[Vanadesse]

You hear a lot about starvation mode. I'm not completely convinced by it though really, I think that it is something that does happen but it's not the big deal that a lot of people make it out to be. It doesn't happen after just having one low day, it's not that instant. And I don't think there's some magic number for it. But anyway, I've got a question. It's recommended that a female has at least 1,200 calories a day to avoid going into starvation mode. My question is, is that consumed calories (before taking off exercise) or net calories (after taking off those burned through exercise)? I eat about 1600-1800 calories a day but at the moment I'm burning 800-1000 a day and some people are getting a bit funny with me and saying that I'm risking doing myself damage because it brings my net calories to between 600 and 1000 most days. I'm not trying to cut my calories really, it's just that's about what I eat before I stop being hungry so I don't bother eating back anything that I burn. I mainly track to see protein, fats etc rather than calories.

[xTazx]

It's net calories.

Starvation mode is very, very real, I have seen it affect people in a very bad way.

Make sure you eat. There is no quick fix, the maths works out, but you just need to have the sensibility to maintain it over a period of time, rather than having 600 calories a day.

One pound of fat is 3500 calories, at 1200 NET calories a day, you would be at a deficit of about 800, meaning a pound of fat every 4 days. That is HEALTHY. Any other starvation method WILL mess you up, particularly when you start eating small amounts again, to realise that your body starts storing extremely quickly.

This link is pretty useful, read the post!

[Vanadesse]

(Original post by xTazx)
It's net calories.

Starvation mode is very, very real, I have seen it affect people in a very bad way.

Make sure you eat. There is no quick fix, the maths works out, but you just need to have the sensibility to maintain it over a period of time, rather than having 600 calories a day.

One pound of fat is 3500 calories, at 1200 NET calories a day, you would be at a deficit of about 800, meaning a pound of fat every 4 days. That is HEALTHY. Any other starvation method WILL mess you up, particularly when you start eating small amounts again, to realise that your body starts storing extremely quickly.

This link is pretty useful, read the post!

Thanks for the reply. It's not about a quick fix, at all. It's just that at the moment I'm in the exercise zone and so I'm doing quite a lot and burning a lot more than I used to but my appetite isn't increasing and so I have quite low net calories. Isn't particularly intentional, just how it works out. I don't want to stop doing the exercise as I enjoy it but I'm not sure how I could fit in 2,200 a day without adding in some non-healthy stuff. 1,800 leaves me stuffed as it is.