Body image issues are rampant in the world today. And the weight loss industry, along with social media, plays a major role in how people perceive their bodies and their health.
Unfortunately, this has also led to people starving themselves in order to make themselves fit into the current beauty standards. However, does starving yourself make you skinny or help shed those extra pounds? Here’s what you need to know about how starving impacts your body.
Does Starving Yourself Make You Skinny?
Naturally, reducing the amount of food you consume will make you lose weight. But starving yourself is an extreme step and is never healthy for your body or mind.
There are certainly other ways than starving if you want to get fitter and have that summer-bod. Starving your body can contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle that can easily become harmful, and in extreme cases, fatal.
It is important to know that starvation isn’t always self-imposed; it could also be due to eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. While eating disorders require extensive professional help, starvation needs to be actively avoided at all costs.
What Happens To The Body When It Starves
The effect of starvation on your body depends on your age, size, and overall health.
During the first few hours of starvation, your body attempts to maintain your blood sugar levels by creating glycogen inside your liver. This glycogen only lasts for a few hours, after which your body targets its stored fats and proteins.
Continued starvation for weeks would lead to your body fat being broken down into ketones inside your liver. Gradually, your body runs out of stored fat and turns to your stored proteins and breaks down your muscle tissues to access the protein. Long-term tissue breakdown coupled with other ailments due to low immunity will eventually cause death.
Here is a list of some of the side effects of starvation:
#1. Dizziness
Restricting your calorie intake would lead to a drop in your blood sugar levels. Your glucose intake needs to remain at optimal levels for your brain to function effectively.
Lack of glucose supply to your brain tissues leads to decreased activity in your brain cells, thus leading to dizziness.
#2. Malnutrition
The World Health Organisation defines malnutrition as the deficiency, excess, or imbalance of specific nutrients. If you don’t consume a balanced diet containing nutrients, vitamins, and minerals every day, malnutrition can have devastating effects on your body. Starving is an extreme measure that will amplify the effects of malnutrition.
#3. Drop In Blood Pressure
Given that your body is depleted of food, and sometimes water, while starving, your blood pressure levels decrease. Low blood pressure can lead to a host of problems, especially as it deprives your body of the oxygen necessary for your organs to function properly. Prolonged hypertension will lead to irregular heart function, fever, and constricted breathing as well.
#4. Fatigue
A healthy diet coupled with exercise and rest can stave off any bodily distresses. However, starvation can cause fatigue of varying levels. It can slow down your body functions and upset the balance of nutrients in your body. You’d be left feeling weak, making it tough to perform everyday activities.
#5. Dehydration
A properly functioning body has an adequate amount of water involved in organ functions. If you skip your meals, you risk dehydration and other problems that could have been avoided in the first place.
For example, dehydration could lead to dry skin, constipation, increased body heat, etc. Your glycogen levels drastically fall when starved, and the electrolyte balance in your body is disrupted as well.
#6. Increased Symptoms Of Emotional Distress
Starving impacts your cognitive abilities and leads to symptoms like moodiness, irritability, and emotional distress. It can cause you to deal with high-pressure situations poorly and even lead to you experiencing anxiety and depression.
#7. Irregular Menstruation
Starvation can lead to your fat cells shrinking, which would lead to a shortage of estrogen hormone. Fat cells are responsible for the production of sex hormones in the body. This inevitably leads to irregular menstrual cycles, which can get very painful and bothersome.
#8. Constipation
You’ll notice that people with unbalanced diets tend to use laxatives regularly in order to keep their bodies clean. Constipation is one of the effects caused by starvation. While laxatives may seem like they’re harmless, prolonged usage can cause rectal prolapse. In addition, the accumulation of waste in your body can severely harm your physical health.
#9. Slow Functioning Organs
Your body works in a certain rhythm every day and is replenished by the food and water consumed. Food deprivation exhausts the existing energy stores in the body. While you’re contemplating does starving yourself make you skinny, your body’s resting metabolic rate falls and your organs considerably slow down.
#10. Loss Of Muscle Mass
Confusing fat with muscle is a deadly mistake. Often, people who attempt to lose weight by starving end up sacrificing their lean muscle mass and lean body mass, including bones, organs, and water.
Decreasing your bone density makes you more prone to injury. Consuming the required amount of calories is important; otherwise, your body is forced to deplete its stored energy. With time, your organs could even shrink up to 20% because of routine starvation.
Healthy Weight Loss Tips
#1. First and foremost, do not skip your breakfast! This is the first meal you eat after several hours of fasting at night. Skipping breakfast and starving would only lead to sporadic snacking through the day, which is counterproductive to your weight loss plan.
#2. Plan your meals as much as you can. If your fitness trainer recommends a specific amount of calories and nutrients, design your plate accordingly. You can throw in a few healthy treats like fruits or fresh-pressed juices.
#3. Never ban food items under the guise of cutting down food. This would only intensify your cravings; instead, indulge in the food occasionally and in small amounts.
#4. Focus more on high-fiber foods like oats, vegetables, fruits, lentils, beans, etc. These foods can make you feel full and pass through your system easily, making them ideal for weight loss.
#5. Apart from food habits, engage in some physical exercise so you can become fit while losing a few extra pounds. It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercises; it could be a game of badminton or regular brisk walks.
What Is The Difference Between Starving And Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) became highly popular in 2012 due to “East Fast, Live Longer,” a TV documentary by BBC broadcast journalist Dr. Michael Mosley.
This led to several celebrities discovering IF and raving about its effectiveness. Healthline defines IF as “an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.” It focuses more on your eating pattern than what you eat.
There are several methods of practicing IF, such as the 16/8 method, Eat-Stop-Eat, and the 5:2 diet. All of these involve restricting your eating period to specific times and fasting during the rest. These methods can be customized according to your preferred food intake.
While starving can deplete your body’s energy and nutrients quickly, fasting simply adjusts your hormone levels to access your stored body fat. The level of human growth hormone in your body increases, insulin levels drop and improve insulin sensitivity, and cell repair processes are initiated.
Most importantly, the fat-burning hormone norepinephrine is released during short-term fasting. This may even lead to a 3.6-14% increase in your metabolic rate, as opposed to it decreasing due to starving.
A Few Parting Words
Wanting to look a certain way does not have to involve severe malnutrition or organ damage. Next time you wonder, “does starving yourself make you skinny?”, remember that there are holistic ways of going about weight loss.
Treat your body with kindness and opt for healthier habits that have long-term benefits!
