Starvation Mode

So my doctor mentor told me something interesting today in my doctoring class (med school). He said 800 calories a day is the minimum number of calories a person can eat before they enter starvation mode. Studies have show that anything else will not be beneficial for weight loss.

What are your thoughts on the topic?? 

I thought you were in college and was going to try to get into dental school.  Now you're in med school?

I call B.S. 

 

If you were eating so few calories clearly you would be GAINING weight.

Um, giuliet, you are the walking definition of an anorexic (if you are able to walk, that is). I have reported this thread. EDIT: actually, you're more likely a troll (these are your only two posts). Still.

tombrokaw, starvation doesn't make you gain weight. It makes you lose weight. Starvation MODE (which is discussed here) is actually more accurately called conservation mode. When the body is underfed, it slows down its metabolism to compensate, and to avoid starvation. Hence the fatigue, mental fuzziness, and feeling cold. There is always a level of caloric intake below which no body can compensate, and the person will continue losing weight (albeit more slowly than the "math" says they should, because the math is based on a healthy metabolic rate). I agree that this level is 800 calories. In other words, a person can eat as little as 800 calories a day and in time, the body will adjust so that the person will stop losing weight. If they eat less than that, the body cannot adjust and they will lose until they die.  But here's the good news - if they eat enough (loosely defined as 1200 calories for sedentary women and 1500 calories for sedentary men), the body does not see the need to adjust its metabolic rate by more than about 10% (it's not afraid of starvation!), meaning that persistent weight loss becomes possible (until the person becomes underweight, of course... then the body shuts down again).

Conservation mode leads to weight gain ONLY when the person returns to "normal" eating. The body's metabolism is still slowed, so the person will gain weight on the amount of food that USED to maintain their weight back when they were healthy. i.e. if you naturally burned 1800 back then, and now you are slowed to 800, then when you eat 1800 again, you will gain weight until your body heals, then you will level off again. Usually this takes a few weeks of normal eating.

Actual starving, which is what giuliet describes, is different, and leads to death.

p.s. I'm in med school and never heard of "doctoring" class. Huh?

Hi Everyone,

In case you were wondering why this thread might not make total sense, I have removed a couple of posts that were against Posting Guidelines. 

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

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

In regards to the OP, 800 calories is not healthy for anyone unless under strict doctor supervision, which is very rare.  Regardless though, CC will not condone or allow eating under the minimum of 1200 for women/1500 for men and more for exercise and teenagers. 

Please keep in mind that each person's calorie needs vary by size, age, height, weight, and activity level.  There is not a set number for everyone and each person needs to find what works best for them in a healthy manner. 

Thanks,

UTR
Volunteer Moderator

I want to clarify my previous post: it is NOT GOOD to eat only 800 calories a day. You may not die, but you will not remain healthy. (If you eat less than 800, you will die in time.)

Some doctor-supervised diets are about that calorie level, but in these cases the person is admitted to hospital in order to ensure their safety... and usually this is a last resort for people who are so obese that they require this 24/7 medical supervision.

I support CC's mission and methods entirely. People losing weight on their own need to eat enough to remain strong and healthy, and CC's minimums are accurate and in keeping with what I have learned about independent weight loss in my medical school.

Ok, now I know not to post anymore.

I came here for my benefit, not to be judged and just because you have an opinion of my lifestyle does not make you better than me. I will delete my account and begin a new one, because obviously you have a preexisting judgement of me already.

Original Post by tombrokaw:

If you were eating so few calories clearly you would be GAINING weight.

 Wow - now that is common sense - I guess the obesity problem is caused by eating too little.  This is one of the silliest myths in dieting.  Eating less will not cause weight gain. Eating too little may cause several health problems, but it does not cause weight gain.  For some reason a small population of dieters think the body can manifest matter from nothing. 

Original Post by strikez:

Original Post by tombrokaw:

If you were eating so few calories clearly you would be GAINING weight.

Wow - now that is common sense - I guess the obesity problem is caused by eating too little. This is one of the silliest myths in dieting. Eating less will not cause weight gain. Eating too little may cause several health problems, but it does not cause weight gain. For some reason a small population of dieters think the body can manifest matter from nothing.

The obesity problem like all others is caused by people being people.  If you see-saw between a very low calorie diet (unhealthy) and over eating (also unhealthy) which is usually what happens when you overly restrict (not in all cases, not for everybody, etc. etc.), your body cycles through a variety of modes and tends to pack on the pounds during the time where you eat tons and
hang onto the fat stores even when you eat very little.  You will read story after story of people with eating disorders who actually gain weight or at least flab.  Will they necessarily gain weight, no, but the high maintenance tissue like muscle tends to get scavenged by the body for normal functions which means
what's left tends to be jiggly rather than firm.

Back to the original topic.  Everyone has a different metabolism, a different activity level, a different height, and a different weight not to mention different dietary intakes.  To say that a specific number of calories is true for everyone is incorrect.  You can make a broad generalizations within categories which will be relatively accurate.

Personally, I would rather eat more and keep my body burning more than reduce my calories and have to watch the number of calories that I eat.  I'm much more interested in at what point does your body slow down it's metabolism causing you to have to eat less than at what point does your body start to scavenge from muscle, bone, and organs.

This message isn't exactly related to the first post but I had a question about coming out of the starvation mode..

Does our weight REALLY have to increase once we start eating normal amount of calories to come out of the starvation mode? Or can we heal our metabolism without gaining weight?

Well I had been eating 700-800 calories before and I lost some weight. Then I upped my calories gradually and became regular at the gym. I didn't experience any weight gain.. but I've been doing this since mid-Feb and have only seem to lost 2 pounds..

So I'm confused if I'm still in that mode?

Original Post by giuliet:

I came here for my benefit, not to be judged and just because you have an opinion of my lifestyle does not make you better than me. I will delete my account and begin a new one, because obviously you have a preexisting judgement of me already.

 You state you are allergic to sugar in your journal, that's like being allergic to oxygen.  Changing your posting name won't change the fact that you need to seek proper education regarding your health

zaraobaid, it's not automatic that you would gain when you up your calories again. It depends on your new calorie level, exercise, etc.

We'd need to know your current height and weight, as well as your caloric expenditure and current intake, to comment on your current situation.

Well I'm 5'4 and 120 pounds. I'm trying to get to 115 and to "tone up" my body a little. My BMR is around 1400 and CC says I burn 1620 by being sedentary. I try to go to the gym 5 times a week and burn 300 calories per session. And I was eating around 1200 for quite a while but that didn't seem to work for me. So I increased my intake to 1300-1400 and I've been doing that for 10 days.. but that doesn't seem to work either! :\

 

I would really appreciate some help! :)

If you want to tone up you don't drastically drop the calories.  If you want to build muscle you don't starve.  Aim for 1700-1900 a day and go to the gym.  Choose good foods, of course.  As you're not overweight, any progress will be very slow.  However, if you're eating healthily and exercising, any small reduction in weight is just a side-effect.

Original Post by marc42968:

Original Post by giuliet:

I came here for my benefit, not to be judged and just because you have an opinion of my lifestyle does not make you better than me. I will delete my account and begin a new one, because obviously you have a preexisting judgement of me already.

 You state you are allergic to sugar in your journal, that's like being allergic to oxygen.  Changing your posting name won't change the fact that you need to seek proper education regarding your health

 For your information Marc42968 - It is possible to have an allergy to sugar.  Most likely her allergy is more of an intolerance.  Please, in the future don't make light of someones health conditions. 

There may indeed be other factors that need to be accounted for but we do not know them.  A good friend of mine has a fructose intolerance and has to keep her sugar level under 3 grams.  Most foods, including organic foods have sugar in them.  It can be extremely difficult to eat the proper nutrients. 

I thought this website was here to support not put down.  If you can not be supportive, please, in the future don't post.

My oh my!!!  Folk thinking they can lose weight by starving themselves.  Take my word for it, it only works a short time and then your body will revolt. 

Go look at my weight chart and see what increasing cals can do for you.  I was staving myself a year ago, and though I had lost a bunch of weight (mostly water), I was weak, fuzzy, and letting what muscle i had be eaten up by my starving myself. 

And ever since I have been increasing my cals, and have been very successful at dropping weight.  I mean I am eating 3-4K cals a day, and I have lost better than 170 pounds in the last calender year, and some 300 pounds total. 

What we call 'starvation mode' is very real, will sap your strength and determination, and is a danger to a long range weight loss and fitness program.  And to be honest, it's no fun at all.

Besides, i can point to all the times I was semi successful at a weight loss program, only to have the whole thing derail because I thought i was being weak when my body was screaming for more cals.  So now I eat well and I certainly do not starve. 

And for folk trying to go from 125 down to 120, I just can't see anyone being able to do this by cutting cals.  You need to increase cals to put on lean muscle mass, and hit the gym for some body shaping!!  You don't have a weight problem, you have a body shaping problem.  And if you are so attached to a number on the scale that even though you look good and feel good, you really need to take a look at why you want that number so badly.  after all, it's just a scale!!

Duke

 

eli - I am quite aware that there are people who do have certain intolerances for specific types of sugars, but giuliet's journals state that she has an allergy to sugar, not intolerance, that in addition to her prior (now deleted for eating disorder promotion) posts, suggest that she does need help regarding her health.

I do not make light of true medical conditions, but statements like, "I am allergic to sugar" only propagates inaccurate information and hampers those with true medical conditions like your friend from getting correct information and health care.