#6680698 - 10/30/12 03:00 PM
I don't believe in "starvation mode"... do I?
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65_289
Post Master Sr
Registered: 04/19/01
Posts: 4052
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So I've always thought that "starvation mode" was a bunch of BS. The idea that if you decrease calories too much, your body will somehow become more efficient and not lose weight seems counterintuitive at best. But a recent experiment has me at least questioning the idea. I was trying to get down to the 137lb weight class (aka skinny-fuck) for a grappling tournament. I made it to 138 in the morning/140 at night, but I felt very hungry and weak and my gym performance suffered. So I said fuck it, I'll compete at the bottom of the 149 weight class. I have upped my calories from 1800 per day to 2300 per day very slowly. Basically for a week at a time I went to 1900 daily, then 2000 daily, etc. Strangely enough, I was at 136.9 this morning after a weekend of eating utter garbage. All last week I was in the low-mid 137's in the morning as well. So WTF is going on here? I do BJJ/MMA 4 days a week and lift using 5/3/1 2 days a week. My goal is to be able to walk around in the low 150's to make the 149 class easy to meet. But at this rate, I'm going to have to eat 3500+ calories a day to make it.
So what does CSI think was/is happening? Could it be that my body thought it was "starving" and somehow became hyper-efficient? I know the most obvious answer is my calorie counts were wrong. I track them very closely and I eat a very regimented diet, so I just don't see that being the case. I mean if things continue this way I guess I can just stay right here and compete at 137, but I think a 5'8" grown man would look better with more mass. 
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#6680846 - 10/30/12 04:03 PM
Re: I don't believe in "starvation mode"... do I?
[Re: 65_289]
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Mick Daddy
Post Master Supreme
Registered: 07/23/07
Posts: 29167
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I think it's highly exaggerated by far.
I believe such a thing exist but I feel as if I only hear about it from fat people that don't want to eat less calories (OOOOH NOEZ my body is gonna starves!!!nom nom nom).
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#6681385 - 10/30/12 08:15 PM
Re: I don't believe in "starvation mode"... do I?
[Re: Silock]
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dirtyS13drifta
dirtyS13drifta
Unregistered
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Starvation mode exists. It's real. However, it takes weeks to get to that level for an overweight person, less for someone that's already at a low bodyfat.
There are some hormonal changes that happen, as well, so increasing your calories and losing more weight isn't uncommon. Since you were already in shape, it didn't take long to reach exhaustion levels, especially since you were still training.
The problem is that all of this is highly individualized, so how one person responds is different than another.
The only thing that's for certain re: starvation mode is that fat fucks never need to worry about it, because even if they aren't losing weight at the "expected" rate, they'll still be losing it as fast as they possibly can.
I know in HS wrestling a lot of guys got weaker as the season went on. Too much time at too littler calories and too hard of training. I'm talking light weight class guys that cut 1-2 classes.
But I think it's an excuse bit for fatties. That said, I do think most people's bodies like to find equilibrium. I find my appetite goes up as I run more for sure, and if I slow down training I'll be less hungry. That said, I still lose weight eating like a hog when I train hard.
So maybe in OP's case based on his backstory, but not in most people.
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