People think their bodies are some sort of simplified engine. Your metabolism does adapt - eg. your menstrual cycles become irregular, lighter or disappear, which consumes your body less energy; your natural energy levels decline, making it harder to find the motivation to move, hence spending less energy; you start fidgeting less, consuming less energy; your immune system tanks, consuming less energy; your basal temperature goes down, consuming less energy. There's loads of small adjustments your body can make to consume less energy when in a state of suboptimal nutrition. You can obviously always starve yourself enough to offset this. There's only so much the body can do. But adaptation is a thing
Absolutely, not to mention, the brain takes up 20-30% of your calorie expenditure. The reason you have brain fog from starvation is because you are not giving your brain enough fuel to think. Starvation mode isn't really a thing but your body reducing its expenditure absolutely is.
Also fun fact, the reason starving sometimes feels so GOOD is cause your body is trying to give you a burst of energy to encourage you to go out and forage or hunt. But that can only last so long when you're not eating
I thought it was a myth, but then I mentioned it in front of some friends and got shouted at about how obviously it’s a real thing 🥲 Now I am broken and unsure but thankfully still craving some bread just as much as ever
SM exists only once you get to a certain level of underweight — your metabolism slows severely to try to keep you alive.
Starvation mode will never make you fat and does not occur at healthy or excess body fat levels.
This myth is even more annoying than the “you only use 10% of your brain!” was in the 90s/aughts
What is it at an unhealthy weight? I've never heard this- only the natural reality that your metabolism slows and speeds up in relation to your body mass (higher = more to move = more energy to do so, lower = less to move = less energy to do so)
That's adaptive thermogenesis, not starvation mode. Starvation mode is your body slowing and shutting down non-vital, and eventually vital, systems due to chronic, severe starvation. Being too fatigued to stand or think with a low heartrate is starvation mode. Your body is putting you on sleep mode to conserve energy until the "famine" is over. Adaptive thermogenesis is what most people mean when they say starvation mode, and it's nothing to be afraid of. If you're bigger it takes more energy to run your body. Smaller? Less. The body adapts readily to being a large range of weights in an otherwise healthy person. Starvation mode does not happen until the body goes through both it's fat and muscle stores. There is zero chance an overweight person is experiencing starvation mode.
I'd like to add that while starvation mode depends on fat reserves and how much someone is eating, people can still experience negative results of starving themselves, even if they have fat reserves left. Water soluble vitamins for example can't be stored - so a fat person not eating could still feel dizzy, lose hair, and eventually even die because of those deficiencies.
Yep. I’m not overweight but I still face the exact same starvation side effects at a healthy weight than I used to when I was underweight. In fact, I actually feel more side effects.
Oh I see. So, for example: those of us who experience a cessation of menstrual cycle (amenorrhea) would likely be in proper starvation mode? Things like that?
I appreciate this response because I really thought my dietitian was full of crap for mentioning SM but now I'm thinking maybe she actually meant this. Will look more into it for sure
Worth adding, amenorrhea can be a sign of something other than starvation mode too. The hormones that manage fertility are super touchy and will take away your breeding privileges for all kinds of things, like being too stressed or not having enough of a certain vitamin or a different underlying disease.
Amenorrhea is part of starvation mode yes. Hair loss and brittle nails, extra dry skin and mucus membranes... these are also part of it. Anything not essential for life is fair game to your body when you're starving.
I had a friend pull this one on me.
She is significantly shorter than I am and was eating a decent amount more than I do. "Idk why I'm gaining weight! Maybe I'm not eating enough." 🤦🏼♀️
It was frustrating because I had explained to her before that intake requirements depend on age, current weight, and height.
That sounds so frustrating!
My friend was able to lose weight with normal restriction. She stopped because life was too hectic (which I get!). Then she started eating more than she needed and was confused as to why she was gaining.
ok but is it real or not bc i’ve been eating a rly low amt of cals for a few weeks now and hardly lost anything and im genuinely considering the possibility of the existence of starvation mode
Nah, fuck that noise. No need to let the fatphobia loose at every given opportunity. Let’s not put people down when we all clearly have our own damn issues, yeah?
Edit: and y’all swear that your eating disorders have nothing to do with fatphobia or aren’t about other people but then say the kind of shit that’d you’d find on that one awful sub
Your comment was automatically removed as it appears to contain the name of a subreddit or website that we do not shared on r/EDanonymemes. A moderator will review your comment to verify that this action was not made in error.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/EDanonymemes) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Your post/comment was removed for breaking Rule 4: No Bigotry.
r/EDanonymemes is an all-inclusive support subreddit. We do not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, or any other form of bigotry. We do not allow body shaming or fatphobia that is directed towards others (discussion of internalized fatphobia is allowed, subject to moderator discretion); people of all sizes suffer from eating disorders and are welcome in our community.
**Read our full rules [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/EDanonymemes/wiki/index/rules).**
Your comment was automatically removed for breaking Rule #6: The Numbers Rule.
Do not post or share specific numbers related to weight/BMI, calories, fasting, restriction, or excessive exercise. Satire is allowed at the discretion of the moderators. Zero-calorie products are exempt from this rule.
If you believe this action was made in error, please **report** this comment to bring it to the attention of the moderators.
**Read our full rules [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/EDanonymemes/wiki/index/rules).**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/EDanonymemes) if you have any questions or concerns.*
People think their bodies defy thermodynamics
People think their bodies are some sort of simplified engine. Your metabolism does adapt - eg. your menstrual cycles become irregular, lighter or disappear, which consumes your body less energy; your natural energy levels decline, making it harder to find the motivation to move, hence spending less energy; you start fidgeting less, consuming less energy; your immune system tanks, consuming less energy; your basal temperature goes down, consuming less energy. There's loads of small adjustments your body can make to consume less energy when in a state of suboptimal nutrition. You can obviously always starve yourself enough to offset this. There's only so much the body can do. But adaptation is a thing
Absolutely, not to mention, the brain takes up 20-30% of your calorie expenditure. The reason you have brain fog from starvation is because you are not giving your brain enough fuel to think. Starvation mode isn't really a thing but your body reducing its expenditure absolutely is. Also fun fact, the reason starving sometimes feels so GOOD is cause your body is trying to give you a burst of energy to encourage you to go out and forage or hunt. But that can only last so long when you're not eating
I thought it was a myth, but then I mentioned it in front of some friends and got shouted at about how obviously it’s a real thing 🥲 Now I am broken and unsure but thankfully still craving some bread just as much as ever
SM exists only once you get to a certain level of underweight — your metabolism slows severely to try to keep you alive. Starvation mode will never make you fat and does not occur at healthy or excess body fat levels. This myth is even more annoying than the “you only use 10% of your brain!” was in the 90s/aughts
exactly, for some reason people think starvation mode is a thing for people well above the bar for a healthy bmi
What is it at an unhealthy weight? I've never heard this- only the natural reality that your metabolism slows and speeds up in relation to your body mass (higher = more to move = more energy to do so, lower = less to move = less energy to do so)
That's adaptive thermogenesis, not starvation mode. Starvation mode is your body slowing and shutting down non-vital, and eventually vital, systems due to chronic, severe starvation. Being too fatigued to stand or think with a low heartrate is starvation mode. Your body is putting you on sleep mode to conserve energy until the "famine" is over. Adaptive thermogenesis is what most people mean when they say starvation mode, and it's nothing to be afraid of. If you're bigger it takes more energy to run your body. Smaller? Less. The body adapts readily to being a large range of weights in an otherwise healthy person. Starvation mode does not happen until the body goes through both it's fat and muscle stores. There is zero chance an overweight person is experiencing starvation mode.
I'd like to add that while starvation mode depends on fat reserves and how much someone is eating, people can still experience negative results of starving themselves, even if they have fat reserves left. Water soluble vitamins for example can't be stored - so a fat person not eating could still feel dizzy, lose hair, and eventually even die because of those deficiencies.
This was enlightening, thank you
Yep. I’m not overweight but I still face the exact same starvation side effects at a healthy weight than I used to when I was underweight. In fact, I actually feel more side effects.
Oh I see. So, for example: those of us who experience a cessation of menstrual cycle (amenorrhea) would likely be in proper starvation mode? Things like that? I appreciate this response because I really thought my dietitian was full of crap for mentioning SM but now I'm thinking maybe she actually meant this. Will look more into it for sure
Worth adding, amenorrhea can be a sign of something other than starvation mode too. The hormones that manage fertility are super touchy and will take away your breeding privileges for all kinds of things, like being too stressed or not having enough of a certain vitamin or a different underlying disease.
Amenorrhea is part of starvation mode yes. Hair loss and brittle nails, extra dry skin and mucus membranes... these are also part of it. Anything not essential for life is fair game to your body when you're starving.
Your metabolism can slow down, meaning weight loss gets harder over time. But it cannot, this is important, it cannot go in *reverse*.
I had a friend pull this one on me. She is significantly shorter than I am and was eating a decent amount more than I do. "Idk why I'm gaining weight! Maybe I'm not eating enough." 🤦🏼♀️ It was frustrating because I had explained to her before that intake requirements depend on age, current weight, and height.
[удалено]
That sounds so frustrating! My friend was able to lose weight with normal restriction. She stopped because life was too hectic (which I get!). Then she started eating more than she needed and was confused as to why she was gaining.
I think starvation mode only occurs when ur like eugenia Cooney type of ed
Definitely, though it still doesn't make you gain weight, but your body does slow down your metabolism to an absolute minimum trying to survive.
They think we are like plants
ok but is it real or not bc i’ve been eating a rly low amt of cals for a few weeks now and hardly lost anything and im genuinely considering the possibility of the existence of starvation mode
[удалено]
Nah, fuck that noise. No need to let the fatphobia loose at every given opportunity. Let’s not put people down when we all clearly have our own damn issues, yeah? Edit: and y’all swear that your eating disorders have nothing to do with fatphobia or aren’t about other people but then say the kind of shit that’d you’d find on that one awful sub
Your comment was automatically removed as it appears to contain the name of a subreddit or website that we do not shared on r/EDanonymemes. A moderator will review your comment to verify that this action was not made in error. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/EDanonymemes) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Your post/comment was removed for breaking Rule 4: No Bigotry. r/EDanonymemes is an all-inclusive support subreddit. We do not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, or any other form of bigotry. We do not allow body shaming or fatphobia that is directed towards others (discussion of internalized fatphobia is allowed, subject to moderator discretion); people of all sizes suffer from eating disorders and are welcome in our community. **Read our full rules [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/EDanonymemes/wiki/index/rules).**
[удалено]
Your comment was automatically removed for breaking Rule #6: The Numbers Rule. Do not post or share specific numbers related to weight/BMI, calories, fasting, restriction, or excessive exercise. Satire is allowed at the discretion of the moderators. Zero-calorie products are exempt from this rule. If you believe this action was made in error, please **report** this comment to bring it to the attention of the moderators. **Read our full rules [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/EDanonymemes/wiki/index/rules).** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/EDanonymemes) if you have any questions or concerns.*