting my calories and burning them like a madman I lost more muscle than fat. This is something you never, ever want to do! Your LBM is what allows you to eat more calories and still keep losing fat (not weight).
Now, I have damaged my metabolism one by calorie restriction and two losing such a large amount of LBM and do you know how long it takes to add muscle back? A lot longer than it does to add fat back! ;)
I think you are doing people a huge disservice with this article and encouraging a very bad and dangerous habit, that ruins 99.99999% of diets. You claim you are going to dispel a myth, then admit the "myth" is true. You admit that your metabolism does slow at low caloric amounts.
YOU ARE TELLING PEOPLE IT'S OK TO DESTROY THEIR METABOLISM BECAUSE THEY'LL LOSE WEIGHT ANYWAY.
In other words you completely missed the point. The point is that even though you will still lose weight the amount of calories you need to maintain the weight loss will go down. Why do that to yourself? even a 20% slowdown is no joke. If poison made you lose weight would you drink it? And I speak from personal experience as some1 who tried both ways, and trust me, it takes a hell of a lot more discipline to lose weight the healthy way, making sure you eat just enough, make sure your not losing your lean muscle, have the right balance of cardio and weights, than to go the way of the anorexic and eat a celery stick a day. You guys are the ones looking for the easy way out, and trying to justify an unhealthy habit.
You say you'll still lose weight if you eat 500 calories a day. Well, after their done with their diet, 99% of people go back to eating as they did before. Now that they have their shiny new -25% metabolism, what do you think is going to happen? That's right, they put on MORE weight than they had before because their metabolism is slower. I have personally experienced that. And from what i've seen in myself and others, when you're body is starving, it packs on the weight FAST. Almost every1 who i've seen fail at dieting is for this reason. Then what do they do? That's right, they starve themselves again, wrecking their metabolism again, and again, and again. This is something your article doesn't discuss, the effect of doing this to yourself multiple times. And what are you left with? A bunch of overweight Americans who don't understand why starving themselves is not working. Not only that but they've probably done all kinds of weird things to their body that wont manifest itself until much later.
And even if they don't gain the weight back, for one they wont be able to go back to eating the same amount of calories they used to. This is something the person above who claimed starvation worked for them failed to mention. I wonder whether she has to eat less calories now to maintain her weight.
Also, muscle is expensive- it costs more calories than fat to maintain. You say it doesn't make sense for your body to break down muscle but it actually makes a lot of sense. Breaking down muscle is one of the ways your lowers it's metabolic rate. That way it gets energy and lowers the amount of energy it needs at the same time.
As for me? I finally learned how to lose weight right, and now I can actually eat MORE than I could before and not gain weight back because my metabolism is actually more efficient now. You guys go ahead and yo yo diet while your body eats itself. Because you'll still lose the weight right?
Bryan, you make a good point about preserving lean muscle mass.
However, this is not really a "starvation mode" issue. It is perfectly possible to lose weight on a 1200 calorie a day (or more) diet and lose a lot of muscle mass. I've seen this happen to many. We call it being "skinny fat" -- skinny on the outside but a high percentage of body fat on the inside.
You can combat this by using your muscles while you lose weight -- i.e., strength training. Consuming more protein also helps.
I was able to lose 110 pounds and have most of it be fat because I exercised, eat healthy and consumed a lot of protein. Yet, because of my surgery, for most of my losing time, I was technically on a "starvation" diet.
It's definitely easier to lose muscle if you are losing weight very quickly but it's happens to people who lose "sensibly" because they are focused only on the number of calories in and not on exercise.
@Nicole - It is never a disservice to give people factual information that they can use to make informed decisions.
Your interpretation of my post is interesting, to say the least. You seem to think that hearing "you will continue to lose weight" is encouragement in spite of what I say about a doctor's supervision, possible vitamin deficiencies and even DEATH. To me, that's not much encouragement.
However, I have a theory that one reason this myth gets such play is that some people believe it's a good way to scare dieters into doing what they have decided is sensible. Your interpretation reinforces that suspicion.
Personally, I think it's unethical to lie to people in order to get them to make the choice you want them to make, but apparently not everyone agrees.
I think I am proof enough for the fact that starvation diets do not work for long term weight loss. I was anorexic for two years in high school and yes I did loose a lot of weight and by the time I stopped I was slightly under weight. I lost a considerable amount of fat and muscle. I have tried to eat normal food. When I was anorexic I ate rice cakes and diet soda. When I eat normal meals now I gain weight and I gained all of the weight back. The only way for me to be thin now is too drastically cut my calories well below 1200 a day. IT HAS BEEN 10 YEARS. I still can not eat normal amounts of food. I have gone on rigorous exercise plans trying to build more muscle and still I have trouble with my weight. DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF it is not worth the pain and suffering to watch every one around you eat normally. I eat small portions and I exercise daily and I still am overweight and have been for years now. My body is ruined from yo yo starvation diets!!!
"start:
260 lbs 28% BF
Body Fat Mass: 73lbs
Lean Body Mass: 186 lbs
today:
190 lbs 23% BF
Body Fat Mass: 43 lbs
Lean Body Mass: 146 lbs
Total loss:
FAT: 29 lbs
Lean Body Mass (Muscle): 40 lbs"
This isn't entirely accurate. You completely overlooked the fact that much of the weight you lose is water. You're not losing as much lean mass as you think.
Three years ago I began a "diet" by fasting for a day so that I don't get so hungry when I begin the low calories. and then for an entire year I ate between 280 and 800 calories a day. I lost about 2 to 3 pounds a week and by the end of the year had lost 120 pounds. I kept it off until (to my surprise) I got pregnant. My obesity was making me sterile. Now I have three going on four children. I am sorry but It was worth the starvation to finally be able to have children.
AWESOME! Now, this makes sense. Finally a logical explanation of the dreaded "starvation mode". Not a good thing but not the black cloud of doom we've been thinking... Thank you for your insights!
Great post, thanks!
This from a WeightWatchers article titled "The Starvation Myth":
Metabolism after Weight Loss
The good news is that after the weight-loss goal is achieved and weight has stabilized, it does not appear that the dip in metabolism is permanent. Several rigorous studies done at the University of Alabama in Birmingham showed that metabolism goes back to expected levels with sustained weight loss,4 discounting the theory that a lowered metabolism helps to explain the common phenomenon of weight regain following weight loss.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
*sorry if this is a double post*
You know, thanks so much for this....
as a 28 year old woman, WITH A DESK JOB, who sits all day and can only manage about a 30 min workout everyday, I could never figure out how it makes sense to say, I REQUIRE AT LEAST 1200-1600 cals a day to lose weight. I mean....how does that make sense? I ate like this faithfully, making sure I consumed enough so I wouldnt reach the dreaded STARVING mode, and hardly saw any progress. And I had a personal trainer at the time....it is not until I cut my calories substantially that my body seems to release weight and I feel good physically and mentally.
No, we should not starve ourselves....Anorexia and Bulemia are serious (as well as so unattractive).......but come on, my BMI is 30 (I'm 5"4 at 190 lbs), how can they POSSIBLY tell me that me limiting my daily caloric intake is "starvation"??? I have it to spare!!! I'm not morbidly obese, and if you look at me you would see that I'm not fat or even pudgy...but I am technically overweight, I just carry it well.
Also, can someone explain why it feels good every now and then to fast or limit calories? I have noticed if I dont overeat or even eat 3 whole meals a day like usual, it seems I actually feel GOOD and lighter...even sharper mentally.....and also, when I do resume eating normally, I dont consume as much, and I dont binge.
But anyway, my point is, I really do agree that the whole starvation mode thing does have some merit on some points, but it was majorly overblown.
If you think about it, even if you do consume the max amount of calories and then BURN it off by exercise.....aren't you still accomplishing the same thing in the end? You're still TAKING AWAY calories from your body. You cannot lose weight without lessening calories, ESPECIALLY if your lifestyle is even moderately sedentary. And lets face it, most of us are not training for a 5k Marathon yearly or have careers as body builders lol. I do agree that for HIGHLY active people (like runners and body builders) yes, they do require so many calories....but your average working Joe and Jane who are overweight, just cannot, I'm sorry....
You know, thanks so much for this....
as a 28 year old woman, WITH A DESK JOB, who sits all day and can only manage about a 30 min workout everyday, I could never figure out how it makes sense to say, I REQUIRE AT LEAST 1200-1600 cals a day to lose weight. I mean....how does that make sense? I ate like this faithfully, making sure I consumed enough so I wouldnt reach the dreaded STARVING mode, and hardly saw any progress. And I had a personal trainer at the time....it is not until I cut my calories substantially that my body seems to release weight and I feel good physically and mentally.
No, we should not starve ourselves....Anorexia and Bulemia are serious (as well as so unattractive).......but come on, my BMI is 30 (I'm 5"4 at 190 lbs), how can they POSSIBLY tell me that me limiting my daily caloric intake is "starvation"??? I have it to spare!!! I'm not morbidly obese, and if you look at me you would see that I'm not fat or even pudgy...but I am technically overweight, I just carry it well.
Also, can someone explain why it feels good every now and then to fast or limit calories? I have noticed if I dont overeat or even eat 3 whole meals a day like usual, it seems I actually feel GOOD and lighter...even sharper mentally.....and also, when I do resume eating normally, I dont consume as much, and I dont binge.
But anyway, my point is, I really do agree that the whole starvation mode thing does have some merit on some points, but it was majorly overblown.
If you think about it, even if you do consume the max amount of calories and then BURN it off by exercise.....aren't you still accomplishing the same thing in the end? You're still TAKING AWAY calories from your body. You cannot lose weight without lessening calories, ESPECIALLY if your lifestyle is even moderately sedentary. And lets face it, most of us are not training for a 5k Marathon yearly or have careers as body builders lol. I do agree that for HIGHLY active people (like runners and body builders) yes, they do require so many calories....but your average working Joe and Jane who are overweight, just cannot, I'm sorry....
Sorry, one more thought
It should also be common sense that, of course you cannot go back to eating how you used to. I think the main people who caloric restriction should work for, are people who have the intention of changing their eating habits FOR LIFE. I think that is the biggest difference between what works for some, and what causes some to regain the weight and even more.
Thank you so much for posting this!I've always lost most of my post pregnancy weight this way. After finding MFP and everyone screaming "YOUR GOING TO STARVE" I've upped my calories. It's done nothing for me. So I keep upping them. All that has happened is, I've stopped losing. Now I have something very well written to point too.
So glad I found this!! I just said today that if this myth were true then there would be no size 0's or 00's out there!! I am a 14 and am determined to get to that size 8!! Now I won't worry about the starvation mode!! Yeah!!~
Awesome article!
Consider this ideal breakfast:
1c strawberries = 60 calories
1 apple = 60 calories
1/2c nonfat yogurt = 55 calories
1tbsp soybeans = 60 calories
Total? 235 calories.
(nuts added because I ran this morning, the protein/fat is good for muscle recovery)
A large salad with fat free dressing and a lean protein? About 300 calories.
The dinner I just had:
4 oz salmon = 170 calories
4 carrots = 120 calories
5 stalks celery = 30 calories
( the veggies were sliced and sautee'd)
Total? 320 calories.
So really... 1000-1100 calories a day can be very filling!
Btw, I am 5'6", 140# and 17% body fat... Maintaining this for almost 2 years now after a 50# weightloss.
1) In the short term, fine, people lose weight this way. And it makes sense, maybe, for morbidly obese people who risk more urgent medical conditions at their top weights. But the odds of keeping it off aren't in anyone's favour. Look at longitudinal studies on that, since you're academically handy. Ex-morbidly obese people have to be very careful. Certainly, they put their bodies through tremendous stress. And what comes back (usually, inevitably) is more fat than was there originally.
2) Further to the last thing I said: how elastic do you imagine skin is? The initial rapid weight loss is a recipe for stretchmarks and sagging skin.
3) You are going to and probably have justified a whack of anorexics to continue destroying their bodies.
1) Pretty much no one who lose substantial weight without surgery keeps the weight off whether they lose it fast or slow
2) Your skin's elasticity is what it is. If you lose weight fast, then you get ahead of its ability to re-absorb but it will catch up eventually.
3) Anything can set off an anorexic. I'm not going to lie about scientific facts just in case telling the truth gives one the justification they need.
I think a lot of you in the comments are missing the point. I didn't say subsisting on a starvation diet for months at a time was a good idea. Just that it's a myth that doing so will cause you not to lose weight.
You know, one thing I've noticed about the internet is that people make things out to be WAY more complicated and overanalyzed than things are in the real world....
ANYBODY, and EVERYBODY that I know *in real life* who has lost weight by restricting calories HAS KEPT IT OFF AND IS HAPPY AND HEALTHY. Real, everyday people in my family, that I work with, and so on and so on....
I'm not talking about people in some study performed in some distant place on some strangers....I'm talking about everyday, average people I know personally.
Also, while we are on the subject of studies, we could discuss the studies done that show that people who follow restricted calorie diets not only maintain their weight, but their lifespans and overall health seem to be better than some people who "graze" all day, or who force themselves to eat 3-6 meals a day.
Everyone is different...we all know what works for our bodies, and I say, stop listening to the media, the health fanatics, and LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU! Thats what I've been doing for the past 3 years, and its the best thing I ever did for my health. If my body says it only needs a certain amount of calories - so be it. I know when I need more food because my body will naturally have me eat just a few more calories than usual, and then after that I go right back to how I usually eat (restricted). Never felt or looked better in my life!
Why does everyone always attack Undereating, when honestly, unless you are anorexic, there is WAY more risk to OVEReating.
@ MacMadame
I totally agree with all your points...the only thing I will say is that I do believe that changing your eating habits for life, would be the trick! I dont see anything wrong with saying,
"At 28 years old, I have now decided that I will retrain my body to only eat what is needed, and I will also listen to my body and if it doesnt want food that day, or not as much, then that is fine....and I will do this for life, so that when I am in my 50's-60's I can be a vital, active older woman, instead of an overweight, diabetic one (as my grandmother was)."
People also have to understand that overweight people WILL NOT die if they skip a few meals! I know that sounds so "against the grain" but its true....When I release my body and give it a break from the digestion process, I feel so good. And when its time to eat, I do so, and I enjoy the food much better, my digestion is better, and I also dont overeat! Our prehistoric ancestors most likely did not always eat 5-6 balanced meals a day....I truly dont think its in our nature as humans to feel compelled to eat SO MUCH everyday.
Sorry to keep posting, but KaskyaRCK said EXACTLY what I am thinking....
Well, after a 16000 mile road trip across the US, I weighted 218. I used to weight 160 10 years ago so I got motivated to lose the weight after my outie turned into an innie. Every one kept saying that eating less than 1000 calories a day would not help me lose weight, I thought that was total BS.
So, I've been on a 700 or less calorie diet since the later part of may 2012. I am happy to report that I now weigh 186 and this in the middle of the day after eating my bean burrito for lunch. My other favorite meal usually consists of a small piece of fish, usually talapia or shrimp, some light rice, and a roll.
My end goal is 170. I lost over 30 lbs so far sticking to a low calorie diet over these 3 or so months. I also take a centrum 1 a day, and a vitamin D3 every day for nutrients. I feel good, I dont usually ever feel hungry, and I exercise lightly for about 3 times a week shooting the basketball around.
If that starvation crap was really an issue, then i would not have had the success i have had losing this weight. Naturally I'm pretty stocky, so I havnt lost much muscle, or not that I've seen. I look good and I feel good. I was born with an outie, and in May, I looked down and I could no longer see my belly button. I officially had an innie. Most of that gutt fat is gone and I can now see my outie again. The love handles were bad too and now i look more straight up and down. Some people swear by rigorous exercise and a healthy balanced diet. I have been more lazy with the exercise and compensated by cutting out fattening foods and large meals. Sometimes I hit 1000 calories but eating some extra fruit, but generally, I eat lunch at 12, usually a small burrito, about 300 calories, and small piece of fish with rice for dinner, and i never eat after 6. No matter what anyone says about starvation mode, I have had my success doing what I've done, and not by focusing on the rubbish "dont starve yourself" people keep trying to convince me of. Keeping it less than 800 works great for me. Ill be at 170 soon :)
You make some good points. You say that if you eat 1200 and raise to 1400 than 1500...1600 2000....2500 then where does that stop? Well, what about the other end. If you only eat 800...Then 700...500..Where does that stop? BTW, how's your muscle mass? are you gaining muscle? you say that everyone loses muscle during a diet (which is true) but you need to actually grow muscle as well. Hows your muscle growth going?
Check out my story at www.DIY-Fitness.com. Ive lost 100 lbs by doing it the right way and I gained a lot of muscle.
As I've said many times in my blog, because I worked out while losing weight, I was able to preserve most of my muscles mass. I currently have more muscle mass than I started with thanks to Crossfit.
Whether or not you lose muscle mass and how much is more complicated than how many calories a day you eat.
I love this post! Thanks so much! I think the reason people like to perpetuate the starvation mode myth is because...
they are hungry!
I went out to lunch with two of my friends who are beautiful but very overweight, and both kept preaching to me that you have to eat every few hours to keep your metabolism up. I couldn't believe they could sit there, two people who are obese, and tell me, who is on the heavy side of normal, that they have the nutrition game cornered.
Thank you again for this! I'll show it to them!
Weight loss surgery is DESIGNED to facilitate starvation so you can lose weight and keep it off. If starvation didn't work, then weight loss surgery wouldn't either. It's pretty typical for people to keep 50% off after 5 years with the lap band. even at regaining 1/2 of your weight because you choose not to get fills and keep on top of things, it's still way less than you weighed when you started.
I *forgot* that surgery was meant for extreme calorie restriction and was eating around 1700 calories a day. After I lost a lot, I stopped losing b/c my caloric needs went down. I was hesitant to go below 1000 b/c of the starvation thing, but this article really helped me to remember that is what surgery is all about. Thanks.
I have gone up and down in my weight for years. I lost 40 lbs in a year by excercising daily, cardio and strength training and eating mostly salads, light breakfast and lunch. It wasn't easy, I like food. I maintained that for I think less than a year unfortunately -- two moves, one in state, last one out of state, much stress . I am back at it again and found MFP, so been reading posts to watch my calories to not go too low. I wanted to research about 'starvation mode'. I also found info about BMR, my base metabolic rate. I did the formula and it says I burn 1960 calories a day with a sedentary lifestyle (I picked that because I am at home doing homeschool. MFP says I should be at 1450 calories, so according to other info I found a 500 calorie per day deficit means I can lose 1 lb per week. I started at 1200 calories until I found the BMR info, so I changed my goal to .5 lb a week instead of 2. It is hard to reach 1450 eating healthy with salads and such that I have been eating. I always go over on protein. I am hypoglycemic so when I eat carbs (apple) I will eat a cheese stick with it, or a half whole wheat bagel with a tsp of peanut butter. I am building up my excercise as I am older and obviously out of shape -- started at 15 min, 3.5 mph on the treadmill and did 45min today, about 2 miles in my neighborhood with a fast 'power' walk. I don't always get to do as much excercise as I'd like -- my son is special needs so our homeschool can take all day to complete. Anyway.. I really want to make this a life change and do it right without nutritional deficits. Any suggestions so I can make my calories count. Thanks
(can anyone email me new2herriman@yahoo.com) or on MFP Kelleflr thanks
ha ha, I had a trainer who totally believed in the starvation mode...totally! I went to the doc complaining about my slow weight loss and the "starvation mode" and he said it was bunk! He said "If you're gaining weight, or not losing when you need to, you're eating too much. Period. There's no magic." If you have a metabolic disorder probably you'll have to eat even less to lose weight. (by "less" he meant calories, not volume)
Once I got that truth of that smack down, I lost weight. I kept trying to figure out what the "trick" was because it was simple. I wasn't special, or sick, or anything. I was just eating too much. Period.
your overall idea of starvation is correct. If you are extremely overweight, yes you will lose weight and at some point you will become unhealthy thin. My issue with your article is that you are putting too much emphasis on weight loss and not enough on the reason why "starvation diets" are believed to be bad ideas.
The idea is not only to lose weight and look thin. The idea is to lose body fat, increase lean muscle tissue (not necessarily get bulky),feel good,look good, and overall be healthy. Proper pre workout post workout and meals through out the day allow for the most effective body fat loss and increased lean muscle tissue. I've helped countless people lose weight and keep it off. In most cases, the people had plateaued after losing 50lbs and still needed another 20-30lbs (in their head). I doubled sometimes tripled their calorie intake and got them to lose the proper amount of body fat. I helped them look as they wanted to look but also move and feel as they've always wanted. That's the goal! Freedom from being overweight!
For anyone reading this I realize it's hard to lose weight and it takes a lot of work, but find the right way to do it. There are plenty of trainers out there that just train for the money. Don't go to the first trainer you see. Find someone that has the knowledge and actually cares about having you lose the weight and through a team effort and you will!
Thank you so much for this article. I'm bookmarking it so I can reference it again when needed. Through close tracking and experimentation, I began limiting calories to 1500, then 1400, removing 100 calories until I began to see weight loss. I'm under the golden 1200 calorie line, and have had friends comment to me that I need to eat more because I'm now in starvation territory. I even have a friend (who's also 5'4") who can't figure out why she's not losing her 60 extra pounds while eating 1500 -2000 calories per day. (She is afraid to reduce calories further because she fears *starvation mode*.)
Thank you for this well-written and researched post.
am stuck at 92kgs because am eating atleast 1400 calories not reducing because being afraid of the "stavation mode"
thanks I found this, I will reduce my intake and see how it goes!
I know this is an old post but I have been looking for "starvation mode" information and was happy to see some confirmation of what I have believed. I belong to a weight loss site where I constantly hear...and I MEAN constantly..."You can't do that...your body will go into starvation mode and you wont lose weight." Thank you for debunking this silly belief that continues to be drummed into people.
So glad I found this! I'm on MFP and the eat more or go into starvation mode bullies confused me into gaining weight when I was trying to lose. this was very helpful. Thank you.
This is awesome! Even if it is an older post its still Pertinent. I've been saying this for years and always get lambasted for it.
Here's my issue: I'm transgendered and as a male I weighed 208 lbs. when I was 27 I really began to struggle with my body and gender dismorphia so I started exercising hard core and just stopped overrating but still taking in between 1500 and 2500 calories a day. I did lose weight and got down to 160 in about 6 months but I was pushing myself so hard with the exercise that I actually got stretch marks on my arms, legs and chest from rapid muscle growth. I leveled out at 160 and stayed there for years. I transitioned to female when I was 32 and at 5'4" and 160 lbs I looked like Shamu in a bed sheet! My arms were still very muscular and way to masculine for a woman. I was seeing a mental health professional to help deal with all the body image and gender identity issues and when I told her I wanted to reduce my calorie intake she warned me that I would loose muscle... Yada yada yada. But that's exactly what I WANTED to do. So now I've stopped working to build muscle and only work on cardio and toneing my abs and have dropped my calorie intake to between 500 and 700 a day. My BMI was 34% now it is 27% and I have not lost muscle. It has changed and redistributed to more Feminine proportions but has not gone away.
Starvation mode is pure bunk.
Thank you for your article. Your information is more accurate than 90% of the articles online about starvation mode, which usually say "there is no such thing as starvation mode" and so on (which is not true, it is a proven phenomenon, it is simply misunderstood and misdefined).
You have correctly pointed out how metabolism does not slow down so much that weight loss stops, but that metabolism slows down enough that the predicted/expected weight loss does not match the weight loss predicted at baseline values.
You also covered it from the energy out side and correctly added that activity levels can decrease, and sometimes unconsciously (spontaneous physical activity aka SPA and Non exercise activity thermogenesis aka NEAT). Well done... And thanks for posting a link to my old article.
Since then there has been a lot of new research including studies just published in the last month, about metabolic adaptation. Ive posted an update, circa January 2013 that I think you might be very interested in. People are STILL very confused about this, so this post should help finally clear up every last detail and bring the subject up to date with current research:
Starvation mode revisited again:
http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2012/12/starvation-mode-revisited.php
Thank you for clearing this up for me! I am also on My fitness pal, I've lost weight and gained weight because I was told if I eat 1200 calories then born off half doing exercises I have to get back to 1200 by eating or having snacks between meals. Why struggle to burn calories if I have to gin them right back. I will no longer worry when I go below my calorie count, that takes a big load off my back......
I appreciate this article. Like most ideas, there is probably some truth to both sides and we'd be wise to consider both. I cannot imagine a 500-600 calorie diet. I was trying to not drop below that 1200, but to get from 130 pounds to 115, they were saying I could only lose .5 pounds a week safely, and for two weeks, I still wasn't doing that, eating 1100 calories NET. I was trying to eat back what I exercised. I just had to mix it up a little. One day of "lower than usual", one day of extra long workouts, one day of letting myself having a bit more to eat than usual here and there, pushing 1500 cals. After a week or two of straight discipline, my body seemed to respond to this and started losing the .5s. It's almost like "interval calories" or "calorie confusion". Seems to help me. I don't overdo it, and try to eat healthful foods, or at least indulge in an occasional desert, but it's working better for me at smaller sizes. I've read this on several forums, but the same rules do not seem to apply to medium sized healthy people dieting as they do for obese people dieting for results and change.
I ate much worse not dieting. MyFitnessPal forces me to eat small constant amounts through the day so I do not feel hungry. If I over-do it on a meal, i don't get that late-night snack and it's not worth it to me. I don't like to feel hungry.
Great write up, thank you for posting. As a middle-aged post-menopauser, I cannot lose weight on 1200 calories a day, even with exercise. If I eat over 1500 calories a day, I gain weight. 800 calories with exercise works well for me with a doctor's care, and I'm not even sure that is even starvation mode because there are no ketones, which is the key indicator for "starvation mode."
The reason why people say that starvation mode dont work is because once you start eating regular..You gain all that fat back..Look at the wheatgrass diet rapper 50 cents did to loose 55 pounds for a movie. When he went back to eating normal foods he gained it all back in less than a month. Same with beyonce who did the "lemonade master clean detox diet"..she lost 40 pounds in 3 weeks for her role in "dreamgirls" to play a 16 year old Deena. And when she started eating agian, it went straight to her hinny, thighs, and she had to work out with her trainers to keep her body tight after crash dieting!
The starvation mode myth is that you can't lose weight if you don't eat enough. All those people lost weight.
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