Have a slow metabolism?

Duganhorse

I thought this might be helpful for anyone struggling with a slow metabolism.


Pump Up Your Metabolism
Q: I've tried every diet under the sun in my life, and I'm really afraid I've ruined my metabolism. I seem to gain weight no matter what I eat now! Is there any way to fix this?
A: This is such a good question — I'm so glad you asked! Many people suffer from the backlash that can result from years of yo-yo diets. What happens is this: When people let their calorie levels drop too low, their body's survival mechanism kicks in, lowering their metabolic set point (or basal metabolic rate). When they go off that crash diet and begin to eat normally again, they gain back any weight lost — plus. And what follows that? Yup, another crash diet.

The cycle is often very frustrating, but it CAN be reversed with time, consistency, and patience. What you'll need to do is the exact opposite of what we call shocking the metabolism;you have to allow your body time to adapt to a new metabolic set point — by being consistent, you'll force your body to adapt.

Okay, here's the game plan: First, set your daily caloric intake at 12 calories per pound of body weight. (For example, my weight is 117; 117 x 12 = 1,404 calories a day.) Then stick like glue to that calorie allowance for at least one to two months, depending on your metabolism. This will allow your body time to readjust your metabolic set point accordingly.

Now, here's the other part of the equation: The absolute best way to pump up your metabolism is to EXERCISE. You'll be burning calories not only during your workout but also up to 48 hours after — all the while increasing lean muscle tissue, which speeds the metabolism over the long term. Aim for five hours of exercise a week if possible, but no fewer than three hours a week.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY

Be Patient


Once you get to the right calorie level and rev up your exercise regimen, it's time to sit back and chill, because resetting your metabolism is going to take a while. The exercise will keep you from gaining weight while you wait, and in about four to eight weeks you WILL start losing again. Don't be discouraged! You'll get there soon, I promise!

AKosky585

Good to know....I am a victim of the yo-yo crash dieting thing....although I would need 1644 calories if i did what they said...and that thought just terrifies me. I am so used to eating only 800 (Before MFP when I joined in Feb) that I have a hard time getting to 1300 (and my goal before exercise is 1450)

unknownndoll

Thank you!!

Duganhorse

Good to know....I am a victim of the yo-yo crash dieting thing....although I would need 1644 calories if i did what they said...and that thought just terrifies me. I am so used to eating only 800 (Before MFP when I joined in Feb) that I have a hard time getting to 1300 (and my goal before exercise is 1450)

I think that is what a lot of people are having a problem with--not eating enough. It is not good for your body to eat too little. It can drastically slow your metabolism causing you to lose weight slower. According to most things I have read, not just on MFP, you should never go below 1200 cal a day on a regular basis.

schwarzaj

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melodyg

Um... I can see how this would be good for some people but for those of us with a LOT of weight to lose... there is absolutely NO WAY that me eating 2500+ calories a day would be healthy and I can't even come up with a way to eat that many calories in a healthy manner. For a man who is at my weight, maybe.... but he wouldn't be my height either. I am perfectly content with 1600 or even 1800 with exercise, but getting above that is only a recipe to gain even more weight. (And, I do completely agree with eating more helping... this just seems excessive)

Duganhorse

Um... I can see how this would be good for some people but for those of us with a LOT of weight to lose... there is absolutely NO WAY that me eating 2500+ calories a day would be healthy and I can't even come up with a way to eat that many calories in a healthy manner. For a man who is at my weight, maybe.... but he wouldn't be my height either. I am perfectly content with 1600 or even 1800 with exercise, but getting above that is only a recipe to gain even more weight. (And, I do completely agree with eating more helping... this just seems excessive)

I agree with the calories being very high for those of us that are over weight. I got this from Jillian Michaels newsletter so I asume she knows what she is talking about. I know I wouldnt eat as many as I should according to this idea either. I do think is a good thing for people to see who are trying to starve themselves into losing weight.

Jozie236

On this website there is a toal that tells us how many calories we should consume based on our weight, right? Mine says I should eat 1510 . . . It seems a little high but I don't mind it. (haha). Has anybody on here successfully reset their metabolism? If so, are you willing to share your story as inspiration?

blondageh

Wow, I could never NOT gain 100 lbs by eating 3600 cals a day. Shoot, I did that for 2 days and gained 6lbs. Ack! I like the idea about exercise, but I would never have the stones to even attempt 3600 cals a day for 2 months. I have been a bad yo yo dieter for 12 yrs. I think my metabolism is ok considering. I CAN lose weight, but the second I start eating like a "normal" person (not dieting) I gain VERY quickly. Like 150lbs in a year. So, I guess my metabolism is slow and hangs on to every cal. Just going to keep at my 1500 cals a day and exercise my butt off. If, I ever do go into a plateau, I might give this a try though. How bad could it be eating a lbs a day? :noway:

ChellieIrish

Thanks for sharing bumpin this for later :drinker:

DeeDeeLHF

I agree with some of you. If you have a large amount of weight to lose, that equation of x12 wouldn't work at all. However, if you do have a large amount of weight to lose be very careful not to set your baseline at 1200!!! I remember reading from one of our resident experts, Tamtastic, that if you set it too low in the beginning, you have nothing to decrease it to.

I am one of those who if I was on a "diet" at only 800-1000 calories per day and exercised but never counted back those calories. Knowing what I know now, I can see why I would lose weight for the first 12 weeks, plateau, and then gradually gain it all back, PLUS!!

I have been on a very slow process of trying to up my calories.

D

HippyGalore

How does this apply to those of us who have a slow metabolism from reasons other than yo yo dieting? I managed to mess mine up from years of taking steroids (medical ones for colitis or arthritis, not body building or anything). It is slowly coming back to normal and I have taken a slowly slowly kid gloves approach (no more than 0.5 lb loss a week which logs at 1.5 on this as is that slow, mainly exercise based loss, eat more if unwell or feel I need it). I would hate to be doing any more harm though and am not eating enough based on your calculation.

emilyyoder

i have a question.........right now im happy with 1200 a day....well at times im still hungry, but when my metabolism picks up, i can eat more than, right? wouldnt that work? instead of eating more now?

unknownndoll

guys, like she said, this is for those of us who lowered our metabolism by eating too little to begin with!!

This is not to speed up you losses if you have a lot to lose and are set at over 1200 calories!

I found this very helpful, i ate 500 calories for a few months then went to 800-1000... i am now over 1200 but cant lose because now thats MORE than what i was eating!! i have thought about this before- my body now isnt realizing that when i eat 1200-1400 calories that that isn't maintanance calories or a deficit at all since it got used to eating TOO LITTLE for several months.... and unfortunatly there are also people who eat so little for years and their metabolisms are lowered and it will take a while to repair. For people like me 140 lbs eating that little it is actually frightning to think of eating 12x my weight witch is 1680!! I am afraid of gaining, but i dont want to live the rest of my life eating too little... of course those who are more overweight wouldnt need to do this. But people like me who want to eat NORMAL and still be able to get the last few lbs off.

junebug523

This technique probably isn't a good way to lose weight for those who have a lot to lose. Like several of you have said, calorie intakes of 2400+ daily probably isn't going to give you the changes you want!

But for me, this does seem to have worked. I joined MFP in late April, and stuck to the recommended calories of around 1200. I also ate back most of my exercise calories, but at the end of the day, I was usually at a net of around 1200. After four weeks, I hadn't lost any weight.

My problem was that for the last year+, I had already been eating at around this same level. I didn't lose weight during that entire time, either. I really think my body was so accustomed to receiving so little fuel, that it just wouldn't drop the weight--despite what the calculators said. Basically, my calories were so low, I couldn't reduce them anymore and still feel remotely human, so there was nothing left to try but eating more!

So, in late May, I increased my calories to an average of 1500-1600 net calories per day. I weighed myself after three weeks of doing this, and I had lost three pounds. I continued this for another two weeks, and lost two more pounds. I really think that at this point, my metabolism has pretty much reset itself. For about a week now, I have dropped my calories back to the 1200 net range, just to see what happens. Haven't weighed myself yet. I am going to continue this way for another week or two, weigh myself, and re-assess. If my weight loss has stalled again, I'll eat more.

This journey, I have found, is really not about just losing weight It's about my life. MFP is a wonderful tool for me to use to get healthier, and also to get to know my body. My body isn't a calculator--it's really not always a simple as what the numbers say. It's about making good decisions, adjusting my habits...but all in ways that will be sustainable for me after I get to my goal weight. Because it WILL happen.

And really...if I get to eat more and still lose weight, what's so bad about that?:happy:

chrisdavey

I think what the article is trying to say is that there is no point in eating bad (say 3000cals a day for a 165lb female) then jumping on a site like MFP and setting target weight at 125lbs or so and it telling you that you need to eat 1200cals/day to achieve this. That is too big of a gap for your body. If you used the X12 thing for a 165lb person this is basically 2000cals/day. Do this for a month and let your body reset then gradually decrease it. When I was 210lbs and started to eat healthy I was on 2100 cals/day (gross before exercise) then as I lost weight and got down to 155lbs I was down to 1900cals/day. I am now at 160lbs with substantially more muscle than before and can now eat 2100-2200 and maintain so I believe that my metabolism has increased over the last 3 years of eating healthy and regular exercise.