Resetting your Metabolism? Frustrated

meinco

I have done some bad things to my body including complete starvation diets 800 calories or less, extreme atkins diets, HcG, multiple rounds of phentermine (First time was in 1998) ect...

Each time it takes more starving and/or higher doses of diet pills to get any results.

I learned my lesson about 2 years ago and more or less just decided to eat as healthy as possible (not really calorie counting) and try to be active.

I didn't lose anything.

I am now on week 5 of an intense kickboxing/strength training program (6 days a week) and working on religiously tracking and counting my calories, carbs, protein. And I haven't lost any weight. Maybe a pound or two but that could be water weight. I have lost inches though, about 6 total inches and I am significantly stronger but....I want to lose weight. I have a good 60 pounds I need to lose.

Now I am not perfect. I have days that I eat less than ideal but I almost am always below my calorie budget and rarely eat my exercise calories. I drink almost 100 oz of water a day, get lots of sleep ect...

I think...from years of playing with my body's chemistry..I have completely shot my metabolism. It seems my body only responds from starving it to death. And now I am feeding it...a lot...6 meals a day compared to 1 meal a day. I am exercising and building muscles but not seeing the scale move is hard. My body is holding on to every single calorie with a vice grip!

Is there a non chemical way to boost your metabolism or reset it? At 38 years old I know that our metabolism only gets more difficult to maintain but what to do?

I am going to be smart. I am in this for the long haul but it is hard to see other people in similar sizes and shapes as me lose so easily when my body seems to be super stubborn.

For the record I have had my thyroid checked in the past (about 1 year ago) but there was nothing wrong with it then and I doubt there is anything wrong with it now. I don't think there is a medical reason except that I screwed up dieting the wrong way in the past.

segacs

There's nothing wrong with your metabolism. You haven't destroyed it, and if your medical checkup is clear, there's nothing to "reset".

Just be patient. You say you're losing inches. That's the important part. The scale will catch up.

Losing weight the healthy way takes time and you have to be willing to stick with it. But the results will speak for themselves.

meinco wrote: »

I am going to be smart. I am in this for the long haul but it is hard to see other people in similar sizes and shapes as me lose so easily when my body seems to be super stubborn.

Don't compare yourself to others. The people you think are losing "so easily" have their own struggles; you just don't necessarily see them from your vantage point. Focus on you.

markjacobs1987

Well if you have been eating at low calorie amounts start eating more calories and work on reverse dieting. This video is a good resource on that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3gTGLulLnI. Hope this helps.

girlviernes

I second this, if you are losing inches, logging, and working out, you are losing fat. If it's not showing up on the scale, you need to wait. It will show up eventually. This is very common to happen, especially when starting an intense exercise plan. You are doing the things you need to do. Keep doing it!

ohmomma01

I know your pain. I'm sitting here debating on going to the gym. It's seems pointless. I lose a pound or two, then it's right back within a day or two.

TimothyFish

If you are meeting your calorie goals and aren't losing weight, it is likely because you're incorrectly logging your calories. This would explain why you lose weight at a lower calorie level but not at your current level. If what you think is 800 calories is actually 1200 calories, then what you think is 1200 calories would be 1800 calories.

gamesandgains

Here, great info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0khUYtgWDI

goldthistime

You have lost 6 inches and are significantly stronger. I would say you have had HUGE success! Keep doing what you're doing.

TimothyFish

markjacobs1987 wrote: »

Well if you have been eating at low calorie amounts start eating more calories and work on reverse dieting. This video is a good resource on that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3gTGLulLnI. Hope this helps.

The guy in the video is actually talking about how to go off of a diet, not what you should do when you are trying to lose weight.

DJGigante812

Combatives like Kickboxing shred your muscles up like crazy. You're probably just trading fat for muscle.

FRJM

goldthistime wrote: »

You have lost 6 inches and are significantly stronger. I would say you have had HUGE success! Keep doing what you're doing.

This!

TimothyFish

gamesandgains wrote: »

Here, great info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0khUYtgWDI

In other words, when you eat less, you can do less. While true, this usually isn't a problem for people with normal or above body fat ratios, because the fat in the body provides the extra energy required. I can see where it would be a problem for body builders because they are trying to get their fat levels down so low.

ndj1979

you cannot "reset" your metabolism, no such thing as your metabolism is not a circuit breaker that you can just flip on and off to "reset"..

You could have metabolic adaptation from years of chronically underrating; however, if you are in a calorie deficit you would still lose weight.

how many calories a day are you currently consuming?
how long have you been consuming that many calories for?

Based on above answers you may want to look into reverse diet...

Db8688

you can also try http://www.beyonddiet.com/ Granted like most sites there are a few plugs trying to sell you something but overall the information is very helpful and honest

Liftng4Lis

goldthistime wrote: »

You have lost 6 inches and are significantly stronger. I would say you have had HUGE success! Keep doing what you're doing.

This^
You can not reset your metabolism.

heel_striker

Why don't you go see a registered dietician (not nutritionist) and have your metabolism tested. That way you can know if you have a slow metabolism or not. If you don't have a slow metabolism and you aren't losing any weight you are eating more than you should be/think you are.

Sercee

You are doing amazing! It sucks when the numbers that feel important are the ones that aren't changing, but you really are doing it right. You will lose weight, obviously slower then you'd like, but you are already so much stronger, leaner, and healthier. Keep doing what you're doing!

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

What ndj1979 said. You are on your way to do the right things for yourself finally. Stick with it, this is the only way.

jstout365

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/

(this article is from an interview and is rather casual in language, but takes another look at the above article - take warning)
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html/#more-9313

TL/DR version = Big deficit + lots of exercise + other stress = increase in cortisol = mad water gainz. Mad water gainz lbs > fat loss lbs == no "weight" loss on scale, but still losing fat (reduction in physical measurements point to this).

Solution, chose a more moderate approach to calorie deficit and fitness to reduce stress/cortisol production to help level out water weight OR do what you are doing and wait a few weeks for the fat loss to catch up to the water weight gains and you will see the scale start to move again.

meinco

jstout365 wrote: »

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/

(this article is from an interview and is rather casual in language, but takes another look at the above article - take warning)
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html/#more-9313

TL/DR version = Big deficit + lots of exercise + other stress = increase in cortisol = mad water gainz. Mad water gainz lbs > fat loss lbs == no "weight" loss on scale, but still losing fat (reduction in physical measurements point to this).

Solution, chose a more moderate approach to calorie deficit and fitness to reduce stress/cortisol production to help level out water weight OR do what you are doing and wait a few weeks for the fat loss to catch up to the water weight gains and you will see the scale start to move again.

These were both really interesting reads. Thank you.

I am holding on and going to play this out for 10 weeks to see where I am at. Maybe I will get a big week of just BAM everything flushing out and a big weight loss...or maybe I won't. Inches ARE important and I am happy to see things the tape measure moving even if the scales aren't.

Maybe my body is just in shock. I figured it was...the first couple weeks but now on week 5 and 30 days in I figured it had to be something else. Or maybe it just is REALLY in shock.

vismal

meinco wrote: »

jstout365 wrote: »

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/

(this article is from an interview and is rather casual in language, but takes another look at the above article - take warning)
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html/#more-9313

TL/DR version = Big deficit + lots of exercise + other stress = increase in cortisol = mad water gainz. Mad water gainz lbs > fat loss lbs == no "weight" loss on scale, but still losing fat (reduction in physical measurements point to this).

Solution, chose a more moderate approach to calorie deficit and fitness to reduce stress/cortisol production to help level out water weight OR do what you are doing and wait a few weeks for the fat loss to catch up to the water weight gains and you will see the scale start to move again.

These were both really interesting reads. Thank you.

I am holding on and going to play this out for 10 weeks to see where I am at. Maybe I will get a big week of just BAM everything flushing out and a big weight loss...or maybe I won't. Inches ARE important and I am happy to see things the tape measure moving even if the scales aren't.

Maybe my body is just in shock. I figured it was...the first couple weeks but now on week 5 and 30 days in I figured it had to be something else. Or maybe it just is REALLY in shock.

Your body isn't in shock. To put the body into "shock" requires a whole lot more then dieting. Your body is actually incredibly adaptive. Here are some very important questions that might give us more information to help you. What is your height and weight, what, if anything, has your weight been doing over the last week, month, 6 months? How many calories a day are you currently consuming, and more importantly, how accurate is your calorie count? Are you weighing all your food or do you use cups/measuring spoons (these are meant for liquids only) or worse yet, do you just estimate portion sizes? Do you eat out often? How often do you have cheat meals/days, don't say never! We all have them and they are fine to have as long as they aren't regularly occurring.

segacs

The thing is, whenever I see someone claiming that they're trying to do this the right way after a history of starving themselves or taking dangerous diet pills, all my red flags go up.

I'd like to believe that you've learned your lessons and are fully committed to doing this properly. But a number of things in your first post lead me to believe that you're on the fence and are ready to jump right back into your unhealthy habits at the first sign of frustration.

So yes, take the advice that people are giving you and stick with it. But I'd also really, really encourage you to reach out for some help to deal with your past eating disorders and to work on your relationship with food. If you even see starvation or diet pills as an option, or are still clinging to the belief that the only thing that "works" for your body is to starve it, then you need to be tackling those unhealthy thinking patterns in order to have success.

Good luck!

fatcity66

gamesandgains wrote: »

Here, great info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0khUYtgWDI

Did she say "mind f****"?? LOL

Mr_Knight

meinco wrote: »

I think...from years of playing with my body's chemistry..I have completely shot my metabolism.

If that were the case, it would be impossible for your body to exercise vigorously.

I suggest opening your diary - the answers are almost always in there.