Starvation Mode & Weight Loss, You can reverse Metabolic Damage!

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Starvation Mode vs Weight Loss, causing Damage to your Metabolism

When it comes to weight loss most people want to see quick fixes, to see immediate results. Which then leads us to think and believe that to see these results we need to reduce our calorie intake, eat less food. However could you be putting your body into Starvation Mode and not even know it? Could you be causing damage to your metabolism and actually reducing your ability to see real weight loss success? 

What is “Starvation Mode”? 

Starvation Mode also known as “Metabolic Damage”: is when you have reduced your calories too low and your body thinks it’s starving and in response, it hangs onto any calories it gets instead of burning them. This results in gaining weight, rather than losing weight. You might think that’s crazy, but it is in fact true. Back in the day when food was scarce, it was our body’s way of ensuring survival. However, in today’s diet-obsessed world, it works against everyone trying to lose weight.

This is our body’s natural physiological response, it is our body’s adaptive nature to survive. 

Now, you might be thinking, “I am not starving”, “I eat food”, “in fact I eat 3 meals a day”. Yes and this might be the case, you are not truly starving as reducing your calories too low is not “True Starvation”. You can look around the world and see extremely sad cases of true starvation. When it comes to weight loss the term “Starvation Mode” is a misnomer. 

Starvation mode when it comes to weight loss is simply failing to properly fuel your body. Failing to provide your body with enough fuel to properly energize your body for your daily activities. Which in turn results in your body reducing energy, reducing the number of calories burned, holding onto unwanted weight. Causing weight loss to stall, to hit a plateau, and to potentially gain weight. 

Starvation Mode vs Weight Loss Image of a women pinching her side fat and the word metabolic damage over top

Metabolic Damage

Metabolic Damage or Starvation Mode doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over a period of long term calorie restriction/deficit. It can also happen if you have put your body through consistent Yo-Yo dieting. 

Our bodies are amazing and learn to adapt in most circumstances. In the circumstances of consistent restriction of calories or in our yo-yo dieting are body goes into Starvation Mode causing Metabolic Damage…better know in the scientific community as “Adaptive Thermogenesis”. This is our body’s natural way to adapt to survive. It is a change in our body’s metabolism. 

A change in our metabolism, slowing it down to preserve energy. Your body’s adaptation response is to try and conserve energy by reducing the number of calories you burn. 

As a result, you may have more food cravings, you will halt in your weight loss efforts, you could even gain weight while restricting calories by too much. All of which will leave you feeling unsuccessful and leave you abandoning your weight loss efforts. 

Damage we have done

Damage might not be the right word for what we have done to our metabolism doing this calorie restriction or yo-yo dieting, because the metabolism does not physically become damaged. Your metabolism has changed, has adapted to the circumstances you have put it through. It is because of our body’s amazing ability to adapt that we are able to reverse the damage we have done to our metabolism. To turn that slow metabolism into a hard-working metabolism. 

However, this like weight loss does not happen overnight. It will take time, patience, hard work, and dedication. All of which only a small price to pay for a healthy body, a healthy metabolism, and to succeed in your weight loss journey. 

How to Correct the Damage we have Done?

1. Focus on a healthy well balanced diet

This doesn’t mean immediately increasing your caloric intake. This means focus on properly fueling your body for its output. 

Feeding your body a well-balanced diet including enough protein, the right carbohydrates, and healthy fats. 

Eating a cleaner diet by incorporating more whole foods and reducing the amount of processed foods. 

The fuel you feed your body is essential in improving your metabolism/ You need to get the right macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

2. Don’t Overtrain

This doesn’t mean stop working out. This means you need to give your body the rest and recovery it needs. 

Allow yourself 2-3 rest days each week. But during those rest days keep your body moving. Find a rest day activity that you love and do more of it. For me, that is walking. I love to walk and could walk for days. But for you maybe that is cleaning, hiking, biking, playing with the kids, whatever that is do that on your rest day. You don’t need to break a sweat, just keep moving. 

3. Sleep

Sleep is MANDATORY for improving your metabolism. You have got to allow your body to rest and undergo the mental repair you need from the energy you burn throughout each and every day. 

If you are not getting a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, you need to work on that. Allow yourself the time to get a minimum of no less than 7 hours per night. 

4. Water / Hydration

Consuming enough water each day is also another very important ingredient for improving your metabolism and also to aid in weight loss. The proper amount of water will not only hydrate your body but it can, improve physical performance, reduce cravings, and help to burn more calories. All good things when trying to improve your metabolism. 

To Avoid Metabolic Damage and Starvation Mode in the future:

  • Stop Yo-Yo Dieting, learn to live a healthy lifestyle
  • Avoid Fad Diets
  • Eat smaller meals more often
  • Get enough protein in your diet
  • Eat whole food and reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet
  • Get enough sleep
  • Drink enough water

Would you like help learning to live a healthier lifestyle? Learning how to properly fuel your body while also achieving the weight loss and body you desire? 

How To Improve a Slow Metabolism?

1. Focus on a well-balanced Diet
2. Don’t Overtrain
3. Get the proper amount of sleep
4. Drink plenty of water

What is Starvation Mode?

Starvation Mode also known as “Metabolic Damage”: is when you have reduced your calories too low and your body thinks it’s starving and in response, it hangs onto any calories it gets instead of burning them.

What Causes Metabolic Damage?

Metabolic Damage or Starvation Mode doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over a period of long term calorie restriction/deficit. It can also happen if you have put your body through consistent Yo-Yo dieting. 

Here are some of my favorite Recipes to help properly fuel your body! To Prevent Starvation Mode while Achieving Weight Loss

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