# Does not eating make you fat?



## RBT83 (Aug 28, 2018)

I'm new to this forum, so I thought I'd post a question that has been on my mind for a little while. Does not eating actually make you fat?

I read a lot of posts from people asking how to lose weight. Without even looking, I know the first poster is always going to say: "its very simple: calories in versus calories out. You need to eat under your TDEE, increase cardio, do weights etc etc". Now, this kind of advice does irk me somewhat, because I know it is not quite that simple for everyone.

Take me for example. I have been overweight my whole life. When I say overweight, I don't mean the kind where you can't fit your ass into an aeroplane seat. I mean the type of overweight where fat clings and hangs all over your body - large pinches of fat that never, ever go away. To the naked eye, and with clothes on, I would perhaps be described as 'slightly stocky' or 'well built'. But never in a million years have I been described as fat or overweight (its actually quite funny when I step on the scales at the GP and the doctor sees my weight and becomes baffled by the fact I am technically obese). Yet, when I take my top off, it is almost unfathomable - fat protruding and hanging ungainly from my body. In the cave man days, I would probably be described as the ideal man - someone with vast amounts of fat stores to use when food is not readily available. This, however, is not necessarily the case in the modern world.

When I read about the amount of food people eat when on a 'diet', I actually cannot believe how much they are actually eating. Eat 500 calories under your TDEE to lose 1Ib of fat a week they say. Well, I literally eat around 500 calories a day, every day and do not lose any weight whatsoever. I do get hungry now and then, but I have been eating this number of calories for such a long time that these 'hunger pains' are just a normal part of my life. So, by basing my BMR on an average 2000 calories a day, I'm eating maybe between 1000-1500 calories under my BMR (depending on how much additional tea/coffee, alcohol etc I may drink - which inst much). And, to top it off, I have been doing this for at least the last 15 years of my life. If I dare have a binge and eat say, 2500 calories in a day, I can literally feel my fat stores growing.

I have tried nearly all diets known to man (keto, low carb, paleo, low fat etc etc ). I've tried long term cardio and weight routines (lasting over a year, 4 days a week) HITT, intermittent fasting (so no food whatsoever by mouth for a few days), yet nothing seems to make a change in my body composition or weight. I may lose a very small amount of weight (probably water weight) by doing this but nothing ever of great note. Plus, as soon as I stop and return to a 500 calorie daily diet, I will literally get back to where I started (weight wise) within a couple of weeks.

Now, you are probably reading this and thinking I'm making it up. Well I would too, as funnily enough have a degree in Sports Science and Nutrition so have a reasonably good understanding of how the body works - the breakdown of energy, ATP expenditure, metabolism etc

As a last resort, I have also tried cycling various (illegal/prescription) weight loss and thyroid medicines to see if that makes any difference. Well, in all honesty, I can't say it has really done anything bar suppress my appetite even further.

So, my question is this: Does not eating actually make you fat? Can your body get to a point where it can function on such a low number of calories, that it simply says 'f**k you', I'm not going to bother metabolising your food, and any additional food that you do take in, I'm going to store as additional fat anyway.

Thanks for listening. I'd been interested in hearing your opinions because simply exercising and eating under your TDEE/BMR doesn't seem to work for me...anyway. Maybe I'm just a freak!


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## SimpleLimit (Aug 13, 2016)

If your eating 500 a day, your body most likely think you are starving and will try to keep hold of all that weight..

Do you have any medical conditions that might tell you why you are overweight?

Anyways, I never go below 2000 kcal, if I am down there and weight has stalled I add in cardio, that's it, or switch to an IF diet. Which seems to work for me..


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## Owl man (Apr 18, 2016)

Have you had bloods done ?


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## Sasnak (Oct 11, 2016)

I'm no expert in these issues but it certainly seems that if you go really low on cals your body will go into starvation mode and whilst you won't gain weight your body will be trying to hold onto as much as it can. When you do finally eat more there's a rebound and the body is still holding onto what it can plus storing as much as it can. I think this is why diets are better slow and steady. I certainly see happening with women.


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## ILLBehaviour (Dec 20, 2014)

RBT83 said:


> I'm new to this forum, so I thought I'd post a question that has been on my mind for a little while. Does not eating actually make you fat?
> 
> I read a lot of posts from people asking how to lose weight. Without even looking, I know the first poster is always going to say: "its very simple: calories in versus calories out. You need to eat under your TDEE, increase cardio, do weights etc etc". Now, this kind of advice does irk me somewhat, because I know it is not quite that simple for everyone.
> 
> ...


 what are your stats and what are you eating daily ?


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## Brook877 (May 16, 2012)

The most simple answer is normally the most likely to be correct...

so, you're not eating 500 calories, you're eating that several times over and either not tracking your food or you're not being honest with yourself.

you can't be fat on 500cals for 15years, people who starve to death don't die fat.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

RBT83 said:


> Does not eating actually make you fat?


 No.

It is important distinguish between fat gain/loss and weight gain/loss though, since weight can be significantly be affected by water retention, which in turn can be affected by calorie restriction via cortisol and separately by fat cells storing some water too. Take the time to listen to the following excellent podcast to get a fuller explanation:

https://sigmanutrition.com/episode65/

If you eat fewer calories than you use then the energy has to come from somewhere, which for prolonged calorie restriction essentially has to mean from body fat or muscle. There is no possibility that you are somehow 'special' and that this doesn't apply to you.

Do you weight train and/or do any other exercise?


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## TURBS (Oct 21, 2013)

RBT83 said:


> So, my question is this: Does not eating actually make you fat? Can your body get to a point where it can function on such a low number of calories, that it simply says 'f**k you', I'm not going to bother metabolising your food, and any additional food that you do take in, I'm going to store as additional fat anyway.


 I was seriously ill three years ago and dropped from a normal diet with additional shakes to eating probably less than 500 calories a day. My diet consisted of barely one meal a day, being a bowl of soup & some bread or a bacon sandwich, or if eaten nothing and feeling dizzy I drank a pint of milk.

The weight absolutely fell off me, I lost over three stone in a couple of months. This habit obviously had a hard impact on my body and I had constant blackouts and a low immune system making me susceptible to catching anything in the air. A few months down the line when I started eating a little bit better everything just went on the gut due to immobility. It took a very long time to recover from the illness and even longer to combat the damage I had caused to myself from this appetite loss.

So in summary, from my experience your body needs it's maintenance calories in clean food and regular exercise is a must to lose that fat.

Back to your question... I really don't see how you have managed this for fifteen years :confused1:


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## Lifesizepenguin (Jul 25, 2016)

eat more. eat ABOVE your BMR.

make sure this isn't body dysmorphia.

have you got pics or stats?


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## Fadi (Dec 14, 2010)

RBT83 said:


> *Does not eating make you fat?*


 Yes, especially when that "not eating" is done in the way you've been doing it.

To summarise your post (the way I see it), I'd say that you're someone who has a very high fat to muscle mass ratio, and someone who likes to binge on 2500 calories more often than he likes to admit to himself.

You're not even 1% smarter than the most intelligent survival machine on planet Earth; your own body..., period!

Getting back to answering your question, "does not eating make you fat?" I'm here to tell you that people who effectively starve themselves (and yes that does include you), will most definitely lose weight, all type of weight; muscle weight fat weight water weight, until they hit a weight loss disorder we call anorexia nervosa (and no, you're not excluded).

However , that's not what's been happening with you, not because you come from planet Mars, but because what you've been doing you've only been doing on a temporarily basis ... during the last 15 years!

Your body could qualify for the World's #1 expert body, in how to gain fat on the lowest amount of caloric intake known to mankind ... not a joke. Your body has become so finely tuned to the way you've been treating it (make that mistreating it), that it's doing its absolute best to stay alive. Its homeostasis has "got it" by now ... after 15 years of abuse, that the only way it's going to survive the starvation onslaught you've been subjecting it to, would be to slow its metabolism down to beyond significantly. So when you eat those 2500 calories again (when on a binge), it simply takes each and every single calorie it can master, and converts it directly into adipose tissue, you know, the type you've described above in your post.

Is there a solution to this major problem of yours? The answer is yes absolutely, it's called a *change in your lifestyle*, a long term type of a solution.

Time for a change before you get even fatter than you already are.

I make no apology for being blunt!


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

Eating 500 calories a day and not losing weight?

I guarantee what is happening is you are dieting and then binging then dieting then binging.

You can load an app on your phone myfitnesspal

Record everything. Eat a reasonable amount of food, the app can help you get a rough estimate of how much to eat. Give it a few weeks and if your not losing weight then lower calories a little.

It needs to be a diet you can stick with as right now you are starving yourself and then binging.

It's not starvation mode, why would your body go into starvation mode if it has plenty of bodyfat to use.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

monkeybiker said:


> Eating 500 calories a day and not losing weight?
> 
> I guarantee what is happening is you are dieting and then binging then dieting then binging.
> 
> ...


 This.

If you're eating 3500 calories a week you'll be losing weight, you'll be eating more than you think are 100%.


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## Gaggi (Jul 23, 2018)

SimpleLimit said:


> If your eating 500 a day, your body most likely think you are starving and will try to keep hold of all that weight..


 This is what happened to me. At one point, I dropped my calories down to 1,320 per day. I got quite lean this way, but I didn't get shredded. I stalled somewhere around 10% bodyfat while I was hoping to get somewhere around 7 or so.

At this point, I was walking around starving, to the point where it was difficult to function. I realized that the reason I wasn't getting any leaner was that my body was hoarding what fat I had left as it thought that I was starving and it was trying to save me from dying.

There's a member here on this forum who responded to one of my recent threads who is natural and has gotten very lean; he's posted photos and he looks quite shredded.

He has stated that he consumes somewhere around 2,800 calories a day. I was amazed that anyone could possibly get that shredded on 2,800 calories. Though, I don't know what his cardio regimen is.


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## RBT83 (Aug 28, 2018)

Apologies for the delay in replying - being new to the forum - it took a couple of days for a moderator to accept my post. Many thanks to everyone for their replies. It's really interesting to hear other people's opinions.

Taking it all in, I think I subscribe to the fact that my body has become so accustomed to such a low number of calories that it does everything it can to hold onto those calories and that anything above and beyond those calories - it will do it's very best to add fat stores.

For those interested, I'm 35, I'm 6ft 1 and I weigh 216Ib. I've always been fairly well built but have struggled with eating most of my life. Bar the odd day or two I literally eat no more than 500-800 calories - I can't really do intermittent fasting because it's too easy, plus I've technically been intermittent fasting for the last 15 years anyway - unknowingly I might add.

I do track my calories on myfitnesspal and have weighed myself the last couple of weeks. I've not changed my exercise routine to keep it simple.

Starting weight = 216lb

After week 1 = 214.8Ib (215lb half an hour later after drinking some water only).

After week 2 = 215.5lb

After week 3 = 216lb

Today's calorie intake consisted of (a typical day but replace sausages with chicken, beef etc)

4 X instant coffee with semi skimmed milk = 248kcal

2 X mini peperami = 80 kcal

1 X tin of Heinz chicken soup = 212 kcal

2 X Aldi frozen sausages = 200kcal

1 X Lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad = 100 kcal

Total = 840 kcal

I might have a couple of vodkas and diet coke later so you can probably round it up to 1000 kcal today

Ok, a little more than I would eat on an average day, because I wouldn't usually have the soup but I wanted to be honest about what I have had today.

Either way, with my TDEE being around 2250 kcal, it's still a fair bit under that.

Lastly, I don't have any medical problems I am aware of. I do wonder sometimes if I have hypothyroidism but I have self prescribed with thyroid medicine to see if it made any difference - which it didn't unfortunately.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Every single well controlled study ever confirms that fat loss over time is related to average energy balance over the same duration. When people appear to have a large discrepancy between their energy intake and the predicted changes in body composition, one of the following is always true:



They are inaccurately measuring their energy/food intake over time. They may get it right on some days, but are way off on other days - or they might be off all the time, or are varied from day to day but averaging what they think is right only for certain days that aren't typical to the rest. Inaccuracy in energy balance measurement is the number one reason by far behind any apparent discrepancy of this kind in most people, and can happen in either direction. It even happens with experienced and qualified athletes and nutritional coaches with years of experience in food tracking.


Extreme inaccuracy in estimating activity levels. People who barely move all day often type in 'moderately active' in calorie calculators, and people who believe they have super fast metabolisms often don't consider hours of stranding on their feet or walking each day as having an impact on energy balance.


Nutritional malabsorption. Not overly common, but definitely not as rare as an honest politician, sometimes there is mass nutrient malabsorption and calories consumed that belong to the affected macro are not being absorbed due to lack of the required digestive enzymes. Usually this results in severe and very noticeable digestive symptoms, but not always.


Medications or recreational drug use are severely altering metabolic rate. Possible with barbiturates, amphetamines, cocaine, and anything that affects either the endocrine or neurotransmitter systems.


Body composition changes are happening but are largely disguised by water retention. This is more exaggerated in individuals with larger fat mass or who have lost a lot of fat and those in extreme calorie deficits who are very active but, due to stress levels and hormonal variations, can be quite profound in relatively normal weight not particularly active individuals too. This is particular common in women in the week leading up to and including their periods.


Inconsistent weighing. Sometimes they weigh themselves on a full stomach, sometimes on an empty stomach or not at the same time each day. They might sometimes weigh themselves in clothes and sometimes out of clothes, and may use different sets of scales.


There is a disease present that directly affects the hormones that govern body weight control, thermoregulation, metabolism, or the digestive system as a whole - pituitary or thyroid tumor or goiter etc.


Metabolic decrease due to prolonged, severe energy deficit. This does happen and can be profound, although it returns to normal really quickly with feeding at maintenance levels, and never stops fat/body weight loss altogether. If I remember correctly the greatest slow down observed in prolonged near total fasting is about 40% of predicted rate of weight loss. This was largely accounted for by a massive decrease in non-exercise activity.


A combination of more than one of the above factors.


There's one more important one that has slipped my short term memory whilst typing the others - will come back and edit it in if/when I remember!


Of course some of these factors apply more to unexpected weight gain than unexpected weight loss or unexpected weight stability - some can go either way. Also some factors are more profound than others in degree of effect, and some are much rarer than others. What it boils down to though is that, when all unusual things (health issues, medications etc) are accounted for and all energy balance factors (energy in and energy out) are accurately recorded, changes in body fat mass are completely predictable by measuring energy balance against body weight over time.


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## NoGutsNoGloryy (Jan 7, 2013)

it's a myth that you wont keep losing weight just look at studies from the world wars (because you can't do that s**t these days) and also look at POWs or african kids if they didn't lose weight then they wouldn't all have their fu**ing ribs showing. It is a well known fact starvation kills you so to say na you wont keep losing weight is stupid whatever fat is on your body you will lose.

BUT the thing is it just wont work for people that s**t makes you brain fizzle and you go insane. There was a documentary on the studies and the guys completely lost the plot like literally turned insane eating each other and that so my guess is that if you are a normal person you would most likely just end up bingeing but if your heads f**ked well expect to be in a cell.


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

NoGutsNoGloryy said:


> it's a myth that you wont keep losing weight just look at studies from the world wars (because you can't do that s**t these days) and also look at POWs or african kids if they didn't lose weight then they wouldn't all have their fu**ing ribs showing. It is a well known fact starvation kills you so to say na you wont keep losing weight is stupid whatever fat is on your body you will lose.


 I've said similar before and on this forum and got called a moron :lol:

It's just excuses because people will not admit they can't stick to a diet.


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## NoGutsNoGloryy (Jan 7, 2013)

monkeybiker said:


> I've said similar before and on this forum and got called a moron :lol:
> 
> It's just excuses because people will not admit they can't stick to a diet.


 I guess I'm a moron aswell then :lol: There are plenty of "BRO scientists" on here who apparently know everything and no matter what you say that they disagree with, well then you're just wrong lol.


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## NoGutsNoGloryy (Jan 7, 2013)

Gaggi said:


> This is what happened to me. At one point, I dropped my calories down to 1,320 per day. I got quite lean this way, but I didn't get shredded. I stalled somewhere around 10% bodyfat while I was hoping to get somewhere around 7 or so.
> 
> At this point, I was walking around starving, to the point where it was difficult to function. I realized that the reason I wasn't getting any leaner was that my body was hoarding what fat I had left as it thought that I was starving and it was trying to save me from dying.
> 
> ...


 if your body was not using the fat on your body whilst in a deficit then how the f**k would it have the energy to keep your heart still beating and your lungs breathing? They need energy from somewhere it doesn't just go poof magic i have energy now.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Yes the idea that metabolism crashes and you suddenly stop losing fat in starvation just isn't correct. Metabolic rate does indeed slow down with a protracted and severe calorie deficit, but never to the point of the person no longer continuing to lose fat and weight. You do see a change in the proportion of muscle to fat loss in this situation though.


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## JohhnyC (Mar 16, 2015)

You didn't see a lot fatties in Auschwitz


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## Matt6210 (Feb 15, 2018)

JohhnyC said:


> You didn't see a lot fatties in Auschwitz


 Always one


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## NoGutsNoGloryy (Jan 7, 2013)

Matt6210 said:


> Always one
> 
> View attachment 163865


 hahaha always one


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## Jack of blades (Apr 2, 2017)

It's kinda silly to think not eating will make you fat. You will just waste a way. Have you seen a person who is being starved to death


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## Jack of blades (Apr 2, 2017)

dtlv said:


> Yes the idea that metabolism crashes and you suddenly stop losing fat in starvation just isn't correct. Metabolic rate does indeed slow down with a protracted and severe calorie deficit, but never to the point of the person no longer continuing to lose fat and weight. You do see a change in the proportion of muscle to fat loss in this situation though.


 Probably the best way to explain it


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## jwbs (Oct 1, 2014)

dtlv said:


> Yes the idea that metabolism crashes and you suddenly stop losing fat in starvation just isn't correct. Metabolic rate does indeed slow down with a protracted and severe calorie deficit, but never to the point of the person no longer continuing to lose fat and weight. You do see a change in the proportion of muscle to fat loss in this situation though.


 Does IF have a positive effect on this muscle/fat loss ratio? When I'm super low on cals I tend to eat them all in an 8-10 hour window, I'm hoping that this will keep my metabolism in check (ie my hormonal system will be aware, even when I'm on no food, that I'll get food pretty soon and on a regular basis too, and thus my body won't be so quick to panic and burn muscle instead of fat).


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## NoGutsNoGloryy (Jan 7, 2013)

jwbs said:


> Does IF have a positive effect on this muscle/fat loss ratio? When I'm super low on cals I tend to eat them all in an 8-10 hour window, I'm hoping that this will keep my metabolism in check (ie my hormonal system will be aware, even when I'm on no food, that I'll get food pretty soon and on a regular basis too, and thus my body won't be so quick to panic and burn muscle instead of fat).


 Not really it doesn't really affect it all that much. You're still restricting calories alot but the body does not break down the muscles easily actually. To do that actually requires your body to do something to the muscle it's not just as simple as taking it (I've forgot the process lol) but I remember it being that way. BUT the thing is even 5 pounds of muscle loss is extreme it is enough to have a massive difference in your strength and your physique. Alot of nattys struggle to even gain 5 pounds of muscle in an entire year and even on roids you would have to take big doses to actually gain 5lbs of pure muscle in a given cycle (lean steroid users) so you can see how important it is.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

jwbs said:


> Does IF have a positive effect on this muscle/fat loss ratio? When I'm super low on cals I tend to eat them all in an 8-10 hour window, I'm hoping that this will keep my metabolism in check (ie my hormonal system will be aware, even when I'm on no food, that I'll get food pretty soon and on a regular basis too, and thus my body won't be so quick to panic and burn muscle instead of fat).


 IF is definitely a superior dietary approach to many other strategies in regards to it's positive effects on various health markers. The one thing however it seems to (slightly) be disadvantagous for in comparison to other ways of dieting is retaining muscle mass. This has been observed in many studies and seems down to two factors - firstly the long periods of being unfed will lead to increased gluconeogenesis and the utilization of amino acids (taken from muscle) for the synthesis of liver glycogen, and secondly an observation that long fasting periods down regulates mTOR expression - mTOR being an important signalling chemical for protein synthesis.

However, if your total protein intake is close to 2g per 1kg bodyweight each day then the negative impact will be barely noticeable, but the ideal strategy for maintaining or gaining muscle is to spread out protein feeds so you have the fewest long windows between them as possible.

That said, you spoke of an 8-10 hour eating window which would be far less detrimental than the four hour eating window that some IF'ers do. IMO an eight to ten hour window with adequate protein would likely be good enough not to experience any significant or worrisome problems retaining muscle at all, especially if your absolute calorie deficit was not huge either.


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## Glow (Dec 21, 2018)

RBT83 said:


> I'm new to this forum, so I thought I'd post a question that has been on my mind for a little while. Does not eating concurmake you fat?
> 
> I read a lot of posts from people asking how to lose weight. Without even looking, I know the first poster is always going to say: "its very simple: calories in versus calories out. You need to eat under your TDEE, increase cardio, do weights etc etc". Now, this kind of advice does irk me somewhat, because I know it is not quite that simple for everyone.
> 
> ...


 It's bizarre but I think I have read one of the replies here and fully concur with the opinion expressed. before I comment, kindly tell me how long you have been eating 500 calories a day. I think what has happened is that the body has gotten used to this ration and believes that you are starving. That is why you will not lose any weight sooner because the body is working out to conserve the fats. About whether starving helps people to grow fat, the answer is negative. The body requires the extra carbs so that they can be converted into fats and stored. So I think it is high time you changed the tactics. Invest more in the gym and just watch what you eat.


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