Expert: Joanne - 6/11/2006

Question

"hi, i was wondering what happens when your body goes into "starvation mode" because i seem to think that is what mine is doing. i seem to have gained weight recently eg.sag and have been eating next to nothing and exercising approx 4 hours or more a day involving running, walking,skipping, trampoline and core exercises why is this so that it happens? how can you lose the weight that you have gained and lose the sag? i was also wondering is it true that if you eat 5 -6 very very tiny small meals a day it will get your metabolism started and can actually lose weight from doing this is this true? i also wanted to know why have i gained weight and please help me to lose around the 3kg that i have gained from not eating and the sag."

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Followup To

Question -
hi, well i think that i am anorexic i am 169cm and my weight varies from 47-51 depending on how and what i eat!is this classified as anorexic? at the moment i eat porriage for breakfast about 2tsp and 2 carrot sticks for lunch and cabbage and chew and spit some foods is this a lot of food? after dinner i get so so so bloated its painful and i feel like vomiting! i have recently put on weight and have eaten less but gained sag. mum says i have gained weight because i have now got fat stores to feed off! so i have been eating small meals and exercising 4 hours a day! will i lose weight if i do this method of what i am eating? i have recently started eating small meals because i don't want to gain any more weight when i put on weight recently i was so suprised because i had eaten practically nothing all week but noticed that i had gained sag on my arms, thigs, stomach and practically everywhere why is this so? How can you get rid of this sag? can you lose weight by eating small meals and exercising excessively i used to weigh less and seemed to eat more food and do less exercise and then all of a sudden i did more exercise and ate less and seemed to gain weight! how much weight could i lose or put on by eating? Please answer my question because i am need of some help please!

Answer -
If you are eating as little as you state, and exercising as much as that, then yes, I think that you should be losing weight, or at least maintaining a weight.  If this is not the case, then I recommend that you go get your blood tested in case there is a problem such as a thyroid problem which may be causing the weight gain.

I don't understand why your mum said something about fat stores?!  Have you been eating more than normal?  If you have, then it is likely that your body is storing what it can from the food you are eating so that it has something to live on in case it goes back through the starvation mode that it had been in.  Plus, once your body has used its fat and protein stores during starvation states, the first thing it does when it has access to food is to replenish these stores as it is necessary for normal body functioning.

I really think that you need to be speaking to your Dr about this now as it seems to becoming a huge issue for you.  I'm happy to answer your questions, but I am scared that you aren't here asking for help, but for advice on how to lose more weight or something similar.  Please, don't get me wrong, I'm happy to help you with your problems, but I do not want to help feed what may be a dangerous eating disorder in you, and also risk putting my own recovery in jepordy!

Best Wishes
Holly

Answer
I think if you have gained as much as 3kg you should really go and get yourself checked by a Dr as that seems quite a lot for eating next to nothing.

When your body goes into starvation mode, it uses fat stores to provide energy.  Your body also starts to break down muscle as the brain can't use fat as an energy source, so makes glucose from the protein.  However, when you eat, no matter how little, the body will switch back to using food and replensihing these fat and protein stores.

As I have said before, I don't know if it is possible to lose the sag without gaining weight and losing it again properly, if you can lose the sag at all.

Holly