Is Starvation Mode a real thing?

I know all about starvation mode - that we need to eat enough protein, water, food, etc., so that our bodies don't go into starvation mode and hold onto our weight - but part of me wonders if it's a real thing?  I mean - how do cancer patients lose so much weight, or anorexics?  Wouldn't their bodies go into starvation mode too, and stop allowing them to lose weight?  Or is it just that it slows down the weight loss process?

My weight loss has reaaaaaally slowed down lately.  I've been stalled for the last two weeks and am starting to think I will never see a different number than 179 on my scale.  I know I'm not getting enough protein and probably not enough calories either (around 500 calories at almost 4 months out).  It's hard for me to eat more and frankly, I'm kind of afraid to eat more.  I'm afraid that if it's this slow already it will be painfully slow if I eat more.  Everyone says that isn't true, that if I eat more and get more protein I'll lose more, but it's just so hard to convince myself of that.  It feels so counter-intuitive.  So - those of you who have first hand experience dealing with it - did increasing calories actually help you to lose weight?

Starvation mode is real.  Most cancer patients are given TPN or told to drink Ensure and such for high calorie nutrition.  Anorexics are losing but also killing themselves because the body is eating away at their organs to provide them fuel.

Definitely try to add extra calories.  I DO understand your fear and was not able to eat much the first year either.  I suggest adding a couple of protein shakes if your pouch doesn't allow more dense protein.

Give it a try, adding 200-300 calories per day even will probably trick your body into losing more weight.

Good luck!

Twice I increased my calories, and twi\ce my weight lods was kick started

Both times I'd flatlined for 8 and 9 months. Losst 20 lbs each time

Anorexics lose weight because when the body is starved for long enough it will eat itself - and a lot of what it eats is muscle. The body is programmed to consider fat the last available option, so by the time it's forced to burn fat for true survival the muscles are in terrible shape and anorexics have to work hard in their recovery to build that muscle mass back up.

You have to understand, though, that comparing our process to that is a bit unfair. Metabolism isn't a one size fits all system. Metabolism changes based on various factors. When a person is sick their metabolism might actually increase to burn calories to fight the sickness whereas when we aren't eating our metabolism can slow down.

This is why I don't believe so much in the food games we play to trick our bodies. I more so believe that we should eat healthfully and challenge our bodies physically. Each person has a weight their body naturally likes to be at its healthiest (based on a lot of factors, many of which we cannot control).

Your natural weight might not be what you THINK you should weight but many times it is where you will end up in the long run.

But to answer your exact question, from observation I have found that switching caloric intake at intervals, along with increasing the intensity of physical activity works well. You need to put your body in a state where it's never 100% sure it's getting what it needs. When you drop your calories low your body KNOWS it needs more and at first burns fat then slows down. Then you give it more food and it relaxes a bit and allows you to burn more calories because it's getting steady nutrition. But after a while of that your body knows it has what it needs and burns slow again so you drop back down and the process repeats itself.

I personally don't like torturing myself that way. I eat healthy food. I move my body. I am learning to love my body.

I always love reading your answers.  :)  I hope you are well.

April

Nik, you nailed it!

I am seven weeks out. I have had two stalls that lasted four days each. For both of them, I upped my calories 200 a day (I usually eat 550-600; upped it to 800) and I exercised more aerobically. It seemed to work for me and jumpstarted everything.

I don't understand the starvation mode thing myself so much. I'd like to research it more. I just feel like if I keep on eating high protein, low calorie eventually the weight will come off.

I am not sure about cancer patients or anorexics, but I was stalled for about a week (yes I weigh myself daily) and was very frustrated when I went to my 2 month check up.  I had lost very rapidly up until then.  My daily average was about 500-600 calories and my NUT said he wanted me to shoot for a daily minimum of 800 and clear up to 1100.  I started getting in 800-900 calories daily (I am too scared of the 1100) and I started losing weight again.  Now for the past 5 days I have felt sick and only getting in about 400-500 daily and guess what?  No weight loss. 

I had surgery on March 8th.  Once I upped by calories to anywhere from 800-1100 and added complex carbs I started to lose again.  My surgeon said I should average 2 pds a week.  Average is an important word becasue that means you factor all the weeks in together.  At 6 weeks I am down almost 30 since surgery.  That's 5 pds per week and that included a couple week stall at 3-5 wks.  (maybe a half pound per week then)  So I figure there are going to be good weeks and no loss weeks and it's the average that makes the difference.  Imagine one year from now if you average 2 pds. per week!

From personal experience when I started keeping track of my calories and make sure I eat an average of 800 per a day and make sure to get my protien and fluids in I started dropping weight again. In the last 3 weeks over 20 lbs came off. Not eating enough will slow down your weight loss a lot. Since we only have 1 - 1 1/2 years to maximize our weight loss we don't want that to happen.