Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Dear Jeff,
I came across this quote in McDougall's MWL book on Pg 67 ".......we are programming ourselves to eat more when food is available to us, which encourages the body to go into survival mode, to slow metabolism. and to efficiently use all calories."
I have read all you have said here on the myth of survival mode and believe it totally so this quote threw me a bit.
Am I misinterpreting what McDougall said?
Thanks so much, JoAnn

I would encourage you to re-read all that I wrote on the topic.

If the starvation mode is true, then everyone who ever fasts should run into it, but there has never been a case of that happening. The amount of weight they lose is consistent and steady (relative to mass) until they hit the point of true starvation, in which case they have to eat to "GAIN" weight so they don't die.

Let's compare the concept of starvation mode to starvation....

According to starvation mode, you have gone into it because you are eating too few calories and must eat "more calories" so you can "LOSE" weight.

According to starvation, you have gone into it because you have exhausted all your essential fat reserves and you must eat so you can "GAIN" weight and not die.

Now imagine if you took the person who thinks they are in "starvation mode" and there because they slowed their metabolism from eating too few calories. They are being told to eat more calories to jumpstart their metabolism so they can lose weight. What if instead of eating more, we took them to TrueNorth for a week or two. That would seem insane as we would just be cutting their calories more. If the starvation mode is real and you get there from eating too few calories, then they should go into "super starvation mode" at TrueNorth from eating no calories. But they don't. They all lose weight.

I have a thread on How To Jump Start Your Metabolism showing all the math and how it is impossible.

I will let you decide.

Jeff

PS there are a few things in the MWL book (and some of the older books) they no longer hold up. Not many, but a few.

Dear Jeff, Appreciate your prompt response! Thanks. JoAnn