Extremely low metabolism

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Replies

  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    mccindy72 wrote: »
    I think you might be expecting too much of yourself, to be honest. You don't mention if you've been to the doctor and had any bloodwork done to confirm that you have normal thyroid levels, iron level, etc. First thing to do would be a physical to ensure you are in normal health.
    If you are, you also need to accept that you are in your 50s and fairly active, and doing what you can. I'm 42,5'7", 123 lbs, and with an hour and fifteen minutes of cardio per day, plus my 10,000 steps, I can make it to 2,000 calories. Otherwise I am around 1700 calories, and I'm 6 inches taller than you. I'm not seeing a high HR burn in your day anywhere, other than the kickboxing class, which isn't every day. So it's going to be difficult to hit a very high number of calories for a TDEE for you.

    You're 42?!?! Never would have guessed. I swear exercise is the fountain of youth. Good for you!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    My grandma is 4 foot 11 and maintains a healthy weight. She was explaining to me once that she can only eat like tea and toast for breakfast, half a sandwich for lunch, etc. It's lame for her but she's figured out how to sustain a healthy weight with her small body. Makes me glad I'm a few inches taller...

    My mom is 68, 4 foot 11 too, still chubby (I'd say probably overweight), and she eats like a bird! It's scary. The good news I guess is that she's also never really hungry.
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    rosebette wrote: »
    If you are weighing everything why are you logging everything in cups, tablespoons, pieces instead of the actual weight of the item? This makes no sense to me. If you are weighing it, why not log the weight?

    I weigh meats, but use cups for things like yogurt, rice, etc.

    You need to be weighing those things as well, measuring cups are simply not accurate for anything other than straight liquids. This could also account for your lack of progress, as there can be considerable overages if you are using measuring cups. :-)
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    I'm 46 and also menopausal. I can tell you what I do. A half hour of either elliptical or exercise bike, a half hour of walking on the treadmill, a half hour of lifting. I didn't start out doing that much though. I started off with a half hour of bike and 15 minutes of lifting.

    I'm also arthritic. So I work out every other day, allowing my joints and muscles to rest on the off days. I don't do anything higher impact than walking, ever, and I avoid all high torque motions. I used to take karate but I ended up in surgery because I fubared my knees doing round house kicks and such. Swimming is also a good low impact activity if a pool is available to you.

    Are there any parts of this that would work for you so that you could burn more cals and increase muscle?
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Thyroid check take your temperature each day PRIOR to getting out of bed for 10 days straight. If your body temp is below or at 97 then go to your doc with results. You eat about half what some women your same height are consuming; difference they lift weights, and their age, but it isn't that much of a difference. You may want to consider changing your workouts, then again, maybe it is too much. The stress of teaching classes can't be understated either.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I'm 48

    Lifting rocks
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I'm 48

    Lifting rocks

    Are they small rocks? Monty Python thinks they may actually float; this may or may not prove someone is a witch.

  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    gothchiq wrote: »
    I'm 46 and also menopausal. I can tell you what I do. A half hour of either elliptical or exercise bike, a half hour of walking on the treadmill, a half hour of lifting. I didn't start out doing that much though. I started off with a half hour of bike and 15 minutes of lifting.

    I'm also arthritic. So I work out every other day, allowing my joints and muscles to rest on the off days. I don't do anything higher impact than walking, ever, and I avoid all high torque motions. I used to take karate but I ended up in surgery because I fubared my knees doing round house kicks and such. Swimming is also a good low impact activity if a pool is available to you.

    Are there any parts of this that would work for you so that you could burn more cals and increase muscle?

    I'm actually doing at least that much. Here's my typical week -- Sunday -- 30-45 minute walk, Monday 5000 steps campus walking, stair climbing, with roller bag, 30 minute additional walk when I get home, Tuesday - 60 minute Fitness class with low impact aerobics, weights, abs, stretching, 30 minute walk; Wednesday - same as Monday, Thursday - Same as Tuesday; Friday - Yoga (sometimes), Kickboxing, plus 30 minute minimum walk (today I did an hour), Saturday - 30-45 minute walk. If I'm not teaching in a week-end program, I might do yoga on Saturday. The week-end campus where I teach is smaller, so I don't put in the steps that I would on Mon and Wed. I used to do a much more challenging weight classes and weights on my own, but as I said, I'm coming back from an injury. The class I'm doing now is targeted at older women, so focus is on correct form and maintaining strength, rather than building big muscles. I'm hoping to progress to something more challenging in the fall.

    I just figured out how to get the fitibit to actually calculate calories burned for duration of a workout (I'm a technomoron), as well as calories for the day. Kickboxing and an hour walk (I go up a big hill) both get me 300 calories.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    rosebette wrote: »
    I weigh meats, but use cups for things like yogurt, rice, etc.

    Your metabolism is fine—you've been eating way more than you think.

    Weigh everything you eat—everything, not just meats. That includes anything you're currently using a spoon for. You're in for quite a shock.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    Now I'm starting to feel like people are seeing me as this pig who is in denial, especially after the video of the obese woman who is eating 3000 calories a day whose metabolism is measured as around only 2000, which I find a bit insulting.

    As far a weighing liquids like yogurt and such, I assume you put the cup on the scale, 0 the scale, and then add the yogurt? And stuff you spoon? How do you do that with peanut butter/almond butter, not that it's something I eat too much of anyway. Or olive oil that you cook with -- you measure that by the spoon. Already, I'm seeing my meal prep and clean up lengthen by about 30 minutes.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    rosebette wrote: »
    As far a weighing liquids like yogurt and such, I assume you put the cup on the scale, 0 the scale, and then add the yogurt? And stuff you spoon? How do you do that with peanut butter/almond butter, not that it's something I eat too much of anyway. Or olive oil that you cook with -- you measure that by the spoon. Already, I'm seeing my meal prep and clean up lengthen by about 30 minutes.
    For yogurt, I just put my bowl on the scale, tare it out, and spoon the yogurt into the bowl. For peanut butter, I put the plate on the scale, put the bread on the plate, use the knife to scoop out the peanut butter onto the bread, then spread it after I've weighed it. I was hesitant to get a food scale at first, but it made things faster, not slower. I never have to wash measuring cups and spoons anymore!

    It's fine to use measuring cups and spoons (not table spoons) for liquids and oils.

  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    I do use the scale, but haven't been for yogurt, rice, and pasta. I use measuring cups, but perhaps I should try your method. Even with a dry measure cup, 1/2 cup of cooked rice is not a heck of a lot of rice. I also use measuring spoons for peanut butter, salad dressing, and such, not "flatware."

    I guess part of my issue is not whether I'm eating the right amount, but the actual metabolism number. Unlike the woman in the video, who has the standard 2000 number, I have a device that's telling me what that number is, and it's quite low. I also had my metabolism measured last fall using a special scale at my gym -- the BMR was only 1136. Today was my big workout day -- with kickboxing and an hour and 15 minute walk, I got to 2000. MFP is giving me around 1600 to eat, which is fine, but that's not a typical day for me.
  • kyrannosaurus
    kyrannosaurus Posts: 350 Member
    Weighing things like peanut butter is super easy. Put the jar on the scale and zero it. Scoop out the desired amount of peanut butter etc and then place the jar back on the scale. It will come up with a negative number, so if it reads for example -27g you know you ate 27 grams. That way you can lick the knife and know every gram was accounted for.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Hypothetically if I eat 3 ounces of turkey breast I eat about 120 calories, not 75; if I eat something calorically dense like walnuts, cashews, etc, I weight them in grams. Accuracy is your friend. Newsflash: you are consuming more then you think. If you think better weighing and measuring takes longer you'll be pleasantly surprised. If it takes 30 minutes you are doing other activities and falsely believe multi-tasking allows you do more. It is isn't difficult, you are close to your goal, and you need to weigh more foods and find better entries (hypothetically) to provide you more accurate information about your calories day in and day out.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    rosebette wrote: »
    Now I'm starting to feel like people are seeing me as this pig who is in denial, especially after the video of the obese woman who is eating 3000 calories a day whose metabolism is measured as around only 2000, which I find a bit insulting.

    As far a weighing liquids like yogurt and such, I assume you put the cup on the scale, 0 the scale, and then add the yogurt? And stuff you spoon? How do you do that with peanut butter/almond butter, not that it's something I eat too much of anyway. Or olive oil that you cook with -- you measure that by the spoon. Already, I'm seeing my meal prep and clean up lengthen by about 30 minutes.
    Take the advice that is helpful and ignore the advice that is hurtful.

    Metabolisms slow as we age, especially after menopause. It happens. It's a real thing. People knew this before there was scientific proof, lol.

    I have a pretty slow metabolism. The key, IMO, is patience. You do your best. It's the best you can do! Eat right, exercise, and adjust as you need to adjust.

    Everyone is different. You have to do what works for you. It sounds to me like you've been kicking some butt so far and I have no doubt that you'll continue to do so. :)
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    So I had yogurt for dessert tonight. Instead of using a measuring cup and just putting the yogurt in a bowl, I put the empty bowl on the scale, measured 1/2 cup of yogurt, and put it in a bowl. The yogurt ended up weighing 4 ounces, which is -- guess what -- 1/2 a cup!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
    Your bmr sounds about right for your age, height, weight and activity level.

    I am the same height, weigh 15-20 lb less, and 61. My bmr is in the 980-1000 range and seems to be quite accurate.
    I don't put in the steps you do, but I do nerd fitness every other day, and spend a lot of time moving around in the garden. That gives me a maintenance of 1200+

    In the winter I do 1 hr of something every day ( aqua, Zumba, etc) and weight room x3 a week. That bumps me up to 1400-1450 cals.

    Because I enjoy the weekend I bulk all my cals together and eat to a weekly goal of 8400 right now, winter is higher.

    Because we aren't the biggest people in the world, accuracy in intake is really important. Spoons and cups can be so off! Rice, pasta, potatoes, oils and spreads can be almost doubled using them as opposed to a scale. Honest, my rice portion halved when I got a scale. It is now pathetically small, sob.
    You will find a big difference once you are weighing everything.
    For sloppy awkward things weigh the container pre and post extracting your portion, much less mess.

    I don't do fit bits or hrm's etc so can't comment, but I do wish I had realised that you weren't weighing everything these past few months. I would have really encouraged you to do so, it will make all the difference, and really help you if you decide to stay in maintenance, or go back to your original weight loss goal.

    Sorry your bmr can't be higher, but I do think it is quite normal and accurate.
    NB. This is just comparing with me and my experience losing then maintaining for 5-6 yr.

    Cheers, h.

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,422 MFP Moderator
    rosebette wrote: »
    Now I'm starting to feel like people are seeing me as this pig who is in denial, especially after the video of the obese woman who is eating 3000 calories a day whose metabolism is measured as around only 2000, which I find a bit insulting.

    As far a weighing liquids like yogurt and such, I assume you put the cup on the scale, 0 the scale, and then add the yogurt? And stuff you spoon? How do you do that with peanut butter/almond butter, not that it's something I eat too much of anyway. Or olive oil that you cook with -- you measure that by the spoon. Already, I'm seeing my meal prep and clean up lengthen by about 30 minutes.

    We don't see you as a pig or anything of thr such. But you have to understand that statistically a trained person under reports caloric intake by as much as 400 calories. Since you aren't weighing everything, its the first thing that should be addressed.

    If you are menopausal then it may be beneficial to eat a low carb diet. The women i worked with that have menopause have seen some great success with it. For what reason, i am unsure. Its potential that the additional fat is helping regulate hormones.

    Also, have you considered trying a doing a structured lifting program instead of classes? Its possible that lifting heavy will help boost your metabolism a bit.. and worst case you could see some composition changes.
  • irenehb
    irenehb Posts: 236 Member
    edited August 2015
    rosebette wrote: »
    So I had yogurt for dessert tonight. Instead of using a measuring cup and just putting the yogurt in a bowl, I put the empty bowl on the scale, measured 1/2 cup of yogurt, and put it in a bowl. The yogurt ended up weighing 4 ounces, which is -- guess what -- 1/2 a cup!

    Ounces aren't the most accurate either, weigh in grams, if you can. For example, 2.00 ounces (56.7 grams) of raw cashews is 352 calories, 2.99 ounces (85 grams) is 527 calories. That is a big difference.

    Based on my age and weight and activity, I think your logging maybe off. I am 48 menopausal and weigh around 112 lbs, similar activity level and my TDEE is around 1880. When I first reached maintenance last year, it was around 1730, so it has increased over the last 14 or so months with only a slight increase in activity.