Starting the scary road to metabolic repair...

Happymelz

For years I've struggled with eating disorders and emotional eating...that coupled with yo-yo dieting has left me with metabolic damage.

I've been eating low calories for so long that my body refuses to lose weight. (YES I tracked religiously AND did cardio AND weight training. No one ever told me that you could damage your metabolism.)

Reading how to repair metabolic damage, the advice is scary (for me). Everything I read says to EAT MORE...and that you will gain a little before you level off...and THEN you can focus on weight loss again.

I'm already 8-10 lbs over weight..and I have 18 lbs that I want to lose...which took a while the FIRST time I lost it so the idea of ADDING calories and weight before I see the numbers go down is VERY scary for me.

I'm looking for advise/encouragement from people who have actually been through this or are currently going through this.

Happymelz

and please don't be negative.

TavistockToad

For years I've struggled with eating disorders and emotional eating...that coupled with yo-yo dieting has left me with metabolic damage.

I've been eating low calories for so long that my body refuses to lose weight. (YES I tracked religiously AND did cardio AND weight training. No one ever told me that you could damage your metabolism.)

Reading how to repair metabolic damage, the advice is scary (for me). Everything I read says to EAT MORE...and that you will gain a little before you level off...and THEN you can focus on weight loss again.

I'm already 8-10 lbs over weight..and I have 18 lbs that I want to lose...which took a while the FIRST time I lost it so the idea of ADDING calories and weight before I see the numbers go down is VERY scary for me.

I'm looking for advise/encouragement from people who have actually been through this or are currently going through this.

Maybe look at it another way.... You aren't getting the results you want doing what youre doing, so why not try?

Plus eating more for 6-8 weeks is a tiny proportion of your life! I say 6-8 weeks as I imagine it would take at least that long before you started getting any results!

KarenJanine

Check out the EM2WL (eat more to weigh less) group. You'll find heaps of people on there who have gone through metabolic resets.

I joined just over a year ago and since then have pretty much been on a 'reset' by consistently eating enough, not dieting and focusing on strength training. I'm actually heavier now than I was then but my body fat is decreasing and metabolism increasing. It's a slow road but it's worth it.

Happymelz

Thank you both!

I am also seeking help with the emotional eating...so that i don't end up here again.

jollyjoe321

Hi!

I found this article particularly interesting


http://www.metaboliceffect.com/metabolic-conditioning/

Good luck!

FitGeekery

Firstly, congratulations on recognizing that there was a problem and being open to finding a solution for it I have had brushes with the same issues (especially emotional eating) so I can absolutely relate to this struggle.

Having a plan of action on how to heal yourself is a great first step. How do you see the next chapter of your life? What do you want it to look like, what habits and lifestyle changes would you like ingrained? Given that there has been a heavy emphasis on disordered and emotional eating for you in the past, what approach do you think is going to be most beneficial to you going forward: using the MFP method where you eat exercise calories back, using BMR/TDEE so that you eat the same consistently without needing to log exercise, or maybe something that isn't as focused on calories at all?

Those aren't answers you need to give to me, but I think it's a good place to start and consider redefining your relationship with food and exercise.

Having your body adapt to getting as much fuel as it really needs to run best and help you lose weight can certainly take time so be patient with it and consider that as much as you have struggled, your body has struggled to meet the demands that have been put on it. All it needs is some TLC and time to accept the fact that it -will- be nourished as much as it needs and you'll be surprised at how well it'll respond.

I get that it's scary, it's more of a major perspective shift than anything else, but consider that you and your body need some time and TLC to get reacquainted. Once you have a plan, take small steps to increasing your intake every few days or once a week and you'll get to where you need to be *hugs*

jakesfitness

sometimes you gotta take a step back in order to take 2 steps forward.

WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr

I know where you're at, I'm not quite positive at the moment, I just got back from a doctor's appointment at which I learned that I have gained back all but three of the 40lbs I lost at the last VLCS), but I'll try to be because this is a tough path to be on.

I have been trying to get back on track due to yoyo dieting and VLCD I was told that my metabolism is screwed up, so got a food plan from an RD who told me to stick to the plan, don't track (I tend to get a little obsessive and freak out if I'm over calories or will stop eating when I hit the number even if it's early in the day) and don't get on a scale (this will send me right where I am now, ready to give up on any hard work I've done, go find a diet plan, spend a lot of money, lose weight, give up on the plan when I plateau for more than a few weeks and gain it back) just until I get out of my vicious cycle, well not quite there and after seeing where I am in spite of eating within the RD's plan (my lab work is all normal except for high cholesterol which doc thinks will go down with weight loss) and working out 5 days a week (anywhere from one to three hours per day, depending on the day) I'm ready to throw in the towel and just be fat or go running to a new crap diet plan that I'll give up on in a month.

Right now I'm trying to convince myself that this doctor may find something since at least she's trying (she has ordered a thyroid antibody test since all traditional thyroid tests are normal) and keep going forward. She said stick to the plan that RD gave, but start tracking, and keep wearing the HRM.

It's going to be a tough road, but you can do it, just don't stop working on it, my RD did have a good point, it may take up to a year before I get my metabolism reset enough that it won't go into panic mode and start hoarding (I've been doing this yoyoing to myself for almost 15 years). So if you've been doing this for a long time it may take a long time to fix it.

I may be pouting now about it but be assured I'm not giving up yet (if it tells you anything, as soon as I'm done with this message I'm changing into my workout clothes and getting to the gym for my Les Mills Combat class and to talk to my PT so she can kick my butt back in the game...if you can afford a PT for a bit, get one, sometimes it helps to have a live person in your face cheering you on or kicking your butt to keep you going) and there are a lot of great people on here that are great support and can get you through this.
Best of luck to you!!!

Happymelz

THANK YOU!
When I started this last week...actually Independence day, lol...I thought I could "fix" it in a week or so...but i know it may take eating more for several weeks/months to get my body back to where it needs to be. BUT, if it will help me FIX IT FOR GOOD, then it will be worth it.

khall86790

For years I've struggled with eating disorders and emotional eating...that coupled with yo-yo dieting has left me with metabolic damage.

I've been eating low calories for so long that my body refuses to lose weight. (YES I tracked religiously AND did cardio AND weight training. No one ever told me that you could damage your metabolism.)

Reading how to repair metabolic damage, the advice is scary (for me). Everything I read says to EAT MORE...and that you will gain a little before you level off...and THEN you can focus on weight loss again.

I'm already 8-10 lbs over weight..and I have 18 lbs that I want to lose...which took a while the FIRST time I lost it so the idea of ADDING calories and weight before I see the numbers go down is VERY scary for me.

I'm looking for advise/encouragement from people who have actually been through this or are currently going through this.

Maybe look at it another way.... You aren't getting the results you want doing what youre doing, so why not try?

Plus eating more for 6-8 weeks is a tiny proportion of your life! I say 6-8 weeks as I imagine it would take at least that long before you started getting any results!

I am a big fan of this reply.
OP - you can do this. You have to find what works for you and it may be scary but everything is scary when you first start. The benefits in the long run will be worth it.

hzliiz

I'm directing this to the OP as one person who's been through this to another. Other readers might find my advice less helpful, that's fine it's intended for this person.

Don't be scared, it's totally doable I promise! Years of bulimia and more years of jacked up metabolism-slaying dieting left my body wrecked. Using this system (logging, pursuing slooooow weight loss, consistency and patience, and regular exercise) fixed my metabolism and it can fix yours too.

I know it's counterintuitive but I strongly recommend choosing no more than 1 lb a week weight loss (I did 1/2 pound a week). And you need to net the calories that you're calculated to eat, NOT UNDER! Net= you eat back what you burn off too. You do not win a prize for coming in under, despite all the accolades you might see on your newsfeed, you win a slow metabolism.

I'm 5'6' and now I easily stay between 130 - 135 lbs. And I'm 42 -- it's a complete myth that your metabolism has to do a slow march to its death after 30, don't believe that either. But you have to feed and move your body. I don't know what your goal is, but if it's not something crazy and truly is to retrain your body how to use food properly, yes it is very possible for you to fix this. Best news of all is, hey ya get to eat! Good luck! Sending FR if you'd like my support.

Happymelz

Thank you hzliiz!
I am 5' 6" and currently 164.3 (.7 lb weight loss after upping calories!). I am like 8 lbs over weight but my goal is 149 (or abecause under 150) because that's the size I am happiest at.
Thank you for your encouragement. I am learning to think differently about food and eating.

_chiaroscuro

Glad you're getting other help for the eating issues; I can't help with that but I can understand some of your anxiety. I started MFP in January at the dreaded 1200 calories, which seemed fine because I was used to having to go lower and lower to lose weight. Years of that misinformation plus other health issues led to pretty sluggish metabolism. It's taken all of this year so far to turn it around (and yes I gained back to starting weight plus 2) but this month I've begun to see positive results. I'm not saying you can expect the same time frame to see changes, just sharing my experience. It took months, but I fought through the instinct to panic and I'm very glad I did. Hope that helps!

postrockandcats

I think temporarily gaining a few pounds for the greater good of a good rest of your life and a healthy metabolism isn''t a bad thing at all. Sure, it sounds scary and counterintuative, but you need to look at the big picture. Don't worry about the scale; this is a drop in the bucket.

thegoodner

I am much further from my goal than you, but I can totally relate to your anxiety. For years, I've tried 1200 calorie diets, kicking myself in the butt to kill myself with cardio, only to get fatter because I get so hungry I can't function anymore. I broke my metabolism, ended up insulin resistant (making it even HARDER to lose weight) and pre-diabetic and lost an ovary to a 15 pound cyst due to PCOS that was out of control.

This time around, I decided that I shouldn't keep trying to do weight loss the same way. That's the definition of insanity right? I found the eat more to weigh less group, finally wrapped my head around BMR and TDEE, researched the macros that made the most sense FOR ME with my metabolic conditions, and set off on a low carb (>50g per day)/high fat (enough to make my calorie goal)/protein = 1g/lb of lean body mass eating plan. At first the notion of eating 2000 calories + a day seemed ridiculous. I mean I'm overweight because "obviously" I was eating too much and too lazy right? But it actually makes sense. You need to properly fuel your body, so that it can learn to let go of the excess since it is not in a starved state, and have the energy to exercise.

I know it's scary. But eating more has been the best thing that has ever happened to me energy wise, and now that I actually have the energy to work out, it's a piece of cake to make my calorie deficit enough to lose weight steadily. It's better than the plateaus I was experiencing at 1200 calories a day, and the crankiness!

Happymelz

Thank you everyone!

I've been AFK for a few days with a cold...and even though I wasn't hungry I still managed to get in my 1830 calories every day. (Used BMR calculator to get this intake #.)

Happymelz

Just an update for anyone who still keeping an eye on this thread.

I have been sticking to 1830 calories for 12 days so far. I lost .7 lbs the first few days and then gained back 1.5 ish...so I've gained less than 1 lb which is VERY exciting for me because I was worried that I would gain 3 or more and put me closer to 170 than I've ever been.

I am going to try this for a full 4 weeks before I drop down to 1330 again.

Thank you all for your support!

ReddHott77

bump

Syriene

I would also recommend doing bloodwork, including a complete thyroid work up. Having had an eating disorder and the yo-yo dieting can really mess up your thyroid and adrenal glands. Best of luck in your recovery.