Say if you ate something like salad and that was it, and ate loads of it so you were never hungry and drunk plenty of water, you couldnt reach your 1400cals goal per day and so what would your body do? ..slip into starvation mode or would it be fine....

Not that this is what i do, i wouldnt survive on salad and just salad

I don't think it would be fine. The body needs many various nutrients and most salads provide very few of them. We need fats, proteins, carbohydrates, calcium, and other vital nutrients. If a person is not getting those nutrients in, the body is not going to be healthy, no matter how many calories the food has. How would a person maintain their muscle mass on salads, for example? There is much more to consider than calories.

I agree with 1TiredGradStudent. It's not just a matter of whether one feels hungry--it's basic nutrition. Without enough nutrients, the body can't repair itself, and yes, it doesn't matter how many lettuce calories you eat--you'd still basically be starved for those nutrients.

The best way to go for weight loss is to have a balance of nutrients, but eat about 500 cals less than what the body burns (resting metabolism plus any exercise). That will drop weight about a pound a week, on average.

Also, I think it's good to take multivitamins and calcium/magnesium supplements while on a weight loss program, because those nutrients are especially important.

Jay

DOnt get me wrong, id never eat salad and just salad. I know that the body needs nutrients. I was just wondering whether eating one type of food and not getting the right amount of nutrients would result in the body going into starvation mode?

I'd say the short answer is Yes--if someone tried to do it for very long (as in, over a week). But I think most people would get so starved-feeling that they would eat something more after a few days. I know I would!

Jay

You would be sluggish because you are not getting all of the nutrients that your body needs...

I know a couple of girls who eat nothing but salad and fruit with a little bit of fish and they are skin and bones. Not to attractive if you ask me.

If you ate your calories of all one thing for quite some time (like all fruit, all veggies, all protein, etc.) it isn't really a matter of your body going into "starvation mode", as you said-meaning that your body would start slowing down its metabolism-but more like you would be doing a different sort of damage to your body.

If you eat nothing but salad or veggies for a week...then what happens is that your body doesn't recieve enough fat-which can affect the hair, nails, and skin visibly-brittle hair, dry skin, etc. and over time, it can cause damage. Your body has to have a certain amount of fat for your organs.

If you ate nothing but fruit or veggies for a week-another concern is that you would not get any protein. Protein is what feeds your muscles. If you don't eat any protein, then your muscles starve. If you exercise to gain muscle, and then starve it...it doesn't make any sense. You will lose muscle, rather than gain it, by starving it.

If you eat nothing but meat for a week or longer-you will miss out on fiber, which will cause problems for you digestively, and then you miss out on all of the vitamins and fiber, and antiaging properties, and antioxidants in fruits and veggies.

So...it isn't a good idea to just eat a certain group of food and nothing else.


So-this comes around to answer your question. If you are eating a balanced diet, then it shouldn't be that hard to "eat all day" (as your question posed) and get your calories in. It's hard to eat all day, and consume fat and protein in the process, and only end up with 800 calories, for instance. If you are not getting your calories in, and are ending up way too low-then your diet is lacking somewhere. To eat all day and not get them in-most likely you would be skipping out in the fat or protein department.

Also, it takes longer than a week for starvation mode to kick in. It is a phrase commonly thrown around. An illness for a few days where your food intake is light won't do it, but weeks on end of too low calories would be more likely to produce the effect-not a few days.

But-eating too low calorie causes other issues instead, such as malnutrition, and a higher risk for things such as gallstones. (Too quick weight loss is linked to gallstones-which is why many people, including my mother, have had issues, and gallbladder surgery from the popular crash diets in the 70's and 80's.)

Interesting insight...

This weight loss thing is an insane balancing act!

Maybe you should start taking a multivitamin so that you get the nutrients you need. I recently reduced my calories and have been taking vitamins so that I'm not malnourished while eating a reduced calorie diet.

Vitamins are good, but it is also important to remember that there are many things that we can't get from vitamins-such as the cancer fighting properties and phytochemicals that are in fruits and vegetables, for instance. This also goes for "fortified foods" such as cereals with added vitamins, meal replacement drinks, etc.