Have I screwed up my metabolism?

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xxhaloxkittyxx
xxhaloxkittyxx Posts: 13 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Have I totally ballsed up my metabolism? I had a stomach infection two weeks ago which triggered a relapse, and my weight went down a couple of pounds. I'm trying to get back on eating something solid each day (oats in the morning, a banana etc later in the day) but I'm still averaging 400cals a day. Last week this made my weight drop, but I checked in today and my weight has gone up slightly to 46.7kg (it was 46.4kg last friday) and I don't know how this has happened on such a small intake. My partner was over last weekend and we went out for lunch on Monday, even then I stayed pretty damn healthy. Is this my metabolism saying "you can't eat anything without putting on weight" or is it just my body naturally doing a water retention thing? I've been stuck in a relatively restrictive diet (less than 1,000 cals a day for months) but even then I was just maintaining. Then I lost whilst on liquids and working out (only light strength training), now It's going back on even though I'm still on a low intake. What is happening? I don't want to be putting weight back on at all, I'm trying to tone up :(
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  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    On what you say you are eating, there is no way you are going to be gaining weight. There are plenty of reasons why the scale fluctuates (check out the MFP Hello Healthy blog which recently posted a good article about this).

    You need to stop taking the scale so seriously and start focusing on being healthy - which on the amount of calories you are consuming, you are not being.

  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
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    Uh, eating 400-1000 calories a day is 1) not healthy and 2) will NOT make you gain weight. The scale can fluctuate up to 5 pounds in a day for a variety of reasons: not having a bowel movement before weighing, eating extra salt, drinking extra water, about to get your period, weighing at a different time of day, weighing in different clothing, among many other things.

    I think you need to get yourself to a doctor because 400-1000 calories is NOT healthy for the average person.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Sounds like you need to step away from the scale and start eating more. Also there is going to be no "toning up" eating 400-1000 calories a day, your body will start to use muscle as fuel which will do the opposite of what you want. If you are gaining on 400 you are eating more than you think or retaining water. There is no possible way that you are gaining fat.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    you need to realize how alarming it is that you eat 400 to 1000 calories a day and you think that is normal and makes sense.
    The answer to your question is- yes- you have damaged your metabolism and you have bigger issues than losing weight. I suggest you seek the help of a certified nutritionist and do what he or she says. You need an objective professional to guide you. Just listen to them and do what they say ..and eventually your health will come back and you will realize that starving yourself isn't the answer.

    good luck.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
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    You can get your metabolism tested if you're concerned. The dietitian at one of our local grocery stores offers testing for $45. There's a device called a MedGem that measures resting metabolic rate.
  • myfitnesspale3
    myfitnesspale3 Posts: 276 Member
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    IMO, fretting over 0.66 pounds is not productive.

    Considering inaccuracy of the scale, water retention, bowel movements, varying portion sizes, then 1 pound is an insignificant amount of weight.

    1000 calories/day is not enough for a live human.

    If you are toning up and building muscle then you can expect to gain some weight.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    When you're sick your body is stressed and you can sometimes retain water. But even without that, that's well within the normal range for daily fluctuations. My weight swings up to 5 lbs generally.

    That said, you need to eat more, for your health.
  • xxhaloxkittyxx
    xxhaloxkittyxx Posts: 13 Member
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    Thank you for your responses. I'm more really concerned that if I do now start trying to eat more again, that it's going to go up and up and not stop. I have a history of anorexia/binge eating disorder but this is probably my first relapse. I don't see the need to gain weight, but I don't want to lose it either. I'm considering jacking in calorie counting altogether and try to focus on what my body needs, whilst taking measurements for a more accurate detail. I know what I have been doing isn't good, far from healthy =/
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    xxhaloxkittyxx wrote: »
    Thank you for your responses. I'm more really concerned that if I do now start trying to eat more again, that it's going to go up and up and not stop. I have a history of anorexia/binge eating disorder but this is probably my first relapse. I don't see the need to gain weight, but I don't want to lose it either. I'm considering jacking in calorie counting altogether and try to focus on what my body needs, whilst taking measurements for a more accurate detail. I know what I have been doing isn't good, far from healthy =/

    You can fix your metabolism but it will take time and I'd suggest getting professional help so that you don't fall back into further ED patterns while doing so.

  • xxhaloxkittyxx
    xxhaloxkittyxx Posts: 13 Member
    edited October 2014
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    deksgrl wrote: »
    xxhaloxkittyxx wrote: »
    Thank you for your responses. I'm more really concerned that if I do now start trying to eat more again, that it's going to go up and up and not stop. I have a history of anorexia/binge eating disorder but this is probably my first relapse. I don't see the need to gain weight, but I don't want to lose it either. I'm considering jacking in calorie counting altogether and try to focus on what my body needs, whilst taking measurements for a more accurate detail. I know what I have been doing isn't good, far from healthy =/

    You can fix your metabolism but it will take time and I'd suggest getting professional help so that you don't fall back into further ED patterns while doing so.

    unfortunately I'm now signed off the NHS services so professional help is a no go, this is kinda my last resort
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    xxhaloxkittyxx wrote: »
    Un
    deksgrl wrote: »
    xxhaloxkittyxx wrote: »
    Thank you for your responses. I'm more really concerned that if I do now start trying to eat more again, that it's going to go up and up and not stop. I have a history of anorexia/binge eating disorder but this is probably my first relapse. I don't see the need to gain weight, but I don't want to lose it either. I'm considering jacking in calorie counting altogether and try to focus on what my body needs, whilst taking measurements for a more accurate detail. I know what I have been doing isn't good, far from healthy =/

    You can fix your metabolism but it will take time and I'd suggest getting professional help so that you don't fall back into further ED patterns while doing so.

    unfortunately I'm now signed off the NHS services so professional help is a no go, this is kinda my last resort

    Well, fixing it is going to require eating more. It probably will result in weight gain. You need tools to be able to handle this mentally. In addition, depending on how much you may have harmed your body, you may need to be under a doctor's care. I recommend this article that touches on this:
    https://gokaleo.com/stop-dieting/
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    xxhaloxkittyxx wrote: »
    Thank you for your responses. I'm more really concerned that if I do now start trying to eat more again, that it's going to go up and up and not stop. I have a history of anorexia/binge eating disorder but this is probably my first relapse. I don't see the need to gain weight, but I don't want to lose it either. I'm considering jacking in calorie counting altogether and try to focus on what my body needs, whilst taking measurements for a more accurate detail. I know what I have been doing isn't good, far from healthy =/

    Go to the doctor and get a referral to counseling and/or a support group for eating disorders. Your relationship with food is damaged, and that is a tough one to deal with alone. <3
  • FaylinaMeir
    FaylinaMeir Posts: 661 Member
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    Sweetie I think you might have an eating disorder and you need to go to a doctor and talk about it. No one should be scared to eat. From a physiological standpoint, you shouldn't gain a bunch of weight eating at your bmr. Look up bmr a calculator. In the beginning YES you will probably gain a kilo or even two because under eating is screwing up your metabolism but over the several months after that you should balance out.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I agree. You know how hard it is to get beyond an eating disorder and how sneaky they are in wheedling their way back into your life. Find someone professional who can help you.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Please help an American understand being signed off the NHS. What does that mean?

    A couple of things come to mind.

    You had a stomach infection. Did you take antibiotics? Maybe your stomach biome has been trashed. I have not researched this, I have no experience other than reading about it, and I'm only recommending that you research it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic ... if this is the way you want to try, there are products containing probiotics to help you restore order in your belly.

    If you've been sub 1000 calories for 3 weeks or more, your metabolism has likely slowed as a result. This means that you might take a while eating normally before your body starts to behave normally. (You might gain weight on a lower number of calories that normally would cause others your size to lose weight.) This is temporary and should be overlooked while you're recovering from your stomach issues. Just eat right and keep building good habits -- normalcy will eventually come and you'll start losing again.

    Ignore my friends who are fretting over an eating disorder. You don't have one. Your 1000 calorie plan is too extreme, but it is not disordered behavior.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    funchords wrote: »

    Ignore my friends who are fretting over an eating disorder. You don't have one. Your 1000 calorie plan is too extreme, but it is not disordered behavior.

    It isn't just the illness. She says she has been eating LESS than 1000 calories for months and has not been losing weight, and has a history of anorexia. And she is afraid to eat more than that. To tell someone that they do not have an ED under those circumstances is short sighted at best, and possibly harmful.

  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    edited October 2014
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    deksgrl wrote: »
    funchords wrote: »

    Ignore my friends who are fretting over an eating disorder. You don't have one. Your 1000 calorie plan is too extreme, but it is not disordered behavior.

    It isn't just the illness. She says she has been eating LESS than 1000 calories for months and has not been losing weight, and has a history of anorexia. And she is afraid to eat more than that. To tell someone that they do not have an ED under those circumstances is short sighted at best, and possibly harmful.

    I re-read the entire thread and you are right, I was wrong. Apologies.

    OP: I blew it. Yes, these circumstances are more concerning than I first thought. Amateurs like me are exactly why you need a professional to guide you -- and you need to listen to a professional above your own judgement because of the way your mind works concerning food and fitness and appearance.
  • xxhaloxkittyxx
    xxhaloxkittyxx Posts: 13 Member
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    I can't afford a nutritionist/dietitian, and NHS is the healthcare we have here in the U.K. It turns out the slight weight increase could of been due to my cycle (as I came on today) but, I've still been going to work which is a calorie output of around 400 for a 4 hour shift which is what I do, and having 400-600 max intake per day. I'm considering deleting this again, as I'm completely hooked on it and everything has to be logged.. if I go over a certain number I feel awful about it, regardless of whether I feel hungry or not. I'm just scared of stopping logging everything, trying to increase my intake safely without counting and piling on weight again. One side knows this site is no good for me, but the other side thinks it's safe
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
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    You have F##ed your metabolism for now. Your body is taking in all the nutrients because it has been in a major defecit for too long, now it soaks in ANYTHING. This is bad news, to fix your metabolism you must not, go out and binge, you must gradually and very very slow reintroduce 1-150 calories per week, to creep and build your metabolism back to its adequate state and BMR for your body. You can research Layne Norton on his article about metabolic damage, he is a doctor and a former bodybuilder. His advice is valuable, and I highly encourage you too seek out that information. You CAN fix this, SLOWLY but Surely. May I recommend you to NEVER go below your RMR. Your body needs the minimum calories for your basic functions. Do not underestimate your bodies needs. GL :#
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Metabolism is an overrated phenomenon. Water retention is temporary as the body will eventually release it. If you cant lose weight over a reasonable period, then it is because of the lack of calorie deficit.

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