Starvation mode

Abrowneyegirl · ‎03-15-2010

I always heard about it but never truly seen it but I think I have now.

My friend who is weight-obsessed made a goal to lose 40 pounds before her 40th B-day so back in Jan 2019 she 'buckled down' went on a plant-based diet and eats no more than 1000 calories a day. Fasts a few times a month and exercises regularly.

She lost a few pounds at first and has not lost a pound since and now it has been months and she is going crazy.

We traveled together for a conference and I have to admit she eats VERY little. Drinks water all day but eats very few calories. She is never hungry.

I started to wonder, 'starvation mode?'

She confessed she did start wearing hair extensions because her hair is now so thin. When I saw her when we met for the convention I was surprised her once beautiful locks are very thin from root to tip (you can see her scalp) and her skin, coloring is poor. She had her thyroid and hormones checked out.

So after 10 months she still has 35 pounds to lose!!

I can see why she is frustrated.

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

I'm sorry to hear about your friend's struggles. I wonder why she's having such a hard time losing? Maybe she should try something else like eat more but do intermittent fasting occasionally. I heard that it's supposed to help with weight loss and health in general.

Sounds to me that by starving her body is holding onto weight.

dex · ‎03-09-2010

It sounds like your friend needs to try a different approach to her goal weight.Ahe might need protein and some good fats.We follow the low cholesterol diet for health reasons and we are both slim.We don’t restrict calories but we eat plain Whole Foods,fruits and nuts,dark chocolate too and a glass of wine a day...not roughing it too much.

x Hedge · ‎08-18-2016

Going by your description I'd say she doesn't know what she's doing and is causing herself harm.

When I had a specific goal for my 45th birthday I designed a nutritionally dense/calorie poor diet that met nutritional needs while alternating between 885 and 1200 calories per days.

I ate at least 5 times a day, usually more. Rather than starving, which makes the body conserve calories, you should have a 'I can't eat all this food!' complaint.

Starting in January and aiming for a goal in June, I aimed for fitness, and let the weight loss take care of itself. I eventually became aerobic daily and lifted weights.

My body composition changed. Increased muscle and bone mass, far less stored fat. I was never hungry.

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

@Abrowneyegirl

If she's eating a low fat, whole food, PB diet...she should lose weight effortlessly while having glowing skin due & better health to all the vitamins/minerals in her fresh vegetables. It's happened to me & millions of other people doing the exact same thing.

But if she's eating PB junk food? She won't have the desired outcome.

It's literally impossible to consume 1000 calories a day...

on ANY diet protocol....

and not lose weight, especially if one's already overweight/obese.

Idea of 'starvation mode' is a myth...again, especially if that overweight.

There's obviously something else going on she's not exposing.

My guess she's eating a lot of fat ('never hungry') with little else

thinking fat will magically cause weight loss. It doesn't.

Montana · ‎03-09-2010

It sounds like your friend's plan to starve herself into losing weight isn't sitting well with her body's intelligence. I think eating so little has galvanized her body into doing everything to sabotage her efforts.

Obviously, she needs to eat differently if she wants to lose weight. Can't she see that?

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

Is she eating healthy fats? Hopefully she not on a low fat diet and cutting out the good fats... that will slow metabolism down and you will lose hair. Avocado, raw fresh nuts.... seeds..... all good sources of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

06greatwife · ‎05-01-2010

Your friend wanted to lose 40 pounds and after 10 months still has 35 pounds to go. She's only lost 5 pounds along with her hair after significantly reducing her calorie intake, and exercising regularly. I would be frustrated too.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

Your friend is in trouble with her health. When your hair starts getting thin and looking dull, you have problems.

It doesn't seem like she is getting enough protein in her diet. Is she living off of lettuce? Some vegetables don't have enough nutrition to sustain us. If she insists on eating plant based, she should be eating lentils, beans and healthy grains, fruits and vegetables plus taking a supplement. Is she winging it, or has she read how to do it correctly?

If you do not take in enough calories, your body will stop losing weight as it tries to conserve what it can. When I counted calories, I had to eat 900 calories just to maintain my ideal weight, so I know that consuming very few calories will not cause weight loss in everyone for long.