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I'm NOT in starvation mode

Hi, I'm a 15 year old girl that is 5'8. I have a small frame and I currently weigh 116 pounds. When I first started cutting back my calories I weighed 124-125. My question is, I eat between 800-1300 calories a day, but usually I eat 1000 calories. I exercise everyday, always different amounts and for different lengths of time. My body is not in starvation mode. I'm almost positive about this. This site says 1000 calories is way to low for a teenager. Is my body about to go into starvation mode? Or is this site not always correct? If so then I would just like to inform people that you won't always go into starvation mode if you continue eating 1000 calories.

Lol, why are you almost positive you're not in starvation mode?  Did your body tell you?

If the only reason is that you're still losing, the thing about starvation mode is that you will still lose because you're taking in fewer calories than you're burning.  However, you're damaging your metabolism, so that when you start eating regularly again, it will take fewer calories to maintain, and it will be much easier for you to gain weight.

 

I'm not trying to argue with this site, I just want to know what's going on and what may or may not happen to me.

That's exactly how I know that I'm not in starvation mode. There's been days before where I wouldn't exercise and would eat normally and I wouldn't gain a pound. I just wouldn't loose. Same with my lazy days, where I take a couple days off. Once I was sick for a whole week and I eat regularly and I did gain like a pound or two because I hadn't even walked, but I lost it quickly.

you eat 1000 calories a day to maintain?  that's awful.  I don't know what you consider "starvation mode" then.

How long have you been eating this way?  It can take a long time to get into starvation mode.  I'm not sure how long exactly, but if you've only been eating this little for a few weeks or even a few months, you might not have damaged your metabolism that much.  

Regardless of whether or not you're in starvation mode, 1,000 calories isn't healthy for anyone!  You can't possibly be getting all the nutrients, vitamins and good stuff you need.  Women aren't supposed to eat fewer than 1200 calories per day, and teens shouldn't eat less than 1800.  Unless you're one of those that stopped growing in the fifth grade, then maybe you could eat a little less than 1800.

Please don't reject the acquired wisdom of years of medical research. At 15 you are smart enough to realize that things take time, like the visible impact of starving yourself. Reverse the trend before doing any serious damage. You will gain at first, but you will re-establish a healthy metabolism when you are eating normally at what is a normal and healthy weight for your body. Since you are underweight, you can eat what you burn and probably still gain weight for a while---let it happen. When the gaining stops, you will probably be in a healthy range. You can continue to eat what you burn. There is no magic number on the scale that is "perfect" for anyone, just healthy ranges that allow you to eat and live normally.

You should talk to your doctor because s/he should be aware of potential health-related issues. Good luck.

First, you are probably not loosing fat at this point. Second, it sounds like you might be a little obsessive about your wieght. 5'8 and 116, that is like skin and bones. You're a teenager and you need to worry about eating healthy not loosing weight, especially at your size. I didn't do the calculation but I'm pretty sure that  is under wieght for your height. Normal weight for 5'8 is like 135. You can't be getting the nuetrients that your body requires. A teenage girl should consume at least 3 servings of dairy daily to get the recomended calcuim to prevent osteoporosis later in life, even with non fat milk that would total 240 cal, so you're probably not wasting them there. What about the food pyramid? Do you eat all your daily recomended servings. It is very important for your health at this age.

OK so I calculated the BMI for a teenager and you are at a healthy weight however if you get to your goal weight of 108 (thats whats on your profile) you will fall into the underwight catagory. So I think it is in your best intrest to eat at least 1200 cal a day and try to incorperate all the food groups so that as your body completes its development you don't cause any damage.

Sorry about my rant but I work in pediatrics and you seem to be heading down a bad road. Good luck and I hope you take everyones advice into consideration.

Hi I'm 5'9". I wanted to tell you this without offending you. I know you do not think you are in starvation mode and maybe your not but you are not getting the nutrients your body needs. Even though you are able to exercise there are some things you just can't see that your body needs until it get severe.

I'm recovering from anorexia btw and 116 is where I am at. With that said it still looks sickly on me. I know that 1 inch shouldn't change much. I know you maybe  have a small frame I do also. You'll probably even keep your weight if youu p your calories when your body adjusts. Just don't get to obsessed over this.

If you want to talk to me you can.

Depends what you consider a long time. I thought this was the right way to go about it all when I got into weight loss until 2 years later I had stopped my period, developed signs of obsessions and compulsions, and little by little lost my concentration at school. The signs are not drastic. But they add up. I am still suffering from major anxiety today and health problems I never had before I even knew what a calorie is. It took me 2 years to regain my period and stop early osteoporosis, even when I turned myself around 180 degrees months after I realized my body and self was out of whack. I got my certificate in specialized nutrition and am trying to eat a raw diet as much as I can these days without going under 1,800 at 5'8. It's a ton of raw food, but spacing is the key. Vitamins can never fully give you all that actual wholesome foods can. Vitamin C and B-Complexes, along with Biotin, will be used up since they are water soluble. But anything fat-soluble (Vitamin A, K, D, etc) will live in your liver until you use them. It adds toxicity to your body since at times those aren't even used for months. Either way...if you want a vitamin, pay as much as you need to get the good stuff, no funny ingredients. Like calcium carbonate. Just sharing.

Original Post by do-not-fall:

I'm not trying to argue with this site, I just want to know what's going on and what may or may not happen to me.

That's exactly how I know that I'm not in starvation mode. There's been days before where I wouldn't exercise and would eat normally and I wouldn't gain a pound. I just wouldn't loose. Same with my lazy days, where I take a couple days off. Once I was sick for a whole week and I eat regularly and I did gain like a pound or two because I hadn't even walked, but I lost it quickly.

 

What do you consider "regular" eating?

In any case, maybe the reason you didn't gain when you ate more was because it actually gave your metabolism a boost.. I used to eat less than 1000 calories a day, and would have some higher days as well [up to 2000] where I wouldn't gain a thing. I lost 4 pounds in 4 months eating like that, though, and it totally screwed up my metabolism. I was even STILL in starvation mode when I was maintaining 100 pounds at 1500 calories because as soon as I upped them even a little bit, I gained A LOT of weight. What I'm saying is there's no sure-fire way of knowing whether or not you're in starvation mode, unless you get your metabolism tested.

 I have had an eating disorder a while back and I know the signs. Right now I'm not talking about eating disorders I’m just talking about starvation mode. My body has fully recovered. I'm a huge raw food advocate and try to get a lot of my nutrients from raw foods because I know how much better for you it is. I life a fairly healthy lifestyle. Isn't it possible that my body is not or will not go into starvation mode?

Only the doctor will know. There will come a point, different than a plateau, where you will not drop anymore weight, and might even increase in weight although you have a good deficit and work out regularly. Starvation mode triggers a psychological if not physical eating disorder, the deadliest of them. Your brain is slowly shutting off.

Original Post by do-not-fall:

I have had an eating disorder a while back and I know the signs. Right now I'm not talking about eating disorders I’m just talking about starvation mode. My body has fully recovered. I'm a huge raw food advocate and try to get a lot of my nutrients from raw foods because I know how much better for you it is. I life a fairly healthy lifestyle. Isn't it possible that my body is not or will not go into starvation mode?

How many cals did it take for your body to "recover"? If it was only 1300, I'm guessing all the damage isn't entirely repaired.. Btw, I don't know if you're trying to be confrontational, but I have no idea whether or not it's impossible for your body to go into starvation mode.

Well I don't know how many calories it took my body to recover. I binged my way. Some kid on the bus called me fat and I was panicky all day and from that day on I binged. I used to eat nothing for days but then for like 2 months I eat catastrophic amounts of food. I slowly downed my calories so that it wasn't like 4000 straight down to 1000. I worded that carefully by saying "my body has fully recovered" because I agree my mind is still hasn't completely. Yes of coarse there will be a day where I won't drop anymore. By I'm not going to venture that far to find out. I don't want to go down to a really low weight again.

Well then, it seems to me that the reason you're still losing weight is because you were eating so much before, and your metabolism may have been getting used to it. So at this point, you either keep eating 1000, keep losing and find yourself in the same position as you were before, stop losing completely while eating 1000 calories and maintain and gain on like 1400 calories, or up your calories and, at the very least, maintain the weight you're at now [which you didn't complain about].

 

edit: plus what ladyevropa said, which I didn't know but is scary :o

I know you don't want to hear this but you aren't eating enough. When I was 15, I was doing the same thing you're doing now, accept nobody told me 800-1000 calories a day was bad for my metabolism. But just like others have said, you will lose weight, but once you return to regular eating you gain the weight back instantly, and then have to begin the yo-yo dieting routine, unless you can balance everything out. Not to mention 116 pounds at 5'8 is very thin! Why are you trying to lose more weight?

The weird thing is all my life I have eaten much less calories then others, but my body hasn't had a problem with it.

I can relate.. I always ate very little as well, but as soon as I got to my freshman year in high school and starting eating normally.. BAM! 50 pounds of weight gained.

I don't want to get back down to 95 pounds, god no, so unless I do then I can't see my body going in starvation mode.

I don't understand the connection you're trying to make here.. I was 95 pounds at one point and I'm pretty sure I wasn't in starvation mode.. I was maintaining at around 1500 calories.

And as far as your last concern.. I know I personally wasn't capable of eating 1000 and not going into starvation mode, because as I said before, I ate around that much and only lost one pound a month. yeah, obviously starvation level.

All in all, 1000 is not enough.. I don't understand why you'd choose to eat that much when you can maintain on a lot more. Besides, unless you're being supervised by a doctor I doubt you're getting adequate nutrition/vitamins, especially because you're a growing teen [not just in height, btw]. If you REALLY want to lose weight, you could probably do it on 1500 provided, as you claim, you are not in starvation mode.

it does need that many; that's what I'm trying to say. when I was eating less than 1000 calories I'd almost NEVER be hungry, but as soon as I started eating more I started craving that amount and NEEDING that amount. If you DO get to your goal weight of 95 pounds, you could eat 1500 and maintain. If you eat that many and gain, then you'll know you were in starvation mode because NO ONE should gain on 1500.. unless you were less than 95 pounds of course. And I would STRONGLY advise you not to go as low as 95 pounds, or even to lose any weight. When I was that weight I looked awful and very very sick, and I have a teeny frame. You're underweight as it is. Perhaps you should seek help to get you recovered from the "mental" part of your eating disorder, or you should see a nutritionist or dietician to provide you with information on just how much it is you need, which I GUARANTEE will be 1500 or more.

Original Post by revolution3:

Perhaps you should seek help to get you recovered from the "mental" part of your eating disorder, or you should see a nutritionist or dietician to provide you with information on just how much it is you need, which I GUARANTEE will be 1500 or more.

I second what revolution3 wrote.

You are 15yo, 5'8", 116lbs.  You are currently at a healthy weight, with a healthy weight range being from 114lbs - 158lbs.

According to this teen BMI/calorie site, someone your age, height, and weight needs the following amount of calories to maintain:

Inactive - 1840 Calories
Low Activity - 2180 Calories
Moderate - 2500 Calories
Very Active - 3040 Calories

Calorie Count Plus's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management.

Promotion of starvation diets or habits that exhibit signs of an eating disorder ("pro-ana", "pro-mia", etc.) is prohibited.

Your post is subject to modification or deletion by our moderators. Repetitive, off-topic, disruptive, and frivolous posts will be removed. We will take down any posts that violate either the letter or the spirit of any of these rules.

You keep mentioning that you are fully recovered from your eating disorder but the fact that you are aiming for an unhealthy weight and undereating indicates that you may not yet be. 

Please consult with a doctor who specializes in eating disorders as well a nutritionist.  They have more knowledge and equipment available to properly assess you than you or any of us on Calorie Count do.

In the meantime, here are some websites that you can check out for information:

Something-Fishy.org (information about and support for eating disorders) 
Dieting & Metabolism
The Body Neglected
Nutrition & Health for Teens 
Nutrition, Exercise & Weight Management for Teens

~ UTR
Volunteer Moderator

Believe me, there IS such a thing as starvation mode. At the start of this year, I was constantly telling myself the same thing, as a way of justifying eating >800 cals a day. I told myself 'I have loads of energy, I feel fine, how can I be in starvation mode?', 'There's no such thing, it's stupid', 'I'm losing 3lbs a week, I probably just have a brillant metabolism.'

I was WRONG!!! As soon as I started eating over 1300cals a day, I gained crazily. Unfortunately this set off binge eating/starvation cycles, and it took ages to get back to a healthy mindset. When I finally started eating 1200cals a day, I gained 7lbs! Now I'm 112lbs and happy.

Please listen to me, don't do your body more harm. Do an experiment for me. Eat exactly the amount of calories CC says is maintenance level (prob about 1800cals or so). Do this for a week. Reweigh yourself. If you don't gain, you probably have not entered starvation mode - yet. If you do gain, well then you know everything people have told you is true.

Please listen to me, 5'8'' and 116lbs, is VERY thin, and I can almost guarantee you, if you keep on undereating, you may reach your target weight, but at some stage, your weight will balloon, and you will end up heavier than you ever would have been if you ate proper amounts of food. I don't mean to preach, just emphasising the advice I had been given many a time, and to my regret, never listened to.

 

Ok well there's a very easy way to determine wether or not you're in starvation mode (and by reading your history from other threads I'd bet that you are).

For a girl of 15, standing 5'8", weighing 117 pounds who is only "lightly active" to MAINTAIN your weight at 117 you need to be eating 1805 calories every day.  If you can eat that number of calories for 30 days straight and remain at 117 (eating back any additional calories burned during exercise) then your body is not in starvation mode.

Although I've got to say your posts have me confused, you say you're recovering from anorexia and trying to get healthy (which means you shouls be trying to gain weight since you have a BMI of only 17) but on your profile you clearly state your intentions here are to LOSE weight.  You seem confused my dear.