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Question about starvation mode.

So i have gotten "bashed" on here for not DISAGREEING with starvation mode, like if it really exists...i've done my research and im starting to see things differently.

My question:

I'm eating about 900 calories per day (IM 5'4...132 lbs..wanna be 115) I'm loosing about 3lbs a week. which is NORMAL! especially for a 20 yr old, i was told that it might come off faster since im at a younger age. i exercise 3x per week for 30 min. I do the eliptical as i had knee surgery while back and leaves me unable to run from the pressure. i'm eating 3 meals a day...i start off with cereal/milk for breakfast (which i've done my whole life) and i eat maybe an omlete with cheese/veggies/turkey....with a side of fruit. then for dinner i will heat up on of those "smart ones" meals or "lean cuisine" things...i'm in college so i dont really like to cook. This together will generally add up to about 900 cals. i know its not alot, i realize that...but i dont feel ANY side effects.

I'm not even hungry!!! I'm scared i damaged my metabolism or something because someone not hungry from only 900 cals??? Like its notl ike im doing it on purpose..its just the way it is. OH and i ALWWWAYS treat myself to 1 girlscout cookie at the end of the night (they just came in and im always ordering from them!) So really...i AM eating and its like if i am hungry..i will eat. Could i have "ruined" my metabolism?? should i be worried?? should i force myself to eat 1,200 cals?? or is "ruining your metabolism" from SERIOUS calorie defecit (like 300 per day!) I mean...i feel like the weight is coming off healthy...i'm loosing 3 lbs per week which is what is recommended (well 2lbs per week, but 1 more...big whoop!)

Original Post by jenny8484:

Original Post by michaelinitaly:

I can tell you from personal experience that starvation mode does exist and it can mess you up. If you are eating 900 cal a day, guess what, your body is consuming more. If you stop eating, your body eats your body and there is not allot of vitamins in eating muscles and cell walls. I messed up my eyes big time and had to go under doctor care. I also was not hungry and thought all the people were just blowing smoke. I had the hardest time eating 1400 or 1600 and thought I would explode with all that food. Then I got into starvation mode and I could not lose an ounce no matter how low I went in calories.  It the end, after two doctors told me I was killing myself, I found a web book that made allot of sense. Now I eat 5 times a day and I am always hungry, but have energy and in the last month I lost 5% of my body weight without losing any weight. I am trying to maintain at my current weight and just shift the weight from fat to muscle. It seems to be working. The trick is to eat every three hours, it is like keeping a blast furnace going around the clock. Each meal you eat a protein and a carb. As soon as I started, I began losing weight again and when I reached my goal, I kept it up and cut back on the cardio and now I am working on muscle mass. I really hope you up your calories, because if you don't, you will be going to the doctors soon.

Thank you,

 Michael- I too screwed up my metabolism from restriction.... can you please tell me a sample day of your diet if you don't mind? Like what foods you will eat, and when? I'd like to start reversing this. Thanks!

Hi jenny,

I found that the important meal is breakfast, I eat about 500 cal if possible. fiber 1 40 gr. 2% milk 200 gr. apple med. whole wheat bread and either egg whites or protein powder on the cereal and a spoon of flax seed.

3 hours later, yogurt, banana or apple and egg white of a hard boiled egg

lunch 250 gr of lettuce. (I work in a salad factory) tomatoes, tuna in brine 56gr carrots or peas or chicken 100 gr or vegetable soup with some protein added. ( I make a huge pot enough for 4 meals of 400 gr. then add protein each meal)

3 hours later, fruit, boiled egg white or protein powder in juice or ham sandwich

dinner 100 to 200 gr fish, chicken or meat, peas or carrots or other veg, slice of 5 wheat bread, salad with olive oil and tomatoes

a couple hours later apple or melon

it sounds like allot, but after you start, you will be amazed that you are hungry and ready for food after 3 hours. When you don't eat, you start to think that your body is starting to eat the muscle you worked so hard to build and it makes you hungry. It is a pain to pack all this food, but if you do it in the morning, then it is easy to just grab the food as you go. I boil 6 or 8 eggs at a time. I have protein powder at work, it is important to eat protein and carb every time. Real food is the best, but if you cant, then a protein powder shake will do. Same thing with fruit, better to eat it than blend it, it makes your body work harder breaking it down.

the reason for every three hours is that protein only last that long in your system, so you keep feeding it protein and it will keep breaking it down. Don't forget the good fat, your body needs it to covert food to energy.