|
|
| *Vultures Knob>>>Exercise Bike |
Is there such a thing as 'Starvation effect' that prevents weight loss when dieting? |
I've been successfully losing weight for about the last five to six months (about 3 and a half stones so far), but recently the loss has begun to plateau, and it's making me kind of cranky. I started at 20st5, and I'm aiming for around 15st. I'm eating a varied diet of around 1200-1400 calories a day, and doing an hour of heart-rate monitored aerobic exercise 4-5 times a week at the Gym (Bike and treadmill: the machines say I'm burning approx 800 calories per session). My job is extremely sedentary. Some friends have mentioned a 'Starvation effect' where I might be consuming *too little* and my metabolism is slowing down to compensate. I thought weight loss was a simple matter of 'Energy in, Energy out'. Is it possible that I am eating too little or doing too much exercise? Stepping on the scales each week and only seeing a 1lb loss (if anything) is a little disheartening, but I know I've got further to go. 1lb is good at this point. Thats what you should be losing- but I would vary the exercise more. almost ALL dieters will reach a plateau at some point in their diet. It could very well be a metabolism related event...rather than your body being in starvation mode, perhaps it's getting used to the workouts and you need to try something different during your exercise time? How about introducing weight training or swimming, or even the elliptical trainer, you didn't mention any of those in your exercise list. OR, try exercising at a different time during the day, or do interval training. Below is an article on the very subject. http://weightloss.about.com/cs/moretips/... There is a starvation effect, but I think it would take a nutritionist to decide whether you triggered it. You should be able to live healthy on 1400 calories a day, but if you burn off 800 with just part of your workout, you may be eating too little. Usually you see the starvation effect when you are getting no food for an extended period of time, like when you skip breakfast. Because your body hasn't seen food for half a day, it starts trying to conserve energy and store what it can. Eating something in the morning keeps your body in energy-burning mode all day--so if you are skipping breakfast, don't, it's hurting your efforts. Yes.. the body starts to store fat...try changing your eating habits ie when you eat and how much at each sitting...if you eat mainly in the evening change yhat to eating more in the morning or at lunch..you also must drink loads of water as fluid retention will make you heavier..dont forget if you are training and building muscle ..muscle weighs more than fat. A drink of warm water in the morning first thing helps to get the metabolism going..good luck. Hi, I am currently on a diet, I haven't lost as much as you (well done!,) but I have probably lost about 1/2 a stone. But I only wanna lose a stone. I noticed after the first 3 weeks that the weight loss is not as noticiable now, and it takes longer to see any benefit. I think the body shifts the easiest fat first and then stubbon longer-term fat (probably around the organs) takes longer to shift. I defintely noticed a rapid initial change which has now plateaued. My advice is to keep at it, and dont starve yourself! Because the body goes into starvation mode and actually hoards the fat! Eat three meals a day and dont snack in between - thats what I am doing! I have gone from a UK size 16 to a 12 and I feel fabulous!! All the best xx Yes, there is such a thing as "starvation effect" where your metabolism slows down and your body greedily hangs on to every last bit of body fat that you have. You're not eating enough. Try eating 1,800 calories per day on non-workout days and 2,000 calories per day on workout days. You may also want to try eating six small meals or snacks per day instead of eating three squares or one big meal per day. Eating smaller amounts more often will boost your metabolism. Changing your workout routine may help too. If your body is used to your current workout, try something else like aerobics or high-intensity interval training or strength training using light weights and doing lots of repetitions. Good luck! |
| Tags |
| Pit Bike Dirt Bike Sport Bike Street Bike Exercise Bike Stationary Bike Recumbent Bike Bmx Bike Kids Bike Schwinn Bike |
Bike Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster |