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Posts Tagged ‘starvation mode’

What you need to be aware of is that starvation mode is not really an enemy, it is one of your body's many defence systems that is placed there for your protection. However if you really want to know how to lose weight, then you need to avoid getting into this situation.

Years ago when we wandered around in bearskins, food was not always available. Gettiing food meant sometimes traveling long distances. This meant that we were not eating on a regular basis. To help us survive this, our bodies would slow down our metabolisms to conserve calories and energy.

It takes a long time for evolution to happen. The defence systems that protected our bodies thousands of years ago are still in place today.

Although this was necessary a long time ago, it is not such a blessing in the modern world where we don't have to fight to get our food. If we do not eat any food for a length of time then our bodies will start going into starvation mode. You will not actually be starving, but your body will think that you are. Your metabolism will continue to follow its original program by slowing down when you don't get enough calories.

Many weight loss programs advocate cutting large amounts of calories from your diet. This isn't beneficial to your attempts at weight loss. When you begin cutting back on calories in a large way, starvation mode is the result. This will have the opposite effect to what you are trying to achieve.

This is why overweight people who do not eat a lot of food cannot understand why they are not succeeding. This is the actual problem.

For the most of us eating 3 times a day is common. Only a certain amount of food can be used by your body at one sitting. Your body will store the extra calories that it gets from 3 large meals as an emergency store. If the time between each meal is over 7 hours, the body will probably have kicked into starvation mode.

The key is to spread your calorie intake over 6 small meals. Now 2 things will happen. First your body will not have many excessive calories to store. Secondly your metabolism will be running far more effectively due to the fact that it is getting calories on a regular basis. Just making a change like this will result in the disappearance of some weight.

You have probably heard this a million times but missing breakfast is the worst thing that you can do. Keep in mind that no food has enetered your body since the night before. When you wake up your body will need food. If that food is not forthcoming then starvation mode will kick in.

In conclusion stay away from diets and weight loss programs that work by cutting large amounts of calories from your diet. Although some weight will probably be lost, it will not be continous. Eat small, eat frequently, and always have something for breakfast if you want to keep away from starvation mode and lose weight successfully