A starvation diet is one that reduces your caloric intake to less than 50 percent of what your body needs, according to NetWellness.com, a website collaboration of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University. Your body begins to rely on other nutrients instead of glycogen for energy, including fat. However, using a starvation diet to increase fat metabolism is counterproductive.
Side Effects
Consuming too few calories causes a variety of side effects. While your body may initially burn more fat, your metabolism slows down when your body goes into starvation mode. As a result, you'll burn fewer calories, period. Also, when starvation is prolonged, your body turns to protein, or lean muscle tissue, for energy, which further slows down your metabolism. During starvation, you also experience symptoms such as dehydration, yet water is essential for vital functions such as metabolism. Other symptoms include fatigue, headaches and deficiency in nutrients such as protein, iron and calcium.
Better Option to Starvation Diets
Eating an appropriate amount of calories to support your basic metabolic needs and activity level is a better way to lose fat than starving yourself. In general, women should consume no fewer than 1,200 calories daily, and men should consume no fewer than 1,500, according to MedlinePlus.com, a website of the National Institutes of Health. If your diet dips below these recommended levels, you should seek medical advice.
How Many Calories You Need
Several formulas are used to determine the amount of calories people need daily. A simple formula you can use is based on your gender, current weight and activity level. If you're a woman who is relatively inactive, multiply your weight in pounds by 10 calories to determine your total calories daily; if you're moderately active, multiply your weight by 12 calories. If you're a man who is relatively inactive, multiply your weight by 13 calories; if you're moderately active, multiply your weight by 15 calories.
Determining Activity Level
You're considered relatively inactive if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, in other words, you have a job where you sit a lot and you spend most of your time doing sedentary activities such as watching TV and surfing the Internet. If your job involves some physical activity and you get some exercise, you're moderately active. A nutritionist can help you to determine a more precise daily calorie intake, including if you have a higher activity level.
Consideration
The one time that being in starvation mode may be beneficial is when you exercise first thing in the morning. At this point, you haven't eaten for about eight hours or longer and your body will burn more fat for fuel. Also, your metabolism is low in the morning as you've been sleeping. Early morning exercise gives your metabolism a kick-start, which also helps you burn more calories. However, exercising on an empty stomach in the morning increases muscle loss and some people may experience nausea or other symptoms. Plus, without eating, you may find it difficult to complete your workouts.
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