Comments on: Starvation Response: Why drastic calorie reduction does not work

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:59:59 +0000

Is reduced metabolism do to eating too little permanent? If not, how do you fix it?

By: fitnessmantra

fitnessmantra — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:46:35 +0000

Hi Rachel,

First of all, while I don’t know the specifics of your situation (especially things like your height, weight and activity level), 800 calories a day is downright dangerous!

This is especially true if it’s mostly fruits and vegetables you have been eating because while you might have just stocked up a year’s worth of vitamins, minerals and fiber, you almost certainly have denied your body two vitally important macro-nutrients it needs to survive and grow: protein and fat!

I would advise you to immediately up your calorie intake to at least 1200-1250 calories (believe me, unless you are about 14 years old or younger, you need that much!). Ease yourself into this by introducing healthful fats like those found in olive oil, almonds and avocados. Then branch out to lean meats like chicken and turkey (if you eat meat) or other sources of protein like dairy and eggs.

Finding your maintenance level (or weight-loss level) of calories is an ongoing experiment for most people (your body reacts to every change you make so you need to constantly adapt as well!), but again, like this post mentions so blaringly, drastic calorie reduction simply does not work and you might be harming your body rather than doing it any good!

-FM.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:11:09 +0000

Does anyone here know how to fix your metabolism after eating very little for a while? I kinda went crazy and started eating mostly fruit and vegetables for a while and i realize that i need to increase my caloric intake. i was eating about 800 a day but it was only just over a month. i think that i should raise that about 100 a week for a while. can i do this without gaining weight?

By: fitnessmantra

fitnessmantra — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:45:09 +0000

Hi Kaila,
First off, congratulations on the wedding! Sometimes it takes a life-changing event to get us focused on the things we desire the most and I am very glad you have been successful so far in losing weight.
I am a little concerned about the 600-800 calories you mentioned – I feel that might be a little too low for a person of your weight and your body’s metabolism might already be drastically slowing down to accommodate this sudden decrease in input calories.
A lot depends on how you feel right now. If you are more tired than usual or feel a general lack of strength, it might be a sign that your body feeling the effects of too little food. You can calculate your caloric needs using this calculator. I plugged in some basic information using what little I know of your situation, and it shows a maintenance level of atleast 2200 calories. Even you tack on a deficit of 700-800 calories (a lot!), you should still be consuming about 1300-1500 calories and it would still lead to weight loss (I am happy you mentioned “quality calories”, because right behind number of calories is their quality!) Do avoid foods that will trigger high insulin responses and opt for fresh foods where possible.
As long as you maintain a sensible eating plan and incorporate an exercise regimen (cardio and weight-training), you should not be too concerned about raising your input calories a little more.
Good Luck!
-FM.

By: Kaila

Kaila — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:39:48 +0000

Does anyone know how long does it take for your metabolism to get back to “normal” after beginning to eat regularly again?

I am 5′6′ and was 197 pounds and in about 6 weeks I am down to 173 by working out 5 or 6 times a week and eating between 600-800 (quality) calories a day.

I would like to lose another 25-30 pounds, but I’m not in as much of a rush now that my wedding dress finally fits.

I don’t want to “rebound” but I would like to start eating sensibly again.

Should I start eating more calories slowly over time or just go right back up to a sensible level right away?

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:04:33 +0000

The fact is, starvation does work if you do it in bursts of a few days at a time. Then go back to normal eating, then starve again. Don’t believe all the hype from people with “qualifications”. Results say way more than words. I wonder what the fat percentage is on the person who wrote this article…

By: fitnessmantra

fitnessmantra — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:22:49 +0000

Hi Henna,
Thank you for your comment. Like I said “Almost 95% of the people will then go back to their old way of eating, but guess what: with a reduced metabolism (thanks to our friend, starvation response and the possible consequence of muscle-weight reduction), they are prime candidates for the rebound effect: gaining back the weight they lost and then some”
You have mentioned that you father made some lifestyle changes including stopping sweets – also his pioneer training has obviously *increased* his metabolism (because of his exercises and the consequent muscle mass increase) rather than decreased it.
This wonderful combination (exercise + change to better eating habits) is what has helped him achieve his leanness. In his case the principle of starvation does not even apply.

By: henna

henna — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 01:40:58 +0000

well i dont believe all people after starvation gain there weight back because my dad he was in a pioneer contest for 5 days and all he could eat was a can of beans a day 1] and he came home boney and still had muscles and he ate again and he stopped his sweets and didnt gain it back so why is that if it makes you gain your weight back?