Metabolic Damage: Why It Happens, How to Avoid It and How to Fix It. Somewhere in your fitness travels (or random googling), you may have come across the topic of “ metabolic damage ” or its close relative, “ starvation mode .” Perhaps both. If so, you probably felt a twinge of fear after hearing a description like this one: star•va•tion mode - noun (stär-ˈvā-shən mōd): a series of metabolic, hormonal and behavioral responses to extreme or prolonged calorie deprivation, which is common during many popular weight loss diets. Since your body can’t recognize the difference between severe dieting and starving, it responds as if you were really starving: Protective mechanisms are activated to decrease your rate of further weight loss, including reduced energy, lower physical activity and increased appetite. Your metabolism also slows down more than you’d predict for the amount of body weight lost. As you self-diagnose your symptoms, you really begin to worry: low energy… hungr...