Starvation Mode Question

I had read a zillion posts on this topic and I still have questions about it.  I understand that eating less than 1200 cal a day could cause your body to go into 'starvation mode' but how does exercise play into this? 

Here's my deal... I'm 24, 5'6", ~160 pounds (trying to loose 15 pounds).  I sit at a desk all day and I run at least 35 minutes on my lunch break (burns ~400 cal).  Then after work I go to the gym for a bit more cardio and some heavy weight lifting (burns ~500 cal).  On the weekends I am very active and I try to burn at least 800 calories.  I wear a BodyBugg so I know how many total calories my body burns each day.

Here's the question... If I burn a total of 3,000 calories in a day (from exercise and just living) how many calories should I be eating?  Last week I kept it at 1,500 but I'm worried I may be close to or in the 'starvation mode'.  I have also read that I shouldn't have a calorie deficit of more than 1,000 calories but that would mean I'd have to eat 2,000 calories (No Way!) 

Any thought? Thanks :)

From what I hear, it is dangerous to have your deficit more than 1,000 calories a day, so if the case is you really are burning 3000 calories a day then yes, that would mean 2,000 or even possibly more calories you would eat a day.

if you are working out that much (especially lifting) then you'll want to 'eat back' some of those calories that you have burned. If you have too much of a deficit, there is no way you can build muscle, so the lifting would be pointless. People who lift can do well w eating 2000 cals on a heavy workout day and still have a deficit.

it's ok every once in awhile to have larger than the 1000 deficit, but you wouldn't want to do it too much....you really could run into the same risks of having less than 1200 (especially if you are active), because your body isn't fueled enough.

entering your stats into a bmr calc, you'd probably want to up the cals to at least 1700 on workout days! It's hard to think that eating more will help lose weight....but you don't want to burn up all the muscle you are trying to build!

If you really are having troubles getting more cals in, eat calorie rich proteins like almonds, peanut butter, protein shakes......

Your body can only metabolize about 1% of your pounds of body fat. For a rule of thumb we recommend 500-1000 cal deficit, because we don't know your body fat %.

Realistically, 500 is a safer bet, because you probably don't have that many pounds of body fat.

Its healthies to loose no more than one to two pounds a week. If you burn 3000cals every day then thats 21000 cal in a week. And if one pound is 3500 cals and you wanted to loose the max of 2lbs a week then you should eat 2000 cals a day. 21000-7000=14000/7= 2000cals     (just incase my math is wrong lol)

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Your body can only metabolize about 1% of your pounds of body fat. For a rule of thumb we recommend 500-1000 cal deficit, because we don't know your body fat %.

Realistically, 500 is a safer bet, because you probably don't have that many pounds of body fat.

 My scale tells me that my body fat is 33%.  It's one of those scales where you step on with bare feet and it sends some signal through your body... I don't know how accurate it is.

So are you saying that I should eat 2,500 calories on days I work out?  Seems excessive.  Or should I just work out less???

Thanks for the feed back so far :)

Original Post by vicki8seekers:

If you really are having troubles getting more cals in, eat calorie rich proteins like almonds, peanut butter, protein shakes......

 Almonds are my favorite! It's not that I have a problem eating that much, I'm just not sure if I should be. Thanks!

Go back to the beginning and figure out what YOUR daily burn rate is for YOUR height, weight, and activity level is. Then figure out what your exercise is. Total difference should be NO MORE THAN 1000 calories a day. On days you lift heavy weights.... you MUST eat more (even to the point of being a "neutral" <no calorie deficit>)--especially protein. You will be healthier and happier (and more likely to continue on a healthy lifestyle) if your deficit is around 500-700 per day vs. 1500!

Take your measurements--the more you work out, the more fat you will burn and the smaller your body.... even if your weight doens't drop. Good luck!

Don't worry, eat your almonds. They are actually great for weight loss because they are filling. They are very healthy if eaten in moderation.

I've also been one of those with the starvation mode question.  I couldn't believe how many calories I should be eating.  (I'm a lot heavier then you and a nursing mom).  I've been trying to loose weight for years and for YEARS (literally 7) I've kept my body in starvation mode out of habit.  Only when I started actually eating what was recommended and making sure to have no more then 1000 deficit did I actually start to loose weight.  When I have more deficit I actually stop loosing and start to gain again.  It goes against everything I've ever learned in my life, as in you have to eat less to loose weight.  But it really is true, the best thing I learned from this site is starvation mode isn't just a baseline number, it really varies greatly depending on the person.  So enjoy those almonds!  And good luck!

Thank you beinluthien!  I'm going to start eating more on days I burn 3,500 calories.  I thought that working out more would help me loose faster but it just hasn't been the case... guess I have to eat back those work out calories.

Original Post by beinluthien1:

I've also been one of those with the starvation mode question.  I couldn't believe how many calories I should be eating.  (I'm a lot heavier then you and a nursing mom).  I've been trying to loose weight for years and for YEARS (literally 7) I've kept my body in starvation mode out of habit.  Only when I started actually eating what was recommended and making sure to have no more then 1000 deficit did I actually start to loose weight.  When I have more deficit I actually stop loosing and start to gain again.  It goes against everything I've ever learned in my life, as in you have to eat less to loose weight.  But it really is true, the best thing I learned from this site is starvation mode isn't just a baseline number, it really varies greatly depending on the person.  So enjoy those almonds!  And good luck!

 

 

Omggggg no wonderr i am gaining weight rather than losing it!! my deficit is either 1000 or more.. not that i am trying to starve myself but it just so happens that whatever i eat or cook come to about 700/800 calories a day :((

anywayss will try to keep it to 1200 cal for sure

riffatrashdi, how old are you? 1200 is the bare bones minimum for an adult woman who is 5 feet tall and 100 lbs. Unless these are your stats you definitely need more cals. Please eat more! If you tell us more about you we can probably help!

Why eating only 1200 calories doesn't work

(from the Ask Mary section of CC)

In the long run, you won’t lose weight faster by eating 1200 calories a day. Under-eating deprives your body of essential nutrients and leads to muscle breakdown to provide energy. With less muscle, you require fewer calories and you reach a weight low plateau more quickly. Restrictive dieting also places you at risk for binge-eating which can lead to weigh gain and a life of yo-yo dieting.

hey thank NycGirl :P i am about 5'7 and 71 kg! :P i have been eating all i can but always end up at 700 /800 cals amd recently stopped losing weight but rather felt more chubby!! so i started eating more...