How many times have we heard this? Someone is lamenting about the scale being stuck on a certain number, and 100 people tell her "Oh, you probably aren't eating enough."
While there is some truth that your body can go into starvation mode at different points during a day, what is also true is that people generally don't stay fat because they aren't taking in enough food. Period. I'm sure I've raised the hackles up with this post, because I used to be one of those people who thought they were stuck because they just weren't eating enough.
First off, eating 1200-1300 calories a day of wholesome, nutrient dense food is NOT going to put your body in starvation mode. If you're a world class athelete with 10% body fat, of course you are going to need more calories to maintain your lean muscle mass. With that little fat, your body needs more fuel than someone who is overweight.
But wait, you say... what about those infomercials that say "Eat More and Lose Weight."? And they talk about how people wouldn't eat all day, and gained weight, but when they started EATING they lost.... Hmm, how does that work? I'll tell you.
1. Generally, if someone doesn't eat all day, by the time they DO put something in their mouth, it's not a normal sized dinner. They will end up eating 1000, 1200, or more calories in a short span of time, and since a body is not able to use all of those calories for fuel, it stores up the excess as fat, glorious fat. Add to the fact that you haven't eaten all day makes your body think it doesn't know when it's going to get its next meal.... and holds onto whatever you ate.
2. People grossly underestimate their calorie intake if they are not measuring everything. I've seen this with myself, and with many of the people I mentor. It's easy to eyeball a portion size, think it's a cup, when it's a cup and a half. So, if you're eyeballing your food, and think you're eating 1300 calories, you're probably eating closer to 1900 or more.
3. When someone talks about eating MORE and losing weight, they are not talking about more calories. They are talking about eating more nutrient dense, low calories foods, so the VOLUME of food is higher, but calories are actually lower.
4. Eating MORE FREQUENTLY can seem like you are eating more as well. If you are eating every 2-3 hours, you are fueling your metabolism, and it might seem like all you are doing is eating. But keep in mind, these meals should be 200-300 calories, 5-6 times a day. Not a super value meal every 3 hours.
Long story short, if you are struggling with losing weight or breaking a plateau, chances are, it isn't because you are eating too few calories. If you've been dieting for a while, you might have stopped using your measuring cups, and the portion sizes are creeping up.
Or maybe you aren't journaling your food, which makes it easy to "forget" that cookie you grabbed while cooking dinner, or the bite of mac and cheese off your child's plate.
It takes a lot of discipline to stay on track, and our minds are designed not to keep us on track, but to see what we want to see.
If you are stuck, try these tips, and see if you don't get that scale moving in a week or two!
* Drink water. Aim for 80 or more ounces of clear, non-sparkling water per day, more if you exercise hard.
* Do your cardio first thing on an empty stomach in the morning. (Don't do this for strength training, you need to EAT to lift weights, or you're going to feel like crap.)
* Measure every bite you put in your mouth, and write it down. Track your calories. You might be surprised to see how many you are actually taking in.
* Use a tip from a dear friend of mine in the fitness industry. Eat pre-packaged food for a few days to get your body used to portion sizes. Have a meal replacement bar for breakfast, yogurt for a snack, frozen dinner (lean cuisine, smart ones, etc) for lunch, another bar or a pre-made shake for snack, and another frozen meal for dinner. The sodium makes this menu less than ideal for the long term, but if you lose weight, you know you're having excess calories when you are making your own food.
* Be realistic. It's not doing anyone any good, especially you, to be dishonest about what you're eating. What is the point of eating a bag of chips on the sly? The only person who is suffering from that is you. Own up to those struggles, and figure out something to do when you are tempted to snack.
I hope this helps those who are frustrated with their weight loss, if you think this post is beneficial, please vote popular! Thanks!
Source:
http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read.php?post_id=844676
ARTICLE: Starvation Mode and Weight Loss.....Myth or Fact? 
