What factors determine actual caloric need?

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KudzuRose
KudzuRose Posts: 2 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
A few months back, I worked hard to stay within my allotted calories for each day. With a serious illness in my family, my workouts have been sporadic, my steps are less as I sit around waiting rooms and driving. I am going over my daily requirements every day by 200 calories or more. I lost weight at first and am now maintaining although I am eating more calories. Could stress have raised my metabolism?

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  • EliseTK1
    EliseTK1 Posts: 483 Member
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    The short answer is yes, stress can affect your metabolism.

    In general, basal metabolism is influenced by genetics, body composition, and even hormones. Activity will of course increase your actual caloric needs. If you're having the kind of stress that increases your heart rate and triggers the "fight or flight" response, you could in fact be burning more calories. The effect is not likely to last, though, and it could actually predispose you to gaining weight later.

    I'll refrain from giving you advice about what to do with that information. :smiley:
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    KudzuRose wrote: »
    A few months back, I worked hard to stay within my allotted calories for each day. With a serious illness in my family, my workouts have been sporadic, my steps are less as I sit around waiting rooms and driving. I am going over my daily requirements every day by 200 calories or more. I lost weight at first and am now maintaining although I am eating more calories. Could stress have raised my metabolism?

    no, you are moving less so you are not burning as many calories...

    if stress is making you move less then that is a cause but it is not the primary reason.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    pyrusangeles wrote: »
    The short answer is yes, stress can affect your metabolism.

    In general, basal metabolism is influenced by genetics, body composition, and even hormones. Activity will of course increase your actual caloric needs. If you're having the kind of stress that increases your heart rate and triggers the "fight or flight" response, you could in fact be burning more calories. The effect is not likely to last, though, and it could actually predispose you to gaining weight later.

    I'll refrain from giving you advice about what to do with that information. :smiley:

    sorry that is wrong...your metabolism is your metabolism, stress does not impact it...unless you have some sources for us to review on this..?
  • EliseTK1
    EliseTK1 Posts: 483 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    pyrusangeles wrote: »
    The short answer is yes, stress can affect your metabolism.

    In general, basal metabolism is influenced by genetics, body composition, and even hormones. Activity will of course increase your actual caloric needs. If you're having the kind of stress that increases your heart rate and triggers the "fight or flight" response, you could in fact be burning more calories. The effect is not likely to last, though, and it could actually predispose you to gaining weight later.

    I'll refrain from giving you advice about what to do with that information. :smiley:

    sorry that is wrong...your metabolism is your metabolism, stress does not impact it...unless you have some sources for us to review on this..?

    You're right that basal metabolism is basal metabolism- I shortened the explanation in an attempt to make it easier to understand. Stress can affect the way energy is used and stored. In the short term, that may result in a mild decrease in weight. The "fight or flight" response floods the body with glucose and prevents its storage as fat. Long-term stress can actually cause an increase in weight and issues with metabolic syndrome since cortisol causes an increase in appetite and the body's favoring of visceral fat.

    A heart rate increase will cause an increase in calories burned, whether it's from stress or exercise. Of course their long-term effects are VERY different (so I seriously recommend not aiming for that kind of stress!) but in the moment, calorie burn is increased either way.

    http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml

    This is a decent article about cortisol and the fight or flight response. I'd love to get you some peer-reviewed articles about it. If I can find some, I'll post them.

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