Is Starvation Mode Actually A MYTH?
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Dr. Mike from RP Strength explores the concept of 'starvation mode', debunking the myth that it prevents weight loss on a low-calorie diet. He discusses the signs of diet fatigue, such as intense hunger, low energy, and poor sleep quality, and advises on how to manage it for effective fat loss.
Takeaways
- 🍽️ Starvation mode is a concept where the body, deprived of adequate calories for an extended period, begins to behave differently, potentially leading to a lower metabolic rate and increased fat storage.
- 🏋️♂️ Some believe that once in starvation mode, the body prevents further weight loss and can only gain fat, which is contrary to evidence from actual famines where people continue to lose weight until death.
- 🤔 The scientific literature does not support the idea of starvation mode as a discrete state with a clear metabolic cutoff, suggesting that the concept is more myth than reality.
- 🚫 It's impossible to gain net tissue on a hypocaloric diet, so claims of weight gain on very low calorie intakes are likely inaccurate or due to other medical issues.
- 🔥 A moderated version of starvation mode, termed 'diet fatigue,' is real and can manifest through intense hunger, low energy, and mental fog, especially after prolonged caloric deficits.
- 🥗 Extreme diet fatigue can lead to a state where fat loss becomes difficult and muscle retention is compromised, affecting the body's ability to respond to further dietary efforts.
- 🌡️ Constantly feeling cold can be a sign of high diet fatigue, possibly due to reduced thyroid hormone production, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy metabolism.
- 💤 Poor sleep quality, especially waking up early with nervous energy, is another indicator of high diet fatigue and can hinder both muscle building and fat loss.
- 💧 As fat is lost, an increase in body water can occur, particularly in areas where fat was previously stored, leading to a misleading appearance of weight gain or lack of progress.
- 🛑 If experiencing multiple signs of diet fatigue, it's crucial to transition to a maintenance or slight caloric surplus to reset the body's metabolic and hormonal balance before attempting further fat loss.
- 🔄 To effectively manage diet fatigue, it's recommended to periodically assess one's dietary habits and physical responses, adjusting as necessary to ensure sustainable progress towards fitness goals.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is to explore whether 'starvation mode' is a myth or a real phenomenon, particularly in the context of weight loss and dieting.
What is the classical presentation of 'starvation mode' according to the script?
-Classically, 'starvation mode' is presented as a state where the body, deprived of adequate calories for an extended period, begins to behave differently, potentially leading to a lower metabolic rate, reduced physical activity, altered fat storage, and intense hunger.
What are some misconceptions about 'starvation mode' mentioned in the script?
-Misconceptions include the idea that one can gain weight on very low calorie intakes or that the body's metabolism becomes 'broken' or 'damaged', leading to no further fat loss until one exits this mode.
What does the script suggest about the reality of weight loss during actual famines?
-The script suggests that during actual famines, people lose weight until they become extremely thin and then die, rather than gaining weight on very low calorie intakes.
What is the term used in the script to describe a more moderate version of 'starvation mode'?
-The more moderate version of 'starvation mode' is referred to as 'diet fatigue' in the script.
What are the six signs of 'diet fatigue' mentioned in the script?
-The six signs of 'diet fatigue' are: 1) rabid hunger and cravings, 2) incredibly low energy for training and movement, 3) a massive reduction in the ability to think clearly, quickly, and deeply, 4) consistently reduced sleep quality, 5) feeling cold all the time, and 6) storing more body water as fat is burned.
How does the script differentiate between the colloquial sense and the real sense of 'starvation mode'?
-In the colloquial sense, 'starvation mode' is often misunderstood as a state where one gains weight on very low calorie intakes. In the real sense, the script argues that it is not a violation of the laws of physics, but rather a state of 'diet fatigue' that leads to suboptimal results in weight loss efforts.
What advice does the script give for dealing with 'diet fatigue'?
-The script advises to get out of 'diet fatigue' by transitioning to maintenance or a slight caloric surplus for a sufficient period until the signs of fatigue are no longer present, allowing for a more effective and efficient fat loss diet later on.
How does the script relate 'diet fatigue' to the difficulty of losing fat and retaining muscle?
-The script suggests that 'diet fatigue' can make the process of losing fat and retaining muscle more difficult due to its effects on hunger, energy levels, cognitive function, sleep quality, body temperature regulation, and water retention.
What is the role of the RP Diet Coach app mentioned in the script?
-The RP Diet Coach app is mentioned as a tool that could potentially help manage diet plans, though the script humorously admits uncertainty about the app's specific features, suggesting it may help with meal planning and macro tracking.
Outlines
🤔 Debunking Starvation Mode Myths
In this paragraph, Dr. Mike from RP Strength challenges the myth of 'starvation mode', a concept often discussed in the fitness community. He explains that the idea of starvation mode, where the body supposedly changes its metabolic rate and behavior due to prolonged calorie deprivation, is largely a misconception. He points out that scientific literature does not support the existence of a discrete 'starvation mode'. Instead, he suggests that what people often refer to as starvation mode is more accurately described as diet fatigue. He highlights that while it's impossible to gain net tissue on a hypocaloric diet, people might experience extreme hunger, reduced physical activity, and changes in fat storage versus muscle gain, which can make weight loss seem more difficult. Dr. Mike emphasizes that the body's response to calorie restriction is not as drastic as some fitness narratives suggest.
🥗 Signs of Diet Fatigue
Dr. Mike continues the discussion by outlining the signs of diet fatigue, which can be mistaken for starvation mode. He describes intense cravings, especially for high-calorie foods, as a common symptom. He also mentions low energy levels, making even simple tasks like walking or gym workouts feel difficult. Another sign is a significant reduction in cognitive abilities, leading to confusion and lack of focus, which he humorously refers to as 'zombie brain'. Dr. Mike also points out that poor sleep quality, often characterized by waking up early with nervous energy, is another indicator of diet fatigue. He emphasizes that these symptoms can make it challenging to continue a fat loss diet and suggests that recognizing these signs is crucial for managing one's diet effectively.
❄️ Cold All the Time: A Sign of Diet Fatigue
In this segment, Dr. Mike discusses the experience of feeling cold all the time, even in warm environments, as another sign of diet fatigue. He refutes the common belief that being lean automatically means being warm, sharing his personal experience of feeling cold despite being at a low body fat percentage. He suggests that this symptom might be related to lower thyroid hormone production, which can affect future fat burning. He also addresses the issue of body water retention, which can lead to weight fluctuations and make it appear as if one is gaining weight despite being in a calorie deficit. Dr. Mike emphasizes that these symptoms are not indicative of starvation mode in the extreme sense but are real and can significantly impact one's diet and overall well-being.
🏋️♂️ Escaping Diet Fatigue
Dr. Mike concludes by offering advice on how to escape diet fatigue. He suggests that transitioning to a maintenance or slight caloric surplus can help alleviate the symptoms of diet fatigue. He emphasizes the importance of feeling good and not just temporarily, but for an extended period, to ensure that diet fatigue is genuinely reduced. He also advises against immediately starting another fat loss diet after a phase without addressing diet fatigue, as this can lead to poor results and demotivation. Dr. Mike recommends using tools like the RP Diet Coach app to help manage diet and suggests taking time to relax and sleep to recover fully from diet fatigue. He ends by reminding viewers that managing diet fatigue is crucial for successful and sustainable fat loss.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Starvation mode
💡Caloric deficit
💡Metabolism
💡Diet fatigue
💡Hunger and cravings
💡Energy levels
💡Muscle gain
💡Hypocaloric diet
💡Sleep quality
💡Body water
💡Thyroid hormone
Highlights
Starvation mode is not a myth in the extreme sense but does exist in a practical sense, affecting weight loss and muscle gain.
The concept of starvation mode suggests the body behaves differently when deprived of adequate calories for extended periods.
In starvation mode, the body may have a lower metabolic rate, leading to reduced physical activity and increased fat storage.
Some believe that in starvation mode, the body's metabolism is 'broken' or 'damaged', halting progress in fat loss.
Evidence-based research does not support the existence of a discrete 'starvation mode' with a clear metabolic cutoff.
People in actual famines lose weight until they become extremely thin and eventually die, contradicting the idea of starvation mode preventing weight loss.
The term 'starvation mode' is more accurately described as 'diet fatigue', which has real effects on the body.
Six signs of high diet fatigue include intense hunger and cravings, low energy, impaired cognitive function, poor sleep quality, constant coldness, and increased body water.
Extreme hunger cravings can indicate high diet fatigue, where normal food intake feels insufficient.
Low energy levels during training can be a sign of diet fatigue, making even simple tasks feel strenuous.
Impaired cognitive function, or 'zombie brain', is a sign of high diet fatigue, affecting clarity and focus.
Poor sleep quality, especially waking up early with nervous energy, can indicate high levels of diet fatigue.
Constant coldness can be a sign of reduced thyroid hormone production due to high diet fatigue.
Increased body water, especially in areas where fat was lost, can make weight loss appear stagnant despite ongoing fat reduction.
To overcome diet fatigue, a period of maintenance or slight caloric surplus may be necessary to reset the body's response.
The RP Diet Coach app is suggested as a tool to help manage diet and overcome diet fatigue, though its exact functions are not detailed in the transcript.
Transcripts
it's this really Stark example of the
fact that starvation mode can't possibly
mean that you just eat very little food
and you fail to lose weight and if you
eat just a little bit of food still very
little you just gain weight like crazy I
wish that would make you know uh the
un's efforts to combat debilitating
poverty much easier just throw someone
one candy bar and like boom 500 lb that
does not happen bikini competitors will
say as soon as I atat a candy bar I blow
up like crazy not sure if that's
true hey folks Dr Mike here for RP
strength and today's video is to ask the
question is starvation mode actually a
myth or is there something to that shit
let's find out so what is starvation
mode as this classically presented it is
the idea that when your body is bereft
of adequate calories for some time
usually a long time months it begins to
behave substantially differently you
might have a different metabolic rate
which is to say something radically
lower you might have a different level
of activity which means you're basically
stable to your chair or your sofa and
getting up is seems like you're lifting
the whole
world you have a different probability
of fat storage versus musle gain which
is to say that if you're in Starvation
mode you don't gain any muscle and
anytime you eat food it just goes
straight to Fat because your body's like
holy shit I need that to survive
different hunger levels which is to a
radical and insane hunger and at the
very extremes of us Claim perpetuated by
some people in the fitness industry
starvation mode is really treated as a
discreet mode kind of wed off from the
rest of
existence and there it's a completely
different mode of metabolic operation
sometimes people say your metabolism is
broken your metabolism is
damaged and in that mode there's no
progress that can be had an additional
fat loss until that mode is exited from
until it's
resolved and thus never get into
starvation mode or get out of it as soon
as you get into it is seems like
reasonable advice another thing that
people observe is that weight loss no
matter the calories you're taking in
they could be ultra ultra low begins to
become
impossible and seemingly also
contradictory to reality you can be on a
hypocaloric diet that has fewer calories
than you need every day and still gain
weight there are many of these claims
being made by people who think
starvation mode is a real thing a very
discreet mode now on the other end you
have evidence-based folks who claim that
starvation mode is a myth it's not a
real thing they know the literature well
and they've seen that in the scientific
literature there is no discrep cut off
for something called starvation mod and
they have a lot of really good points
more good than bad it turns out that
evidence-based folks are correct for
example you cannot gain net total tissue
in a in a hypocaloric diet so if someone
says you know I've been eating 600
calories a day and I've been gaining
weight something really really funky is
going on 99% of the time they're just
lying about how much they eat the rest
of 1% of the time some crazy body water
stuff is happening you better get to the
fucking Hospital sooner than later but
but it's insanely unusual and because
the reality is if you cut your calories
for long enough low enough you will lose
weight people say starvation mode is
what your body activates when you're
starving and then it prevents you from
losing weight how does that work out for
people in actual famines it doesn't they
lose weight until they become anorexic
looking and then they die so I wish
starvation mode was like a real real
thing because then we wouldn't have to
worry about you know various peoples of
countries that don't have functional
economies that get enough people uh fed
and then they wouldn't have to worry
about starvation but starvation Mass
starvation has been with us through all
of human time it's now essentially
almost completely gone hopefully will be
gone completely in the near future but
you know like it's this really Stark
example of the fact that starvation mode
can't possibly mean that you just eat
very little food and you fail to lose
weight and if you eat just a little bit
of food still very little you just gain
weight like crazy I wish that would make
you know the un's efforts to combat
debilitating poverty much easier throw
someone one candy bar and like boom 500
lb that does not happen bikini
competitors will say as soon as I atat a
candy bar I blow up like crazy not sure
if that's true however there is a sense
in which a more moderated version of
starvation mode is not a myth it really
is a real thing something is definitely
happening from Super intense bouts and
phases of a caloric
deficit something that comes with a
predictable agglomeration of
signs and ignoring these signs usually
makes them worse and makes your chances
of losing fat and retaining muscle that
much lower and we want to know about
these so what starvation mode really is
is the technical term for it is Diet
fatigue starvation mode is very high
diet fatigue and there are at least six
signs that you might have it tonight at
news at 11 oh wait wait wait wait no I'm
just GNA say it now six signs one is
rabid hunger and Cravings how do you
know when you're really hungry when
you're
dieting and you have lettuce nothing to
dip it in no ranch dressing or broccoli
and you can't stop eating it you can't
stop eating raw broccoli out of the
fucking bag so you're in your second bag
of broccoli while watching TV that's
this big you're eating raw broccoli you
need to chew on things you watch people
on TV and they're eating and you're just
salivating at oh my God those people
have the best lives they get e pasta
you're craving completely insane at this
point you're like a pregnant lady
craving style like I'm going to take
fucking graham cracker I'm going dip it
into ice cream then I'm put that in the
microwave bin and put a fucking pickle
on top it was gonna be so good are you
out of your fucking mind I guess I'm out
of my fucking mind that's what I've been
trying to tell you guys I'm not talking
about like oo that candy bar looks good
I'm talking about next level about like
if that little girl with the candy bar
wasn't a front of her parents and
various other law agencies would be like
hey little
girl and like oh my God he's gonna steal
my daughter GNA steal your daughter push
the daughter on the way get the Snickers
bar you just start eating if the cops
are beating you with a baton I don't
care I don't care just feed me like
you're going to jail like do you guys
have food in jail like yeah we can get
you sandwich like please just take me to
jail like all right there's something
really up with this person really gnarly
hunger cravings are one of the signs
that you could be in such high diet
fatigue that is less than productive for
you to continue in that in that mode
number two incredibly low energy for
training and movement during my several
contest preps ago I got to a point where
walking was physically difficult just
with my own body my legs felt insanely
heavy getting up off the couch to go to
the fridge was like this herculian
movement and when I got to the gym it
took me like 30 minutes of warming up to
start finally feel like a fucking human
no good because your body's like dude we
in real Dire Straits you better have a
goddamn good reason for moving around if
you don't I'm gonna make sure you sit
there and do
nothing another one and this is a really
really big one a massive reduction in
your ability to think clearly quickly
and deeply or as I like to call them the
three C's no
wait
cqd kind of like Close Quarters combat
except with a d at the end put a d I'll
put a d up your end Scott video guy
Jes when is our Target demographic it's
just not children is it it's an adult
Channel I like to tell people
that if you really have serious trouble
thinking clearly quickly and deeply AKA
zombie
brain with all the other signs in the
constellation looks like your diet
fatigu is really high and this is one of
these things where your boss is like you
ready for that meeting tomorrow and
you're like meeting tomorrow he like
yeah did you forget about our meeting
with facilities tomorrow you're like so
what's our meeting about you're like I
have no idea I don't know I don't really
know who you are what I do at this place
he's like oh my God here's a here's a
sandwich you eat the sandwich or like
calculating equations everywhere like my
meeting I fully prepared actually we
don't need to meet because I fully took
over facilities and I've engineered
everything and now we're 10 times richer
and holy shit that sandwich really did
something an easy way to tell is is
this for the average person if they eat
a big
meal they tend to be more chill and like
kind of brain foggy kind of groggy in a
good way and then like 30 minutes later
half like 45 minutes later they get that
like real a good energy feel for
multiple hours after if for you all
these other signs are here that just
after the meal you're like whoa I can
see the Matrix and then two hours later
like like a robot losing its
power yeah your diet fatigue might be
really high like each meal is like like
just enough energy to it's it's it's
like having a totally empty tank in in
your motorcycle that you're driving but
you have like an attached gallon drum
and you just kind of pour gas every now
and again when your bike starts to
sputter pour a little bit more gas get a
couple more miles out it do that if
that's how your meals feel yeah diet
fatigue is pretty goddamn High another
one this one is huge consistently
reduced Sleep
Quality especially in the following way
you wake up earlier and earlier with no
alarm clock and more nervous energy you
can't go back to sleep like you wake up
like this you're like oh I'm awake and
it's like 4:30 in the morning and you're
like you might not be hungry at that
point because the cortisol level a
stress hormone level so fucking high you
don't even feel hunger but you like
start thinking about maybe food or
getting along with your day and here's
the big kicker you get up because you
have like that nervous energy you're oh
I'm GNA do chores but then the doing the
chores is insanely difficult you have
total brain fog physically you can't do
shit yeah that that sucks and remember
over the longer term even days good
sleep burns fat and builds muscle like
crazy or supports those processes a ton
bad sleep shit quality shit duration is
going to make Muscle retention insanely
difficult and make fat loss also
insanely difficult no bueno for me I
have multiple C offs of when I need to
reverse out of a diet couple of high
days of food to get the diet fatigue to
drop and for me the last straw is two
nights in a row of obvious and I'm used
to telling this in myself obvious
hypocaloric dependent sleep loss if two
nights later I'm having bad sleep and I
know it's cuz I'm not eating enough back
up the calories because I don't fuck
with that shit
what do you get when PhD sport
scientists collaborate with Pro
[Music]
bodybuilders the most effective muscle
growth training app ever
made get yours now another one is it
doesn't Cur for all people but for some
you're cold all the time it's like
summer and you're wearing like eight
sweatshirts you might not even be that
lean you might be lean but not even a
lot of people used to think is oh it's
CU you get lean you don't have any body
fat on you bullshit I went quite lean
and I have pictures to prove it to
Mexico with my friends a year or two
back and I was like dude I'm like a 9%
body fat like dexs are confirmed 9% abs
and veins and all that other shit scared
a lot of people at the hotel hotel gym
that's for sure but your boy weighed 235
pounds at the time and yo Mexico is
really hot and I'm really really
Caucasian apparently and I almost
fucking had heat stroke like three times
I was like I'm fucking lean what the
hell it's just so goddamn hot it didn't
work but I wasn't highly diet fatigued
was in a really good place and I was
eating plenty and so I was just hot all
the time real high diet fatigue means
that a lot of times if it's cold outside
you don't even fuck with it dude I need
10 coats to go out there and if it's
warm outside you still have a sweatshirt
and a hoodie on people the hell's wrong
with you dude I'm just I'm cold all the
time that's definitely a sign in many
cases that your thyroid hormone
production has uh become lower and
that's not ideal for future fat burning
as you can probably understand lastly
this is the one that really fucks people
mentally as you burn more more fat
especially in a high diap fatigue State
you store more and more incremental body
water often in the very same Parts love
handles Etc that you burn that fat
from and because you're storing more and
more water and it's stress mediated
response you might
go days or even longer a week or two on
end with your body weight either not
falling very much you're fucking
starving shouldn't this be falling
faster or
it stays on average roughly the same
which is really crazy or for the
ultimate mindbend you're gaining weight
while you're eating, 1500 goddamn
calories and your maintenance is
supposed to be 3,000 you're not gaining
tissue you're gaining body water because
the degree of stress is really insane
and your body's like bro I'm I don't
even know what's going on fat is still
being lost under the hood but because
it's very hard to tell visually because
the Body Waters where the fat was it
actually Jiggles more than your fat
which sucks and because the scale isn't
going down it's insanely demotivating
I've dealt with this a whole bunch but
if you figure out like you're a bikini
girl getting ready for a show and you're
way over dieted and you've been dieting
for two weeks in the or rather the past
two weeks of dieting you seen a one
pound of gain and you look kind of
jiggly bro holy crap you're like the
hell is wrong something's broken in my
body it's not broken but it's off so
starvation mode isn't real real not
capital r real but it's lowercase R real
as fuck if you have a lot of this going
on if you have one of these signs man if
you have like four of them consistently
for days and weeks on end and you're in
a tail end or somewhere in the middle of
a fat loss diet you feel that shit for
real you need weeks of either
maintenance or even a slight Surplus to
reduce that diet fatigue back to normal
to where you can go through this whole
checklist of six points and go nope nope
nope nope maybe nope if that's the case
you're good you can start doing another
fat loss diet if it's not the case you
need either more maintenance or more
slow gain to take that diet fatigue and
dump it B basically back to zero no
rabid hunger and Cravings decent really
good energy for training and movement
I'm thinking pretty goddamn well no
problem no zombie brain my sleep quality
is pretty goddamn good I'm not really
excessively cold and my body water is
under control hey you're golden you can
do a fat loss diet but if you're Che
checking Four or more of these boxes
even three or more and you've been
dieting hard that's a sign your diet
fatigue is so high it's not a good idea
for you to continue the fat loss diet
it's just going to be more trouble than
it's worth so yeah starvation mode is
not a myth in a sense it's real but it
doesn't violate the laws of physics
you're not going to be eating 800
calories and gaining weight on that
shit it is low-key it just gives you
crap results that are really hard to
detect for the insane amount of
difficulty in BS you have to put up with
you figure shit would go better for
example let's say that you were running
a massive deficit you're feeling drained
of energy another minor one that doesn't
happen to everyone is your sexual
function goes down the drain you like
look at people that are supposed to be
attractive and you're like can can I eat
that person like oh my God no no no no
no in the colloquial sense yes in the
real sense
no let's say you were in a crazy
deficit and you felt all the shit signs
all six of them right let's go back one
all five except for the body water thing
and you felt all these shit
signs but every few days new veins and
stations would appear oh my God sign me
up I don't give a fuck I'll run through
walls for that shit
but it's a different different feeling
when you're suffering the most you've
ever suffered in your life from a diet
that one time Stacy broke up with you
that was way worse seventh grade's a
motherfucker you're suffering like crazy
and every other day you look in the
mirror you look the fucking same maybe
even a little softer
what for that much BS I'm GNA need some
results so when I'm in Starvation mode
quote unquote it's not a productive mode
you want to get out of it so first get
out of the mode by going to maintenance
and probably to a slight Surplus for
long enough to where you can't feel the
signs convincingly and for weeks damn it
not like one day like oh I feel good
today back to the diet bullshit days if
you're within the diet and if it's
between diets weeks of feeling great and
then you go back again then you can go
back to efficiently and effectively
losing fat again so is starvation mode a
myth in the most extreme sense yes
nobody gains weight on 500 fucking
calories unless you're a dog or a child
but in the low-key sense of can you
accumulate enough diet fatigue such that
shit either isn't going well for you or
at least visually looks like it's going
that well for you oh hell yeah hell yeah
and you got to earn it because you got
to diet your ass off to get there but
people do it all the time and when you
find yourself there if you're coming up
to a bodybuilding show or a photo shoot
that's really important to you take half
a week to a week maybe longer of slight
hypercaloric slight Surplus days with
higher carbohydrates take your step
count cut it by half or a third
as much relaxation and sleep as you can
get it'll get you enough out of that
phase to finish your diet you'll be good
but if it's at the very end of a phase
finish the phase and then don't you dare
do two weeks of Maintenance and go back
down into fat loss you need to do enough
maintenance or enough slow bulking to
get all those signs to completely go
away once they do oh W whatever you'll
gain an extra three pounds on your bulk
but then you'll do another diet where
you lose 12 pounds way worth the effort
if you don't manage to gain those three
pounds and that maintenance or or bulk
and you don't clear your diet fatigue
that next diet ain't going to be 12 PBS
it's going to be 12 days and then you're
going to quit the diet and be like Fuck
this I'm done and that helps no one it
especially doesn't help the diet
industry which I'm a part of and I make
money with so the RP diet coach app is
something you could download to help me
out I know that it makes me money when
you download I'm not so sure what the
app does I think it tells you what to
eat and when and lets you pick your
favorite foods and auto regulates
everything for you but that's just me
talking out of my ass anyway thanks for
tuning in in questions and the comments
see you next time
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)