Starvation mode can be a confusing phenomenon that happens when you cut calories to attempt to lose weight. In essence, our bodies need adequate energy (calories) from food to keep them functioning properly. Designed to take steps to prevent starvation, our bodies can react in unexpected ways when we undereat. This is not something that you want to have happen since it can cause health problems, weight gain, fatigue, and more. Continue reading to learn more about the term "starvation mode" and the steps that you can take to prevent it.
"Starvation mode" is a real thing. However, the term means different things to different people, and therein lies the confusion.
In simple terms, it refers to the impact that chronic dieting and over-exercising have on your body’s metabolism, hunger levels, and weight. Your body’s complex biological system is designed to ensure that you get adequate energy from food when there is not enough and that you get added rest. However, sometimes, people unintentionally activate this system when they drop weight quickly, leading to fatigue, increased hunger, and ultimately gaining more weight.
Strict diets that may result in temporary weight loss can become counterproductive, affecting your metabolism. Research suggests that rapid weight loss and decreasing calories too low can impair metabolic function. This occurs as a result of the body attempting to conserve energy due to a lack of food.
In general, cutting some calories for a short time, like a few days, won’t lead to starvation mode. But cutting significant portions of daily calories for an extended period of low energy intake will likely lead to such an outcome.
Starvation mode doesn’t occur when you skip a meal or fast for a day.
It is also different from a situation where someone is actually starving. With starving, there is no particular caloric threshold or length of time because it boils down to the individual, and requires more than a single day without access to food. Real, clinical starvation can occur when a person experiences a prolonged, dire lack of food or an eating disorder, such as anorexia. Your levels of glucose and insulin become dysregulated during starvation, with your insulin becoming low, keeping the glucose available in your blood for quick energy.
Furthermore, to gain energy, your body will begin to break down fat and protein reserves (typically muscle) for another source of energy source. Large mineral losses also occur, impacting the body’s electrical systems, such as the heart.
Intermittent fasting is not necessarily a good way to avoid starvation mode, however. Instead, it can cause you to overcompensate. You may eat too heavy a portion or eat an unhealthy meal after skipping a meal.
In some cases, research has suggested that intermittent fasting can help with weight loss when done correctly. According to the journal Nutrients, intermittent fasting involves voluntary abstinence of caloric consumption over specific periods of hours and/or days and does not necessarily involve calorie restriction.
In general, most people who practice intermittent fasting tend to alternate days of fasting with days of eating. Also, they may opt to fast one or two days during the week and eat normally on the other days.
While it can be beneficial, intermittent fasting can also be too severe and result in starvation mode. As such, it’s important to talk to your healthcare or a registered dietitian first to get help structuring your intermittent fasting plan.
Repeatedly gaining and losing weight is what characterizes yo-yo dieting, and this tends to result from going on and off of intense diets. This is the worst culprit for causing starvation mode in people trying to lose weight.
You can compromise your metabolism in the long term by practicing yo-yo dieting, or simply persistently eating too few calories. A diet with a calorie intake below 1,000 calories per day for an adult can have harmful effects on your metabolism and health overall. It’s challenging to determine the level of yo-yo dieting or calorie restriction that will cause metabolic changes.
Losing a significant amount of weight slows your metabolism, leaving your body with a need for less energy to properly function. Then, returning to your normal eating habits or overeating on a slower metabolism can cause weight gain. This risk is increased especially if you passed your personal starvation mode threshold and your body is attempting to conserve whatever energy it can.
Yo-yo dieting is simply a bad idea that can affect your metabolism and become taxing on your body. This can contribute to health issues that can include diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol problems. Additionally, as a result of it being unsustainable, it could lead to binge eating.
The are a few theories regarding the development of starvation mode. One is that the cells of your body detect low levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) when your food intake is inadequate. ATP is the chemical energy that powers your cells. It is produced by all macronutrients eaten, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. These macronutrients break down into energy that the body stores and uses to function normally. As such, when a low level of ATP production is detected, it signals to your brain that something is off balance.
In a normal “fed state” where you eat enough food and get adequate rest, your body will burn nutrients from your diet. It will also use up stored free fatty acids. The result of this process is the secretion of insulin, a key regulator of metabolism. It stimulates the storage of carbohydrate (glucose) fuel and protein synthesis. Also, the liver limits the levels of glucose available in the blood and stores it as glycogen. This is later used as a backup fuel when food is scarce. Additionally, this process regulates your innate hunger signals, ghrelin and leptin. These hormones increase or curb your appetite depending on the availability of free fatty acids.
However, when your body detects that it’s in starvation because of low-calorie intake, lean tissue and muscle fibers are then used as energy sources instead of stored fat or glycogen. This is the opposite of what you want. In starvation mode, your metabolic rate slows down, and keeping weight off typically becomes a struggle. Furthermore, your appetite may increase significantly, with strong sugar cravings. For instance, under-eating stimulates the production of the hormone neuropeptide Y (NPY). It plays a role in naturally triggering a desire for more carbohydrate-dense foods.
When adults eat a mostly natural diet and are not preoccupied with cutting calories and weight loss, maintaining body weight at a relatively stable level for an extended period is more likely. This is referred to as “set-point theory”. StatPearls [Internet] suggests that this theory is associated with homeostasis, and “posits that the human body has a predetermined weight or fat mass set-point range.” Basically, your body tries to remain within its natural weight range by controlling your metabolism and hunger levels. When your hunger increases, metabolism slows and fatigue sets in (all symptoms of starvation mode), this is your body trying to return to its natural set point.
Genetics largely determines your natural weight and it’s tough to stay outside this range for prolonged periods. However, when it comes to your preferred body weight, factors and bodily systems such as hormones, neural pathways, different brain nuclei, and neurotransmitters play a role. The hypothalamus, which is the ”control center” of the brain processes information regarding weight and calorie intake. It determines whether or not the body has enough energy and rest based on calorie intake. It then sends signals throughout the body through hormones responsible for regulating hunger, food intake, or energy expenditure.
This whole system works to correct any disruption in preferred body weight from the natural “set point.” Trouble emerges when you base your food intake and energy expenditure on something like a fad diet plan. When this happens, you may turn a blind eye to your inner signs of hunger and fullness. When dieting, you are more likely to focus more on “rules” and regulations, like sticking to a set calorie count or cutting carbs. The further you move away from your body’s natural set point, the closer you get to starvation mode.
Skipping meals to avoid unwanted calories is a counterproductive approach to sustained weight loss. Your body will naturally save calories instead of burning them to ensure it has adequate energy when you fast.
The likely result is gaining weight faster, and it will be in the form of fat because of a slowing down of your metabolism. You may even end up gaining more weight than when you started your diet.
Another consequence of a starvation diet is fatigue brought on by ketosis, a metabolic state where the levels of ketone in the body increase as a result of prolonged inadequate carbohydrate intake. Food restriction can have significant negative consequences on your health overall.
In addition, diets tend not to work because they can lead to disordered eating patterns (skipping meals) or a bad relationship with food, like overeating. People often find themselves stuck in the “dieting cycle” as they attempt to lose weight. It starts with the temptation to diet, then diet restrictions, leading to obsessive thoughts or cravings, leading to binging or overeating, which leads to guilt and shame.
How do you know if your body is in starvation mode? Here are some things to look out for:
In general, diets only focus on food and do not emphasize overall health. As such, instead of weight, focus more on your health and wellness, as well as behaviors such as:
There are several ways that you can avoid starvation mode. These include:
You want to ensure that you eat enough food. Chronic dieters tend to drastically cut calories, yo-yo diet, and ignore their natural hunger signals. You want your food intake to be adequate to not only fuel your metabolism but keep starvation mode at bay, convincing your body that it’s adequately fed. Determine your body’s caloric needs according to factors like your gender, present weight, and level of physical activity. Do your best to meet these needs daily, or only drop below those needs by a few hundred calories per day to lose weight.
When you fail to consume enough calories, you may not have the energy needed to support normal bodily functions, such as brain function and heart rate. It can trigger a process that puts you at risk of binging, overeating, and feeling fatigued in general. Restricting food intake can change your brain chemistry and result in neurochemical signals being sent that are responsible for increasing your hunger. Avoid restricting your food intake too much and have three solid meals each day and possibly several healthy snacks.
Eat carbohydrates for energy with protein that can help you feel satisfied. Eating small meals incrementally throughout the day, every three to four hours, can help boost your metabolism and leave you feeling energized. Research suggests that the daily caloric intake necessary to maintain weight is roughly 2,000 in women and 2,500 in men.
The same biological chemicals that control your appetite are also connected to your level of activity. You cannot continuously increase your energy output by exercising more and more while taking in less fuel. If you do, you may experience poor sleep quality, and a decline in energy levels, among other symptoms. Eating regularly, getting in enough calories, and getting adequate rest help to regulate the biological processes that determine your hunger and metabolism.
Skipping meals when your body is already under chronic stress from Adrenal Fatigue is not a good idea. This is a condition where the body is unable to keep up with long-term stress, resulting in various nonspecific symptoms such as tiredness, hunger and cravings for sugar, brain fog, low energy, lightheadedness, and weight gain. You are already in a weakened state from depleted adrenals. Starvation mode can only worsen adrenal symptoms. Long periods without food can make your adrenals work even harder by requiring them to release added cortisol and adrenaline to keep your body functioning at optimal levels. This can burn out your adrenals over time.
Furthermore, your Bioenergetics Circuit, comprised of the pancreas, thyroid, and liver, can become dysregulated as a result. The metabolic processes become disrupted, making it harder for your body to deal with the stress. Instead, it is best to focus on reducing stress, supporting your overall health with a nutritious diet and gentle exercise plan, and healing your adrenals first. Once you are feeling better, you can go back to trying to lose weight.
Starvation mode can slow down your metabolism and make it harder for you to lose weight. It can even lead to weight gain, loss of muscle mass, and fatigue. Yo-yo dieting can especially cause this to happen. It's important to eat enough during the day so that you can have the energy your body needs to function properly. Focusing on weight is not ideal; instead, focus on your health. Avoid dropping your calorie intake too low for prolonged periods as this could leave you with the opposite result of what you were trying to achieve.
If you are struggling with your weight and need help developing a weight management plan talk to you doctor or reach out to us at +1 (626) 571-1234 for a free initial consultation.
Ganipisetti, Venu Madhav, and Pratyusha Bollimunta. “Obesity and Set-Point Theory.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 25 April 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592402/.
James, Dara L., et al. "Impact of Intermittent Fasting and/or Caloric Restriction on Aging-Related Outcomes in Adults: A Scoping Review of Randomized Controlled Trials." Nutrients, vol. 16, no. 2, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16020316.
Starvation mode refers to the impact that chronic dieting and over-exercising have on your body’s metabolism, hunger levels, and weight. It can be avoided in a number of ways, including not cutting calories too low, eating regularly, avoiding binging and overeating, and not overexerting physically.
