You're probably not in "starvation mode"

This is one of these things that gets tossed around lightly in the forums, and it irks me a bit. 

If you just haven't lost weight in the past few days, it doesn't mean you're in starvation mode.  If you're above 1200 calories, and are not morbidly obese, chances are, its just a fluke, and you should wait it out a couple of days. 

There's an interesting conversation/debate on ketosis (starvation mode) on wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Ketosis

Ketosis and the metabolic slowdown known as "starvation mode" are completely different things, you know.

Obesity At 700 Calories Per Day tells the story - you're probably right in that it's best to wait it out a bit if it's just a pound or two of weight loss that haven't happened, but it's completely possible to be in metabolic slowdown aka. stavation mode if you're severely undereating for your calorie needs, even if you're above 1200 calories a day.

All it takes is eating 1500 calories and burning 3500 in the gym.
 

What melkor said - ketosis is not starvation mode.

It's very easy to fall into starvation mode, that is why people get "warned", not told they are in it.  I've personally been in starvation mode 3 times, so honestly, if I can prevent that happening to one person, it's worth it.

No one here thinks that if someone accidently under eats a few times that they are going to "suddenly"  be in starvation mode. 

It's serious, and a huge pitfall for anyone who diets.

Over exercising to "purge" calories is also a serious Eating Disorder.  That person may eat 1200-1500 calories and then spend 8 hours exercising them all off.

I'm not saying that everyone who is in starvation mode has an eating disorder or anything,  just that this isn't something to brush off as "fake" or "a myth", because it isn't.

All it takes is eating 1500 calories and burning 3500 in the gym.

 Excuse me for a moment while I boggle at the concept of burning 3500 calories in the gym.  *g*

Sure, some people throw around the phrase and fear starvation mode way too prematurely a lot of times -- BUT -- it's a fact that your metabolism slows down, doesn't stop but burns like a smoldering fire instead of a roaring fire if you aren't eating enough to sustain your current weight/activity level.

It's called famine response. Our bodies evolved to have this survival mechanism years and years ago when famine was more common.

Extreme starvation or anorexia force your body to eventually use its fat supplies, muscle, organ tissue etc. when nothing else is available.

In starvation mode, your body hangs onto as much fat as possible and uses your muscles as a source of fuel first, losing lean body mass (muscle) slows your metabolism down.

There's so many factors and variables. Starvation mode does occur, not overnight, but over several weeks, months, years etc. There aren't any precise figures or points as to where it starts; it's an individual occurance.

I'm just curious to learn more about ketosis. I did atkins diet years ago and lost about 30 lb. I remember the little odd things like my breath changing smell and having a funny almost metallic flavor in my mouth.  Well. I'm far from starving, 1600 Cal a day. I'm not diabetic and after having the same kind of weird ketosis like side effects I'm pretty sure I'm in ketosis now. I've just never heard of ketosis without the starvation or lack of carbs or diabetic issues. I'm going to test at home tomorrow weather permitting I can get to the drug store.  I'll keep researching tonight but, if you have any input would you please shed some light for me?