does the body really have a ‘starvation mode’ that kicks in if you eat too little and stops you losing weight?

Question

I hear this from time to time. If you cut your calorie intake too much your body with assume food is scarce and initiate its ‘starvation mode’ which will prevent you losing weight so quickly. Is that actually true or is it a story told to stop people following unhealthy diet regimes?

And, if it is true, how can the body do this? If the body can suddenly run on fewer calories then why doesn’t it do that all the time? I guess it must have to stop burning calories on certain activities?

In: Biology

Answer 1

I just watched a great YouTube playlist by “what I’ve learned” on YouTube about just this.

TLDW: not until you’re actually starving. And I mean weeks of not eating. I’ve actually just come off of a 72 hour fast based on the papers quoted in these videos and I feel amazing. Had the energy to work out for the first time in ages this afternoon.