If you have been researching about fat loss and dieting, then I am sure you’ve come across a term called “Starvation Mode”. Today, I will explain what starvation mode is and how you can keep your body from going into starvation mode and burning muscles instead of fat.
Starvation mode is a defense mechanism in your body. It is simply a state when your body thinks that there is a lack of food and you are starving and it tries to protect you by preserving as much as energy as it can so that you can survive longer without the food. This happens usually when you are dieting and are eating a lot less in an attempt to get rid of your belly fat.
So, how does the body preserve energy in starvation mode?
It does so, by NOT burning the fat. This is because the fat is your energy storage. It is true that body stores the fat to be used when it runs out of energy. But when it thinks that there is a lack of food, it assumes that you won’t get food for a long time. So, it stops burning the fat, because Fat stores more energy per lbs than muscles. So in an attempt to preserve more energy, it starts burning the muscles instead. It is a defense mechanism to preserve as much energy as it can.
So basically, when you go into the starvation mode, your body starts burning your hard earned muscles and starts preserving the fat. This is exactly the opposite of what you want, Isn’t it?
So, how do you prevent this from happening?
It’s simple, you trick your body into thinking that there is ample amount of food available and there is no shortage. You just keep on eating frequently.
Wait, What?
I know it sounds counterintuitive when someone asks you to eat more to lose fat. But I am not asking you to eat more. You just need to plan your meals carefully and spread them throughout your day. It is recommended to have at least 5 meals every day, each at an interval of 3-4 hours. Each of your meal should be sufficient to make your stomach filled for the next 3-4 hours. If you start feeling hungry, you can have a light snack any time during the day.
One important thing to keep your body from going into starvation mode is to eat a good meal as soon as you wake up. Many of us skip breakfast trying to make it at work on time. But if you think about, you’ve been sleeping for around 8 hours and if you don’t have breakfast and directly have lunch say 4 hours later, then you haven’t eaten anything for almost 12 hours. I can guarantee you that your body went into starvation mode somewhere between that and has burnt some of your muscles since then. So make sure you eat something as soon as you get up.
If you have been researching about fat loss and dieting, then I am sure you’ve come across a term called “Starvation Mode”. In this article, I will explain what starvation mode is and how you can keep your body from going into starvation mode and burning muscles instead of fat.
Starvation mode is a defense mechanism in your body. It is simply a state when your body thinks that there is a lack of food and you are starving and this tries to protect you by preserving as much as energy as it can so that you can survive longer without the food. This happens usually when you dieting and are eating a lot less in an attempt to get rid of your belly fat.
So, how does the body preserve energy in starvation mode?
It does so, by NOT burning the fat. This is because the fat is your energy storage. It is true that body stores the fat to be used when it runs out of energy. But when it thinks that there is a lack of food, it assumes that you won’t get food for a long time. So, it stops burning the fat, because Fat stores more energy per lbs than muscles. So in an attempt to preserve more energy, it starts burning the muscles instead. It is a defense mechanism to preserve as much energy as it can.
So basically, when you go into the starvation mode, your body starts burning your hard earned muscles and starts preserving the fat. This is exactly the opposite of what you want, Isn’t it?
So, how do you prevent this from happening?
It’s simple, you trick your body into thinking that there is ample amount of food available and there is no shortage. You just keep on eating frequently.
Wait, What?
I know it sounds counterintuitive when someone asks you to eat more to lose fat. But I am not asking you to eat more. You just need to plan your meals carefully and spread them throughout your day. It is recommended to have at least 5 meals every day, each at an interval of 3-4 hours. Each of your meal should be sufficient to make your stomach filled for the next 3-4 hours. If you start feeling hungry, you can have a light snack any time during the day.
One important thing to keep your body from going into starvation mode is to eat a good meal as soon as you wake up. Many of us skip breakfast trying to make it at work on time. But if you think about, you’ve been sleeping for around 8 hours and if you don’t have breakfast and directly have lunch say 4 hours later, then you haven’t eaten anything for almost 12 hours. I can guarantee you that your body went into starvation mode somewhere between that and has burnt some of your muscles since then. So make sure you eat something as soon as you get up.
