Starvation Methods

For so long, I starved myself. I didn't think anything would happen to me. I just thought it was my body type. I didn't think anybody understood. I thought my body was an exception. I thought I couldn't lose weight with 1200 calories. I had always been chubby. I was never like my friends. I always felt...different because of my weight. My metabolism sucked. I didn't know what else to do! I stopped eating when I was around 15 years old. I would eat very little amounts of food only when I got light headed (it makes me want to cry just thinking about it. Other kids' teasing didn't help either. I was just desperate to be skinny like all my friends. Most of all I just wanted to be beautiful. I ate about 500 calories for about two years. I kept gaining weight as soon as I put a little food in my mouth and I didn't know why. Well, it turns out that when your body is not fed properly, it will go into "starvation mode." In this state, your body thinks it will not be fed again and prepares for the worst by storing every little bit of food that is consumed. For years I went up in weight and back down again. I was tired but most of all I became depressed. I was obsessed. I didn't want to go to social gatherings because there would be food. I didn't want to do anything but exercise and lay there. I was fatigued 24 hours a day, 7 days a week but I didn't care. All I cared about was being "skinny" as if it gave me some validation that I was a good person. Keep in mind, at 15 it is not healthy for a person's mind to be full of so much negativity and self-loathing. I was convinced that if I ever ate more. If I ever lived a normal life-I'd gain weight. I didn't care what anybody told me, I didn't care what doctors and nutritional experts said, I was convinced my body was different. It wasn't until I started my own research that I realized all the side-effects I'd been feeling were not healthy-that they were a result of my own doing. I was wrong with starving myself. Do not think you’re different! People are people. Yes, we are different but nobody’s body requires starvation. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO EAT!

Consequences of starvation I experienced:

Slowed Metabolism

When your diet restricts the amount of calories you consume you body will automatically adjust to conserve energy. If you stop consuming food and starve yourself in order to lose weight, your body’s metabolism will slow down. Although you may lose weight you also risk slowing down the rate at which you body burns food, so when you return to your normal caloric intake you may have a harder time burning calories and maintaining a stable weight, as a healthy metabolism is essential to weight management.

Muscle Wasting and Dehydration

Many crash diets encourage dieters to refrain from eating do result in weight loss, but the majority of weight lost is due to water weight or a loss of muscle tissue. This type of dieting does not encourage the body to burn fat deposits, and as a result, you may retain body fat while losing muscle tone. Dehydration and lack of nutrients will also leave you feeling weak and fatigued.

Mood Changes

A lack of adequate calorie intake can result will result in low blood sugar levels and a general lack of energy. Most people experience feelings of irritability, drowsiness and listlessness when they become malnourished and fatigued. Over the long run, a lack of proper food intake can also lead to marked depression and accompanying lack of motivation.