Does Starvation Mode Really Matter?

[wendy88 7]

My experience is that if you run a calorie deficit the weight will go down even if you are in starvation mode. Look at the people on Survivor.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

There you go I agree look at anorexic's they are constantly in starvation mode and lose an incredible amount of weight!

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

I believe that starvation mode is just someone's theory. My evidence is like mentioned above, survivor and anorexic's.....Plus the people that survived prison camps etc. So thankful someone brought this up......

[PdxMan 4,292]

Just know that the body will utilize whatever resources it needs to maintain energy reserves, i.e. fat.

So, the body will begin to canabalize itself. Muscle tissue being one of the first to be used. Remember, Protein, just like fat, has 9 calories per gram. You will lose muscle tissue (protein) in starvation mode. One of the reasons we need to maintain the recommended Protein intake.

So, the bottom line is, what are your goals? To lose weight or to lose fat?

[puppyphat 397]

I didn't eat or drink for a week - 10 days, could only keep down a mouthful of Fluid every couple of hrs. Was on a drip for fluids. I have a healthy bmi and I lost more than 10lb in that one week. My body was in starvation mode. Since I have been able to eat and drink normally, I have put on about 1/2 that weight. Starvation is fine until you start to eat again. Your body has been shocked and will store food incase it has to do that again.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

Okay, you can get the recommended amount of Protein and still be in starvation mode.

[BKMama 179]

To piggy back what pdxman said (good to see you back around these parts!), sure anorexics lose weight but they are also in poor health. Skinny with their internal organs failing, their teeth rotting, etc etc.

[PdxMan 4,292]

Okay, you can get the recommended amount of Protein and still be in starvation mode.

Yes, you can. But what is your point? It's good to be in starvation mode?

I think it is an unavoidable consequence of having 85% of your stomach removed. The trick is how you manage it.

I went from consuming at least 4,000 calories a day to 500. Of course my body is going to go into starvation mode ... several times. Yes, I lost a lot of muscle mass, too. But I would like to think I mitigated the situation by consuming a lot of Protein and doing a lot of core exercises which included some weight lifting. I follow my workouts by consuming protein, as recommended.

So, yes, you are going to go into starvation mode. Expect it. Now, how are you going to manage it? Lose as much muscle as fat? Damage your internal organs along the way? It's up to you. This is not a magic bullet but a tool.

How are you going to use yours?

[delta_girl 931]

Matthew McConaguhey just lost 38 lbs for his role in the Dallas Buyers Club. He said he quit eating food and only drank tea, considering his prep a "spiritual cleanse."

Anne Hathaway dropped 25 lbs to play Fantine in Les Mis. She may or may not have been joking when she said she only ate radishes and two thin pieces of oatmeal paste a day.

If you haven't seen a recent pic of McConaguhey lately, Google it. You can't recognize him

[PdxMan 4,292]

Yeah, I saw that picture of him the other day. Wow

We all know what he looked like before ... so, do you think he lost fat or muscle?

He has the luxury of being able to easily put that muscle back on after the movie shoots. It is a little more difficult for common folks and even more so for us sleevers.

[delta_girl 931]

Geez. I think both of them lost everything, fat, muscle, Water, blood volume? ew. They were both slim in the first place.

Yeah. They can work with nutritionists and trainers and have special food prepared for them to bounce back after they win their Academy Awards.

The part of it that really stood out for me is, of course it is dramatic, but how motivated they both are to go to such extremes. Natalie Portman did it for the Black Swan, too.

When people on the forums start fussing about stalls and "only" losing 20, 30, 40 lbs last month and now they are "only" losing 10 or 12 lbs this month, they are probably on track with the craziness that the actors are doing for these roles, only the actor's weight probably comes off even slower since they are underweight in the first place.

Whenever I catch myself feeling down about not dropping weight faster, I have to think of how long it took to put it on, how long it stuck around, and that now it is going in the right direction ....down. What's to fuss about?

[delta_girl 931]

We are also all going to lose some muscle, no matter how much Protein we eat or exercise.

If someone weighs 250 lbs, it takes enough muscle to be able to move that load around.

Someone who weighs 135 lbs doesn't need the same.

This isn't scientific, just what makes sense to me.

Feel free to add input, toss in some links, share other expertise.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

Yes, you can. But what is your point? It's good to be in starvation mode?

I think it is an unavoidable consequence of having 85% of your stomach removed. The trick is how you manage it.

I went from consuming at least 4,000 calories a day to 500. Of course my body is going to go into starvation mode ... several times. Yes, I lost a lot of muscle mass, too. But I would like to think I mitigated the situation by consuming a lot of Protein and doing a lot of core exercises which included some weight lifting. I follow my workouts by consuming Protein, as recommended.

So, yes, you are going to go into starvation mode. Expect it. Now, how are you going to manage it? Lose as much muscle as fat? Damage your internal organs along the way? It's up to you. This is not a magic bullet but a tool.

How are you going to use yours?

If you misread my post I did not say anything about it being good. Sleevers are all in starvation mode consuming so few calories, that is all the point that I made. I am using MY TOOL fantastically!!!!

[missmeow 156]

Starvation mode is real, you just don't go into it until you have reached about 5% body fat, which is really, really, thin. Obese people lose fat, that's what our bodies are designed to do--gain fat quickly with an abundance of food and lose it when there is no food. So even if you are on a 500 calorie "starvation" diet, you will not go into starvation mode. Starvation mode being the point at which the metabolism slows down significantly to conserve body fat/mass and lean muscle (including organ) gets cannibalized. I have a good link on this. I can look it up and post it if anyone is interested.

[wendy88 7]

I would be interested in that link if its not too much trouble.