Question about "starving" yourself

I've always heard that "starving" yourself (as in, eating VERY little throughout the day) is bad for you. However, any time I talk to someone who recently lost weight and knows little about nutrition, when I ask, "How'd you do it?" they usually reply with "I just starved myself, basically". So, despite it being bad for you, does it actually work?

I ask this because I recently started reading about Lean Gains IF and decided to start it 3 days ago. However, after the first day of IF, I wasn't hungry much throughout the day. Yesterday, I only ate one chicken breast and today I only ate one footlong sub from Subway. I realize that's not enough at all.

I was reading Lyle McDonald's interview about starvation mode
[QUOTE]But here's the thing: in no study I've ever seen has the drop in metabolic rate been sufficient to completely offset the caloric deficit. That is, say that cutting your calories by 50% per day leads to a reduction in the metabolic rate of 10%. Starvation mode you say. Well, yes. But you still have a 40% daily deficit.[/QUOTE]

This leads me even more to believe that "starving" yourself would work to burn fat.

[b]My main goal is to drop about 20Lbs. Strength gaining is a far second in my priorities.[/b] Once I drop the 20Lbs, I'd have no problem maintaining and working on strength/mass, but I'm more than willing to sacrifice that for now if my current method would allow me to burn that fat I've been trying so long to get rid of.

[b]So, to my question.[/b] Could my method of eating one small meal a day actually work? Or am I going to stall a week or so in and not burn any more fat?

I personally do not lose weight unless I am hungry and unsatisfied for most of the day everyday.

i say go for it. you know what the downside to starving yourself is, so if you're willing to deal with it, then **** it, do it.

[QUOTE=tspirtle;693026111]I've always heard that "starving" yourself (as in, eating VERY little throughout the day) is bad for you. However, any time I talk to someone who recently lost weight and knows little about nutrition, when I ask, "How'd you do it?" they usually reply with "I just starved myself, basically". So, despite it being bad for you, does it actually work?

I ask this because I recently started reading about Lean Gains IF and decided to start it 3 days ago. However, after the first day of IF, I wasn't hungry much throughout the day. Yesterday, I only ate one chicken breast and today I only ate one footlong sub from Subway. I realize that's not enough at all.

I was reading Lyle McDonald's interview about starvation mode


This leads me even more to believe that "starving" yourself would work to burn fat.

[b]My main goal is to drop about 20Lbs. Strength gaining is a far second in my priorities.[/b] Once I drop the 20Lbs, I'd have no problem maintaining and working on strength/mass, but I'm more than willing to sacrifice that for now if my current method would allow me to burn that fat I've been trying so long to get rid of.

[b]So, to my question.[/b] Could my method of eating one small meal a day actually work? Or am I going to stall a week or so in and not burn any more fat?[/QUOTE]


Starving yourself will definitely drop weight quickly. However, assuming your doing this for aesthetics, its widely accepted as the wrong method. If you choose to simply starve yourself its likely you will lose substantial muscle in the process and end up as a skinnier version of the fat you. (skinny fat)

Muscle retention on a cut requires 3 things
Heavy Resistance Training
Adequate Protein
Moderate Caloric Deficit

As you cut the calories protein requirements go up. That is why PSMF (Lyle Mcdonalds Rapid Fat loss) requires you to eat almost entirely protein. (300g/day roughly) If your really want to lose fat quickly and can hack the diet pain, I suggest picking up a copy of the rapid fat loss handbook and read the entire thing before you start down that road.

It will work but the problem is in the long run. Also, you'll probably be "skinny-fat", which sometimes is even worse than being slightly overweight (aestheticaly speaking).

I'm betting that in 3 months time, if you'll see the people that told you that they lost weight by "starving" they will have regained almost all of their weight.

[QUOTE=Electricheadd;693033191]Starving yourself will definitely drop weight quickly. However, assuming your doing this for aesthetics, its widely accepted as the wrong method. If you choose to simply starve yourself its likely you will lose substantial muscle in the process and end up as a skinnier version of the fat you. (skinny fat)

[/QUOTE]


What this guy said.

inb4 no muscle skinny fat

[QUOTE=tspirtle;693026111]I've always heard that "starving" yourself (as in, eating VERY little throughout the day) is bad for you. However, any time I talk to someone who recently lost weight and knows little about nutrition, when I ask, "How'd you do it?" they usually reply with "I just starved myself, basically". So, despite it being bad for you, does it actually work?

I ask this because I recently started reading about Lean Gains IF and decided to start it 3 days ago. However, after the first day of IF, I wasn't hungry much throughout the day. Yesterday, I only ate one chicken breast and today I only ate one footlong sub from Subway. I realize that's not enough at all.

I was reading Lyle McDonald's interview about starvation mode


This leads me even more to believe that "starving" yourself would work to burn fat.

[b]My main goal is to drop about 20Lbs. Strength gaining is a far second in my priorities.[/b] Once I drop the 20Lbs, I'd have no problem maintaining and working on strength/mass, but I'm more than willing to sacrifice that for now if my current method would allow me to burn that fat I've been trying so long to get rid of.

[b]So, to my question.[/b] Could my method of eating one small meal a day actually work? Or am I going to stall a week or so in and not burn any more fat?[/QUOTE]

If you already have a lot of muscle then sure. You don't want to be skinny fat--here's me at my current weight after dropping my last 20 pounds too quickly (just on diet and cardio)

This was february--I looked awful. Simultaneously too fat and too skinny. I looked good in clothes, but ugh. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v602/nlite2000/Photo6.jpg[/IMG]

It's going to cost you a lot of aesthetics, but it's all up to you. IMO, you should go for cutting, but cut without going over 1k deficit, and do weightlifting as your main calorie-burning activity.

You could have a noob-gain during these period. And honestly, the skinny fat is not that bad as most seems to exaggerate here. I'm a skinny-fat myself, but I've gain some muscle along the way, and it looks better than the picture posted above (no offence though).

[QUOTE=tspirtle;693026111]This leads me even more to believe that "starving" yourself would work to burn fat.[/QUOTE]

Ofcourse it does, never seen starving africans?

Why would someone come to a *BODYBUILDING* forum and ask whats wrong with starving yourself with no reguard for muscle preservation? /mindboggle

[QUOTE=Mightymuff;693125091]

Why would someone come to a *BODYBUILDING* forum and ask whats wrong with starving yourself with no reguard for muscle preservation? /mindboggle[/QUOTE]

Because not all people here come for the bodybuilding part at first (like me). Plus, bodybuilders know how to lose their fat so it's better to ask from them.

[QUOTE=Mightymuff;693125091]Ofcourse it does, never seen starving africans?

Why would someone come to a *BODYBUILDING* forum and ask whats wrong with starving yourself with no reguard for muscle preservation? /mindboggle[/QUOTE]

This.

Good luck, OP.







lol

[QUOTE=LulzYeah;693125871]Because not all people here come for the bodybuilding part at first (like me). Plus, bodybuilders know how to lose their fat so it's better to ask from them.[/QUOTE]

You seem to miss my point, the whole ethos of the site is to look good with a combination of low body fat and muscle mass, starving yourself is clearly not something that people on this forum would do to reach thier goals so it seems a strange place to come to ask about it.

He's also not asking about ways bodybuilders lose weight, he's talking about starvation.

[QUOTE=Mightymuff;693125091]Ofcourse it does, never seen starving africans?

[/QUOTE]


Agreed... Just never seen one on the cover of Muscle Fitness. :P

[QUOTE=tspirtle;693026111]I've always heard that "starving" yourself (as in, eating VERY little throughout the day) is bad for you. However, any time I talk to someone who recently lost weight and knows little about nutrition, when I ask, "How'd you do it?" they usually reply with "I just starved myself, basically". So, despite it being bad for you, does it actually work?

I ask this because I recently started reading about Lean Gains IF and decided to start it 3 days ago. However, after the first day of IF, I wasn't hungry much throughout the day. Yesterday, I only ate one chicken breast and today I only ate one footlong sub from Subway. I realize that's not enough at all.

I was reading Lyle McDonald's interview about starvation mode


This leads me even more to believe that "starving" yourself would work to burn fat.

[b]My main goal is to drop about 20Lbs. Strength gaining is a far second in my priorities.[/b] Once I drop the 20Lbs, I'd have no problem maintaining and working on strength/mass, but I'm more than willing to sacrifice that for now if my current method would allow me to burn that fat I've been trying so long to get rid of.

[b]So, to my question.[/b] Could my method of eating one small meal a day actually work? Or am I going to stall a week or so in and not burn any more fat?[/QUOTE]

Yes, it works, however, when you go into severe deficits, your body will metabolize muscle mass at the expense of 600 calories per pound, which will severely make your body recomposition goals difficult to achieve.

Losing weight and losing fat is completely different.
Starving yourself will definitely cause you to lose 20lbs of your weight.

[QUOTE=tspirtle;693026111]when I ask, "How'd you do it?" they usually reply with "I just starved myself, basically". So, despite it being bad for you, does it actually work?
[/QUOTE]

These people that you are asking about losing weight only say they "just starved myself, basically" may have in comparison to what they were doing before. If they were eating TONS of crap and then cut way back and switched to lots of healthier alternatives, then in a way, yeah they did starve themselves.

You want to lose 20lbs, ok, fine. If you need to do this for some sort of weigh in to some sort of sports competition like bodybuilding competition or an MMA weigh, go for it. If you're goal is to look better esthetically, then that is the worst thing you can do to yourself. When you starve yourself, your body will not automatically go "Oh crap there's no food, I need to use all this fat to keep myself alive". Your body is going to start breaking [I][B][U]everything[/U][/B][/I] down to keep itself going. You body will break down your muscles for Essential Amino Acids, your bones for Calcium it needs for other body functions other than your skeletal system, and other things.

Yeah, you'll lose 20 lbs, but your body dimensions and make up are not going to be what you want. You will most likely end up being alot more unhappy with yourself than before. Stop trying to short cut things and just figure out a good diet and exercise program.

[QUOTE=Electricheadd;693033191]
As you cut the calories protein requirements go up. That is why PSMF (Lyle Mcdonalds Rapid Fat loss) requires you to eat almost entirely protein. (300g/day roughly) If your really want to lose fat quickly and can hack the diet pain, I suggest picking up a copy of the rapid fat loss handbook and read the entire thing before you start down that road.[/QUOTE]

I second this. I'm doing this currently, I've completed 3 days and have ran about a 4500 calorie deficit in that time... I think 1.5g / lb of LBM is sufficient, not necessary for 2g per.

Edit: And actually, the 1.5-2g per requirement is for individuals in Category I, which are those lean people looking to get into contest shape. Category 2 are those with 16-25% BF and the protein requirement is ~1.25g protein per. Always safe to increase it, though

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I just started lifting again 2 weeks ago after nearly 2 years off, so I'm hoping beginners gains will offset [i]some[/i] muscle loss. I just got a copy of the Rapid Fat Loss Handbook and I plan on reading it over the weekend.