The starvation response is the body’s remarkable ability to conserve its energy sources at times when it recognizes a lack of food supply. There are stories of survival that tell of people going for days, weeks without food and still live to tell the tale. This becomes possible due to the ability of the body to slow down the rate at which it burns down calories. When the body senses deprivation, it immediately slows down its metabolic activity. For people in mortal danger because of hunger, this is a life saver. Slow metabolism is often dreaded by those who would like to lose fat with the use of extreme dietary restrictions.

The human body cannot tell the difference between dieting and starvation. The starvation response is immediately activated once there is perceived starvation. The body literally feeds off the body when there are times that food is lacking. First, it burns off fat, then the muscles and even the internal organs for energy. The body won’t be able to survive for long if it continues a normal metabolic rate. Because of the starvation response, the metabolic rate slows down and allows the body to live off lesser amounts of energy until it hopefully gets a reliable source of food. The same response occurs when you are restricting food for fat loss. Extreme and prolonged calorie cutting always results to a sluggish metabolism.

You need to take in lesser calories than what you burn to lose fats according to the law of energy balance. It is true, but that is not taking into consideration the body’s reaction to the deprivation. You also need to consider the starvation response in the entire equation. That is the reason why it is recommended to have small frequent meals or eating every three hours. That is to make sure that the body gets no inkling of a possible food shortage. Otherwise, it will go into starvation mode and therefore, a slowed down metabolism.

When we first cut back on calories, very visible results are immediately appreciated. However, a few days of this and the body’s starvation response kicks in, slowing down metabolism and therefore, fat loss. If it is not reversed, and the restrictive diet continues, you will fail to lose weight even with a very low caloric intake. Having the starvation response is just a normal survival strategy of the human body. To lose fat more efficiently, you have to work with and for the body, not against it.

Extreme diet restrictions don’t work because the body has built in mechanisms for ensuring that it survives. The best fat loss plan is one that makes the body better, not just to look at, but more importantly, in how it functions.

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