Confused about starvation mode?

newbies
#1

Hi All,

Firstly thanks so much for everyone who posts on this forum. I have been a lurker for around 5 weeks which is the length of time I have been doing lazy keto.
I don’t feel hungry anymore - this has been a revelation and a blessing that I am very grateful for since starting keto.
From the 2 keto dudes podcast I remeber the frequenbt refrain “if you aren’t hungry, don’t eat”
I have been eating at the normal times I usually eat but I’m not sure that I’m always hungry and have just eaten because I feel I should do to ensure I get my macros. It has occured to me that this is the perfect time for me to keep a copy of the hunger scale and actually workout what hungry is for me because I have spent so long emotionally eating.
However, I have ingested alot of information on keto and I have smatterings of half digested ideas floating around in my head. If I didn’t eat in the next 2 days would my BMR drop? Is low calorie ok as long as I don’t spike my insulin with carbs? I am not sure how to proceed.

Apologies if this has been covered ad nauseum but when I have searched some posts say there is no such thing as starvation mode and others refer to it.

Thanks
Azra

#2

This would be considered a fast and metabolism can actually increase during a fast, but will not likely decrease.

Chronic low calorie is the problem because at that point the body begins to predict that calories will continue to be limited and will down-regulate the metabolism to be conserving through what it thinks is an impending famine.

Yeah, this is part of my problem too and why I track everything in MFP so I can at least review the information to detect patterns and associate them with how I feel.

Using MFP, I noticed that my IF was actually being combined with calorie restriction and although keto does seem to naturally reduce calories, I was just too low considering how I felt.

I find it best for me to restrict carbs to under 20 grams, protein between 70 and 100 grams and eat fat until I feel full and some days that means eating very little and some days I eat a lot (and I really mean a lot) and I’ve been hovering around the same bodyweight for a couple of years. I have problems when I try to increase calories using carbs or protein.

I would recommend against eating just to get your macros unless that is based on empirical evidence that eating too little of something consistently results in feeling cold or hungry, etc… This is taken from personal experience because I noticed that feeling cold correlated with eating too little in general and specifically too little fat as well as eating too little protein was associated with more soreness and slower recovery from activity and exercise.

In other words, spend some time eating what you want and evaluate the results. In your case and mine this can be scary knowing that we have a history of eating for emotional reasons so it’s constantly second-guessing whether or not the hunger is real.

I’ve used the information I log to find out what works for me and review it weekly to see if I’m drifting too high or too low and I will occasionally correct with an extra fast or skipping a fast and eating more in the next couple of meals.

That’s probably not very helpful, although you’re not alone when it comes to really understanding hunger and eating to satiety, and I will say that I have gotten much, much better at understanding real hunger and eating appropriately because there are now many more times when I’ve eaten to satiety and spontaneously fast which is something that never happened before keto.

#3

Thanks so much @billjay that is so helpful.
I have never felt satiated before or had so much stable energy and it isn’t something I wish to lose see through my ignorance.
I know it’s silly but I think I’m worried that if I don’t eat consistently I will get caught short and end up eating carbage and fall back into the carb cycle.
I’ve decided to keep some mini cheeses, avocado and preserved meat with me and listen to my body. From your story and other people’s I have faith I will even out.
Thanks again :smile: Azra

(Eve) #4

I have this problem too. I call it Fear or Getting Hungry, or FOGH. I am scared to skip breakfast less I get stuck at work feeling crummy. I’m sure we’ll get over it eventually. Just takes time.

#5

I think it’s because in the past any ‘diet’ I have gone on has felt restrictive and has triggered binging at some point.
I just don’t feel like I’m on a diet on keto - and I don’t want to trigger anything my getting too hungry.
Part of this journey is figuring out how to nourish your body but I’m starting to learn how much of it is psychological and learning to trust yourself again.
KCKO

#6

Personally, I think tackling your fear of hunger by slowly integrating some extended fasting into your life is the way to go…keep us updated!

#7

You’re all totally right I shouldn’t get worried I should get curious! I will post my findings in the fasting section if I end up not eating for any decent length of time.
I just wanted to make sure I had a good base with sustained keto before experimenting.

(Eve) #8

Me too. I’m still new myself. But I’ll get there.

(Jake P) #9

I worry about this too.

I’m never hungry, I probably average 1200 calories a day when I’m not fasting, when I IF I probably have less. I’m not trying to restrict my calories that much, I have some cheese and salami or some hard boiled eggs and I’m good.
According to my BMI to loose 2 pounds a week my calorie requirement was 2600. I set my food tracking app at 1700 but I rarely hit that. I also have a lot of stress in my life right now and it’s hard to tell if the stress is affecting my hunger or if I’m burning the krispy creams from last year.

(John) #10

Those are the magic words! Almost all diets fail because people don’t stick with them, if you don’t feel like you are on a diet you are more likely to stick with it.
Most diets are very strict, mess up any part and you fail, keto in my mind has 2 rules

  1. Keep carbs under a value that takes you out of ketosis, 20 is safe
  2. Test what works for you so you can keep doing step 1.

That is all the rules you need, you may need to add pieces related to calories or protein depending on goals, but if you can consistently nail the first 2 that is good. Every other diet assumes everyone is exactly the same and we know that isn’t true.

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #11

You are awesome. I’ll see myself out.

#12

Hey TacoRobot,

Did you work out if was those Krispy Kreme or something else.

My bar states 2300 I also suppose to eat 1700 according to app for 2lb lost as struggling to eat more than 1500 somedays it’s 1000 or less for days sat a time.

I do IF but don’t eat cause not hungry.

Just wondered how worked out for you year later. :+1: