Does starvation mode really exist or not?

[livenraw]

I always hear this 'oh, if you go below X amount of calories, you'll go into starvation mode'. True or not?

Sometimes, during the day time, I don't eat all that much 'cuz I'm just not hungry - and of course, people think I am starving myself 'cuz I'm not eating all that much - and then I get this comment.

[RawChicky]

I beleive it does. People who have had eating disorders can probably tell you that. My friend who had an ED, when she started eating again, she gained tons of weight even though she was barely eating that much. I beleive it's because her body was used to starving, and when she fed it, it stored most of it for fear of starving again. A body fed whenever it's hungry doesn't have to store everything because it knows it will eat soon again.

However, in you situation, as long as you are eating enough when you are hungry and obviously not starving yourself, then forget what people say. If it works for you, just live how you want to!

[dreamrawalwz]

I actually wonder that myself. You hear that once you're raw long enough your body only needs a little food to survive and thrive. That little food is sure to add up in the "starvation" level of calories, yet these people are healthy and at a good weight, etc.

[belleadonna]

Yeah, there is a big difference between "starving" and just eating a low calorie diet. If you eat just when you are hungry that can hardly be called starving. Your body will lyk when it is hungry (assuming that one doesn't have a mental problem like anorexia) and that's when we should eat!!

[Stina]

Yeah, there is a big difference between "starving" and just eating a low calorie diet. If you eat just when you are hungry that can hardly be called starving. Your body will lyk when it is hungry (assuming that one doesn't have a mental problem like anorexia) and that's when we should eat!!

I've read that anorexia has been successfully treated short term with antibiotics. Isn't that interesting? Makes you wonder about the label mental. The folks in that study would have fared better with probiotics, so the second brain, the gut, could have sent a better message to the computer brain. Disclaimer: I have no background in science, hampering me from passing along info that I read.........

[belleadonna]

I think that most people that have been anorexic will say that they had a problem with a mental image of themselves and deep seated emotional problems which led them to starve themselves. But, I could be wrong. Treating anything like that with antibiotics seems way off base to me.

[barose]

When I used to skip breakfast and sometimes lunch, I was at my heaviest no matter how well I tried to eat. I tend to lose more weight the more raw food I eat - but thats how my body works.

[Frecs]

I always hear this 'oh, if you go below X amount of calories, you'll go into starvation mode'. True or not?

Sometimes, during the day time, I don't eat all that much 'cuz I'm just not hungry - and of course, people think I am starving myself 'cuz I'm not eating all that much - and then I get this comment.

Medical science supports the fact that the body will protect itself against starvation by lowering metabolism, using "unnecessary" cells for energy (including breaking down muscle--including your heart muscle), while holding onto it's fat stores because the brain needs fat to function.

Perhaps you don't feel hungry because you have trained yourself not to? or because your metabolism has slowed down enough to accommodate the fact that it won't get but so much energy.

[Frecs]

When I used to skip breakfast and sometimes lunch, I was at my heaviest no matter how well I tried to eat. I tend to lose more weight the more raw food I eat - but thats how my body works.

Well. That's how everyone's body works. I just read a great example of how to eat to get obese. Do as the sumo wrestlers do: don't eat breakfast, eat a huge lunch, take a 3 hour nap... They skip breakfast because they learned over the centuries that skipping breakfast was essential to gaining the maximum amount of weight. Even if we don't gorge at lunch and supper or take long naps, skipping breakfast sets us up to gain weight (or not lose weight).

By not skipping meals..and even having snacks, you keep your metabolism burning and that's a very good thing!

[JAusten]

Frecs- That is a fascinating bit of info that I have never heard. I will have to pass on to all my "dieting" friends that they are on the "sumo wrestler" diet.

Actually, I am myself often guilty of just sipping tea until noon and then eating fruit starting around noon. I just get busy and don't think about it until then. I will never do that again thanks to the visual you have given me.

[barose]

Thanks Frecs! Thats exactly how I was (except I didnt nap, I worked!). Now I make it a point to have at least a lot of fruit in the morning if I dont have a green smoothie.

[FirstGarden]

The body has natural cycles (according to natural hygiene schools of thought -- appropriation, assimilation, elimination). Working with these enhances weight loss efforts. Working against our natural cycles hinders it.

Starvation may vary in definition. Some regard certain kinds of deprivation as a form of starvation. So it may depend on which definition you go by.

In fasting terms, true or absolute starvation occurs at the conclusion of a long water fast wherein the tongue turns entirely pink and genuine hunger pangs return.

I'm sure that in third world countries people have reached this point by default - simply for lack of food. And so true starvation sets in, or a form of partial starvation, depending on the degree of deprivation.

Starvation is a strong word. I think it is always a life-threatening condition, as opposed to malnutrition, which is not immediately life-threatening. Again, meanings could vary depending on what definition you go by.

[exurb]

I read a study years ago where subjects ate a 600 cal, a 1000 cal and a 1600 cal diet.

The interesting part of the results is that the people who ate 600 cals lost the same amount of weight as the people who ate 1000 cals, showing no additional weight loss benefit for those 400 less calories.

I also think there's a lot of BS flying around about metabolism, it's like people hear something and it gets perpetuated as truth whether or not there's any basis.

[rawr]

The sumo diet is really interesting. My understanding is that they basically bulk up by eating rice and veggies - supposedly they do this by skipping breakfast before a long morning workout, eating a large lunch and immediately napping, then waking up to eat a large dinner and immediately going to bed afterwards.

So it isn't just skipping breakfast, but also heavy eating after an extended daily fast, sleeping on a full stomach, eating only twice a day and no snacking.

[the_lab_rat]

About the breakfast thing, I can't tell you how many times I've heard that--it's even on some cereal commercials now! I think for some people it works and for some it doesn't. Personally, I lost a total of 50-60 pounds, and recently 40 of those pounds, NOT eating breakfast. Maybe your own body's natural rhythm and cycles are a factor--for instance, I'm a night person not a morning person, so I'm rarely hungry before noon. I used to eat breakfast because that's what everyone said to do, and because if I skipped breakfast sometimes I wouldn't have a chance to eat until dinner. Well, when I started listening to my body and not eating until I felt truly hungry--even if that wasn't until 10pm, even if it meant being hungry for a couple hours--that's when I started losing weight. But I am really truly a night person, that might explain it...last night I was up until almost 6am!

As for 'starvation mode,' I'm no expert, but it seems to me like a phrase that's thrown around too freely, like "OMG if you skip breakfast your body will go into starvation mode!!!11!1!" I've heard so many diet plans that recommend eating 6 meals a day so you don't go into 'starvation mode,' but is it really something that can happen in as little as one day? I kind of doubt it. To me (again, not an expert!) starvation mode means how your metabolism will lower over time if you heavily restrict your caloric intake, such as what happens with anorexia as others have already mentioned. But so many things could play a role, like how much nutrition you're getting regardless of calories. Maybe I was able to lose weight eating 2 meals per day and skipping breakfast because I was eating a high-raw vegan diet. Hmm... who knows? I've always wondered about starvation mode too. I think too many people say it without knowing what it means or having any science to back up what they're saying.

[dreamrawalwz]

As for 'starvation mode,' I'm no expert, but it seems to me like a phrase that's thrown around too freely, like "OMG if you skip breakfast your body will go into starvation mode!!!11!1!" I've heard so many diet plans that recommend eating 6 meals a day so you don't go into 'starvation mode,' but is it really something that can happen in as little as one day? I kind of doubt it. To me (again, not an expert!) starvation mode means how your metabolism will lower over time if you heavily restrict your caloric intake, such as what happens with anorexia as others have already mentioned. But so many things could play a role, like how much nutrition you're getting regardless of calories. Maybe I was able to lose weight eating 2 meals per day and skipping breakfast because I was eating a high-raw vegan diet. Hmm... who knows? I've always wondered about starvation mode too. I think too many people say it without knowing what it means or having any science to back up what they're saying.

Kind of comparable (or not) to how people (general society) believes that if you don't have xx grams of protein a day immediately you'll become protein defficient or something!

[dreamrawalwz]

I think that most people that have been anorexic will say that they had a problem with a mental image of themselves and deep seated emotional problems which led them to starve themselves. But, I could be wrong. Treating anything like that with antibiotics seems way off base to me.

It is DEFINITELY a mental thing. I must add that from personal experience.

[juicyraw]

:eek:

This thread really rang a bell for me - huge epiphany.

My husband and I both gained a lot of weight over a short period of time. All the while I was "dieting" but never could lose any weight.

What I could do easily was gain, gain, gain.

When I read this this afternoon, I did a thorough search on sumo wrestlers. The not eating breakfast was part of it but the main component was eating large amounts and going straight to bed. I read somewhere they even had guards to make sure they did this. They really didn't eat different food than the average Japanese man - it was the large amount and going to bed on it.

They would work out 4-6 hours a day!!

One article said the sport was 1500 years old and they had this weight gaining bit down pat.

Wow. I guess this should have been so obvious to me but it wasn't. Dh & I had gotten into the bad habit of eating out on Sat & Sun, then coming home and taking a nap. If we ate out at night, we would come home and go to bed shortly thereafter.

I would actually eat pretty "healthy" or so I thought, diet food. But it was the going to bed on it (and too much... and cooked).

I was averaging 1500 calories a day, low fat, mostly vegan - even with eating out and exercising between 1-2 hours a day. Even on a cooked diet, I should have been losing weight. This is the only explanation I can see why I wasn't losing.

Well, now we're both eating raw and not eating out and the weight is falling off. I eat very little for breakfast - maybe a banana or some melon.
Naps are less but still once in a while... but never on a cooked, stuffed belly.

Eye opening. :)

Anyway... just thought I'd throw that out in case it might help someone else.

[spiralgirl]

livenraw,

I don't know about your question but my sister has been raw for 7 weeks and has a really small appetite that started like week 3 of being raw. She gets full really fast and she is really overweight. I'm on week 4 and that sort of happens to me some days too. I always have 3 meals and mini meals but I don't need that much to get full at all. Smaller amounts really satisfy me if I truly listen to my stomach. Sometimes food is so good I overeat even when I'm full which is an old habit I'm slowly working on.

[belleadonna]

Yeah, I rarely EAT breakfast. I drink my breakfast. I juice till noon and then I eat a big salad. Today I am going to start a every other day juice fast until I clean out. I am doing Herbal Fiberblend to clean out the colon and I will just do juices every other day for about 2 weeks. I feel better and function better on less food anyway. I am not doing this to lose weight although I am sure that I will. I am doing this for my health.

I agree that the metabolism thing is over-hyped. There is truth to it but like the carbohydrate thing it is over-hyped. If I hear one more person tell me carbs are bad for you, I WILL SCREAM!!! ;) Here's another one, "WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN!??" Well where do you get yours, from a dead animal!!?? I get mine from what the dead animal you just ate used to eat. Sheesh.

[livenraw]

People tell me that you should never go below x amoun of calories because you'll 'go into starvation mode' but if I'm not hungry and I've only had maybe a couple of bananas & a salad, there is NO WAY I am going to try to shove another 800 or what have you calories into my body. I stopped eating at 5 pm last night (and all I had at that time was some cabbage & onions) because I just wasn't hungry afterwards.

And about the protein thing - this is my comeback (I can say this now - now that I'm no longer drinking coffee)

Person: Where do you get your protein from:

Me: Do you drink coffee?

Person: Yes. Around 2 or 3 cups a day.

Me: So where do you get your protein from? (coffee soaks up protein)

They never ask again.

Also, I don't think we were really meant to eat 6 meals a day or every 2-3 hours, etc. They never did that in the old days. Why-they never even counted calories, carbs, fats, protein, etc! They ate when they were hungry. And that's what we should do, too.

[belleadonna]

Yup!!
In "The China Study" it points out that we eat way more food than we really need. Also, V. Boutenko says that her children who are heavy into sports quite often will only eat 2 oranges all day and they are just fine.

[barose]

Yup!!
In "The China Study" it points out that we eat way more food than we really need. Also, V. Boutenko says that her children who are heavy into sports quite often will only eat 2 oranges all day and they are just fine.

That is extremly rare (the orange thing). I'm sick of people throwing that around as the ideal.

[juicyraw]

;)

Well said livenraw!! (the whole post!)

[barose]

Also, I don't think we were really meant to eat 6 meals a day or every 2-3 hours, etc. They never did that in the old days. Why-they never even counted calories, carbs, fats, protein, etc! They ate when they were hungry. And that's what we should do, too.

I think the key is small meals. Of course we don’t eat 6 large full-sized meals a day. I personally don’t do well on 3 squares/day concept. I may have fruit at 7:00AM, green smoothie at 9, more fruit at 11, salad at 1, snack of some sort at 3 and so on. I may have a "meal" or two on the weekends or when we go out, but that not daily.

6 small meals or so a day is optimal for those with blood sugar issues (low blood sugar, diabetes,) or very active people.

[freelive]

When I was in college, I was staying on the interesting diet and it helped me to keep my weight off for several years after I stopped it.The main things were:
eat anything you want
limit calories-in my case 1800
at least 50 g protein to keep full
every 7-10 days to disregard all the rules and eat bunch - this last thing made two things happen - shake up metabolism so the weight loss would not stop and psychologically not to feel deprived-author advised to do those days on party days. The only thing I needed to do after that day was not to eat untill midday next day-to let body unload the toxins.
It sure worked very well for me. I did go to aerobics class three times a week too-more for happy hormones than for muscle gain.
Metabolism is sure interesting thing.

[Koren]

:)
Yeah, I rarely EAT breakfast. I drink my breakfast. I juice till noon and then I eat a big salad. Today I am going to start a every other day juice fast until I clean out. I am doing Herbal Fiberblend to clean out the colon and I will just do juices every other day for about 2 weeks. I feel better and function better on less food anyway. I am not doing this to lose weight although I am sure that I will. I am doing this for my health.

I agree that the metabolism thing is over-hyped. There is truth to it but like the carbohydrate thing it is over-hyped. If I hear one more person tell me carbs are bad for you, I WILL SCREAM!!! ;) Here's another one, "WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN!??" Well where do you get yours, from a dead animal!!?? I get mine from what the dead animal you just ate used to eat. Sheesh.

OMG! You just gave me the smart-ass response I have been waiting for! Protien, as I'm sure you know, is the biggest question I get asked. I'm totally quoting your words in the future

[juicyraw]

When I was in college, I was staying on the interesting diet and it helped me to keep my weight off for several years after I stopped it.The main things were:
eat anything you want
limit calories-in my case 1800
at least 50 g protein to keep full
every 7-10 days to disregard all the rules and eat bunch - this last thing made two things happen - shake up metabolism so the weight loss would not stop and psychologically not to feel deprived-author advised to do those days on party days. The only thing I needed to do after that day was not to eat untill midday next day-to let body unload the toxins.
It sure worked very well for me. I did go to aerobics class three times a week too-more for happy hormones than for muscle gain.
Metabolism is sure interesting thing.

That's almost exactly what I was doing, right down to the next day not eating until noon. (but fewercalories) I wasn't losing but I imagine it's because I'm older and too many toxins under the bridge. :D

[belleadonna]

That is extremly rare (the orange thing). I'm sick of people throwing that around as the ideal.


Well I don't think that I was throwing that around as the ideal. My point was that after your body is cleaned out and functioning at top level one doesn't need as much food as we used to eat.

[barose]

Well I don't think that I was throwing that around as the ideal. My point was that after your body is cleaned out and functioning at top level one doesn't need as much food as we used to eat.

For some people. There are many long-time raw foodists who eat just as much as a newby (newbie?).

[belleadonna]

Ok, you win.

[the_lab_rat]

Here's another one, "WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN!??" Well where do you get yours, from a dead animal!!?? I get mine from what the dead animal you just ate used to eat. Sheesh.

HAHAHAHA!! That's awesome, I'm totally saying that the next time someone asks me the dreaded protein question! You rawk! :D

[belleadonna]

Thanks. :D

[barose]

Ok, you win.

I'm not trying to win; just giving you my opinion as well. But if you see this as some sort of contest, I’m out.

[rawr]

...I've asked this before, and it was out of curiosity and not trying to discount the way anyone eats.

When people have been eating SAD and have tried a bunch of diets (including Atkins) they learn that fruit and veggies have zero protein. So I think the coffee response is great when someone is trying to give you grief about a raw diet...but some people might just be asking for more info and the truth :)

[belleadonna]

I'm not trying to win; just giving you my opinion as well. But if you see this as some sort of contest, I’m out.


Okay. No harm, no foul. :) No contest here. Have a great day.

[Princess Elaine]

I've been following this thread because I, too, am interested in the word metabolism...I stayed thin most of my life until I reached a certain age (45) and then I gained some weight...gee, was it my metabolism that changed, as I was told by doctors, or just that I was going through a time in my life where I was overeating??? I'll keep following your input and see what you all come up with.

The one thing I've noticed here though and something I'm working on is being defensive...yes, I get the dreaded 'where do you get your protein' question and there's times I want to give a smart aleck answer yet I'm finding people are asking because they're truly interested and I may just be the messenger that gives them just that little bit of info that stays with them on their own journey. I'm a massage therapist and see 12 people a day...many of them know of my journey and I get asked a lot...I keep my answers brief unless they want to know more...and the best thing is being an example for the way I look.

I do understand there's people that want to find a raw foodist wrong but I think they're really few and far between and even they may be probing because they do have a real interest.

I say all this because I have given some pretty snappy replies and now see that a nice sweet answer attracts more bees...is that the right way to say it???

Elaine

[belleadonna]

I would never give that answer or be rude to someone that honestly wants to know. That's for sure. But most of the people that ask me are people who know that I am a vegan and they ask it in a smart alec way. They aren't really interested in how I get my protein if you know what I mean. They just want to start an arguement and put down the vegan way or try to tell me how my body is going to fall apart without 100+ grams of protein a day.

[fingersox]

from my research, you do not need to be starving in order to go into starvation mode. it has nothing to do with if you physically feel hungry but how many cals your body is actually taking in. over an extended period of time your body ajusts to the low cals that you are eating and this becomes the amount of cals your body needs to maintain its weight. that's typically why when people continually eat more than that amount after a while that they gain weight. i dont think it's a myth or "hype" that's just thrown out there but a real consenquence of eating below a certain level of cals that can lead to loss of lean muscle and weakened immune system. it may be easier for those who eat raw to avoid some of the negative affects such as hair loss, lack of energy and poor immune system because the foods that they will be taken in will be good quality and full of nutrients. also, people who are eating less on junk are less likely to be commited to that kind of diet and will most likely gorge and then gain the weight back because they feel unsatisfied and terrible. still, i do not see it as worthwhile for those eating raw to eat under 1, 200 cals a day. i wont argue against the extensive research out there now on fitness and nutrition until i actually see equally well studies for the opposition but thus far there is none. for me, it's not hard to get from 800 cals to about 1, 200 by adding in a few more pieces of fruit and nuts. it's really not enough extra food to make me feel stuffed. however, to each his/her own.

[RawChicky]

from my research, you do not need to be starving in order to go into starvation mode. it has nothing to do with if you physically feel hungry but how many cals your body is actually taking in. over an extended period of time your body ajusts to the low cals that you are eating and this becomes the amount of cals your body needs to maintain its weight. that's typically why when people continually eat more than that amount after a while that they gain weight. i dont think it's a myth or "hype" that's just thrown out there but a real consenquence of eating below a certain level of cals that can lead to loss of lean muscle and weakened immune system. it may be easier for those who eat raw to avoid some of the negative affects such as hair loss, lack of energy and poor immune system because the foods that they will be taken in will be good quality and full of nutrients. also, people who are eating less on junk are less likely to be commited to that kind of diet and will most likely gorge and then gain the weight back because they feel
unsatisfied and terrible. still, i do not see it as worthwhile for those eating raw to eat under 1, 200 cals a day. i wont argue against the extensive research out there now on fitness and nutrition until i actually see equally well studies for the opposition but thus far there is none. for me, it's not hard to get from 800 cals to about 1, 200 by adding in a few more pieces of fruit and nuts. it's really not enough extra food to make me feel stuffed. however, to each his/her own.

Yes I agree with this. My dad who is 6'3, and about 175 pounds eats WAY less than me, calorie-wise (SAD of course). He doesn't usually eat breakfast and has two other small meals a day. I would say the same for my mom, and my good friend who is 145 pounds. I think he rarely eats over 1000 calories a day (not because he's trying to lose weight, just because he forgets to eat and doesn't think about food all that much).

I also know a girl who was severley anorexic for a long time, almost died, and started eating again. She messed up her colon and intestines so much that she gets extremely uncomfortable after she eats, so she eats like once or twice a day. She slowed down her metabolism so much that she carries extra weight around just from the little amount that she eats. and she works out too.


I, on the other hand, eat constantly, mostly fruit and greens, but we're talkin above and beyond 2000 calories a day and I'm 5'3 and rarely top 98 pounds. I don't know what "starvation mode" actually means or if it's real or not, but I do agree that people's bodies get used to the amount of food they are being fed, and can maintain heavier weights on small amounts of food after a while.



Just my experience...

[livenraw]

My protein answer would never be for people who are concerned & really want to know. I had some church members ask me & I was very sincere in my answer to them because I knew they wanted to know more about raw foods. But my co-workers are another story - and you can usually tell when someone is being a smart alec about it 'cuz they'll act like one.

[NYbutterfly]

After reading every reply on this thread, I think we can all come to the conclusion that every body, every metabolism is slightly different. When I was suffering from anorexia, doctors told me that my body was in "starvation mode". This did not mean my body was hanging on to fat, for I had about 8% body fat... it meant that my body was so hungry that it began to break down its own organs - my body was consuming itself for engergy. When I recovered, my metabolism was faster than ever. So I think that every person has a certain level of caloric needs in order to lose or maintain weight. Just like some people lose weight on raw foods and others don't (I have actually gained). This whole "starvation mode" thing is quite misunderstood, I think.

[jamesfarrell]

Here's what was a revelation for me. I ate dinner. Spinach shake with collard greens and dandilion greens (CAN YOU SAY YUK) with 2tbsp ground flax (GROSS - I LIKE SELF TORTURE) and choked down some nuts and some oatmeal (I know it's not 100% raw - working on it)

Anyhow, my stomach was full, but I was still starved. Was I? So I asked myself why I was still hungry, even though my stomach was full. I asked myself what I wanted. Chocolate chip cookies. AHHHH !!!!!

There ya go. I was not hungry, but craving junk. So I went and did some stuff and I forgot about food. When I get like this I just tell myself "It's just food"

Not a big enough thing to make a big deal out of. I'm just firming my brain and beliefs to understand that food is no longer enjoyable. Soon, that belief will be accepted fully and I wont care.

cool ha?

The toughest part is when I'm over a familys house and they're eating thanksgiving dinner and I'm mixing vegetables in my blender. I will not cave in though. IT'S JUST FOOD.

Kevin

[belleadonna]

Is that your picture NYbutterfly?? If so, you are very beautiful. :eek:

[belleadonna]

My protein answer would never be for people who are concerned & really want to know. I had some church members ask me & I was very sincere in my answer to them because I knew they wanted to know more about raw foods. But my co-workers are another story - and you can usually tell when someone is being a smart alec about it 'cuz they'll act like one.

How true!!

[juicyraw]

I read a book over the weekend written by a biochemist form the 1960's (same one who wrote Beating The Food Giants (http://www.whale.to/v/stitt_b.html) [online copy, it's out of print]). He said that everyone's metabolism is different. Two people of the same activity, sex, height & weight will have wildly different metabolisms. The charts could be thrown out the window. He said you have to determine your own... and it may be no more than 1000 calories a day.

[jamesfarrell]

I've eaten up to 5000 calories a day and use to never work out, and was 6'0 180. Now I'm more conscious of the calories I eat and when I found out I was eating 5000 calories a day I was like HOLY CRAP. I still eat about 3000 + calories a day, but mostly from good stuff, eventually mostly raw. So 3 years ago, I became organic conscious and I'm still @ 6'0 180, somtimes fluctuating between 175 and 180. I'm just kind of mad because I've been doing more situps than any marine has ever done for the past 3 years, but still don't have abs, because there is a 10lb layer of fat covering them. That's gotta go. Soon.

The difference from then and now is that I am a lower body fat now, where I think is was a fat sob before @ 180. I've tried everything to get down to 170, but the only thing that is going to do it is 100% raw. I'm not at that level yet.

I burn calories when I think, and I'm not kidding. I get up at work and bust out 20 pushups in front of a whole bunch of people. They think I'm insane. Maybe I am, I'm just not cut out for office crap. I feel like jumping through the frign walls here.

I think a sedentary mindset = slow metabolism. I welcome new members to the fast thinkers club. :D

Seriously though, I sometimes have to slow my brain down to listen to what others are saying. I'm not being an egotist here, but I find often that others just do and think very slow. I usually spit out and answer before they even think of the question. I know that sounds whacked, but it happens all the time.

But I think that you need to help your body by thinking a certain way. There's no reason why you can't burn calories @ work. Burn em with the most powerful tool in the universe. YA MIND YO

[Shoshannah]

Seriously though, I sometimes have to slow my brain down to listen to what others are saying. I'm not being an egotist here, but I find often that others just do and think very slow. I usually spit out and answer before they even think of the question. I know that sounds whacked, but it happens all the time.


That is so strange.... I am the same way. Sometimes I think the world is in slow motion and it can really drive me nuts. I actually have to slow down my speech so that other people can follow what I am saying. I am always three steps ahead of everyone else and wondering where the heck they are and why they can't do things as fast as I can. Needless to say, I am very irritating to my husband and children :(

I personally think it is more of a problem with me than others, however. I am wired for fast forward and I think much faster than I can talk or act... this have been accentuated by raw foodism, too.

I wonder how many other people are like this. :confused:

There must be a support group out there somewhere for those of us with fast forward brains!

[jamesfarrell]

Fast thinker in a slow world, that's all. I consider it a gift,not a disorder. I can do anything I want. There's nothing I can't do really. I fix EVERYTHING that breaks myself, even if I have no idea what I'm doing. I just hate not knowing how to do something. This is primarily why I hate life. Because there are some answers kept from me and I don't like being in the dark and I don't like games. I'm a very up front person. No BS.

I'm more at peace now and just sort of laugh at it. I don't make fun of others that seem slow, I just consider myself a fast thinker. It does contribute to a fast metabolism. I won't tell you how many times I go to the bathroom per day. sometimes I think my metabolism is too fast to absorb nutrients from my food and it wont matter when I go to 100% raw, I'll still feel drained.

I'm incorporating more and more peace into my life. The last straw is my job. I work in IT and on the east coast it's WORK WORK WORK. Not condusive to peace. I'm just resting in the fact that the world is going down the s-tube and I don't really care :D

Why? Because my world is what exists within my mind. Everybody else I speak with. Their world is full of terrorism and looking over their shoulder and freaking out and being paranoid. I already understand I'm not my body, but more. I close my eyes, forget my name and lose every shed of who I think I am, yet there is this presence that remains not of the body. THIS IS ME.

Sorry to go off on a metaphysical tangent on a food forum, but I think they are both related. It's so hard though sometimes as I feel like I'm on a carnival ride that wont stop. Coupled with having to slow myself down to speak to people and always having my mind cast off in the distant future means that I've never actually lived 1 single second of my own life.

I'm struggling to bring myself into the now by doing everything backwards as far as what I've done before. It all starts in the mind and this is also where raw food comes in. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.

kevin

[barose]

Slow down and you'll live longer. :D

The people I know who know how to slow down and seem to have a calmer disposition tend to be the healthiest and age slower than those who rush (physically and mentally). It’s a generalization, but still an observation.

[Shoshannah]

Hee hee Kevin,

S-l-o-w d-o-w-n you type too fast! ;)

Yep, I am trying to come to peace with the way I am wired and hopefully I will get it together soon. I talk way too fast, think too fast, act too fast and I feel like I am trapped in that one episode of Star Trek....don't remember the name but some of the crew ingested a drink that made them accelerated to the point where they were like buzzing insects and the rest of the crew were seemingly in slow motion.... almost standing still. That is my world and sometimes I don't like it.

I wish I could chill a little, but the fast forward button got pushed long ago and I haven't found the means to turn it down.... and then I have to struggle with trying not to be judgmental towards people who are not the human equivalent of Speedy Gonzalez.

Arieba, Arieba for now....

[Shoshannah]

Slow down and you'll live longer. :D

The people I know who know how to slow down and seem to have a calmer disposition tend to be the healthiest and age slower than those who rush (physically and mentally). It’s a generalization, but still an observation.

How do I slow down? I wish I knew. I don't understand the concept... I walk fast, talk fast, work fast, and it takes so much concentration to slow down that I get frustrated to the point of anger. Other people get frustrated with me as well.

I do have a few medical issues I am dealing with... maybe my accelerated mindset/lifestyle is the culprit. I will say that I do look young for my age- many people think that I am in my late 20's and I am actually almost 44. Guess I move too fast for the wrinkles to catch up to me:) .

Anyway, I apologize for highjacking this really informative thread with my baggage...back to starvation.....

[jamesfarrell]

You slow down by starting to think differently. I have had bad ocd with cleaning.
Every out of place atom I would see, I would pick up. The cat would **** in the litter box, I'd immediatly dispose of said excrement and vacuum any litter on the rug. The bed had to be made military style every time we got up before going to slave camp (work).

Now, I still think fast, but I don't act fast. I just see people that do things slow, when I do things, I do them fast, to completion, but without stress. I make everyday activities into exercize. When your sitting on your *** all day for your job, you need to get up and do something. I feel like I'm climbing out my skin most of the time. But there is a difference now. I don't incorporate / believe in any type of stress. In traffic, I breathe and put in earplugs. By the time I'm 1/2 way home, I'm in a semi-trance. This is ok for driving as I'm not an idiot who drives 2" off the guy in fronts bumper like the other 99% of the FOOLS in this state, whom wind up on their roof in the gutter on the highway as I drive by waving with a smile on my face. Sometimes I don't even look.

So I do things differently now. I wipe the left leg first out of the shower instead of the right. I brush my teeth at different times. Whatever I've done before as a stressed out a-hole, I do now differently as an unstressed individual. You have to incorporate change slowly and incorporate what I call the observer and watch how your thinking constantly. A daunting task at first, but a good skill once required as your monitoring yourself for stressfull triggers from the environment and your reaction to them, so you can program a different reaction. It's as simple as out with the old, in with the new.

I've written about this extensively in a book I wrote "Operators manual for the human brain"

Not a plug. Free to anyone who wants a copy of the e-book. Start small and observe your reactions and the reactions of others to the environment. The environment is only getting worse, so it seems. But if you program your reactions to it appropriately, you'll be living in bliss, while others are living in hell. It's all a matter of your consistent state you hold. So to the person who mentioned that a relaxed mindset is healthier. I couldn't agree more. I've been working on this for 3 years. I've improved dramatically and I no longer get sick, at all. I still have work to do as my utter HATE for my job I've yet to overcome and things like hearing about the ups and downs of the stock market and big business and government make my skin want to crawl, as this is the source of the GREED and DISHARMONY of humanity and the planet.

So I try to block it out the best I can, but I hope the stock market crashes. I hope the oil runs out and the lights shut off and God hits the reset button and rids the planet of the greedy filth that run the planet and everyone else wakes up.

See? There I go again, letting it in. It's a constant battle, but it's all how I look at it. But while I'm in the game, contributing to the demise of society, helping big business run by ensuring that their Databases work properly, it's so damn tough to dissasociate myself from the FILTH and the GREED that pull the strings. I just pray that the reset button gets hit sooner or later.

How does all of this relate to food? It all does in a big way. It's all about slowing down and waking up. When we're in fast mode, we're not paying attention. These are the people that stuff McDonalds cheeseburgers down their throats without even realizing they're at McDonalds. Unconscious.
At least in fast thinker mode, I'm thinking and analyzing and being diligent about what is going to affect me in an adverse manner and what is not.

Peace

Kevin

[jamesfarrell]

Also, caffine and other CRAP food will accellerate your nervous system. Raw food will help you have a clearer mind and be able to slow down.

Caffine is absolute crap. I never liked it and always wondered where my anxiety came from. Gave up soda and switched to decaf coffee. Anxiety and panic attacks = GONE. Imagine that ha? No guesser (doctor) would ever tell you that, they just give you pills.

[rawr]

I think everyone has a pace that feels natural to them. I know for a fact that I'm on the slower end of the spectrum - I dislike feeling speedy (no coffee for me) and multi-tasking under pressure to meet external cues (like the skills needed to be a kickass wait staff or salesperson) just doesn't work for me. Sometimes I wish it did, because it seems like the "faster" & extroverted types easily get lots of rewards and appreciation in our society.

Now multi-tasking to fit a deadline where I can self-pace works great for me. I am able to take advantage of how easy and enjoyable it is to go into deep focus and how it is really difficult to distract me. I'm also a deep sleeper, love meditation and reading, can acquire and integrate large amounts of information in a very systematic manner, I'm effortlessly intuitive, and enjoy yoga and making art.

[Shoshannah]

I think everyone has a pace that feels natural to them. I know for a fact that I'm on the slower end of the spectrum - I dislike feeling speedy (no coffee for me) and multi-tasking under pressure to meet external cues (like the skills needed to be a kickass wait staff or salesperson) just doesn't work for me. Sometimes I wish it did, because it seems like the "faster" & extroverted types easily get lots of rewards and appreciation in our society.

Now multi-tasking to fit a deadline where I can self-pace works great for me. I am able to take advantage of how easy and enjoyable it is to go into deep focus and how it is really difficult to distract me. I'm also a deep sleeper, love meditation and reading, can acquire and integrate large amounts of information in a very systematic manner, I'm effortlessly intuitive, and enjoy yoga and making art.

Dang, I wish I were you! Like you said, everyone has a natural pace and I guess mine is just accelerated. I even speed read and speed eat, LOL. It would be great to be more introspective and not so die hard frenetic all the time.

My husband is also a lot like you... very laid back and deliberate. I run circles around him like a tasmanian devil on speed, but he still loves me anyway.:D

[Shoshannah]

Also, caffine and other CRAP food will accellerate your nervous system. Raw food will help you have a clearer mind and be able to slow down.

Unfortunately, not to knock down raw foods, but I found myself even more accelerated when raw. I suppose it is an energy boost and manifests itself in fast paced living for me.

I like what Storm Talifero said once about raw foodists needing to learn how to release the energy from raw or else they will slip back into cooked food. If I didn't run around like the energizer bunny twelve hours a day I would explode!

[NYbutterfly]

Is that your picture NYbutterfly?? If so, you are very beautiful. :eek:



That was very nice of you, Belleadonna, thanks for the complement! Yes, that's me :)

[rawr]

Dang, I wish I were you! Like you said, everyone has a natural pace and I guess mine is just accelerated. I even speed read and speed eat, LOL. It would be great to be more introspective and not so die hard frenetic all the time.

My husband is also a lot like you... very laid back and deliberate. I run circles around him like a tasmanian devil on speed, but he still loves me anyway.:D

Oh man, I wish I had more of what you have! I think it would be great to naturally have lots of energy to spare and get a lot accomplished. It has taken me a long time to appreciate what comes naturally to me. Eating high raw seems to help me feel mentally lighter/more spontaneous and less deliberate - more in balance, I guess. I wonder if eating raw can be balancing for "faster" types too...

[Sunshine9]

Seriously though, I sometimes have to slow my brain down to listen to what others are saying. I'm not being an egotist here, but I find often that others just do and think very slow. I usually spit out and answer before they even think of the question. I know that sounds whacked, but it happens all the time.

My mind is the same way. QUICK! We all function uniquely. I notice that my boyfriend & I do chemistry problems together, and I race through one and then go back and retrace it twice to get my answer. My boyfriend does it slowly, methodically, writing slowly and thinking deeply. We get the same answer but our mind methods are so different!! (haha I was BORN for timed tests)

I think our bodies are the same way. I still can't quite figure out my metabolism, so i'm going to rest that it's fast. At least it was in high school. My "personality quirk" in high school was how much i could eat, and how little i would gain. People thought it was hilarious. Somewhere a couple years later that caught up with me & I gained, but I dont know that its because of my metabolism slowed. Just other life factors came into play then.

We're all different, all meant to be different. I relish in exploring my body, working with my body. Exploring what foods it loves, what foods i love & it doesn't, how it feels best, how it feels worst.

While it certainly makes us different, I don't believe that we are victim to metabolism, genes, or any other factor. We're all responsible for our actions & thoughts, and metabolism is an aside.

[Shoshannah]

Welcome to the Fast thinkers in a Slow World club, Sunshine9!

I will show you our secret handshake once JamesFarrell teaches it to me...:D

[Stina]

If I tapped into the correct thread for starvation mode...... hee hee, I just wanted to comment that I'm on day eight of a fast and still out doing labor-intensive work and doing fine. I am drinking a little juice but didn't know that I was capable of this. I'm about twenty pounds overweight so I guess I'm running on blubber.....or sunshine.

[jamesfarrell]

Meh, 20 lbs is nothing, I prefer women that are not showing ribs.

Think about this. A lot of people are 80 lbs overweight. That's a bag of cement.

[Stina]

Meh, 20 lbs is nothing, I prefer women that are not showing ribs.

Think about this. A lot of people are 80 lbs overweight. That's a bag of cement.

Thanks James! I give a comfortable, soft hug with that twenty pounds and I'm sending one your way!

[jamesfarrell]

Why thank you, I'm sure your looking absolutely fabulous ;)