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How do I avoid "starvation mode?"
I always love the starvation mode argument. "Don't go under 1000 calories or you'll be in starvation mode." Starvation is when you are not getting nutrients or energy - zilch, nada. It is true starvation – i.e. not eating. No, you will not go into some special mode after 6 hours of not eating. I've fasted for days before, and contrary to the popular trend, I did not suddenly lose 15 tons of muscle mass and become a thin sluggish weakling. I fasted for spiritual reasons and when I was done, I eased back into my regular nutrition program and was fine.
Starvation mode is something that serves two purposes. In the mind of marketers, its a great scare tactic to shock people into buying supplements to make sure they have something on the road and don't go into that scary starvation mode. It is also great to market systems because Americans like to eat. So any system that says, "Lose fat by eating more" is going to sell. The second purpose it serves is for the person on the diet. It is a great justification for never going low enough to achieve phenomenal results - after all, they make kick into starvation mode. Better to have a reason to keep calories up and blame the inability to lose that last bit of ab flab on something else.
Seriously: when you lower calories, your metabolism goes down. This isn't starvation mode. This is your metabolism going down. The thing is, who cares? I know the trend is to say it's better to eat more and have a burning metabolism. Personally, I don't see how a slow metabolism is any worse than a fast one if you are eating nutrient dense. In other words, I know a 1200 calorie diet with far more nutrients than a typical American 3000 calorie diet. If it is sustainable and enjoyable, who cares if the metabolism is a bit slower? The idea is that it is easier to lose fat, but if you reach your goal and are maintaining, theoretically you don't have to lose more fat.