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Conquering "starvation mode"?

Hello all.

I know this isn't the best first post, but I really need some help.

I started trying to lose weight about 2 years ago and went from 170 to 115, my goal weight. I got sick for a while, and now I seem to be ballooning in size, even though I'm back to exercising and eating well. I've gained about 15 pounds, and it really doesn't feel like my "set point"

I've heard that this might be an effect of "starvation mode", because I only eat about 1000 calories a day, and that's if I rmake myself. I eat regularly, every 2 to 3 hours, quality protein and whole grains, fruits, veggies, all that. I also play Dance Dance Revolution for cardio 4 times a week and do body-weight exercises for strength the other 3 days.

I was wondering how to increase my intake to facilitate weight loss, without gaining any more. Could anyone help me?

Did you originally reach your goal weight in a healthy way?

Your health is more important than not gaining more weight. If you have to gain more but have repaired your metabolism in the process, then so be it.

At first I didn't know what I was doing, so I don't think so at first. But I did realize that my initial methods were unhealthy ad became more reaosnable within a few months. I then found that the weight was coming off quicker.

You are going to make yourself sick! 1.000 calories a day??? No way. You need to educate yourself on proper nutritions. Clean/balanced eating.

The same exact thing happened to me. I restricted my diet, lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time (went from a size 10-12 to a 4 in a matter of months) and then all of a sudden weight started coming on even though i wasnt eating a poor diet. Well its been about 10 months later and even though i have gained weight, ive begun to see a bit of level-ing off of sorts. I think my body is just happy being at the point it is at now (im around an 8-10 now) and for me, i have to focus on my health first and foremost.

I am sure as time goes on your body will start to realize it is not starving and will start to level off. I just know for next time i cant restrict otherwise it will backfire in the end.

Here's an explanation of what happens, from the Advice section, Q&A

In order to get the daily food servings you need for a balanced diet, it takes about 1200 calories a day. With careful planning, you could have a balanced diet on 1000 calories, but the restrictiveness of a very low calorie level can lead to binging and weight cycling, which will take you further from your weight loss goal. What's more, very low calorie diets can cause excessive muscle breakdown and metabolic adaptations, which can drive down your calorie requirements. In the end, you'll need fewer calories to maintain a higher weight.

The part I italicized is what usually happens when we restric too much.  When this happened to me, a nutritionist put me on a higher calorie diet for a few months.  After 3 months I gained back 8 pounds, but then my weight leveled off.  Then she began taking away 100 cals a day each week until I began to lose again. 

Before I lost on 1000 to 1200 cal a day and gained at 1400.  Now I lose at 1400, maintain at 1600 and gain only if I go above 1800 for more than a week.  You should know that I'm very sedentary due to health problems.  I've posted my weight chart in my profile so you can see the progression.  Under the weight chart is a history. 

Thank you all.

I realize that 1000 calories is not what I need. I would like to know if anyone has some advice on how to gradually up my intake in a way that my body will get used to it again.

If it's only a matter of a couple hundred calories, you don't have to increase your intake gradually.  Increasing calories gradually is more for the severely underweight and severe under-eaters.  You should be able to safely get your calories up right away.

 If you find that trying to eat at or more than 1200 calories makes you uncomfortably full, try eating some calorie dense items like nuts, avocados, olive oil, etc...  They will get your calories up without being realy bulky in your stomach.

OK.

I've planned my meals for today to be about 1100 calories, and will try and get used to that for a week or so. . I'd like to not have to be eating constantly; it really bugs me.

Peanut butter is one of my favorite foods, so that should help. Also, Very Vanilla soymilk. I adore it, and it'll be an extra 130 calories.

I'm also planning on getting back to the gym to build some more muscle.

I remember for a while I could ony manage about 800 calories per day because I was sick, and when I went up to 1000-ish, I lost more. Perhaps this will help?

I would like to know this too because I'm also scared that if I eat like I use to, it's going to all come back. o_O Two days of eating alot of food increased my weight by 2-4 lbs...

I lost a significant amount of weight over the course of 4 1/2 years using both healthy and unhealthy ways, and I reached my goal weight in April 08. Towards the end of my diet days back in April, I was probably eating about 1200 calories but sometimes I ate a little less because I was so frustrated that I just could not lose any weight due to my unbelievably slow metabolism or my body's huge resistance to the weight loss. I never completely starved myself to lose weight, and I always made sure that I ate lots of small meals and snacks throughout the day, but by the time I hit my goal weight, I was in a complete "starvation mode" just like you.

I think everyone's body works somewhat differently when it comes to metabolism, but from my own experience with successfully getting myself out of the starvation mode without any weight gain, I suggest that you increase your caloric intake very gradually over a very long period of time. I also suggest that you experiment a lot with your body's reaction to more calories until you can find a good balance at some point. There are simply too many variables to think about besides the amount of food you eat, such as your monthly hormone cycle, your body's reaction to certain types of food, water intake, activity level, hunger level or mood, events in life. But as long as you increase the calories gradually, say 100 more calories every week, you can always control your weight better. If you feel you ate too much one day, you could always eat a little bit less the next couple of days (or several days) to go back to your original weight.

Unfortunately, it took about 6 months for my body to comfortably adjust to my new weight. The very first 4 months after reaching my goal weight was the most difficult time as it seemed no matter what I did, my body simply wanted to gain back the lbs I lost. If I ate even just a little more than I should have, then poof, I would wake up the following morning to see a 1 to 3-lb gain. So even though I was simply trying to maintain my weight, it felt like I was on a diet half the time. It really was a lot of work and that was the most frustrating period for me, but I have been able to successfully increase my caloric intake gradually by trial and error.

But now, I can eat about 1450 calories without any problem. Even if I don't exercise, and even if I don't think about the amount of food I eat, my weight is stabilized enough to remain at +/- 1.5 lb range for the most part. I think many people tend to regain the lbs lost when their body is in the starvation mode because many of them quickly go back to the old way of eating. To me, weight maintenance has been almost like a continuation of the weight loss period because I have made a permanent change to my lifestyle and eating habits. But as long as you have the dedication and patience, I think it is very possible for you to come out of the starvation mode without gaining back the lbs. :) It took me long to boost up my metabolism, but you never know, you may be one of those very lucky people whose metabolism becomes restored right away.  Good luck! 

1,000 calories how did you survive with all that exercise I don't exercise and eat about 1203 and thats not even enough

Eating too low a calorie intake, or having a deficit from your BMR greater than 1000 results in something called "survival mode", where your body holds every last thing it can get expecting of a famine. Water, food, calories. While it can rebound with weight gain or weight plateaus -- what it does to the body from the inside is most important.

• The Body Neglected - This is what happens when you undereat for an extended period of time.

• Dieting & Metabolism - This article explains starvation mode and why undereating is counter productive.

Most healthy women require a minimum of 1200 for their body to function normally -- most healthy women who leave their beds needs more than this.

The problem with the low-calorie "diet" is that your body will adjust at every level, eventually, so you find yourself having to drop the calories again and again.  To get past this stage you have to shock your body (only if you are healthy person), but EATING.  It may take a few weeks and you may gain a couple of pounds, but you cannot increase your metabolism by not eating, only by EATING (and exercise).

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