"Americans Exercise More....Obesity Rates Still Climbing"

CSARdiver

NormInv wrote: »

AnvilHead wrote: »

NormInv wrote: »

If you eat at say 500 below your calorie expenditure for a long time, your body will adapt to that level of energy and you will stop losing weight....

Yes. Your energy needs decrease as you lose weight. A person who weighs 120 pounds will not need as many calories to sustain their body as does one who weighs 180 pounds. If you get to 120 pounds and are still eating at what was a deficit for you at 180 pounds, it most likely won't be a deficit anymore.

There's no "jump starting the metabolism" involved. Your metabolism isn't a car with a dead battery, it works 24/7 or you're dead. At that point you need to re-evaluate your daily calorie intake taking your current weight into consideration.

An occasional diet break during the process can be helpful, and there's a very good thread about that here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

the diet break jump starts the metabolism....i was not comparing 180 lb to 120 lb. i was comparing 180 lb to a plateau at 165 lb.

when you are eating less than daily expenditure, the nonessentials are slowed down or stopped....these include hormones for well being, muscle groups not in use etc.

this is why you break a plateau by mixing up calories and/or workout routine

There is no "jump starting" metabolism.

Metabolism is a series of cascading biochemical reactions. They simply occur....and they do this with remarkable consistency. Functions are prioritized based on use - they never stop.

The phenomenon of adaptive thermogenesis is often misapplied. This is an immediate reaction to a shift in available food to process. Think of a fire - add more wood you get a hotter fire which burns faster...add less wood you get lower heat and prolonged burn. Your metabolism responds in similar fashion. Eat a large meal and your BMR responds accordingly, but this trends toward mean after 48-72 hours.

CarvedTones

In studies, they find that adaptive thermogenesis that occurs from extreme deficits for a long time doesn't reset in a few years. But they are smaller than a lot of people think. They have been as high as 500 calories, but that was for extremely obese patients who had maintenance calories above 3000 to start with. I think I damaged mine from losing too quickly for a while, but I think I am maybe 150 below what I should be.

ladyreva78

CSARdiver wrote: »

NormInv wrote: »

AnvilHead wrote: »

NormInv wrote: »

If you eat at say 500 below your calorie expenditure for a long time, your body will adapt to that level of energy and you will stop losing weight....

Yes. Your energy needs decrease as you lose weight. A person who weighs 120 pounds will not need as many calories to sustain their body as does one who weighs 180 pounds. If you get to 120 pounds and are still eating at what was a deficit for you at 180 pounds, it most likely won't be a deficit anymore.

There's no "jump starting the metabolism" involved. Your metabolism isn't a car with a dead battery, it works 24/7 or you're dead. At that point you need to re-evaluate your daily calorie intake taking your current weight into consideration.

An occasional diet break during the process can be helpful, and there's a very good thread about that here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

the diet break jump starts the metabolism....i was not comparing 180 lb to 120 lb. i was comparing 180 lb to a plateau at 165 lb.

when you are eating less than daily expenditure, the nonessentials are slowed down or stopped....these include hormones for well being, muscle groups not in use etc.

this is why you break a plateau by mixing up calories and/or workout routine

There is no "jump starting" metabolism.

Metabolism is a series of cascading biochemical reactions. They simply occur....and they do this with remarkable consistency. Functions are prioritized based on use - they never stop.

The phenomenon of adaptive thermogenesis is often misapplied. This is an immediate reaction to a shift in available food to process. Think of a fire - add more wood you get a hotter fire which burns faster...add less wood you get lower heat and prolonged burn. Your metabolism responds in similar fashion. Eat a large meal and your BMR responds accordingly, but this trends toward mean after 48-72 hours.

Very prettily layouted in this map...

http://biochemical-pathways.com/#/map/1

A prof of mine once described it as such:

"Digestion is what happens to the food in your intestines. Once it's absorbed by the intestines' walls, what happens to the nutrients is called metabolism. You have control over what foods you put in on top. But don't think even for a second that you have the slightest control over how any of it is metabolized"

Kst76

estherdragonbat wrote: »

karintalley wrote: »

estherdragonbat wrote: »

When I started MFP I was 5'3" weighed 254 lbs and (given that I told MFP I wanted to lose 1lb/week and it started me on 1720 calories), maintained on 2220. I now weigh 153 lbs and, because there's less of me, I maintain on 1650. That's not my body adapting to being in a deficit. That's my body being smaller and needing less fuel to function.

Im guessing you are not very active or you maintenance would be higher...right? If you are very sedentary that makes sense I guess. Otherwise 1650 to maintain would suck for me anyways...lol

Those are my sedentary calories. I actually do exercise quite a bit, but it's purposeful exercise and it can vary. So, I'm set to sedentary, but in actuality, I eat back 50% of what MFP tells me I burn from walking and strength training and usually take in 400-500 calories on top of that.

Yes, i would be the same if i was sedentary. But since my job keeps me on my feet a lot my maintenance is about 2250, before my "gym" calories are even added.
But good job on your weight loss!!i hope to be as successful and keep it off.